After the restoration of The United Kingdom of Israel, King David brought The Ark Of The Covenant to Jerusalem, this time according to the instructions that The Lord commanded regarding how The Ark was to be handled i.e. only specific Levites could touch it (see also Raiders Of The Lost Ark). The people of Israel celebrated the arrival of The Ark.
"And they brought the ark of God, and set it inside the tent which David had pitched for it; and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of The Lord, and distributed to all Israel, both men and women, to each a loaf of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins. Moreover he appointed certain of the Levites as ministers before the ark of The Lord, to invoke, to thank, and to praise The Lord, the God of Israel. Asaph was the chief, and second to him were Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, who were to play harps and lyres; Asaph was to sound the cymbals, and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow trumpets continually, before the ark of the covenant of God." (1 Chronicles 16:1-6 RSV)Interestingly, although The Ark was brought to Jerusalem, the original Tabernacle that had been made at the time of Moses (see The Tabernacle In The Wilderness) remained in Gibeon, while David had a new tent made for it in Zion (see Who, What or Where Is Zion?). The old Tabernacle was not simply abandoned however; David "left Zadok the priest and his brethren the priests before the tabernacle of The Lord in the high place that was at Gibeon, to offer burnt offerings to The Lord upon the altar of burnt offering continually morning and evening, according to all that is written in the law of The Lord which He commanded Israel." Those commanded services would naturally have been transferred to the Temple in Jerusalem after it was built by David's son Solomon.
"And he left Zadok the priest and his brethren the priests before the tabernacle of The Lord in the high place that was at Gibeon, to offer burnt offerings to The Lord upon the altar of burnt offering continually morning and evening, according to all that is written in the law of The Lord which He commanded Israel. With them were Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest of those chosen and expressly named to give thanks to The Lord, for his steadfast love endures for ever. Heman and Jeduthun had trumpets and cymbals for the music and instruments for sacred song. The sons of Jeduthun were appointed to the gate." (1 Chronicles 16:39-42 RSV)1 Chronicles Chapter 17
Nathan The Prophet was a faithful and obedient man of God who served both King David and King Solomon; both kings trusted and respected Nathan and sought his advice.
"Now when David dwelt in his house, David said to Nathan the prophet, "Behold, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of The Lord is under a tent." And Nathan said to David, "Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you." (1 Chronicles 17:1-2 RSVThe Lord then declared to David, through Nathan, that a Temple would be built - by David's son and successor, Solomon.
"Go and tell My servant David, 'Thus says The Lord: You shall not build Me a house to dwell in. For I have not dwelt in a house since the day I led up Israel to this day, but I have gone from tent to tent and from dwelling to dwelling. In all places where I have moved with all Israel, did I speak a word with any of The Judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people, saying, "Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?"' Now therefore thus shall you say to My servant David, 'Thus says The Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over My people Israel; and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and violent men shall waste them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will subdue all your enemies.1 Chronicles Chapter 18
Moreover I declare to you that The Lord will build you a house. When your days are fulfilled to go to be with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons [i.e. Solomon], and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for Me, and I will establish his throne for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son; I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from him who was before you [i.e. Saul; see also The Civil War], but I will confirm him in My house and in My kingdom for ever and his throne shall be established for ever.'" (1 Chronicles 17:4-14 RSV)
Solomon's reign would be peaceful and prosperous, primarily due to the military victories that The Lord gave to David. Israel achieved its greatest territorial extent during Solomon's reign - from nations that had either been conquered by David, or who had sought peace with David to prevent David from conquering them.
The Philistines:"After this David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Gath [see Gath of the Philistines] and its villages out of the hand of the Philistines." (1 Chronicles 18:1 RSV)The Moabites:
"And he defeated Moab, and the Moabites became servants to David and brought tribute." (1 Chronicles 18:2 RSV)David's victories extended right to the Euphrates River in what is known today as Iraq.
"David also defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah, toward Hamath, as he went to set up his monument at the river Euphrates. And David took from him a thousand chariots, seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers; and David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but left enough for a hundred chariots." (1 Chronicles 18:3-4 RSV)The Syrians:
"And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David slew twenty-two thousand men of the Syrians. Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought tribute. And The Lord gave victory to David wherever he went." (1 Chronicles 18:5-6 RSV)With David's many victories, nations began to seek peaceful relations with Israel (a principle of making peace that Jesus Christ will also use after His return - see Christ the Conqueror For Peace).
"When Tou king of Hamath heard that David had defeated the whole army of Hadadezer, king of Zobah, he sent his son Hadoram to King David, to greet him, and to congratulate him because he had fought against Hadadezer and defeated him; for Hadadezer had often been at war with Tou. And he sent all sorts of articles of gold, of silver, and of bronze; these also King David dedicated to The Lord, together with the silver and gold which he had carried off from all the nations, from Edom, Moab, the Ammonites, the Philistines, and Amalek." (1 Chronicles 18:9-11 RSV)
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