When God’s tabernacle was erected, it became the center of the lives of God’s people. Whether in encampment, in movement, in worship, or in battle, the tabernacle was their center. The ark, in turn, was the center of the tabernacle.
Unfortunately, such a condition did not remain very long before God’s people fell and became desolate. The book of 1 Samuel records how the children of Israel were defeated by their enemies to such an extent that even the ark of God was captured (1 Sam. 4:10-11). The captured ark eventually ended up not only in the land of the Philistines but in an idol’s temple. However, God exercised His divine power to preserve the ark and caused the Philistines to return it to the people of God. The Israelites, instead of taking it back to the tabernacle, moved it to the house of Abinadab (1 Sam. 5—7). Thereafter it was transported to the house of Obed-edom (2 Sam. 6:1-10). Later, David brought God’s ark to the city of David, that is, Mount Zion, a high hill within the city of Jerusalem. It was there that David pitched a tabernacle for God (2 Sam. 6:12-19).
David not only cared for God’s ark, but he was also concerned for the matter of God’s habitation. Although he prepared a tabernacle for the ark according to his own desire, he realized that this was only a temporary arrangement. He longed to build a temple for God. In Psalm 132, David swore unto God, saying “Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed; I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, until I find out a place for the Lord, a habitation for the mighty God of Jacob” (vv. 3-5). He then prayed, “Arise, O Lord, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength” (v. 8).
Although it was in David’s heart to build a temple for God, God told David through the prophet Nathan that, in spite of his desire to do so, the time had not yet come. The enemies were not yet fully subdued and the land was not completely at rest. God then promised him a son, Solomon, who would build the temple for God (2 Sam. 7; 1 Chron. 17). Moreover, God revealed to David by His Spirit the pattern of the temple. Throughout his lifetime, David endeavored, under difficult circumstances, to prepare materials for the house of Jehovah (1 Chron. 22:13-15; 29:1-5). He bought from Oman the Jebusite the threshing floor of Oman (also called the threshing floor of Araunah) as the site for the temple (1 Chron. 21:18-31; 2 Sam. 24:18-25).
David committed only one evil in his whole life: he murdered Uriah for lust to marry his wife Bathsheba. In a single act, he committed the two great sins of fornication and murder. God intentionally sent the prophet Nathan to rebuke and condemn him (2 Sam. 12:1-12). After he was condemned, he repented and confessed to God. Psalm 51 is David’s psalm of repentance. Following David’s repentance, God forgave him and he begat Solomon (2 Sam. 12:24). Thus, Solomon is the fruit of man’s transgression and repentance along with God’s forgiveness.