1 CHRONICLES LESSON 19



     We will begin this lesson in I Chronicles 16:1 "So they brought
the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent that David had
pitched for it: and they offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings
before God."

     A person, whether a king or just a commoner, is never at rest in
his or her heart, until they have established a place to worship their
God. David had a beautiful house of cedar, but he could never be at
home there, until he had a place for the ark, so he could go and
worship God there. All the riches and power in the world will not
bring happiness. We must have peace in our souls that only God can
bring. The place for the tent had been prepared, and David had erected
this tent similar to the tabernacle in the wilderness. We are not told
what preparations were made inside the tent. The burnt sacrifices
symbolized the atonement. The peace offerings were to reconcile God
and man.

     I Chronicles 16:2 "And when David had made an end of offering the
burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the
name of the LORD."

     This blessing from the LORD, spoken by David, was like a
prophetic statement. He was so overwhelmed by the presence of God
symbolized by the ark, that he spoke from God through his heart to the
people.

     I Chronicles 16:3 "And he dealt to every one of Israel, both man
and woman, to every one a loaf of bread, and a good piece of flesh,
and a flagon [of wine]."

     The piece of meat came from the offerings. The loaf of bread was
made circular for some reason. It is even believed to have been
perforated. The flagon of wine was for the merriment of the occasion.
The bread and wine symbolize the body and blood of the Lamb {The Lord
Jesus Christ}. This is very similar to a passover meal.

     I Chronicles 16:4  "And he appointed [certain] of the Levites to
minister before the ark of the LORD, and to record, and to thank and
praise the LORD God of Israel:"

     The "he" in this case is David. Notice, he chose Levites. He had
undoubtedly learned what the law had to say about this. These had
three jobs; to record, to thank, and to praise God. These Levites were
very similar to ministers in church today, who minister God's will and
conduct praise and worship services.

     I Chronicles 16:5 "Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah,
Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and
Benaiah, and Obed-edom: and Jeiel with psalteries and with harps; but
Asaph made a sound with cymbals;"
     This is speaking of those in charge of the music ministry. Asaph
was the leader of it all. All of the others, here, played musical
instruments. The only distinction of the instruments were the cymbals,
that Asaph started the music with.

     I Chronicles 16:6 "Benaiah also and Jahaziel the priests with
trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God."

     These silver {symbolizes redemption} trumpets were blown to
gather the people. We mentioned, from Numbers chapter 10 verse 2, the
silver trumpet and its purpose. It is interesting to note that our
great High Priest will blow a trumpet to redeem us from the earth,
when He calls us to Him in the sky. Notice, the priests blow this
trumpet. Jahaziel is the same as Eliezer.

     I Chronicles 16:7  "Then on that day David delivered first [this
psalm] to thank the LORD into the hand of Asaph and his brethren."

     A psalm is a song. David had written one for this special
occasion. He gave it to Asaph who is the director of music.

     I Chronicles 16:8 "Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name,
make known his deeds among the people."

     Notice, how this begins. In the beginning of prayer or praise,
the first thing to do is give thanks to the LORD. We must call upon
His name. We have not, because we ask not. There is great power in His
name. We must tell others of His greatness, so they might see and
believe.

     I Chronicles 16:9 "Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye
of all his wondrous works."

     I personally believe that singing praises to the LORD lifts the
soul of man above the earth. Witnessing to others what God has done
for us, helps the person we are witnessing to, but helps us as well.
We sing a little chorus that says "I'm going to lift up the name of
Jesus". This is what the verse above is speaking of.

     I Chronicles 16:10 "Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of
them rejoice that seek the LORD."

     We find strength and comfort in the name of Jesus. Christians
have been given power and authority to use that name. David is saying
the same thing about the LORD here. Those that seek the LORD shall
find Him.

     I Chronicles 16:11 "Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face
continually."

     David was fully aware that it was not his strength that caused
him to win in battle, but was the strength of the LORD. We,
Christians, are aware of that, also, as we read in the following
verse.  Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which
strengtheneth me." To seek the face of God, is to look beyond
ourselves for help.

     I Chronicles 16:12 "Remember his marvellous works that he hath
done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;"

     The LORD has been in the miraculous works business from the
beginning of Genesis. His works have always spoken volumes. He opened
the Red Sea, He brought ten plagues upon Egypt to free His people. He
fed close to three million people with manna that fell from heaven for
almost forty years. I could go on and on. His marvellous works
separate Him from everyone as Truly God. His judgments are just.

     I Chronicles 16:13 "O ye seed of Israel his servant, ye children
of Jacob, his chosen ones."

