From Tabernacle to Temple: A Trilogy of Worship- Part 2
Today we’re continuing our study of worship from Moses’ Tabernacle , to Davis’ Tabernacle, to Solomon’s Temple, and how it applies to us. In this post, we are focusing on Davidic worship. Psalm 150 is a picture of Davidic worship for the New Testament believer.
Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. Psalm 150:1-6 (KJV)
In I Samuel 6, during David’s reign, the Ark was returned to Israel from the Philistines. It was designed to be carried on poles by men. We are to carry God’s presence everywhere we go. Everywhere we go, we represent God. We are God’s tabernacle and temple.
And David made him houses in the city of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God, and pitched for it a tent…. And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers: David also had upon him an ephod of linen. Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouting, and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps. I Chronicles 15:1, 27-28 (KJV)
David pitched a tent for the Ark of God. They had singers, instruments, and celebrated with joy. They had psalteries, harps, cymbals, cornets, trumpets, and shouting and singing. We are to celebrate with joy before the Lord. In I Chronicles 16, they worshiped continually before the Ark, This is all a picture of New Testament continuous worship.
Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to the service of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals: I Chronicles 25:1 (KJV)
They prophesied with instruments, lifting up song in God’s house. We can do the same.
Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ…. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; I Peter 2:5, 9 (KJV)
New Testament believers are built up as a spiritual house and we are priests and worshippers. We are to offer spiritual sacrifices of songs, music, worship, and prophetic songs to show forth God’s praises.
And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Ephesians 5:18-19 (KJV)
Spirit-filled believers sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Psalms are Scripture set to music. Hymns are inspired lyrics, songs of the church. Spiritual songs are songs given by th Holy Spirit, whether in our native language or in tongues.
I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. I Corinthians 14:15 (KJV)
We are to sing prophetic songs, just as they did in David’s day. Any prophecy that can be spoken can be sung. Tongues can also be spoken or sung. We are to do both.
What we see of David’s worship is David modeling the worship of a New Testament believer before such ever existed. Based on Scripture and by what Holy Spirit shows us, we are to carry on what David started. God wants us to be like David, a man after His own heart.
