An early Thank You song
When David was building up Jerusalem,long before there was a temple, he decided to bring the ark of the covenant and the tabernacle to his new capital city. On this occasion David danced and leapt for joy, earning the scorn and ridicule of his wife, but the pleasure of his Heavenly Father.It was during this time that David appointed a group of Levites to be responsible for giving thanks and he also wrote a special song of thanks giving. This song is our reading today.
It is a long reading, but here are some thoughts and highlights:
- This song has elements found in a variety of the Psalms and in many ways serves as a "overture", precursor or prototype of the Psalms.
- There is a clear sense that our thanks to God should also be shared with the nations - People need to hear how good God is.
- Songs, Rejoicing, and consciously Remembering what He has done are the ways in which we draw near to Him.
- Then David remembers his forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and recalls how God watched over them and over Israel as they wandered through the wilderness.
- Then he considers some of God's attributes (Saviour, glorious, great, majestic, strength, joy, and many more) and suggests some of our postures and attitudes (Sing, declare, bring an offering, ascribe, awe, come before and worship)
- Then all of creation gets in on the act: Heavens, earth, sea, fields and trees. Look at the verbs used: Tremble, rejoice, be glad, resound, be jubilant and sing.
- David brings it all together in the final stanza:
Give thanks to God for He is good - His love endures forever - And then surprisingly he goes straight from thanksgiving to a request: "Save us, O God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to Your holy name, that we may glory in Your praise." But for David this is a logical consequence of his theology: When we ask God to do what only He can do, we are bringing Him praise - we're admitting our need for and dependence on Him.
- And thanksgiving happens best when a crowd can say "Amen!"
| That day David first committed to Asaph and his associates this psalm of thanks to the LORD: 8 Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. 9 Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. 10 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. 11 Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. 12 Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, 13 O descendants of Israel his servant, O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones. 14 He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth. 15 He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations, 16 the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac. 17 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant: 18 "To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit." 19 When they were but few in number, few indeed, and strangers in it, 20 they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another. 21 He allowed no man to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings: 22 "Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm." 23 Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. 24 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. 25 For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. 26 For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. 27 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy in his dwelling place. 28 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength, 29 ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. 30 Tremble before him, all the earth! The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved. 31 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns!" 32 Let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them! 33 Then the trees of the forest will sing, they will sing for joy before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. 34 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. 35 Cry out, "Save us, O God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, that we may glory in your praise." 36 Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Then all the people said "Amen" and "Praise the LORD." (1Chronicles16:7-36) |
