RESTORING THE TABERNACLE
OF DAVID
Amos 9:11 & Acts 15:16 2 Samuel 6; 1 Chronicles 13,15,16
Aim: God is passionate about us, He
wants to restore and rekindle our relationship with Him, our first love, so
that we can truly be a vibrant end times Church that is reflecting the glory of
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amos 9:11 & Acts 15:16.
1. A HEART AFTER GOD (OUR RELATIONSHIP)
When God chose David as
King for His people, He chose a man after His own heart (1 Sam 13:14 & Acts
13:22). It was time in the history of the Jewish nation for God's plans and
purposes to move forward, and David was to be God's chosen instrument for that
time. He was the youngest of eight brothers, and his duty was to look after his
father, Jesse's sheep.
In those early years, what was to happen to
David, through his life, would doubtless have seemed impossible, but when God's
hand is on a person's life, nothing is impossible! David's relationship with
God began as a shepherd boy on the hills around Bethlehem. It was here his
relationship with God grew. He learned from very practical day by day
experience who God was, and His ways. But it was not just a one way
relationship, but a very real and tangible relationship. A relationship that
evoked from David a response of worship, that overflowed from his heart.
David would sit on the hills, with his harp, perhaps when the days work was
done, and compose psalms to God, pouring out his heart to "His shepherd." They
weren't couched in meaningless religious jargon, they weren't to impress those
who would hear, but in music and word David would speak of how great God was,
and his need and longing for Him. This practise that began as a young lad,
continued throughout his life. Many of his greatest times of dependence on God
would bring a new psalm. "David was an enthusiastic worshipper of Yahweh. All
the records of his life agree in representing him as devoted to Israel's God.
In the midst of life's dangers and disappointments, "David strengthened
(encouraged) himself in Yahweh (the Lord) his God" I Samuel 30:6 (from
International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia).
When King Saul was
troubled by an evil spirit, and subject to moods of depression and insanity,
his attendants advised him to secure a harpist, to soothe him. It was David
that was chosen for the task, and he would travel between Bethlehem to Gibeah,
to play for Saul when summoned.
God wants each one of us to have a
personal relationship with Him. He does not want us just to know about Him, but
to know Him. He loves us, He wants to break down the hardness and the barriers
we have built to stop us from getting hurt, the unforgiveness, the bitterness,
the self-consciousness, the anger, etc. He wants to do away with the religion
and bring reality. He wants to take our lukewarmness and make us HOT. Not just
for the moment, but forever. He wants to bring something beautiful out of our
dry places.
Psalm 84.
2. A COSTLY MISTAKE (NOT SEEKING GOD)
Many years passed, and David became King, uniting again the two kingdoms of
Israel and Judah. After establishing his new political capital at Jerusalem, he
decided it would be good to re-establish and strengthen the worship of God. So
he went to Kiriath-Jearim, (or Baalah) to the house of Abinadab to bring back
the Ark of the Covenant. Several years earlier the Philistines had captured the
ark, but finding it caused them many problems, they returned it to Abinadab's
house to get rid of it.
How do you transport a heavy object like the
ark? - Well David reasoned, an ox cart would be the obvious way, after all the
Philistines had used an ox cart to return it to Abinadab's house. 2 Samuel
6:1-5 Things seemed to be going well, and there was much jubilation and
rejoicing. But sadly, disaster struck, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out
to steady the ark, but God struck him dead. 2 Samuel 6:7-8. This is a difficult
passage, but one from which we can learn several valuable lessons:
i.
The Ark represents the presence of God. The Ark that is called by the Name the
name of the Lord Almighty who is enthroned between the cherubim that are on the
Ark.
ii. The next thing is that the ox-cart represents our own man made
programmes, we can not decide to do something, using our own reason and logic,
then ask God to come and bless it. Although transporting the ark this way would
seem right, His ways are different to ours.
Isa 55:8-11 For My thoughts are
not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. For as the
heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My
thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain comes down, and the snow from
heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth
and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, So shall My
word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it
shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I
sent it." God's Glory needs to be Holy Spirit led. The only way for us to see
God's Glory in our meetings is to allow Him to show us the way.
iii.
