Now if you are a very good Bible scholar or at least are
familiar with scripture particularly the Old Testament you will hardly come across any
physical built structure that known as David’s Tabernacle. What would readily come to
mind when think of Tabernacle is that of Moses.
Yet we find a prophecy in Amos that mentions about a Davidic
Tabernacle in vs 11, 12
“On that day I
will raise up
The tabernacle of David, which has fallen down,
And repair its damages;
I will raise up its ruins,
And rebuild it as in the days of old;
12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom,
And all the Gentiles who are called by My name,”
Says the Lord who does this thing.
David desired that the Ark of
the Covenant had been missing from Jerusalem under Saul’s rule be returned back
to the Holy city. Moses’ tabernacle was set up in Gibeon, but David wanted to
bring the presence of the Lord to the capital of Israel and Judah. He had people
construct a cart that would transport the Ark back to Israel. En route one of
David’s men touched the Ark as it was shaking on the cart and he fell over
dead. Frightened of the Ark’s power David and his men took it to the nearest
house which was the home of a Gentile named Obed-edom.
The man’s name Obed-edom means, “Servant of Edom”. Edom is
another name for Esau, showing us that this man was actually a descendent of
Jacob’s brother Esau. For the next 3 months, blessings are evident in the house
of Obed-edom, which becomes noticeable
away from his home. David heared of the good fortune, jealousy arose within and
he desired that God would bless him too with such goodness. I can imagine the
look on Obed-edom’s face when they came for the Ark…
This prompts David to take the Ark out of Obed-edom’s house after
seeking the right counsel. He brought it up to Jerusalem, this time with
priests carrying it, as Moses had been instructed.
David placed the Ark in a tabernacle that he pitches for it.
1 Chronicles 15:1 describes this “tabernacle” to be a tent.
“David built
houses for himself in the City of David; and he prepared a place for the ark of
God, and pitched a tent for it.”
David was not concerned about placing the Ark in the Holy of
Holies, in the tabernacle at Gibeon. He made no effort in that regard. Instead,
he leaves it in Jerusalem, expecting the same blessings and prosperity that it brought
while in the house of Obed-edom would also be seen in Jerusalem.
Davis had learned that God’s blessings were not on the
tabernacle, but on the Ark. The Tabernacle was nothing without the Ark. He had
seen that God would bless all who approached it, even an unworthy Gentile. This
was a picture of our Lord Jesus.
Years after that the Davidic
throne was thrown down in the captivity under Babylon and the Gentiles ruled
over the Jews. Amos then sees a time when the Davidic throne would be
restored and its occupant rule over the Gentiles in restored Israel. This
prophecy looked to have begun to be fulfilled in the return of the captivity
from Babylon but with a closer it is obvious that the vision was beyond a national
restoration but a spiritual restoration in Christ. There are many Old
Testament prophecies that follow this same pattern. Paul the Apostle was good
expositing such in his letters. Without understanding this one will find
himself looking at national Israel of today instead of the Israel of God, the
body of Christ.
In Acts 15, the Apostle James speaks to the assembled
apostles and preachers at the council in Jerusalem. The council was held so
that the Jewish apostles could settle what the acceptable doctrine was for the
new Gentile converts regarding the observance of Jewish law.
In his speech, James quotes text from the same book of Amos
and placed Amos’ prophecy in New Testament times and not far off in some future
timeframe. I want you to notice how quotes that vs 12 of Amos 9
So that the
rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
Even all the
Gentiles who are called by My name,
Says the Lord who does all these things.”
(Acts 15:17)
James
sees that the finished work of Jesus and inauguration of the new covenant was
beyond natural Israel but also included the gentiles. It was an inclusion that
did not come as a result of the observance of the Mosaic laws.
Under the Old Covenant, God was feared and placed at a distance. Only the high
priest ever saw the ark while it was in the tabernacle, and that only once per
year. David was reaching forward to a better covenant built upon better
promises, when all of God’s people can go boldly into the presence of the Lord
and embrace the mercy seat of heaven, covered by the blood of the precious,
spotless Lamb.
This restoration was to bring man back to that garden
relationship where separation did not exist. The enmity, the wall of separation
called the Law was pulled down so that all would embrace the unconditional love
of the Father.
14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both
one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new
man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in
one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were
afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit
to the Father. (Ephesians 2)
This is the
true worship that Jesus spoke about. Religion tries to worship a god that it
knows not about. This worship involves no distance and entertains
no room for fear, guilt and condemnation. His indwelling presence in us is the
fulfillment of that rebuilt temple. It is not about a physical structure or
pattern of worship. It is about us being the eternal residence of the Godhead.
And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying,
“Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they
shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. (Revelation 21:3)
Just as in David’s tabernacle, the blessings are not on the tent, but on the
Ark in the tent. Jesus is the Ark personified in the finished work. The
blessings that we experience are not because of us but because of our Jesus in
us! Therefore, His blessings are not dependent on how good we are or how
consecrated we may be, but rather they are dependent on how good Jesus is.
Halleluyah!
