And they brought in the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God.
David brings the ark to Zion and houses it in a tent, not in the old tabernacle at Gibeon. Why there, and why the two offerings that follow?
Why a Tent and Not the Tabernacle
David had the option of returning the ark to the structure Moses made. He did not take it. One writer sees a deliberate refusal to patch up a system that had already broken down:
J. N. DarbyDavid knew the tabernacle had been abandoned, and he did not dream of putting the ark there. That would have meant rebuilding things on the ruined ground of the law. The outward routine had fallen completely short of God's glory. The king takes the lead, because the priesthood had failed. The ark takes its place in the seat of royal power. In the same way Christ the deliverer in grace will one day set everything in order in Zion, and from there the rod of His power will go out.
This left an odd split. The altar where the priests offered sacrifices now stood far from the ark:
J. N. DarbyThe priesthood of Aaron could not keep the people in their relationship with their God. As a result the outward order had completely failed. The altar where the priests were to sacrifice stood elsewhere, at Gibeon. It was not in front of the tent that held the ark. And the ark, the sign of the covenant and of the throne of Jehovah, stood far from the altar where the priests served.
Zion as the Seat of Grace
Behind the tent lies a longer story. Years earlier Israel's enemies had captured the ark, and the name "Ichabod" — the glory has departed — hung over the nation. What comes next is not a repair job but something new:
J. N. DarbyEven the time of responsibility, under the mercy declared through Moses, came to an end when the Philistines captured the ark. There could be no day of atonement, and no blood on the mercy-seat. Ichabod was written on all... Sovereign grace raised up Samuel the prophet, and then David. David brought the ark not into the tabernacle at all, but to Mount Zion. Zion was in this way the seat of sovereign grace in power, in contrast with Sinai.
A throne on Zion was not the whole of what God wanted:
H. L. RossierIt is not enough that the seat of the kingdom of David — or of Christ — be set up at Zion, the mountain of grace. God Himself desires to dwell there with His king forever... God's glory finds no rest except in the place of grace. The ark, God's throne, is closely bound up with the throne of David, the throne of the Son of God.
The Two Offerings
The verse names two kinds of sacrifice, and each carries its own meaning:
Leslie M. GrantThe tent was God's centre, and yet there was to be no temple for the ark until the days of Solomon. But when the ark was set there David again offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord. This is the important reminder that Israel can only enjoy God's presence on the basis of the value of the sacrifice of Christ. The burnt offering speaks of what God receives from that sacrifice. The peace offering brings both God and man into a share of its value, in living agreement.
A King Who Sacrifices and Blesses
Read the surrounding verses and one absence stands out: no priest steps forward. The king himself offers, and then blesses the crowd — an act only one other king ever attempted:
C E StuartThen the king blessed the people. No other king but Solomon ever attempted this. Together the two of them are a picture of the King who will be able to bless the people in the future. This was the last time they offered sacrifices before the ark while it stood in the tent on Zion.
The same writer ties David to Melchizedek, a man who was both priest and king:
J. N. DarbyDavid himself takes on something of the character of Melchizedek. But this is only a testimony, and it points forward to what is still to come (1 Chron. 16:1-3). In these verses the priests do not appear.
What Follows the Ark
Once the ark is in place, worship follows:
An Outline of Sound WordsDavid brought the ark of God to Jerusalem and set it in the middle of the tent he had pitched for it. The ark then became the centre of the worship of Jehovah... Worship, praise and thanksgiving flowed freely to God when the ark had its proper place in the middle of His people.
Summary
- Ruin. The ark's capture wrote "Ichabod" over Israel; the old order had failed, and David refused to rebuild on it.
- Grace. Instead of returning the ark to Gibeon, David set it on Zion — the seat of sovereign grace, in contrast with Sinai.
- Sacrifice. Burnt and peace offerings mark the moment: God's presence rests on the sacrifice they picture.
- King. No priest appears; the king offers and blesses, a shadow of the coming King, like Melchizedek, who will bless His people.
- Praise. With the ark in the middle of the people, worship and thanksgiving flow freely.