2 Samuel 6:17. And they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it. And David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.
1 Chronicles 15:1-3. 1David built houses for himself in the city of David. And he prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched a tent for it. 2Then David said that no one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the Lord had chosen them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister to him forever. 3And David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the Lord to its place, which he had prepared for it.
Like Moses going up Mount Sinai to meet with God or Elijah being taken up into Heaven, here is another Old Testament preview of the ascension of Christ. No, it’s not David who is the picture of Jesus here, it is the Ark of the Covenant. This is the story of the ark’s ascension into Jerusalem, up Mount Zion, to be established in its tent, the Tent of David prepared by the king as a dwelling place for the ark. For God.
When David became king over Israel there was one really big, glaring problem. The Ark of the Covenant, the throne of God himself, was not in the Tabernacle. In the center of the Tabernacle stood the Holy of Holies, the inner sanctum where God himself would dwell among his people as king. God’s presence there was represented by the Ark of the Covenant. The ark was a wooden box covered in gold that contained the original ten commandments, the law of God. On top of the box was a lid called the Atonement Cover, or Mercy Seat. This was the throne of God on Earth, guarded on each side by golden cherubim. The symbolism was powerful – God’s mercy covered God’s law.
But here is the problem, years earlier, God had allowed the ark to be captured by the Philistines. For decades, King Saul never made an effort to restore the ark to its proper place. Then, after his own coronation as king, David brought the Ark of the Covenant back into Jerusalem with a great celebration. David knew who the true King of Israel was, and it wasn’t him. Yahweh is king. Sovereign in authority, mighty in power, and abundant in mercy. David refused to rule without his ruler.
Now here’s where the story gets interesting. David did something that seems to be quite disobedient, but in reality it is prophetic. David didn’t return the ark to its place in the Holy of Holies. He didn’t have the Levites carry the ark back to the Tabernacle of Moses. He took it to his palace in Jerusalem. There he pitched a tent for the ark in his back yard. The king needed his King close by, without any limitations, without obstacles, without the law getting in the way of God’s presence like it had for so many years. Any time he wanted to, David could walk into the presence of the Lord and sit under the shadow of his wings. No blood sacrifices. No ritual cleansing. No veil of separation. No holy days. No purity laws. No high priest. Nothing to stop him.
But wait there’s more.
King David also employed musicians from the tribe of Levi to praise, sing, dance, and play instruments before the Lord. You can read all about it in 1 Chronicles 16. David would forever transform how Israel worshiped God. David’s tent transformed worship from “please accept me” to “thank you for accepting me.” From endless bloody sacrifices to an endless sacrifice of praise.
The ascension of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem that day changed everything. So too, the ascension of Jesus into the Heavenly Jerusalem has changed everything. Our king is back on his throne where he belongs, and he deserves our forever praise. Not our blood sacrifices for atonement, but our living sacrifice of thanksgiving and trust.
Can you see how David’s tent pictures our union with Christ? David’s tent is grace not law. The law forbade David from entering the Tabernacle, especially the Holy of Holies where God dwelt. But David went boldly into the presence of God in his backyard tent. He stood, sat, sang, danced, clapped, played, and wrote countless psalms before the Mercy Seat. And he invited the people to join him. The whole congregation of Israel worshiped God at this little tent. All without the continual shedding of blood. All without repeated cleansing. All without fear. Just perpetual praise and thanksgiving, awe and wonder.
The ascension of the ark, changed how the King was worshipped. From fear to faith. From penitence to praise. From limited to limitless. From covering over sins to celebrating grace. And the ascension of the ark changed who the worshiper is. King David is now priest David. The ephod wearing king who would lead his people not only in war, but in worship.
The ascension of Jesus has done the same for us. Christ’s enthronement has changed who we are and how we worship. In Christ we are not the royal-priests of God. Armor and ephod wearing king-priests who enter boldly into the throne room of God in the Heavenly tent. No limits. No obstacles. No sacrifice except the sacrifice of praise. Our lives now lived boldly before God as living sacrifices to the praise of his glorious grace.
You: Do you see your life as praise to God or as penance to God?
You in Christ: In Christ, you are perpetually in God’s presence as his king-priest. How can this remove your worry and fear today?
Christ in you: How can you celebrate the enthronement of Jesus today? What would be different inside of you if you chose to make your life a celebration?
Prayer: Father, the enthronement of Jesus is the rule of the most gracious Priest-King ever. Let my life be a celebration today of Christ’s ascension to the throne of Heaven and Earth. Let my life be a love song to you today, an offering of praise. Amen.
To Live is Christ 