     In this, I see David saying, "Do you not realize who you are?"
You are the chosen family of God. Even Christians are seed of Abraham,
because of their faith.

     I Chronicles 16:14 "He [is] the LORD our God; his judgments [are]
in all the earth."

     "LORD" is speaking of Jehovah, which I believe to be the Word of
God in heaven. He is Creator of all the world. He set the laws of
nature in motion. He not only is the Judge of all the people, but of
all nature, as well.

     I Chronicles 16:15 "Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the
word [which] he commanded to a thousand generations;"

     God promised to bless them, if they kept His commandments. The
covenant would last for generations to come, as long as they kept His
commandments. God's promises are for all generations to come.

     I Chronicles 16:16 "[Even of the covenant] which he made with
Abraham, and of his oath unto Isaac;"

     The covenant that God had with Israel was all bound up in the law
that he gave to His people at Mount Sinai. The actual covenant was
with Abraham, and handed down through his son of the spirit, Isaac.
The covenant was based on faith in God.

     I Chronicles 16:17 "And hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a
law, [and] to Israel [for] an everlasting covenant,"

     God gave the law to Israel for many reasons. It separated them
unto God from the rest of the world. They were the only ones with the
law. The law was given to them to cause them to be the moral example
for the rest of the world. It was not only to serve their spiritual
man, however. It was a perfect civil law and dietary law, as well as
being a moral law. If they kept the words of the law, they would not
need an earthly king. The LORD would be their only King.

     I Chronicles 16:18 "Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of
Canaan, the lot of your inheritance;"

     The land of Canaan was their land of Inheritance, for all of
time.

     I Chronicles 16:19 "When ye were but few, even a few, and
strangers in it."

     Jacob's very small family went into Egypt. God had a plan to take
care of them there. He had sent Joseph ahead to prepare a place for
them. They were strangers in Egypt, and grew to close to three million
people there.

     I Chronicles 16:20 "And [when] they went from nation to nation,
and from [one] kingdom to another people;" I Chronicles 16:21 "He
suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their
sakes," I Chronicles 16:22 "[Saying], Touch not mine anointed, and do
my prophets no harm."

     These three verses above are reminding them of the supernatural
care that God took of His people. They were not like the rest of the
world.  God fought for them. His presence was with them in the cloud
by day and the fire by night. He protected them from their enemies.
The nations around them feared their God.

     I Chronicles 16:23 "Sing unto the LORD, all the earth; shew forth
from day to day his salvation."

     This is another way of saying, that man must walk every day in
the salvation he has received. In our songs, we must reveal the value
of our salvation to make us happy.

     I Chronicles 16:24 "Declare his glory among the heathen; his
marvellous works among all nations."

     This, again, is very much like "Go ye into all the world and
preach the gospel to every creature".

     I Chronicles 16:25 "For great [is] the LORD, and greatly to be
praised: he also [is] to be feared above all gods." I Chronicles 16:26
"For all the gods of the people [are] idols: but the LORD made the
heavens."

     Over and over, God had destroyed the idols and false gods,
proving that He alone is God. The ten plagues brought against Egypt by
God, not only freed the family of Jacob from bondage, but defamed the
false gods of Egypt. Even the magicians in Egypt recognized that it
was the finger of God that brought the plagues on Egypt. The idols
were created by the people who worshipped them. The LORD created all
things.

     I Chronicles 16:27 "Glory and honour [are] in his presence;
strength and gladness [are] in his place."  I Chronicles 16:28 "Give
unto the LORD, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and
strength."

     Give God the glory for everything. All things exist because He
allows them to exist. The world, and everything and everyone are His.
We are His creation. There is no honor, praise, glory, or strength,
except in Him.

     I Chronicles 16:29 "Give unto the LORD the glory [due] unto his
name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the
beauty of holiness."

     The greatest sacrifice we can make for Him, is to praise Him. His
name is above all others. It is important to bring our offerings, but
it is more important to worship Him with our entire being. We must
always remember that He is holy. He commands us to be holy, because He
is holy.

     I Chronicles 16:30 "Fear before him, all the earth: the world
also shall be stable, that it be not moved."

     The only fear that believers in God are allowed to have, is fear
of God. That type of fear is more like reverence. Other fear is the
lack of faith. He made the world. It obeys His voice. If He tells it
to be stable, it must be stable. He has framed it in perfect order.

     I Chronicles 16:31 "Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth
rejoice: and let [men] say among the nations, The LORD reigneth."
I Chronicles 16:32 "Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof: let the
fields rejoice, and all that [is] therein." I Chronicles 16:33 "Then
shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the LORD,
because he cometh to judge the earth."