The next thing is that the ox is a symbol of strength and power and wealth, but
God chooses to use the weakness of man to display His glory. 2 Cor 4:5-7 For we
do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your
servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"
made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay
to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
iv.
When we try to do our own thing God will often shake it, to get our attention.
If we reach out to try steady what God is shaking, this will often end in
disaster and confusion. Uzzah was Abinadab's son, he had the Ark in his house
for many years, and should have had a reverence for it. It is important that we
keep close to God every step of the way so that we are able to hear from Him.
We also need His discernment, which that close relationship will bring. We
serve a holy God, and although God wants us to come into a relationship of love
with Him, we should never treat the things of God lightly. God is also an
awesome God.
v. We can even seem to be doing the 'right' thing, and for
good motives, like David, but unless we have sought God for His way through a
situation, it will not achieve much.
vi. The threshing floor symbolises
the place of testing. In the natural it is where the grain was separated from
the chaff, and in the spiritual, where the works of man are tested. If we will
allow God to correct us, then it can also be the place where we move forward in
our Christian walk.
3. FINDING THE PLACE OF BLESSING (WITH
GOD!)
2 Samuel 6:9-11 David became afraid of God after this incident and
decided not to take the ark to Jerusalem. So instead he took it aside into the
house of a man named Obed-Edom. Something quite remarkable then happened.
Obed-Edom and his whole household started to receive an abundance of blessing,
1 Chronicles 13 says that the Lord blessed all that he had. You see the
presence of God will always bring blessing. Not necessarily material things,
although it certainly can include that! We read in 1 Chronicles 15:24 Obed-Edom
became a gate keeper for the ark, when David did get it to Jerusalem. He had
found out that nothing compared to being in the presence of God, and that was
where he wanted to be and was prepared to follow it, then remain there!
How much are we hungry for the presence of God in our own lives, in our
homes, in our churches, in our towns? That is the place where will see God's
blessing and provision, are you like Obed- Edom prepared to follow after it?
4. BACK ON TRACK (GOING GOD'S WAY)
David was a man after God's heart
and his relationship with God was the most important thing to him. He was also
a man who was willing to learn from his mistakes, he recognised the need for
repentance when he had gone wrong, and the joy that came with knowing and
experiencing God's heart of forgiveness. After about three months he heard the
report that Obed-Edom was being blessed.
This whole episode resulted in
David having a rethink on how to handle God's holy presence. In the book of
Exodus 25 God had clearly spoken of how the ark was to be transported, on the
shoulders of Levites. God had said that the priests were to be the ones to
minister. So David restored the Levitical office, and very carefully followed
God's instructions. 2 Samuel 6:12 & 13 The Levites sacrificed an ox and a
fatted calf then moved forward six paces, and repeated the whole process,
carrying the ark on poles on their shoulders. The journey was somewhere between
7 and 14 miles. It must have been a long, sweaty, bloody, smoky journey - a
dear price to pay to get the presence of God to their town! David said later in
his life that he refused to offer God things that had cost him nothing. (2 Sam
24:24) He had learned that you could never outgive God, and that the rewards
far exceeded the cost.
I want us to learn five things from this
passage:
i. We need to face up to the reality of where we are, it's no
good trying to hide our mistakes, pretending that sin is anything other than
sin. Praise God that through Jesus Christ the sacrificial system is completely
fulfilled, we no longer have to offer ox and calves, the blood of Jesus can
cleanse us completely from sin. If we are willing to repent and turn from our
wrongdoing we can know and experience God's heart of forgiveness. Ps 32:1-7
Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose
spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my
groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my
strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to
the LORD"-- and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Therefore let everyone who is
godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise,
they will not reach him. You are my hiding-place; you will protect me from
trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. We enter God's rest not by
running from a situation, but by facing up to it, allowing God to take us
through it.
ii. God, in His Word has shown us the way to go, the way to
live our lives. The Bible is our measure as to whether we are on track or not,
and when we fail (as we all do from to time) it shows us the way of repentance
and restoration into His presence. God desires us to live in obedience to His
Word.
