The Tabernacle of David

By Richard Govier

Not only was Israel's tabernacle itself an oracle, even its history was an oracle. The loss of the Ark of the Covenant, a symbol of God's presence, from out of the Tabernacle of Moses, was descriptive of the history of Israel. The ark of God was never returned to the Mosaic Tabernacle, but found a new home on Mount Zion under a new tent that David pitched. The Tabernacle of David is therefore a symbol of a new era and a universal pattern for God's House: the Church, as opposed to the old system of the Mosaic Law. The two tabernacles bear close scrutiny, for they have everything to do with not only the liturgy and practices of the primitive Church at Jerusalem but the liturgy and practices of the Reformation Church as we know it today.

Richard O. Govier (1928-2018) was a Protestant pastor and missionary and travelled the world in that capacity. He planted a number of churches as well as training pastors who served in Brazil, Chile, Argentina and across the United States.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Richard Govier
• Release date: Jul 27, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463557228

Richard Govier

Richard O. Govier (1928-2018) was a Protestant pastor and missionary and travelled the world in that capacity. He planted a number of churches as well as training pastors who served in Brazil, Chile, Argentina and across the United States.After his marriage to his lifetime sweetheart, Christine Ann Golfis, at the Bethesda Missionary College in Portland, Oregon, he attended extension classes at Pierce College and the Portland State college. Touched by the Latter Rain revival that began in the Northwest, the call of God rested continually on their hearts and they were forever seeking means of preaching the Gospel to their generation. They bought a small trailer and began an evangelistic trek across the United States, preaching in small churches that were open to the work and moving of the Holy Spirit. They criss-crossed the United States from Los Angeles to New York and finally settled down in Los Angeles where they both got jobs and attended a church in Long Beach, California. While serving in that church their son, Jeffrey Lee, was born on November 4, 1963.God had spoken through prophetic words that they would be going to a land whose language they would not understand. Going through a dry period in their lives, Richard loaded up a small tent and made a trip to Mount Palomar, to wait on God. After a week of prayer and fasting, the Holy Spirit spoke to his heart that it was time to fulfill the call to a foreign land. Richard, Christine, and Jeff, set out for Brazil. They had no financial support for this until the night they boarded the ship. God sent a local Christian businessman who committed himself to their support for two years, just enough time to attend language school.It was while attending the Brazilian language school that a missionary visited and introduced Richard to one of Brazil's most notable guitar players, who had recently converted to Christianity. Richard played with him on the banjo and the two began a ministry together that took them to Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. Richard taught pastors in afternoon meetings, while accompanying his Brazilian friend in large city-wide evangelistic campaigns in the evenings.After serving for ten years in South America, Richard and Christine returned to the United States, primarily to get Jeff into an English-speaking school. Richard pastored churches in York, Pennsylvania, and later in Brooksville, New Jersey. The family eventually moved to Florida where Richard went to work for Piper Aircraft and Page Avjet.Richard loved studying the word of God and, in his retirement years, wrote over thirty books about the unfolding revelations of God in human history. His son, Jeff, published these books one year after his father passed away.

Book preview

THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID

Worship, Reformation, and Restoring Dry Bones

RICHARD O. GOVIER

Copyright © 2019 by Jeff Govier

Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible®,

Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995

by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

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After reading this book and finding it of value to you, please consider sending a small donation for the the costs of advertising my father's work. Send all donations either by Paypal account name [e-mail] or by mail to:

Jeff Govier, 5511 Lorraine St., Lakeland, FL 33810.

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Contents

The Tabernacle of Moses

The Tabernacle of David

The Two Tabernacles

The Tabernacle of God

The Rock Cut Out Without Hands

The Renewal Movement In the Church

About the Author

INTRODUCTION

The Ark of the Covenant, which represented the presence of God who spoke to Israel from off the mercy seat, was customarily placed within the inner veil of the Mosaic Tabernacle. There it would rest till the cloud of God's presence would move from off the tabernacle to a new location. At that time the Ark of the Covenant was taken up and placed on the shoulders of consecrated priests, while the tabernacle itself was taken down and moved to a new location as was indicated by the cloud.

Israel, at that time, was a tribal nation of nomads, so the House of their God had to be portable. Wherever they went, whether crossing the river Jordan, or going into battle, they carried the ark of God with them. But the Tabernacle of Moses was more than a meeting place where Israel offered up their sacrifices. It was also a universal pattern for the sojourn of God's covenant people on this planet. Every article of furniture, every hanging curtain, every board with its corresponding metal socket, and the pillars for the doorway, had its own symbolic message for the overall plan of Redemption for the human race. It was for this reason that Moses was commanded by God to make it according to the pattern that he had received on the Mount.

Not only was the tabernacle itself an oracle, even its history is an oracle. The loss of the Ark of the Covenant, a symbol of God's presence, from out of the Tabernacle of Moses, was of itself descriptive of the history of Israel. The ark of God was never returned to the Mosaic Tabernacle, but found a new home on Mount Zion under a new tent that David pitched. The Tabernacle of David is therefore a symbol of a new era and a universal pattern for God's House: the Church, as opposed to the old system of the Mosaic Law.

In this study we shall be dealing with these two tabernacles, The Tabernacle of Moses and The Tabernacle of David as they relate to both the Old Testament and the New Testament eras of God's people. They bear close scrutiny, for they have everything to do with not only the liturgy and practices of the primitive Church at Jerusalem but the liturgy and practices of the Reformation Church as we know it today.

I. THE TABERNACLE OF MOSES

The Tabernacle of Moses had been set up at Shiloh where Eli and his two sons were officiating as priests. Because of the evil of these two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, God sent a prophet to Eli announcing the end to the House of Eli and the death of his two sons (I Samuel 2:34). There seemed to be an indication here that God was growing weary of the old sacrificial system of Moses, for in the very same prophecy is contained the announcement: But I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and in My soul; and I will build him an enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed always (I Samuel 2:35). The ministry of the tabernacle had apparently become routine and God no longer spoke to Israel from between the Cherubim overshadowing the mercy seat. God was going to raise up a prophet that would speak His word. Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord before Eli. And word from the Lord was rare in those days, visions were infrequent. And it happened at that time as Eli was lying down in his place (now his eyesight had begun to grow dim and he could not see well), and the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God was, that the Lord called Samuel; and he said, 'Here I am.' (I Samuel 3:1-4)

We all know the story of how Samuel came into his prophetic ministry while serving Eli, the priest. This was the real beginning of the age of the prophets for it says: And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, because the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord. Thus the word of Samuel came to all Israel (I Samuel 3:11; 4:1).

It would appear that God was no longer speaking from off the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant. God was speaking directly to the