Two Tabernacles with Two Outcomes

Several weeks ago, our church experienced a very powerful time during praise and worship. During one of the songs, I was deeply impressed by the thought or vision of what it must be like to have 24 hours, days, or weeks of continuous worship. “Day and night, night and day” were the words being sung, and the thought of David’s Tabernacle after returning the ark to Jerusalem came to mind as a picture of this very thing taking place. During his reign, King David transformed Israel’s worship into an organized, yet deeply personal expression of devotion to God. His reforms and personal devotion set a lasting example for Israelite worship and even more so for the future Church. David saw something that was beyond his day. David had a revelation of a room in heaven (Rev 4) that he wanted to replicate on earth. Something that reflected his heartfelt devotion to God, that all could corporately participate in and be exposed to. An example to more than just the Israelites, but an even greater example to all nations of the earth.

Centralization of Worship: After capturing Jerusalem, David made it the political and spiritual capital of Israel and brought the Ark of the Covenant there (2 Samuel 6:12–15). This act symbolized God’s presence among His people and unified the tribes under one worship center, foreshadowing the future Temple built by Solomon.

Organization of Worship: At the peak of his reign, David structured the Levitical priesthood and assigned specific roles: 24,000 Levites to oversee the house of the Lord, 6,000 as officers and judges, 4,000 as gatekeepers, and 4,000 to praise the Lord with musical instruments. He appointed Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun as chief musicians, ensuring that worship included skilled singing and instrumental music. David was a skilled musician and composer, and many Psalms attributed to him became the core of Israel’s religious songs during this era, encompassing praise, thanksgiving, lament, and supplications. His own example—dancing before the Lord with all his might (2 Samuel 6:14)— showed that worship should be heartfelt, joyful, and public. David’s praise was not confined to ritual; it was a continuous thread in his life. He proclaimed God’s name publicly (1 Chronicles 16:81), sang in the courts (Psalm 100:4), and lifted his hands in thanksgiving (Psalm 63:4). His worship often involved the whole community, as seen in the celebration before the Ark (2 Samuel 6:5).

Praise amidst trials: Even in personal sin and hardship, David chose to praise God, declaring that “the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit” (Psalm 51:17) and that his lips would praise Him as long as he lived (Psalm 63:4). The legacy of David’s reign established worship as both structured and spontaneous, blending order with personal devotion. Talent and skill surrendered to the leading and freedom of the Holy Spirit. His reforms ensured that Israel had a unified, music-rich worship life, and his own life demonstrated that praise is a response to God’s greatness, whether in joy or in sorrow.

The Ark returns to Jerusalem

 David knew that part of the reason for Israel’s previous weakness was Saul’s lack of interest in the nation’s religious life. Even the ark of the covenant, symbol of God’s presence, lay forgotten in a country house. It was several years in David’s Kingship before he finally set out to restore the ark to its rightful place at the center of the nation’s religious life. It would have been an easy task to restore the Ark to the Tabernacle of Moses, but no one cared enough to do so until David swore and vowed to the Lord that he would not sleep in a bed until he could provide a proper "dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob" (Psalm 132:1-5). In bringing the ark to Jerusalem, David desired to make Jerusalem the religious and political center of Israel. But his plans suffered an early setback due to a lack of understanding and proper reverence for the ark (1 Chron. 13:1-14) and (2 Samuel 6:1-11). During this attempted transport, the oxen stumbled at the threshing floor of Nacon, and Uzzah touched the Ark to steady it, resulting in his death due to his irreverence (2 Samuel 6:6-7). The incident caused David to temporarily halt the relocation of the Ark. Fearing the Lord’s wrath, David left the Ark at the house of Obed-edom the Gittite, where it remained for three months. During this period, the Ark brought blessings to Obed-edom and his household, demonstrating its sacred presence. (2 Samuel 6:10-11) These accounts in the previous paragraph give us great insight into both the heart and the ways of God. These verses tell us that the people, even the priests of Israel, had been operating in the flesh or ritual routine for quite a while. They had become accustomed to religious practices without the power and presence of God. When it was time to restore God’s presence, His protocols and reverent fear had been lost on this generation. Even David (a man after God’s own heart) seemed caught unaware. Scripture says that “David was angry with God” at the death of Uzzah. (1 Chron 10: 11-10)

