Hebrew Highlights 79 – BOOTH OF DAVID

Shalom. This is Yuval Shomron, coming to you from Jerusalem.

AMO 9:11-15, "In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David, And wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its ruins, And rebuild it as in the days of old; That they may possess the remnant of Edom And all the nations who are called by My name, "Declares the Lord who does this. "Behold, days are coming," declares the Lord, "When the plowman will overtake the reaper And the treader of grapes him who sows seed; When the mountains will drip sweet wine, And all the hills will be dissolved. "Also I will restore the captivity of My people Israel, And they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them, They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, And make gardens and eat their fruit. "I will also plant them on their land, And they will not again be rooted out from their land Which I have given them," Says the Lord your God.”

For those of us living in Israel, this is one of our most beloved prophetic passages. Indeed, it is one we see being fulfilled in our lifetime. It has been much discussed, and a number of books have been written about it, or have referred to it.

Today, I’d like to investigate one particular phrase, from verse 11, "In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David.” What exactly is the “fallen booth of David”? First of all, I should tell you that there are basically two theories. We’ll take a quick look at both of them, in hope that your appetite will be wetted, and you will do your own study.

The word “booth” is translated from the Hebrew “succa”. This is of course the same word often translated “tabernacle”, and is the basis of the Holiday of Succoth. It usually means a temporary shelter, but could figuratively mean any kind of a dwelling.

One speculation by many scholars is that it refers to the actual Kingdom of David, or the continued reign of David’s line. As such, it is naturally considered a prophetic image of the coming Messianic age, when Yeshua himself will set up residence in Zion, and rule in a millennium period. If this is so, then we are very close to that time, as the remainder of the passage is already being fulfilled. God is already “restoring the captivity of His people Israel, And they are rebuilding the ruined cities and living in them.”

However, there is another idea, which is equally viable, and could co-exist with the first. David was actually famous in two seemingly completely different roles; one as a king, the other as a worshipper. Perhaps the prophet Amos was seeing praise and worship from the heart being restored to Israel.

In order to explore this second hypothesis, let’s consider 2SA 6:17, “So they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.”

As you may remember, the Ark of the Covenant was for many years in the hands of Israel’s enemies, and then sat at the house of Obed Edom in Kiryat Yearim for a time while David sought the Lord’s wisdom about bringing the Ark to Jerusalem after one botched attempt.

In this passage in second Samuel, we see the word “tent”, in Hebrew “Ohel”; again, a temporary shelter, and not unlike a booth. In many circumstances these words are practically interchangeable in Hebrew.

So, to paraphrase the story, David set up tent in His back yard, and put the Ark in it. He went in and offered sacrifices to the Lord before His presence. Now remember, that when the Ark was in the tabernacle, or tent, in the wilderness, that anyone except the High Priest who went in before the Ark was struck dead. So, how did David manage to walk in, evidently whenever he wanted to, and come out alive.

Remember that in 1SA 13:14, we read, "The Lord has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over His people.” David was that man. He loved God so much, and his sacrifices were pleasing to the Lord. He made mistakes, but he always repented.

During this time of the Ark’s residence in David’s tent, he probably wrote many of the beautiful Psalms, which are accredited to him. His worship was not religious, but straight from the heart. It included both pleas of mercy, and ecstatic praise.

Since the re-establishment of the State of Israel, we have seen a tremendous rebirth of composing of Messianic, or some would say “Davidic” worship songs, both within the land, and amongst Jewish believers in the Diaspora. Again, we are dancing before the Lord, raising our hands, and shouting to God as David did.

Heart-centered praise has replaced religious music, and although there is room for many different styles, a common chord of abandoned love for God runs through all Messianic music.

The fallen Praise booth of David has already been restored, and it’s tent pegs are being expanded rapidly. The Kingdom of David has been restored since the time Yeshua rose from the dead, and sat down at the right hand of God. May we will see our King return to Jerusalem in our lifetime. In the mean time we can say along with David the worship leader’s PSA 145:2, “Every day I will bless Thee, And I will praise Thy name forever and ever.”

Shalom, Shalom, from Jerusalem.