1 Chronicles 13:3

and let us bring again the ark of our God to us, which, after having been returned by the Philistines to Bethshemesh, had been brought up as far as Kirjath-jearim, 1 Samuel 7:1, for we enquired not at it in the days of Saul. The worship of Jehovah had, in general, been neglected during the reign of Saul, the ark having been away from the Sanctuary for so many years. The more serious believers had offered their sacrifices at Gibeon, but without considering that the ark was the chief part of the Tabernacle. David, clear-sighted as usual, realized that the presence of the ark in his capital, where he intended to locate the Sanctuary, would be of great help in maintaining the worship of Jehovah in the nation.