THINK TOGETHER
Do you have a favorite praise song? What is it?
READ TOGETHER
Because God loves us he has always wanted to live with us. That’s why God asked the Israelites to build him a tent to live in. Do you remember what that tent was called? (The Tabernacle) The Tabernacle was sort of a strange place because it did two opposite things at the same time. It kept people away from God while letting people get near God. God lived among his people and his people could approach him. But only the priest, and only with the blood of a sacrificed lamb.
Years after Moses, when David became the king of Israel, he did something truly amazing. King David pitched a tent, a mini-tabernacle in his own backyard. And then he took the ark of the covenant and put it in his new little tent. The ark of the covenant was a golden box that represented the throne of God. God would meet his people inside the tent, at the ark of the covenant. But only one day a year, and only the priest could go inside, and only with the blood of a sacrifice. Until King David came along. Listen to what King David did:
1 Chronicles 16:1. 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 invited all the people to gather around this little tent to worship God together. He got the priests to play instruments and sing and dance. All the people joined in with music and praise! They stopped bringing dead animals as sacrifices for sin, and instead they brought music and songs as praise to God.
Can you see how David’s tent is a picture of how we worship God today because of Jesus? Do we still bring the blood of animals to God, begging him to forgive our sins? Or do we bring songs of praise to God thanking him for forgiving us through Jesus? That’s right, it’s the second one isn’t it?
Because of Jesus I know I can live with God forever and worship him forever in his house (Heaven).
With Jesus I can praise God any time I want to, and thank him for saving me.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
Build your own “tent” or blanket fort together like David did. Maybe spend some time singing your favorite praise songs to God inside your blanket tent.
PRAY TOGETHER
Jesus, because of you I can simply praise you and worship God without having to prove myself to you. What a relief! Amen.
TLICfamily 