Stage 3: The Lessons Begin

The Lord introduces the role of worship.

When the Lord God appeared to Moses in the burning bush, He told him, "When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain" (Exodus 3:12, emphasis added). The Hebrew word that is used here for serve—abad—also means to be a servant of, or to worship. By saying they would "serve God," He meant that His people would worship Him. It took only one day for God to deliver the Ten Commandments, but His people remained at Mt. Sinai for more than a year, building the Tabernacle and being taught by God how to worship. As we have seen, God's plan for redemption, recovery of fellowship and resumed dominion was that His people would be priests, and priests lead worship.

Human beings would never be able to take back this planet in their own strength. Only in the context of their relationship with Him and the dominion that flows from His throne was the power of God ever going to touch earth. Hence, His deep desire to teach them about worship.

Stage 4: The Boundaries Grow

Worship is expanded under David's monarchy.

David's reign saw both the boundaries of worship and the boundaries of territorial land expand in an unprecedented manner. David had a heart for worship and taught his people a great deal about praising the Lord out loud. He wrote many of the Psalms, which ultimately became the early Christian Church's handbook for worship. Under David's leadership, the use of instruments and choirs was expanded. These things were not new in the worship of Israel, but they began to be systematized and structured in a way that reveals the important place worship occupied in the nation's life.

David also built a second Tabernacle. No one knows what happened to the first one; it may have fallen into disrepair during the reign of Saul. Passionate to see God's presence established in the midst of the people, David made a place for the Tabernacle in the heart of the nation. Although it was his desire to build a Temple, the Lord fulfilled that through his son, Solomon—and, just as He had done with the Tabernacle, God filled the Temple with His glory (see 1 Kings 8).