Why was the tabernacle of the LORD in Gibeon at this time? Setting the Scene: What Happened to the Tabernacle after Shiloh? • Joshua 18:1 records the tabernacle first standing at Shiloh once Israel entered the land. • Centuries later (1 Samuel 4), the Ark was captured by Philistines; Shiloh was likely destroyed (cf. Psalm 78:60). • With Shiloh ruined, the tabernacle moved to Nob (1 Samuel 21:1). Saul’s massacre of the priests (1 Samuel 22:18-19) made Nob unsafe, requiring another relocation. Why Gibeon Became the Next Home • 1 Chronicles 16:39-40: “David left Zadok the priest and his fellow priests before the tabernacle of the LORD at the high place in Gibeon … to offer burnt offerings regularly.” • Gibeon lay a few miles northwest of Jerusalem—central, secure, and already known for a “great high place” (1 Kings 3:4). • It was a practical worship site while the Ark, now in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:17), awaited a permanent temple. Key Reasons the Tabernacle Stayed in Gibeon 1. Continuity of Sacrifice – The bronze altar made by Bezalel (Exodus 38:1-2) remained functional. – Daily and festival sacrifices (Numbers 28-29) could continue without interruption. 2. Divine Permission, Not Yet the Permanent Choice – Deuteronomy 12 foretold a single place God would choose; that place was still future. – 1 Chronicles 21:28-30 shows David hesitant to return to Gibeon after God met him in Jerusalem—hinting God was moving worship southward but had not yet completed the transition. 3. Separation of Ark and Altar Underscored the Need for a Temple – Ark in Jerusalem (symbol of God’s presence). – Altar in Gibeon (means of atonement). – The split exposed the provisional nature of both sites, intensifying David’s and Solomon’s desire to build (2 Samuel 7:2; 1 Kings 8:17-18). How Long Did the Tabernacle Remain There? • 2 Chronicles 1:3-6: Early in Solomon’s reign, he offered “a thousand burnt offerings on that altar” at Gibeon. • 2 Chronicles 5:5: When Solomon finished the temple, he brought the tabernacle and sacred furnishings from Gibeon to Jerusalem, uniting Ark and altar at last. Theological Takeaways • God faithfully preserved Mosaic worship forms—even amid upheaval—until His chosen house stood. • The tabernacle’s stay at Gibeon illustrates divine patience: He tolerated an interim “high place” yet guided events toward the temple He had promised (1 Chronicles 17:11-12). • The separation of Ark and altar foreshadows the ultimate unification in Christ, who is both the presence of God and the perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 9:11-12). Summary The tabernacle was in Gibeon because Shiloh and Nob had fallen, Gibeon provided a secure and central worship site, and God allowed this provisional arrangement until Solomon’s temple could unite Ark, altar, and people in the place He ultimately chose. |
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