'17:1-27

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Plans for a permanent house (1Chr 16:37-17:27)

On being brought to Jerusalem, the ark had been placed in a tent that David prepared for it (see 1Chr 16:1).

David appointed temple servants to remain with the ark to guide the worship, apparently under the direction of the senior priest, Abiathar. The other chief priest, Zadok, was in charge of the worship at the tabernacle, which was still at Gibeon (1Chr 16:37-43).

One reason why David did not shift the tabernacle from Gibeon was that he was planning to build a permanent dwelling place for the ark in Jerusalem.

He wanted to build a house for God, but God wanted rather to build a house for David. The house God wanted to build was a dynasty, a line of royal descendants, one of whom would build the temple (1Chr 17:1-27; see notes on 2 Sam 7:1-29).