So why did things go wrong? These people had forgotten that the Ark was the physical representation of the glory and presence of God! And that His presence can bring both a blessing and/or a curse (even death). If we go back to the beginning (1 Chron. 13:1-5) we see the issue. David conferred with each of his officers, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. He then said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our people throughout the territories of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their towns and pasturelands, to come and join us. Let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we did not inquire of it during the reign of Saul” The whole assembly agreed to do this, because it seemed right to all the people. So, David assembled all Israel, from the Shihor river in Egypt to Lebo Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim. A warning for us today! Even in our zeal for God, we must not proceed in our own strength, thoughts, or plans without consulting the guidance of the Holy Spirit. (Proverbs 14:12) “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” This verse highlights a fundamental truth about human nature: our perception of what is right can often be flawed. People tend to trust their instincts, experiences, and desires, believing that their rituals and choices are correct. However, when it comes to the things of God, we must proceed with divine understanding. “Lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5b)

After the Philistines returned the Ark to Israel, the Ark remained eight miles west of Jerusalem in a town called Kiriath Jearim. The people placed it in the house of a man named Abinadab, where it stayed for about 70 years (20 years under Samuel's judgeship, 40 years under Saul's kingship, and almost 10 years into David's kingship). During these 70 years, there was no Shekinah Glory in the tabernacle of Moses located at Gibeon. The Holy of Holies was empty without the Ark. The priests continued to minister at the tabernacle, offering daily sacrifices, becoming just ritual motions without His glory and His presence. The sad truth was that the Ark was in a farmhouse situated only about five miles from Gibeon, where the Tabernacle of Moses was. So, in just 70 years, the people had forgotten, and the Tabernacle of Moses had become just another religious practice, and the Presence of God was absent in the Tabernacle. Yet things continued as normal. Let that sink in!! How many churches today continue in their practices, rituals, and programs, not realizing that the Spirit and presence of God have long departed? And in many cases, God’s presence was never a priority, much less THE priority!

Three Months Later

(1 Chron. 15; 1-2 / 11-15) After David had constructed buildings for himself in the City of David, he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. Then David said, “No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the Lord chose them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister before him forever.” Then David summoned Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab the Levites. He said to them, “You are the heads of the Levitical families; you and your fellow Levites are to consecrate yourselves and bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the Lord our God broke out in anger against us. We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way, So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves for the purpose of bringing up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. And the Levites carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the Lord.

After properly preparing according to the Law of Moses, David instructed the Levites to carry the Ark on their shoulders using poles. A grand procession with music, sacrifices, and rejoicing accompanied the Ark’s journey to Jerusalem, where David had pitched a tent for it. The Ark was then set in its designated place, marking Jerusalem as both the political and spiritual center of Israel.

Significance: The relocation of the Ark was both a religious and political act. It symbolized the unification of the Israelite tribes under David’s rule and centralized worship in Jerusalem. The Ark represented God’s presence and authority, reinforcing David’s role as both king and spiritual leader. The Ark was Israel’s most sacred object. Its placement in Jerusalem marked the unification of the nation under God’s rule and foreshadowed the future Temple worship and an even greater theological significance for the future Church. Sadly, today most churches scoff at this symbolism, saying that all things should be done in a silent reverence, according to God’s holiness.

 

The Tabernacle of Moses at Gibeon

David brought the Ark from Kiriath-Jearim to Jerusalem with great rejoicing (2 Sam. 6), placing it in a tent he had prepared. Yet Scripture is largely silent on why he left the Tabernacle of Moses and its altar in Gibeon. What we do know is that David ensured Zadok and the priests would continue the sacrificial system faithfully at Gibeon (1 Chron. 16:39–40). However, because the Ark was absent from the tabernacle, the high priest could not fully keep the Day of Atonement as prescribed in the Law. During this time, worship was divided between Jerusalem and Gibeon. This period of separation might be considered a foreshadowing of Christ, who perfectly united both the Ark and the Altar. For Jesus is our true Ark—God dwelling among us (John 1:14) and the perfect sacrifice for sin. He entered the greater and more perfect tent, not made with hands, and offered His own blood, securing eternal redemption (Heb. 9:12). Through Christ, the veil has been torn (Matt. 27:51), and we have boldness to enter the Most Holy Place by His blood (Heb. 10:19–22). He not only brings us near to God, but He also dwells within us by His Spirit (Rom. 8:11). These truths invite us to draw near with confidence and full assurance of faith, knowing that Jesus is now our all in all.

