Doug Van Pelt

Be ye circumcised...?

In Acts 15 there were some people teaching believers in Jerusalem that you had to be circumcised according to the law of Moses in order to be saved. This brought Paul and Barnabas into "sharp dispute and debate with them." So they were appointed to go to Jerusalem and straighten out these kooks. While on the way they told many stories about how the Gentiles were being converted. This made "all the brothers" very glad, but some believers who (still?) belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses." Peter got up and addressed them, and some of the things he said were awesome:

"Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the Gospel and believe. God, Who knows the heart, showed that He accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for He purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."

James later spoke up and uttered a passage from the prophets to show the Scripture's agreement with this whole "Gentiles getting saved" thing:

"'After this I will return
and rebuild David's fallen tent.
Its ruins I will rebuild,
and I will restore it,
that the remnant of men mayseek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles who bear My Name,'
says the Lord, Who does these things
that have been known for ages."

This is a quote from Amos 9:11. A study on what "David's tent" was reveals that it was a "tabernacle" or a new, temporary place for worship until a temple was built. In this tent was placed the Ark of the Covenant, which was a huge symbol of God's presence for His people in those days. The Ark was a large box with rings on the side that poles could be slipped through for transportation (by specific people, as no ordinary person was even supposed to touch the Ark). On top of the box was a lid called the "mercy seat." This mercy seat separated anyone from the contents of the box, which included three things: Aaron's rod that budded, a jar of manna, and the tablets of the law. It's kind of like a picture of Jesus, because His mercy shields us from the full effect of the law. This was one of the objects that was formerly inside the "Holy of Holies" or the most inner and sacred place of the Tabernacle of Moses (a real building). Anyway, this was the only piece of furniture in this giant tent, which meant it was like a giant "Holy of Holies" or inner sacred chamber. But the tradition of one levitical (high) priest going into the Holy of Holies once a year was not kept. David selected musicians and worshippers to go in their with him and they surrounded the Ark and worshipped the Lord with song and music. God's glory came down upon this tent.

So, when a New Testament apostle describes God saving the Gentiles as being like God's Old Testament promise to "rebuild David's fallen tent," what is he talking about? Perhaps David's tent was like a "type" or "picture" or "symbol" of what the church or group of believers would become later -- where everyone who believes in Jesus could continually enter into God's presence, not just some hotshot priest once a year. The whole company of musicians "breaking the tradition" of only the high priest entering into the Holy of Holies is perhaps like how God allowed all men (and women, of course) to become His people, irregardless of their heritage. I think that's a beautiful picture.

Posted by Doug Van Pelt at December 1, 2005 10:51 AM