     All of God's creation is waiting for that glorious day, when He
will return. Even nature, itself, will cry out praises to Him.

     I Chronicles 16:34 "O give thanks unto the LORD; for [he is]
good; for his mercy [endureth] for ever." I Chronicles 16:35 "And say
ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and
deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name,
[and] glory in thy praise."  I Chronicles 16:36 "Blessed [be] the LORD
God of Israel for ever and ever. And all the people said, Amen, and
praised the LORD."

     These verses are some of the most beautiful in the Bible. They
need no explanation. These very same statements are found in the book
of Psalms. There is no way that anyone could say anything, but amen
{so be it}. This leaves nothing else to do, but to praise the LORD.

     I Chronicles 16:37  "So he left there before the ark of the
covenant of the LORD Asaph and his brethren, to minister before the
ark continually, as every day's work required:"

     The instructions from the law about how to conduct worship in
this tent of the ark, would be carried out by those chosen of the
Levitical tribe for their specific tasks. While David lived, the ark
would be honored as representing the presence of God. Asaph, we know
headed up the music department. We, Christians, can learn a lot from
this lesson. It is very important to have music, and praise, and
worship in our buildings we have set aside to worship God in.

     I Chronicles 16:38 "And Obed-edom with their brethren, threescore
and eight; Obed-edom also the son of Jeduthun and Hosah [to be]
porters:"

     This Obed-edom, the son of Jeduthun, was a Kohathite. Three score
and eight means there were sixty eight.

     I Chronicles 16:39 "And Zadok the priest, and his brethren the
priests, before the tabernacle of the LORD in the high place that
[was] at Gibeon,"

     There had been a strange phenomenan in the day of David. There
were two high priests. Saul had Zadok as high priest. David did not
stop him from being high priest, but made Abiathar high priest, as
well. It appears, the worship in the high place in Gibeon would be
headed up by Zadok.

     I Chronicles 16:40 "To offer burnt offerings unto the LORD upon
the altar of the burnt offering˙continually˙morning and evening, and
[to do] according to all that is written in the law of the LORD, which
he commanded Israel;" I Chronicles 16:41 "And with them Heman and
Jeduthun, and the rest that were chosen, who were expressed by name,
to give thanks to the LORD, because his mercy [endureth] for ever;"
I Chronicles 16:42 "And with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and
cymbals for those that should make a sound, and with musical
instruments of God. And the sons of Jeduthun [were] porters."

     It appears, that worship would be conducted in Gibeon much the
same as here. These, mentioned in the three verses above, would help
Zadok at Gibeon. There had been a slackness upon the part of the
Israelites to worship God in the way He had taught them, ever since
they had come into the land of Canaan. They called themselves
worshipping God, but were not keeping the letter of the law.

     I Chronicles 16:43 "And all the people departed every man to his
house: and David returned to bless his house."

     David will, now, be blessed in his own home, because he has
established his place of worship. Each person went home to their own
families, except for those chosen for specific duties in the service
of the LORD.






                      1 Chronicles 19 Questions


1.  What did they do, when they got the ark placed in the tent?
2.  When is the only time a person is at peace in his own heart?
3.  Where does peace in your soul come from?
4.  What did the burnt sacrifices symbolize?
5.  What was the peace offering for?
6.  What caused David to speak the blessing upon the people?
7.  What did he give to every person?
8.  Who did he appoint to minister before the ark of the Lord?
9.  Who was the chief, mentioned in verse 5?
10. Who were the priests with the trumpets?
11. What Scripture makes us know they are silver trumpets?
12. What does "silver" symbolize?
13. Who will blow a trumpet to redeem us from the earth?
14. A psalm is a ________.
15. What does the author believe singing praises to the Lord does for
    us?
16. We find strength and comfort in the name of _________.
17. When should we seek the face of the LORD?
18. When we seek the face of the LORD, what are we doing?
19. What were some of the early works God did for the Israelites?
20. What is David saying to them in verse 13?
21. "LORD", in verse 14, is speaking of whom?
22. God promised to bless them, if they kept His ______________.
23. Who had God made the original covenant with?
24. The covenant was based on _________ in God.
25. Who did God give His law to?
26. How was the presence of God with them manifested?
27. Verse 24 is very much like what?
28. What did the ten plagues in Egypt do, besides free the Israelites?
29. Quote 1 Chronicles chapter 16 verse 27.
30. What is the greatest sacrifice we can make?
31. Fear of God is more like ___________.
32. What is all of God's creation waiting for?
33. Quote 1 Chronicles chapter 16 verses 34, 35, and 36.
34. How often did worship in the tent take place?
35. Where did Zadok go to worship?