The Sacrifice of Praise
What gave David the right to add music, singing and dancing to the Tabernacle worship? The Tent of Moses was a place of silence.
The answer is in Deuteronomy. The Law was given to Moses at Sinai (Firstfruits), and repeated to the next generation before Israel crossed the Jordan. In between was 40 years of testing in the wilderness. God spoke at Sinai, and Moses listened in silence. But in Deuteronomy (Trumpets), it was Moses, the mediator, who “sang” the Law (Deut 31-32).
On to King David. After the continued flagrant disobedience of the sons of Eli, the Ark took itself into the ‘wilderness’ on Israel’s behalf at the hand of the Philistines, and conquered the serpent (Dagon). Besides a plunder of Philistine gold, it returned with both Jew and Gentile singers in a restructured worship that included music. The silent Tent of Moses, ready to pass away, had been broken down and prepared for incorporation into a permanent Temple built of David’s spoils. It was a bride ready for Solomon the bridegroom.
In the New Testament, following Christ’s example, the church came out of the Egypt of corrupted Judaism. She was tested in the wilderness, like Israel, with persecution and false teachers. Before the full inauguration of the New Covenant in AD70, she was presented as a bride ready for her husband, a rebuilt Tabernacle of David (Isaiah 16:5; Amos 9:11; Acts 15:16). Paul the tentmaker had completed the difficult process of stitching together a bride from both Jewish and Gentile worshippers. Purified by testing, she was a wise virgin with her lamps full of Pentecost oil. Her music was a new song accompanied by the seven Trumpets that brought the fall of Herod’s Jericho. The marriage feast of the Lamb followed, and Greater Solomon now rules the earth with His bride – a Temple built of living stones – until all enemies are under His feet.
At ascension (Firstfruits), Adam speaks and Eve listens as a people. Testing follows. At Trumpets, Greater Eve is a holy army ready to conquer. Now Eve sings.
