It’s interesting how my bias gets in the way of my reading the Bible. My earlier readings of Chronicles left me with a memory of a book filled with difficult to pronounce names and ancestral lineages that left me dizzy. Yet, I know that God has inspired the writing of His Book for me to grow in relationship to Him, even the books of Chronicles. So, as I delve into the pages and chapters, I am searching for what it is that God wants to share with me this time.
If I told you that more than once I was brought to tears by the words and events of the first book, would you jump up and read it? If I told you that this book presents the relationship between David and God in such a very personal way, that it is possible to comprehend why it was essential to David’s life to be in align with the ways of God, as it should be essential to ours, would you stop and read it?
While, once again, I found many interesting elements in this book. I was moved by David’s commitment to God. David loves God, and the first thing he wants to do when he becomes king is bring the ark of the covenant home! In his haste, he loads it up and during the transport with a cart and oxen, it begins to totter. Uzzah reaches up to keep it from falling and the Lord immediately destroys him! Dismayed and confused, David stops everything and goes back to the Lord and inquires of what went wrong. He learns that the Lord has given specific instructions regarding who handles the ark and how it is transported. It does not include using the ways used by those who worship other gods. In his next attempt, David follows the rules of God exactly and all is well.
During this worship-filled procession, David sings a song of praise. I wonder, if you are willing to speak aloud this praise, to worship through these words today. David ordered Asaph and his relatives (Levites) to give thanks to God. It is so beautiful. I have included here for your benefit. It is filled with instructions on how to worship God, what to tell others about Him, to trust Him, to celebrate His presence in our lives. I Chronicles 16:8-36, a song of David.
Give praiseto theLord, proclaim his name;
make known among the nationswhat he has done.
9Sing to him, sing praiseto him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.
10Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek theLordrejoice.
11Look to theLordand his strength;
seekhis face always.
12Rememberthe wondershe has done,
his miracles,and the judgments he pronounced,
13you his servants, the descendants of Israel,
his chosen ones, the children of Jacob.
14He is theLordour God;
his judgmentsare in all the earth.
15He remembershis covenant forever,
the promise he made, for a thousand generations,
16the covenanthe made with Abraham,
the oath he swore to Isaac.
17He confirmed it to Jacobas a decree,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant:
18“To you I will give the land of Canaan
as the portion you will inherit.”
19When they were but few in number,
few indeed, and strangers in it,
20theywanderedfrom nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another.
21He allowed no one to oppress them;
for their sake he rebuked kings:
22“Do not touch my anointed ones;
do my prophetsno harm.”
23Sing to theLord, all the earth;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
24Declare his gloryamong the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
25For great is theLordand most worthy of praise;
he is to be fearedabove all gods.
26For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but theLordmade the heavens.
27Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and joy are in his dwelling place.
28Ascribe to theLord, all you families of nations,
ascribe to theLordglory and strength.
29Ascribe to theLordthe glory due his name;
bring an offering and come before him.
Worship theLordin the splendor of hisholiness.
30Tremblebefore him, all the earth!
The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.
31Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let them say among the nations, “TheLordreigns!”
32Let the sea resound, and all that is in it;
let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them!
33Let the treesof the forest sing,
let them sing for joy before theLord,
for he comes to judgethe earth.
34Give thanksto theLord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
35Cry out, “Save us, God our Savior;
gather us and deliver us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name,
and glory in your praise.”
36Praise be to theLord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Then all the people said “Amen” and “Praise the Lord.”
But this is a book of mountains and valleys. While still experiencing these wonderful words of praise and worship, I continued reading and was soon consumed by the vision of David’s brokenness as he confessed and bore the marks of his next sin in Chapter 21! Do you know what it was? Do you realize that in his deep desire to repent and rectify the situation with God, he established the location of where God’s temple would be? I had not previously connected that this was why the temple was built by Solomon in this location. If you do not know this part of our story, I invite you to open your Bible to I Chronicles.
Read on with peace and gratitude knowing to whom you belong,
Merry Kris Demske