There are two tabernacles of worship in the Old Testament.   First of all, the Tabernacle of the Lord, which Moses the servant of the Lord had made in the wilderness...  (1 Chronicles 21:29) contained the Ark of the Covenant, in which God made known His manifest presence.  This tabernacle, prescribed by the Lord, allowed His children to worship Him and to find forgiveness of sin through the sacrifices and the mediation of the priests.  But in the time of David, the Ark of the Lord, after being in enemy captivity was returned to Jerusalem and put in a tent.  They set it in His place, in the midst of the Tabernacle that David had pitched for it.  (2 Samuel 6:17)   Here in the Tabernacle of David all the people of God had open access into the presence of the Lord.
During the time of the Tabernacle of David, the Mosaic Tabernacle was still being used, although the Ark of the Covenant--the manifest presence of the Lord was no longer there.  There is spiritual significance in both of these tabernacles.  Let's examine the two tabernacles, their significance, their contrast, and the application for today's worship. 

1.  THE PLACE

A.  The Tabernacle of Moses was built as the Lord instructed in Exodus 35-40.  Everything about it was important--the dimensions, the colors, the materials used, and all the items in the tabernacle.   Each part of the Tabernacle was set forth to God-given specifications--the shewbread, the laver, the altar, the candles, the poles, everything therein.    This tabernacle spoke of the Old Covenant, a covenant of law and works--rules and regulations to be followed, even to the point of exact specs.  And the Mosaic Tabernacle basically represents worship as done under the Law -- a worship that requires works.   But in every specification as well as in its service,  this Tabernacle is a picture of the salvation that is now realized in Christ Jesus, the one who fulfilled the Law's demands.   To go into the details of those comparisons would need be in another writing. 
 

B.  The Tabernacle of David, however, was a tent pictched by David with no specific instructions from the Lord.  But David acted in faith, seeing the freedom that was foretold to God's children through the coming Messiah—freedom for those in Christ to enter God’s presence.  This tabernacle spoke of the New Covenant, a covenant of grace and faith.  The Davidic Tabernacle boldly foreshadows the worship in spirit and truth that the saints in Christ are able to enjoy. 

C.  Today the place of worship is the of the Body of Christ.  Wherever the members of this Body are gathered there can be true worship and the Lord’s manifest presence can be enjoyed.  This is the New Covenant of life and relationship of worship by the Spirit through Jesus Christ. 

2.  THE PRIESTS

A.  Moses' Tabernacle utilized the Aaronic Priesthood, the Levites --one tribe of priests.   These elite few were the vehicle by which the people could make burnt offerings and peace offerings.   Only these chosen ones could enter the Holy of Holies and perform the duties set out by the Lord. 

B. The Davidic Tabernacle, however, allowed a new kingdom of priests.  As David says in Psalm 101, foretelling of Jesus, "Thou are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek."    The Davidic tabernacle had no set apart Holy of Holies and no veil separating the people from the presence of God.  And although David appointed some of the Levites to minister before the Ark of the Lord, the presence of the Lord was accessible to all. 

C.  Today Revelation 1:6 gives further insight-- "and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father."   Through Jesus we are all able, by faith, to enter God’s presence continually through the blood of the eternal covenant in Christ Jesus our Lord.

3.  THE PROCESS 

A.  In Moses' Tabernacle, coming before the presence of the Lord to find forgiveness for sin was accomplished only by the High Priest.  He could enter once yearly with the shed blood of an unblemished lamb to the Holy Place where God's presence was enthroned upon the Ark of the Covenant.  After the Ark of the Covenant was no longer present in the Holy Place, the Tabernacle priests continued to carry on the sacrifices of atonement.   It's ministry was still under the law and the order of Moses, who was the mediator of the Old Covenant according to the commandments and the law given through him.

B.  In contrast,  David made burnt offerings and peace offerings when the Ark of the Covenant was initially brought to the tent, but no sacrifice offerings were made and no further offerings were ever made after that.   There is great significance in this lack of need of a sacrificial offering.    David's tabernacle had a ministry of the New Covenant Mediator, the greater Son of David, Jesus Christ according to Hebrews 12:24.    After David's initial offerings the only sacrifices offered before the Ark of the Covenant were spiritual sacrifices of praise, joy and thanksgiving 

C. Jesus was the "great high priest" (Hebrews 7:26,27) who brought Himself as the unblemished Lamb of God before the presence of the Lord.   Isaiah 51 says of Jesus,  "He was like a lamb that is led to slaughter.  John the Baptist confesses in John 1 that Jesus is "…the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”  Hebrews 7:27 tells us that He offered up himself :"once for all when He offered up Himself."  And today we have confidence to enter through Him right into the presence of God – to the throne of grace.
 

4. THE PRAISE

A.  From the beginning, Moses' Tabernacle was void of the ministry of music. Neither singers nor musical instruments were used.  But during the time when the Ark was in the Davidic Tabernacle, and the presence of God was available to all, David appointed trumpets and cymbals and other instruments for the songs of God to be celebrated in the Tabernacle of Moses.  He appointed ministers to use the instruments in give thanks to the Lord. 

B.  The ministers in the Tabernacle of David used musical instruments which David himself had made.  And he appointed singers and dancers who celebrated continually and thanked and praised the Lord.  (I Chronicles 16:6, 37) And as stated earlier, the sacrifices offered before the Ark of the Covenant were spiritual sacrifices of praise, joy and thanksgiving. 

C.  The Body of Christ today celebrates in the paradigm of the Davidic Tabernacle.  Singing, dancing, clapping and musical instruments all are part of the celebration that goes into the worship of the Almighty God.  And Hebrews 13:15 instructs us to "…continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name."

So in summary, the worshiping Body today is the substance of the shadow-pictures of both the Mosaic Tabernacle and the Davidic Tabernacle.   The worship sacrifice required in the Mosaic Tabernacle, offered by the high priest, was fulfilled in Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb of God. 
And Jesus, as the great High Priest, brought that atoning sacrifice into the heavenly Holy of Holies before God’s very Presence.   Because of this atoning sacrifice once for all, the Church, the Body of Christ, can freely and boldly enter into God's presence.  We can worship as was done by faith in the manner of the Tabernacle of David---celebrating the great new song of salvation through Christ our Lord, offering sacrifices of joy and thanksgiving.
 

Bibliography

Kevin J. Conner, The Tabernacle of David, City Bible Publishing, Portland, Oregon, 1976
Beth Moore, A Woman's Heart: God's Dwelling Place, LifeWay, 1995