SERIES K --- ISRAEL’S GOLDEN AGE --- LESSON 03

DAVID’S PRAISE

KING DAVID’S HYMN OF PRAISE

From 1 Chronicles 16:4-36

When King David brought the Ark of YHVH to a new tabernacle in Jerusalem, he appointed certain Levites to sing and play musical instruments regularly in their services. These people sang and played their thanksgiving to YHVH for His blessings. Asaph, the leader of the musicians, played the cymbals. Those who played harps and zithers were Zechariah, Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah and Obededom, as well as another man named Jeiel. Two other Levites named Benaiah and Jahaziel regularly played the trumpets before the Ark. King David composed this psalm as a thanksgiving to Adonai:

O give thanks to Adonai, call upon His Name; Tell the world what He has done; And sing praises to Him; Because of His wonderful works. Honour His holy Name; And rejoice as you seek Adonai. Search for Adonai and His strength; Seek His presence regularly. Remember His wonderful works; His miracles and His proclamations; O descendants of Abraham His servant; Descendants of Jacob His chosen one. Adonai is our YHVH; His judgments are known throughout the earth. Pay attention to His Covenant; For these Commands are; For a thousand generations; This covenant was made with Abraham; And confirmed with Jacob. It is a promise to Israel forever; That Adonai will give them Canaan; As their inheritance. When there were only a few Israelites; And they were unimportant; Wandering from one land to another; From one kingdom to another one; Adonai protected them from kings; And did not let one of them oppress Israel. He warned others not to touch them; And not to harm His people, His prophets. Sing to Adonai, all the earth; And tell everyone that He saves! Reveal His glory to all nations; Tell them all of His great miracles. Adonai is great and deserves praise; He should be worshiped above all other gods; For they are mere idols; While He is the creator of the heavens. Glory and majesty go before Him; Strength and joy dwell with Him. Glorify His Name; O people of the nations. Yes, give Him the glory; Which He deserves. Come before Him with an offering; Clothe yourselves in holiness; And come worship Him. Stand trembling before Him, O nations; For He has made the earth firm and unmoved before Him. Let the heavens rejoice and the earth sing; And let all the nations proclaim; That Adonai alone is King. Let the sea and all that is in it roar; And the fields and all that is in them rejoice. Let the trees of the forest sing for joy before Adonai; For He comes to judge the earth. O give thanks to Adonai, for He is good; For His love endures forever. Cry out to Him; ‘Save us, YHVH of our Salvation; Protect us from other nations; And we will praise Your holy Name; And rejoice greatly as we praise You.’ Blessed is Adonai YHVH of Israel; Forever and ever.

Then all the people shouted, Amen! offering their praise to Adonai.

COMMENTARY

ISRAEL’S HISTORY IN SONG

The Israelites were a singing people and actually preserved much of their history in song. The Book of Psalms is one fine example. Some psalms tell of the events and persons of the past. One, for example, begins with the tenth plague in Egypt and follows the events up to the settlement in Canaan. Another begins with the Israelites at Sinai and traces the principal events up to David’s rule as king. King David, Israel’s greatest king, was a musician. He sang and played the harp. Perhaps many of the songs he sang to soothe King Saul were songs of the nation’s history. Seventy-three of the psalms in the Book of Psalms are attributed to David as author or composer. When the tabernacle was set up in Jerusalem, David personally founded the music program to use in the sanctuary. Appointing some of the Levites as musicians and singers, David gave them the job of praising YHVH daily before the Ark.

SONGS BY THE RED SEA

In times of great joy or sadness, the Israelites often sang their feelings. Crossing the Red Sea was such an occasion. After they were safe from Pharaoh’s anger, Moses led Israel in a beautiful hymn celebrating YHVH’s deliverance. It speaks of two things: the victory over Pharaoh and the future victories YHVH would give on their way to Canaan --- Exodus 15:1-18. Deuteronomy 32 and Psalm 90 are also songs of Moses. Many centuries later John remembered Moses’ song at the sea. He described the Church’s song of redemption as the Song of Moses, the servant of YHVH and the Song of the Lamb -- Revelation 15:3, 4. Miriam’s song was probably a response to Moses’ -- Exodus 15:21.

SONG OF MOSES

The Song of Moses -- Deuteronomy 32:1-44 is a model hymn. Composed by Moses and sung in duet with Joshua, it commemorates Adonai’s faithfulness to Israel in the wilderness. It also sorrows over the unfaithfulness of Israel to YHVH. In much the same vein as the Book of Deuteronomy as a whole, this song reflects upon the past and looks forward to Israel’s future in Canaan.

SONG OF DEBORAH

The Song of Deborah and Barak -- Judges 5 is like the Song of Moses by the sea, a victory song. It is the musical version of the story told in -- Judges 4. The song focuses largely upon the part of the two heroines, Deborah and Jael, in the victory over King Jabin of Hazor. That was Israel’s first great success against the chariot armies of Canaan.

HANNAH’S SONG

Toward the end of the period of the judges, Hannah, a childless woman, prayed that YHVH would give her a son. Samuel was the answer to her prayer. When she weaned him, she gave him to Eli the priest to serve him in the tabernacle in Shiloh. Upon the happy occasion, she sang this song -- 1 Samuel 2:1-10. It became the model for Mary’s Song in the New Testament -- Luke 1:46-55.

DAVID’S SONG FOR THE ARK

David composed a song to celebrate bringing the Ark to Jerusalem -- 1 Chronicles 16:8-26; Psalm 105:1-15. It was sung by his newly appointed choirmaster, Asaph and his fellow Levites, the king calls upon Israel to sing praises to Adonai -- verses 8-22. Then he commands the earth to praise Him -- verses 23-27 and finally all nations of the world -- verses 28-34. The closing verses are a combination of request and praise -- verses 35, 36. In addition to numerous psalms in the Book of Psalms. David composed a moving lament over the deaths of Saul and Jonathan -- 2 Samuel 1:19-27. Other psalms of David outside the Book of Psalms are his song of victory over his enemies -- 2 Samuel 22 and his famous last words -- 2 Samuel 23:1-7.

MARY’S SONG

Recorded in -- Luke 1:46-55, Mary’s Song is very much like Hannah’s Song. Before the birth of Yeshua, she visited her kinswoman, Elizabeth. These two expectant mothers shared their by together. Mary expressed hers in this song. She, like Hannah, rejoiced that YHVH had been so kind to her. The expected birth of Yeshua, she sings, would fulfil YHVH’s promises to Abraham. Although she speaks of the future work of Moshiach, she talks about it like it has already happened. That was a common way the prophets talked about the future. They were so sure that the events would happen that they talked as if they had already occurred. This song is called the [Magnificat] because that is the first word of the Latin translation.

ZACHARIAS’ SONG

This song is another of the prophetic poems in Luke -- Luke 1:68-79. When John the Baptist was born, Zacharias, his father, celebrated his birth with this song. Just as Mary did, Zacharias saw the birth of Yeshua as YHVH’s fulfilment of His promises to Abraham. This song centres upon Moshiach -- verses 68-75 and John -- verses 76-79.