A Person After God’s Own Heart: Session 7 – The Tabernacle of David

Notes:

The Tabernacle of David    See Session Slides Here

At the Council of Jerusalem James quoted Amos: ‘After this I will return and will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up’ (Acts 14:28). What did he mean? The Church at this time was Jewish. God opened the door to the Gentiles, but Satan tried to close it. Thus, the Council of Jerusalem met to discuss this question: ‘Do Christian converts need to be circumcised and obey the Law?’ ‘Are we saved by a mixture of grace and law?’ ‘Do we need Moses to complete what Jesus began?’

This issue arose because legalists from the Jerusalem Church taught the Gentiles converts needed to keep the Law. They added to the gospel. Now there were 2 gospels: Compare Acts 13:39 and Acts 15:5.

Peter (Acts 15:7-11). Shared his experience re: Cornelius. The Holy Spirit was given to Gentiles endorsing them without the Law. The Law was an unbearable yoke, even to the Jews. Salvation is by grace, for Jew and Gentile. The legitimization of the salvation of Gentiles by grace is Peter’s last recorded mention in Acts.

  • Barnabas and Paul (Acts 15:12). They testified how God set His seal upon the Gentiles through the preaching of the Gospel. The emphasis is not on what Paul & Barnabas did, but what God did.
  • James quoted the words of Amos 9:10-11 as irrefutable evidence (Acts 15:14-17).
  • ‘Do Christian converts need to be circumcised and obey the Law?’ ‘No! Prophecy states that the kingdom of Christ will not be a revival of Mosaic Law, but a restoration of the tabernacle of David.’

The first thing David did when he became king over all Israel was to take Jerusalem and bring back the Ark.

  • The Ark was taken in battle by the Philistines! Ichabod! The glory departed…for over 75 years.
  • The Philistines took the ark to their chief city of Ashdod, but it brought plagues. The same thing happened at Gath and Ekron. They were terrified so they loaded the ark on cart and drove it back to Israel.
  • The ark arrived at Beth Shemesh and the people took off the lid, the mercy seat, exposing them to judgment. 50,000 instantly died. So the people called for those from Kiriath Jearim to fetch the ark. It was taken to the house of Abinadab in Kiriath Jearim and stayed there during the reign of Saul until David.
  • David loved God and wanted to bring it back but loaded it on a cart, (Philistine idea). It hit a bump on a threshing floor. Uzzah reached out to steady it and was struck dead. David was frightened and didn’t bring the ark back to his city but they stored it in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite (from Gath).
  • The lesson is clear. Who can stand before God on the basis of Law? The Law brings death.
  • The ark was in the house of Obed-Edom, blessing his family for 3 months. David tried to figure out why others were slain, but not Obed-Edom. He was a Gentile! Then he got a revelation of grace that welcomes Jew and Gentile into His presence because of Jesus. The ark is brought to the Tabernacle of David.
  • During the reign of David there was an abnormality in Israel: 2 tabernacles of God in existence – the tabernacle of Moses at Gibeon and the tabernacle of David at Zion.
  • In the tabernacle of Moses there was a veil, but no ark! There was no veil in the tabernacle of David. The ark was on full view allowing worship for all (Psa.61:4; Psa.63:7; Psa.17:8).
  • This was a foretaste of the new covenant. Zion is a new wineskin. It represents a relationship with God based upon grace. There is unconditional acceptance for all who approach God by faith in Christ.
  • The period in which the ark resided at Zion is the context of the many references in the Psalms and Prophets to ‘Zion’ as God’s dwelling place. (See Heb. 12:22).
  • At David’s Tabernacle there was only a one time sacrificial offering, therefore no more consciousness of sin. And no priests (mediators), only Levites, whom David appointed ‘to minister before the ark of the Lord, and to record, i.e. bring to remembrance the mercies and marvelous acts of God.
  • The main emphasis is that Zion provides an intimacy with God. It represents the doing away of legalistic ways to reach or touch God. Through Jesus we have boldness to enter into the holy place! God is no longer locked up in a building or a tent. He now tabernacles with His people by indwelling them.
  • David danced before the Lord. When the ark was installed he blessed the people with bread, meat and wine. But when he went home to bless his family his wife despised him. A day of celebration was killed by cold legalism. She said he disgraced himself. David let time reveal who had really been disgraced.