iii. God is a holy God, He is calling us to be a holy people. It
is only 'in Jesus' that we can come before Him, and be acceptable to Him. When
we come near to His presence we need to develop a holy fear of God - there is
no room for sin, we need to deal with it as God shines His light into our
lives. It is important that we know Him as our loving Heavenly Father, as our
Good Shepherd, but we also need to develop a reverent awe for Him. He is the
King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Creator of the universe, and the Saviour
of mankind……
iv. How much are you prepared to pay for the
conditions to be right for the presence of God to come to your town? Rom 12:1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies
as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-- this is your spiritual act of
worship. I believe God is seeking for people who are prepared to offer their
lives as living sacrifices. That will mean different things for different
people, and will often mean a whole change of lifestyle, but God will give us
the grace in every circumstance.
v. We don't just need 'a touch from
God' - we need a life change! When God's anointing comes it isn't to give us a
nice warm feeling. There is a world going to a lost eternity - HELL - unless we
are prepared to make a difference.
5. EXTRAVAGANT WORSHIP (SACRIFICIAL
AND OVERFLOWING)
David moved into a new realm of intimacy in his
relationship with God that changed his whole concept of worship. What a
wonderful procession it must have been that entered Jerusalem that day. The joy
in the people's hearts was evident. 2 Samuel 6:14 - 23. David knew a complete
freedom in his worship as he leapt and twirled and danced, wildly, unhindered
by his outer garments, but wearing a priestly light linen ephod. There was
praise, there was worship, there was music and shouting, as the people
processed into their royal city. Yet Michal, his wife looked down from an
upstairs window and scorned David's freedom and as a result was cursed with
barrenness. So what can we learn?
i. Personal intimacy with God should
come through relationship. We need to fall in love with Jesus. To rekindle our
first love, that it may grow in maturity, and yet also in passion. Read through
Song of Songs, Jesus is the lover, he is knocking at the door of our hearts, he
is calling, watching, waiting for us to respond to him. Song 2:8-13 Listen! My
lover! Look! Here he comes, leaping across the mountains, bounding over the
hills. My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look! There he stands behind
our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice. My lover
spoke and said to me, "Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me.
See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the
earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our
land. The fig-tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their
fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me."
ii. Don't be like Michal, despising the things of God. Perhaps jealous
and resentful of David's close relationship with God. A lack of personal
intimacy will always bring about barrenness. It is the opposite of a fruitful
relationship. Criticism and judgementalism will destroy your relationship, and
harden your heart.
iii. The repentant, broken hearted nature of true
worship, comes before God as an acceptable sacrifice to Him. Allow Him to melt
your heart, your tears are precious to Him. Don't be afraid of crying, when the
Lord is doing a powerful work in your life, it is the natural expression. Our
emotions are very much involved with what is going on. We need not be
embarrassed, or fearful we are making a fool of ourselves. Tears can be very
healing, and when we have shed tears of sadness, we shall be able to overflow
with tears of joy! We need to let our hearts be so broken and in tune with God,
that the things that break God's heart, also break our hearts.
iv.
Don't be a spectator, be a participator! As we worship God together, we can be
a powerful witness, in unity of heart and mind and spirit. Our praise and
worship is a response to our relationship with Him, and it pours out of a
security that knows you are chosen, you are precious, and loved. It becomes an
expression of that love that you feel in your heart. It is not something that
we can whip up, or be passive about, it comes from the overflow of our hearts
and needs a wholehearted response.
v. Worship is the key component to
God's presence coming. God is not listening to the noise that is coming out of
our mouths (Praise the Lord!) He is listening to our hearts. Is it real? Is
there a fire? A passion? That is what God is looking for. Though it is possible
to hide to others, where we are in that relationship, we can never hide from
God. He hears our worship and sees the love and the honesty in our heart and
chooses to reveal His presence through our life, that His glory will be seen in
us. Our worship becomes an acceptable offering, a sweet smelling sacrifice to
Him.
vi. Our worship can be expressed in many ways. We can speak words
of praise and worship, we can sing, we can shout or clap, we can worship with
musical instruments, we can express our worship in gentle dance, in twisting
and twirling or with the scarves, just let it overflow from your heart, a
sacrifice of praise, but above all let it be from a life poured out for Jesus!
Let God know that you love Him, allow Him to reveal His presence through your
life!
