God’s Word for You

1 Chronicles 16:1-6 The ark comes to rest

by Pastor Timothy Smith on Thursday, January 11, 2024

16:1 They brought the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before God. 2 After David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD. 3 Then he distributed to every Israelite man and woman a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins. 4 He appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, to commemorate, to give thanks, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel. 5 Asaph was the chief, Zechariah second, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel. They were to play the harps and lyres, Asaph was to sound the cymbals,  6 and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God.

The ark was a wooden chest overlaid with gold. It was measured in cubits, the length of the carpenter’s arm from his elbow to his fingertip (about 18 inches). In our feet and inches, it was 3 feet eight inches long, two feet four inches wide and high, with a solid gold cover. It has small feet beneath and rings attached to the feet for the poles to go through for carrying. The cover was also made with cast gold angels, cherubim, who looked down at the ark and covered it with their wings (Exodus 25:10-22).

David seems to have been paying strict attention to the details about the ark from the books of Moses. God commanded Moses to keep the ark within the tent of meeting in the center of the nation of Israel. The geography of the nation and the tent were reminders of the theology God was expressing to his people: God was to dwell in the midst of his people. The tabernacle itself was a representation of the Triune God: a tent and a tent and a tent. The first tent was the outer curtain wall, and everything that took place within was holy. The second tent was the holy place, where the lamp was kept burning and the bread of the presence was always there on the table, and the small altar of incense was there before the curtain for the prayers of the nation. Behind that curtain was the most holy place where only the high priest could enter. That holiest place was a representation of God the Father, who cannot be approached apart from the access brought to man through his Son, who is the eternal light, the light of the world (John 8:12), and whose bread is faith itself, trust in Christ means access to the Father (“I am the bread of life,” John 6:35). The access is through the blood of Christ: “For through him we have access to the Father by one Spirit” (Ephesians 2:18). So “let us fix our eyes on the blood of Christ, knowing that it is precious to his Father because it was poured out for our salvation and bought for all the world the grace that comes from repentance.”

All of this happens only within the true church, where the word is preached and the people gather around the means of God’s grace, where there is water for the washing and the sacrifice of blood for forgiveness. This pictures the work of the Holy Spirit, who washes us with baptism (Mark 1:4) and cleanses us from sin with the blood of Christ, the sacrifice that was made once for all (Hebrews 10:10).

David made burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. A burnt offering was a male lamb that was completely burned on the altar as an expression of devotion and complete surrender to the Lord. A fellowship offering was a whole meal with portions that went to the altar (Leviticus 3:1-17) and portions that went to the worshipers and the priests (Leviticus 7:1-17). It showed friendship, agreement, and good relations with one another and with God, just as we pray “on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10), and again, “Forgive us, as we have also forgiven” (Matthew 6:12).

An offering of bread was required with the fellowship offering, and David surpassed the requirement by presenting bread for every Israelite (that is, everyone who was in fellowship with David and the Lord) and additional food: cakes of dates and raisins, the kind of food that would last for a long trip home after the ceremony was over.

The Lord commanded Aaron to bless the people when they gathered for worship with the benediction we call “the Aaronic blessing.” It should be familiar to everyone: “The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look on you with favor, and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-27). It was a way of putting God’s name on the people to bless them. Paul explained this blessing with equally familiar words: “The peace of God that transcends all understanding guards your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

Asaph and Zechariah were assigned to lead the music at the new tent for the ark. Later we will see that other priests and Levites were assigned to the tabernacle that was still north of Jerusalem, at Gibeon. It seems pretty clear that David had in mind to bring the tabernacle inside the city walls, too—or better yet, to build a new kind of tabernacle, a permanent temple for the Lord, modeled, perhaps, on the shape, dimensions, and requirements of the tabernacle that Moses built: “a temple on your holy mountain, and an altar in the city where you dwell; a copy of the holy tent that you prepared from the beginning.”

David’s temporary tent for the ark was not a tabernacle. It was an echo of the “tent of meeting” that Moses used outside the camp of Israel at Mount Sinai and during the forty years of the wandering. It was not the same as the tabernacle, but was used in a modern sense like an office for Moses, and also as a chapel, where “anyone inquiring of the Lord would go, outside the camp” (Exodus 33:7). The young Joshua lived in this tent of meeting (Exodus 33:11). David’s temporary tent was located within the city, somewhere near his palace and perhaps in the palace courts.

An ancient poet wrote:

“Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
You are to be praised and glorified forever.
Blessed are you!
You look into the depths from your throne on the cherubim,
You are to be praised and highly exalted forever.”

When we read about David’s journey, bringing the ark into the city, we see him sin and fail miserably, so that even a human life is ended on account of his mistake. Then we see the repentant David, who pursues the Lord’s will and sees his mistake, repents of his sin, and desires only to follow the will of God. He makes more plans, he is careful, he pays attention, close attention, to the word of God. He once again sets out to accomplish his task, pauses for worship even in the middle of the journey, and then finishes his task. This is his example for us.

With the Lord begin your task;
Jesus will direct it.
For his aid and counsel ask;
Jesus will perfect it.
Ev’ry morn with Jesus rise,
And, when day is ended,
In his name then close your eyes;
Be to him commended.

In Christ,
Pastor Timothy Smith

 

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