David learned a hard lesson the first time he tried to bring the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem and he didn’t review all of the laws about transporting it. The ark was not simply a national treasure, it was the sacred object God designed for himself, a copy of his throne in heaven.

When the ark was first installed in the Holy of Holies, the glory of God radiated so powerfully that Moses and Aaron couldn’t go into the tabernacle. After that only the high priest was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies, once a year, with clouds of incense between him and the ark. When the ark was moved, it was hidden from view by layers of special coverings. No one ever touched it; Levites carried it on their shoulders using specially constructed poles.

The Tabernacle in Canaan

The ark was the dwelling place of God among the Israelites as long as the tabernacle remained the center of their camp. When they settled in the Promised Land the tabernacle and ark were set up in Shiloh and stayed there until the time of Eli, the priest. Then the Israelites foolishly took the ark out of the tabernacle and the Philistines captured it in a battle.

King Saul moved the tabernacle tent from Shiloh to Nob, near his home town of Gibeah. Later, when he was insanely jealous of David, Saul ordered the death of all of the priests at Nob. Doeg the Edomite destroyed the town and the Levites came and got the tabernacle. They moved it to a hill in Gibeon where it continued to be the place for sacrifices and offerings throughout Saul and David’s lifetimes.

We haven’t read about David’s son Solomon yet, but when he was crowned king of Israel, he built the temple in Jerusalem. Solomon brought the old tabernacle to Jerusalem and installed its furnishings in the new temple and at that point the tabernacle Moses built went away.

The Ark in Canaan

The ark was protected while it was among the Philistines because God punished them severely for taking possession of it. They couldn’t turn it into an idol or make it serve their gods. God demonstrated his anger by smashing their god Dagon and sending the Philistines painful tumors.

Within months the Philistines returned the ark to Israel and it was carefully installed at the home of Abiniadab at Kiriath-Jearim, under the care of Abinadab’s sons. It stayed there for about twenty years. People were safe around the ark as long as it was treated with reverence. But God struck the priest Uzzah dead when he failed to treat the ark the way he should have.

The ark was not an idol. It was a copy of God’s throne in heaven and God demanded that it be respected because of what it represented, his holy presence dwelling among his people on earth.

Solomon put the ark into the Holy of Holies when he built the temple in Jerusalem. It remained there until the Babylonians defeated the Israelites hundreds of years later. Sadly, it was carried off as plunder and was lost. There are many legends regarding where the ark ended up, but it disappeared from Scripture during the exile of Israel to Babylon.

Where Was God?

God was never confined to the tabernacle or the ark in the Holy of Holies. He brought his presence there when he chose to, but after Israel moved into Canaan, God was present everywhere. He accompanied Joshua into battle with the Canaanites; he appeared to people in various places during the time of the judges; he personally spoke to Samuel and he confronted King Saul. He met David in the sheep pastures when he was a boy and again when he was a warrior at his stronghold in Adullam.

We don’t know all of the stories of how God met people as individuals in ancient Israel. But as we read on we will see him speaking to all kinds of men and women in various places and conditions.

The ark and the tabernacle were sacred places for people to meet God, but they were not God. They were a copy of the heavenly realm where God lives forever and for that reason they were treated with absolute respect. God himself has always been out and about, living among people. Jesus came to show us that.

Jesus gives each of us who believe in him the ability to become the temple of God. Hebrews 9-10 explains what Jesus has done for us, and it is easy to understand for those of us who have read the Old Testament, but here is a key passage on the subject:

“But when this priest [Jesus] had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God . . . because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” Hebrews 10:12-14

Where is God now? He is out and about in the world, and he is also inside every believer.

David Brings Music to Worship

Three months after the death of Uzzah, David was ready to bring the ark to Jerusalem. He had studied the right way to do it and this time he followed the biblical guidelines. He turned the project over to the Levites and asked them do what they knew to do.

And David added music to worship at this time. Before this the only music that accompanied worship in Israel was the trumpet blast that called people to the festivals. David furnished the Levites with musical instruments and wrote songs with lyrics. He loved music with a beat that people could dance to.

“David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their fellow Levites as musicians to make a joyful sound with musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals.” 2 Samuel 6:17

The family of Heman son of Joel were quite musical according to 2 Samuel 6:17-22, and they played every kind of instrument. There was also Kenaniah, the head Levite, who was a gifted singer put in charge of the singers.

I wonder how long these musicians had longed to bring their talents to the worship of God? When they finally got to sing and play, the music had a profound effect upon the people bringing the ark up to Jerusalem.

“Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.” 2 Samuel 6:28

Michal Dissents

Not everyone appreciated this worshipful exuberance. David’s wife Michal detested David when she saw him dancing, but her disdain for her husband wasn’t actually related to worship.

When she confronted David he rebuked her for her disrespect for him and it ended whatever relationship they had left between them.

Placing the Ark in the Tent

David erected a tent for the ark in Jerusalem, but it was not the original tabernacle. The tent was a special place for the ark, where it would be kept safe and treated with reverence, but it was only a temporary shelter. David would soon draw up plans for a great temple to house the ark and be the center of worship for Israel.

Meanwhile, he organized the Levites to take care of the precincts around the ark, with priests as gatekeepers and ministers. He also assigned priests to serve at the tabernacle in Gibeon and reinstated the morning and evening offerings “in accordance with everything written in the Law of the Lord, which he had given Israel.” 1 Chronicles 16:40

David Loved the Lord

The Psalm we read in 1 Chronicles 16:8-36 is a compilation of thoughts from several different Psalms David wrote. He gave this Psalm to Israel as a hymn of praise that they could learn and sing together. He couldn’t think of a more wonderful way to honor God than by corporate worship.

David gave the people ownership of their worship when he added music and singing. The Israelites moved from merely observing the priests and being told what to do, to singing and dancing. It must have been a wonderful experience for them. When Israel heard the words in this passage, they were deeply moved.

David concluded his Psalm with “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.” 1 Chronicles 16:36

And the people responded with heartfelt praise of their own.

“Then all the people said, ‘Amen’ and ‘Praise the Lord’” 1 Chronicles 16:36

What a gift David was to Israel. He grew up in solitude among the sheep pens and his relationship with God was deep and real. He didn’t know what formal religion was supposed to look like, and he sometimes made grave mistakes, but when it came to worship, David was a man after God’s own heart.