6. GOD'S PRESENCE RESTORED (HIS GLORY REVEALED)
David was not
interested in the ark - the wooden box, he was not interested in the gold, or
the achievement it would be to get it to Jerusalem. He was interested in the
presence of God, more than that, he was interested not just in the presence
coming, but in the presence of Almighty God staying in that place. (Not His
omnipresence, He promised He would be with us always)
He did two things
to make sure God's presence stayed in Jerusalem, and His glory was revealed to
the people: Firstly he prepared a place for God to come, by constructing a
tabernacle, a tabernacle without walls! Secondly he created a living mercy seat
of worship in the tabernacle, so that God would remain.
i. When Amos
says that God will rebuild and restore David's fallen tabernacle, you ask
yourself the question why didn't he say Moses tabernacle, or perhaps King
Solomon's temple, why David's tabernacle? David's tabernacle it would seem was
little more than a tent to protect the ark. It was not a beautiful building,
there was no outer court, there was no holy of holies. That I believe is
exactly why, because, it was truly a place where God would meet with man. It
was a place marked by relationship rather than religion, and a place of passion
- the passion of David's heart for God. The presence of God, would have been
seen by all, by worshippers and Israelites, pagans and foreigners. Any
passer-by would have been aware of God's presence.
When Jesus died on
the cross, the veil in the temple was torn in two, the way to God was open. God
wants our meeting with Him to be based, and centred on our relationship with
Him. The tabernacle is Jesus, Jesus is God's plan for man, God wants to work in
our lives and destroy the things that separate us from Him. God's plan is to
bring His restoration into those broken areas in our lives and our churches. He
wants our relationship to be HOT. What a powerful witness to the world, when
people can truly see God working in power in our lives, and in our churches as
He rebuilds us into a place fit for His presence.
ii. Secondly the
mercy seat - the mercy seat covered over the law, it was on the mercy seat that
the glory of God would come. David created a living mercy seat of worship. The
only thing that encircled God's presence in David's tabernacle was worshippers
who ministered to Him 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for 36
years!!! The tabernacle was a place marked by unveiled, unfettered worship. In
Psalm 22:3 it says But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel. The
Japanese translation literally says our praise builds a big chair for God to
sit on! God is looking for true worshippers who will worship in Spirit and
truth (John 4:23&24).
The covering and the cherubim over the mercy
seat were made of gold, refined in the fire, and beaten into the image of
perfection and put into the right place. The first thing to come to the top
when gold is refined is the dross, but the next thing is silver, a less
precious metal, which mixes with the gold ore. As worshippers God wants to
refine us, to remove the dross from our lives. But then as we get nearer the
throne we are aware other things sometimes have to go. Things that at one time
have been important to us, we have to lay down, like the semi-precious silver
being skimmed from the gold. Purity, brokenness and unity are the three
components for worship under the New Covenant of the blood of Jesus.
The way we can build a mercy seat is to take our place as purified,
beaten worshippers. God's glory, His Shekinah Glory can then come. That is the
place where we are truly aware of His presence. He wants to reveal His glory to
a dying world. Technical perfection may win the praise of men, but only the
anointing and glory of God can melt their hardened hearts.
CONCLUSION
David was a man with a heart after God. God wants restore
our relationship with Him, and give us a fire and a passion. We need to
recognise that what we are often living in is often not God's best for us, but
we so often can't see. One of the things the enemy does is blind us to accept
less than God's best. God wants to bring a restoration of what time has stolen,
and the weakness of man has allowed to collapse. He wants us to seek Him and be
prepared to repent when we go wrong. He wants us to find the place of blessing.
He wants us to go His way, and be a holy people. Paul Weaver (General Supt.
AoG) said "Holiness can overcome the darkness around us, because holiness is
God" He wants to release us into unveiled, and unfettered extravagant worship.
That we may create a living mercy seat of worship, pure worshippers, broken
worshippers and united worshippers. A place for his glory not just to come, but
to stay, so we shall see the restoration Amos prophesied:
Amos 9:11-15
"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; 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. Behold, the days
are coming," says the LORD, "When the ploughman shall overtake the reaper, and
the treader of grapes him who sows seed; the mountains shall drip with sweet
wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. I will bring back the captives of
My people Israel; they shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; they
shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them; they shall also make gardens
and eat fruit from them. I will plant them in their land, and no longer shall
they be pulled up from the land I have given them," says the LORD your God."
|
