Moriah Guitarworks

(continued from part 1)

The scriptures are vague about David’s tent. There is some information, but very few details are described. The Tabernacle of Moses was still in operation in David’s time. In fact, the main article of the tabernacle was lost to the Philistines in the days of Saul, David’s predecessor. The ark of the covenant represented God’s Holy presence to the nation of Israel. This gold overlaid article of furniture was lost in a battle, many years before during the time of Eli the high priest. The ark was returned safely back to Israel miraculously, and was stored at Kiriath-jearim, in the house of Abinadab and Eleazar.

Saul didn’t do much about returning it to the tent of Moses, which was set up in Shiloh. For Saul, the ark was a piece of furniture, and he had more pressing matters to tend to. The ark sat in storage for twenty years or so.

When David was crowned king of Israel and Judah, his first order of kingdom business was to bring the ark of God’s presence to Jerusalem. David loved God’s presence so much that this was the first thing that he did as king. We know that there was a great procession into David’s city of Zion when the ark was carried in by the Levites. There was a massive celebration with music and dancing and expressive demonstrations of praise because David honored God’s presence. It is written that David made quite a scene, acting foolishly in the eyes of those who thought a king should act stately in the eyes of the common people. He remarked that being so free and unashamed before God would be something to expect from him. David cared more about what God’s opinion was than what people thought. He also ruled as king being attentive to God’s heart, because David loved and worshiped the God of his fathers.

It was at this time that David decided to keep the ark of God’s presence with him in Zion, rather than return it to Shiloh, where Moses’ tabernacle was located. David wanted to have the LORD as close by as possible, and since he was king…. he could get away with breaking the traditional way things were done. The people knew that God’s favor was on David, and this helped tremendously in David setting up the tent in Zion.

A tent was set up near to David’s palace. No-one knows how big it was or what shape it was. We do know that David had been a musician from his youth, and that the tent was set up to accommodate singers, dancers, scribes, musicians, prophets, and priests. The ark was simply placed in the center of the assembly area, and worshipers would gather around and play music, sing anthems, prophecy, compose and recite poetry and dance before the presence of God. The scriptures record that 24 shifts of priests would rotate their service before the LORD, and the praises of God would rise continually in the mountain of Zion. That’s what we call 24-7 today.

Some have commented that David was peering into heaven itself, and was directing this tent to resemble what he was seeing before the great throne of God. David was in deed living by faith and acting out the desire of his heart. David’s heart was longing for the house of God’s permanent habitation. This tent was the place of David’s yearning. It was the place of expectation of what the future was to bring. David knew it was the stepping stone for the House in which he longed to build for God. Others have said that David was also seeing to the other side of Calvary, where the temple was not built with hands but was dwelling in the hearts of His people.

We now are longing for the house of God’s permanent habitation, like David. This may be what the prophet was referring to when he said in the “last days, David’s tent would be raised again”. We do know that when the LORD returns to renew the heavens and the earth, we will live forever permanently in His presence. In that day we will all know Him in the way He knows us. We won’t need faith any more, because we will see Him with our very eyes. We won’t see darkly, like we do now. We will sing before Him with adoration and pure celebration, and our expressions will be radical, uninhibited and free before Him.

While we live on this side, we have David’s tent to raise up again. We can also peer into heaven by faith like David did. Isn’t it so awesome that our worship is found in the longing expectation of what is coming? The marriage supper of the Lamb of God! We are his betrothed bride, His lady in waiting! When we are lead by God’s Holy Spirit, we will know what David’s tent was like. This is where we learn to adore Him, and be adored by Him. We are training for our eternal habitation! We are longing for the House of God, like a panting deer searching for water brooks.

That is when we can say that “Zeal for God’s House is consuming us!”