Showing posts with label Asaph. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Asaph. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

David's Musicians

This chapter chronicles the assignment of musical roles in what may be one of the earliest military bands. David himself was a skillful musician since his early age, a gift from God that led to his appointment as the personal musician for King Saul. And in David's kingdom, music had a very important role as part of the worship of God. The musicians were divided under Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun who led their sons in various instruments; including cymbals, stringed instruments, and harps. King David himself may have directed Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun. The orchestra for the LORD, had a total of 281 people.

Many names of individuals associated with the orchestra is given in this chapter. These individuals mostly appear in this chapter of Scripture and nowhere else. The book of Chronicles 1,2 is fixed in size and only selected topics are included. This inclusion of this chapter indicates the importance of music in the ministry of God.


1 Chronicles 25

The Musicians

 1 Moreover David and the captains of the army separated for the service some of the sons of Asaph, of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, stringed instruments, and cymbals. And the number of the skilled men performing their service was: 2 Of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asharelah;[a] the sons of Asaph were under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied according to the order of the king. 3 Of Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, Zeri,[b] Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, six,[c] under the direction of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with a harp to give thanks and to praise the LORD. 4 Of Heman, the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel,[d] Shebuel,[e] Jerimoth,[f] Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-Ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. 5 All these were the sons of Heman the king’s seer in the words of God, to exalt his horn.[g] For God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.
6 All these were under the direction of their father for the music in the house of the LORD, with cymbals, stringed instruments, and harps, for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the authority of the king. 7 So the number of them, with their brethren who were instructed in the songs of the LORD, all who were skillful, was two hundred and eighty-eight.
8 And they cast lots for their duty, the small as well as the great, the teacher with the student.
9 Now the first lot for Asaph came out for Joseph; the second for Gedaliah, him with his brethren and sons, twelve; 10 the third for Zaccur, his sons and his brethren, twelve; 11 the fourth for Jizri,[h] his sons and his brethren, twelve; 12 the fifth for Nethaniah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; 13 the sixth for Bukkiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; 14 the seventh for Jesharelah,[i] his sons and his brethren, twelve; 15 the eighth for Jeshaiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; 16 the ninth for Mattaniah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; 17 the tenth for Shimei, his sons and his brethren, twelve; 18 the eleventh for Azarel,[j] his sons and his brethren, twelve; 19 the twelfth for Hashabiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; 20 the thirteenth for Shubael,[k] his sons and his brethren, twelve; 21 the fourteenth for Mattithiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; 22 the fifteenth for Jeremoth,[l] his sons and his brethren, twelve; 23 the sixteenth for Hananiah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; 24 the seventeenth for Joshbekashah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; 25 the eighteenth for Hanani, his sons and his brethren, twelve; 26 the nineteenth for Mallothi, his sons and his brethren, twelve; 27 the twentieth for Eliathah, his sons and his brethren, twelve; 28 the twenty-first for Hothir, his sons and his brethren, twelve; 29 the twenty-second for Giddalti, his sons and his brethren, twelve; 30 the twenty-third for Mahazioth, his sons and his brethren, twelve; 31 the twenty-fourth for Romamti-Ezer, his sons and his brethren, twelve.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

David’s Song of Thanksgiving

Again the focus is on the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD, highlighting the importance of this.
When the Ark was brought to Jerusalem, it was placed in the tabernacle which David built. David then led the worship by giving burnt offerings and peace offerings. He blessed he people, and reappointed the institution of the Levites to minister before the Ark.

The chief of the Levites was Asaph, followed by Zechariah and so on. David wrote a psalm and handed it to Asaph to thank the LORD. David's psalm is given below, no other words can describe David's praise of God, so have a read below.


1 Chronicles 16

The Ark Placed in the Tabernacle

 1 So they brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. 2 And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD. 3 Then he distributed to everyone of Israel, both man and woman, to everyone a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins.
4 And he appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, to commemorate, to thank, and to praise the LORD God of Israel: 5 Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, and Obed-Edom: Jeiel with stringed instruments and harps, but Asaph made music with cymbals; 6 Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests regularly blew the trumpets before the ark of the covenant of God.

David’s Song of Thanksgiving
 
7 On that day David first delivered this psalm into the hand of Asaph and his brethren, to thank the LORD:
 8 Oh, give thanks to the LORD!
      Call upon His name;
      Make known His deeds among the peoples!

 9 Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
      Talk of all His wondrous works!

 10 Glory in His holy name;
      Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!

 11 Seek the LORD and His strength;
      Seek His face evermore!

 12 Remember His marvelous works which He has done,
      His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,

 13 O seed of Israel His servant,
      You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!

 14 He is the LORD our God;
      His judgments are in all the earth.

 15 Remember His covenant forever,
      The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations,

 16 The covenant which He made with Abraham,
      And His oath to Isaac,

 17 And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute,
      To Israel for an everlasting covenant,

 18 Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
      As the allotment of your inheritance,”

 19 When you were few in number,
      Indeed very few, and strangers in it.

 20 When they went from one nation to another,
      And from one kingdom to another people,

 21 He permitted no man to do them wrong;
      Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes,

 22 Saying, “Do not touch My anointed ones,
      And do My prophets no harm.”[a]

 23 Sing to the LORD, all the earth;
      Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.

 24 Declare His glory among the nations,
      His wonders among all peoples.

 25 For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised;
      He is also to be feared above all gods.

 26 For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
      But the LORD made the heavens.

 27 Honor and majesty are before Him;
      Strength and gladness are in His place.

 28 Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
      Give to the LORD glory and strength.

 29 Give to the LORD the glory due His name;
      Bring an offering, and come before Him.
      Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness!

 30 Tremble before Him, all the earth.
      The world also is firmly established,
      It shall not be moved.

 31 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
      And let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.”

 32 Let the sea roar, and all its fullness;
      Let the field rejoice, and all that is in it.

 33 Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the LORD,
      For He is coming to judge the earth.[b]

 34 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
      For His mercy endures forever.[c]

 35 And say, “Save us, O God of our salvation;
      Gather us together, and deliver us from the Gentiles,
      To give thanks to Your holy name,
      To triumph in Your praise.”

 36 Blessed be the LORD God of Israel
      From everlasting to everlasting![d]

   And all the people said, “Amen!” and praised the LORD.

Regular Worship Maintained
 
37 So he left Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD to minister before the ark regularly, as every day’s work required; 38 and Obed-Edom with his sixty-eight brethren, including Obed-Edom the son of Jeduthun, and Hosah, to be gatekeepers; 39 and Zadok the priest and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of the LORD at the high place that was at GibeonHeman and Jeduthun and the rest who were chosen, who were designated by name, to give thanks to the LORD, because His mercy endures forever; 42 and with them Heman and Jeduthun, to sound aloud with trumpets and cymbals and the musical instruments of God. Now the sons of Jeduthun were gatekeepers.
43 Then all the people departed, every man to his house; and David returned to bless his house.

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