The foundations of the church were first laid when Jesus called 12 very different Jewish men to follow Him. But one of the first major controversies in the early church was what to do with all the Gentiles who were believing in Jesus and being baptized in the Holy Spirit. This was of huge concern for them, as it was totally unexpected (eg. Acts 10:44-46). So the early church leaders met to discuss the issue.
At the meeting (recorded in Acts 15:1-29), they agreed that it had always been God’s intention to include Gentiles in some way. Then James had a revelation from God. He declared that God was actually rebuilding King David’s tabernacle from long ago. He quoted Amos 9:11-12, and incredibly, this settled the matter for everyone involved.
And after they had become silent, James answered, saying, “Men and brethren, listen to me: Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written:
‘After this I will return
And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down;
I will rebuild its ruins,
And I will set it up;
So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name,
Says the Lord who does all these things.’”
Acts 15:13-17
So what did they see or understand about David’s tabernacle that settled the issue for them? And how might this insight help us navigate some of the issues we face today?
A simple tent
David’s tabernacle refers to the tent that housed the Ark of the Covenant for 40 years during David’s reign as king of Israel. Moses’ tabernacle was still set up at Gibeon (approx. 15 km away from Jerusalem). Yet David brought the Ark of the Covenant – the most holy piece of tabernacle furniture where God said His presence would dwell – and set it up on Mt Zion, the highest point in the city of Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6; 1 Chronicles 13:1-14; 15:1-16:43).
This was unprecedented. In fact, it was remarkable for a number of reasons, which we will look at over the next few posts.
Firstly, it was remarkable for its simplicity. The Ark of the Covenant was in a simple tent. Those who came to God didn’t have to pass through any other spaces first, as they did in Moses’ tabernacle. There was no Outer Court, and no Holy Place. And therefore there was no altar of sacrifice; no laver; no candlestick or table of bread; or even altar of incense. There was just a tent with the Ark and the Mercy Seat (or atonement cover) with the cherubim where God’s presence dwelt.
The thing is that David’s tabernacle had only one focus – the presence of God. It represented the core or heart of God’s intent – that He must have first place. He is the only One who gives meaning to everything else in life. In David’s tabernacle, all other things are stripped away in order to be able to focus on Him alone.
One focus
Did you notice that it was a point of difficulty and controversy that brought the early church leaders together in Acts 15? Out of this gathering came a revelation that drew them back to the core essentials of church. In the process God also reframed their understanding of who they were as His people.
Over the last little while, our usual pace of life has been thoroughly disrupted, hasn’t it? A lot of things have been stripped away in varying degrees. In many ways, we have had to come back to the core essentials, particularly when it comes to what church is really all about.
Some of us have found this disruption very difficult to navigate. It is always hard when we have to change rhythm. Or grapple with new ways of doing things and new ideas that challenge our thinking. In times like this it can help to come back to the core essentials.
So perhaps, just as He brought it to the attention of the early church leaders, God is also reminding us to come back to the simplicity of the Tabernacle of David. That first and foremost, it’s all about Him. The nice buildings, the great worship music, the friendly atmosphere, and the exciting programmes are all good things, but they aren’t core essentials. When these things are stripped away, only He really matters.