The Tabernacle of David

While there remain varied and different opinions about the coexistence of two temples, let’s focus on what we do know. When the Ark was returned to Jerusalem, the glory of the Lord returned. In His presence is great joy, and God was enthroned in the praises of His people. David appointed priests to minister before the Lord without ceasing (1 Chronicles 16:37). Praise and worship were offered on musical instruments, with singing and incense, from soft harp to loud cymbals (Psalm 150). Worship was both structured and spontaneous. The priests were skilled singers and instrumentalists. They sang and played according to prescribed musical scores, some of which were reflected in the superscription of the Psalms. But there were also new and spontaneous songs! The new song and the selah mentioned often in the Psalms refer to outbreaks of Spirit-inspired, spontaneous praise and worship.

Upon arrival, David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings in the Tabernacle before the Lord (2 Sam 6:17). David was not presumptuous in doing his own ways, but he knew the Word and the ways of the Lord. There was great intimacy and transparency between the Lord and David. David dwelt in the Tabernacle (Psalm 23:6, 27:4). He knew what it meant to praise and pray without ceasing. Praising and worshipping God without ceasing is possible if we know what God really requires of us. Living a life of righteousness and holiness is a sweet offering of worship unto the Lord. It is not dependent on the songs and the music, but more about the attitude and intent of the heart. God requires a heart that is pure and undefiled, and a seeker of righteousness. “Create in me a clean heart, O God!”

The Tabernacle of David was singularly focused on the glory and the presence of the Lord. The focus was not a day now and then, but a consistency of daily responding to God. An invitation for all to participate freely and openly. Placed on a hill for all to see! David knew that without His glory, there would be no change. Without His presence, there is no light and no life! What is a Tabernacle without the glory and presence of the Lord? What is a Church when the Lord's presence is not there? What is a Christian who does not bear the evidence of the presence of the Lord in their life? The presence of the Lord is dependent on our devotion and relationship with Him. The psalmist David, a man after God's own heart, pleaded with God, "Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me" (Psalm 51:11). Because of David’s heart, God says that He will sit on the throne of David forever. (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Is the modern church to mimic David’s example? Do our hearts cry out, “Create in me a clean heart oh, God,” or do we find ourselves satisfied with ritual, personal preferences, over the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit, which brings us into all truth. John 4:23 says Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth. It is my personal opinion that the two tabernacles co-existed so that an individual would have the freedom to choose, as God always gives us the option of choice. The term “tabernacle of David” appears prophetically in Amos 9:11, where God promises to “raise the fallen tent of David” and restore its ruins. This imagery speaks of both the restoration of David’s kingdom and the expansion of God’s people to include the Gentiles. In the New Testament, James quotes (Amos 9:11) in (Acts 15:16-17), linking the restoration of David’s tabernacle to the inclusion of Gentiles in the faith, showing that God’s house would be open to all who seek Him.

In closing: David danced before the Lord with all his might as an expression of worship and joy when bringing the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem. According to 2 Samuel 6:14-22, David wore a linen ephod, a priestly garment, and danced with all his strength before the Lord while the Ark was brought into the City of David. The people of Israel accompanied him with shouts of joy and the blowing of rams’ horns, celebrating the Ark’s arrival, which symbolized God’s presence among His people (2 Samuel 6:14-15). But David’s wife, Michal, daughter of Saul, despised him for what she saw as undignified behavior, criticizing him for exposing himself before the people (2 Samuel 6:16, 20). David responded that his dance was before the Lord, and that he would be “even more undignified” celebrating God’s choice of him as king, and he was willing to appear foolish in human eyes to honor God (2 Samuel 6:21-22). Because of Michal questioning Davids’s open response and motives before the people, God made her barren with no children till her death. This highlights the principle that true worship prioritizes devotion to God over human opinion (the fear of man).

What theological implications are to be taken from David’s account? What blessings are being withheld in our lives because we question, as Michal did? Or negotiate or argue with God regarding His ways or methods? How many Churches are dead because we refuse to be like David and be “even more undignified” before the Lord? Which Tabernacle do you find yourself in today? The Tabernacle of Moses (ritual and tradition), or the Tabernacle of David (freedom, spontaneity and the presence of God)?

“DAY AND NIGHT, NIGHT AND DAY, LET INCENSE ARISE”