THE RITE OF SETTING THE ARK, AND OF THE PERPETUAL WORSHIP On the occasion of bringing the ark of God into the city of David, and setting it in the middle of the tabernacle set by king David, in a holy awesome procession; a great feast of celebration was held; which according to some was like the enthronement of a king; and the psalms of praise sung were like the enthronement speech. It was truly a happy occasion for the king, the leaders, the priests, and the people Having put in his heart to minister to God, David found friends to support him, like Hiram king of Tyre; as though God Himself was leading and guiding him; Yet, he found enemies to oppose him, as well. With every success in the spiritual life, the devil stirs up a holy battle. When Joshua the son of Nun conquered in the battle of Jericho (Joshua 3: 16), the enemy fought him in the battle of Ai through the sinful behavior of Achan the son of Carmi, in which Joshua was defeated (Joshua 7: 5). And when Nehemiah was building the walls of Jerusalem, he demanded from his coworkers to work with one hand, and to hold the weapon with the other (the Word of God and the prayer) (Nehemiah 4: 17). 1- The rite of setting the Ark of the covenant 1 - 6 2- A psalm of thanksgiving 7 - 36 3- The Levites and the perpetual ministry to the Lord 37 - 38 4- The ministry of the priests 39 - 42 5- The end of the celebration 43 1- THE RITE OF SETTING THE ARK OF THE COVENANT: This book presents to us the rite of bringing the ark of God into Jerusalem, and of establishing it in its midst, bearing the following magnificent evangelic concepts: a- “Setting the ark in the midst of the tabernacle” (1): If the tabernacle refers to the church of Christ and the people of God; the entrance of the ark of God refers to the descent of the Word, incarnated, to dwell among His people. b- Offering burnt offerings and peace offerings before God: Our Christ came as a sacrifice and a ransom for the sake of humanity, to reconcile the world to God the Father. c- Blessing the people in the name of the Lord: Although David was not a priest, but, being a symbol of the Son of David, the High Priest according to the rank of Melchizedek, he blessed the people. The same happened in the dedication of the temple, when king Solomon, being a symbol of the Lord Christ, the King of peace, blessed the people, d- Offering a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins (3) refers to the Lord Christ who satisfies the hunger of the multitudes, and grants them the spiritual joy (Psalm 132: 15-17) e- The Levites carry out the ministry of praise and thanksgiving: The book of the chronicles cared for showing the role of the Levites in praising the Lord. f- The two priests Benaiah and Jahaziel regularly blew the trumpets before the ark of the covenant of God; a reference to the strong proclamation of the true teaching, and warning by the Word of God. “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” (1) “Set it in the midst of the tabernacle”: It was a great and joyful occasion when the ark was set in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. That good man had his heart set upon the ark, and couldn’t go to sleep in peace, until he found a place for it (Psalm 132). a- Now, the ark was in a better position than it was before, when it was in a little village in the midst of fields and forests. Now, being moved to a public location in the royal city, seen by everyone, it is served with reverence, and prayers to God are raised through it. After being in a little corner of a room in a private home, enjoyed by a limited number of people, mostly as a compliment, Now it has a dwelling place of its own. It is befitting of us to notice that the Word of God and His sanctuaries, even though may be hidden for some time, yet they will eventually shine and scatter the darkness, b- What took place by bringing the ark of God to the city of David, was much less than what eventually took place, when the temple was built. Although the tabernacle erected by David would not be compared to the temple built by Solomon. Yet, David was far better than his son Solomon who built the temple, then gave it his back in his last days. Once the ark was set in the city of David, the king finally enjoyed peace of mind, which he expressed as follows: 1- David glorified God by offering sacrifices and burnt offerings (1), as a confession of the favor of God. 2- He glorified God by appointing Levites to sing His praise to Him for the benefit of others (4). It is befitting of us to express all our joys by giving thanks to God, from whom we get all goodness. “And when David finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord” (2) Offering burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord (Leviticus 1, 3); occupy the foremost place in all the joyful feasts and occasions. It does not mean that David, himself, did the offerings and the sacrifices, but provided the animals to the priests to slay and offer to the Lord; the same way when it is said that he erected the tabernacle or built the temple; he provided the building materials to the builders and the carpenters to do the actual work. To let the people enjoy the joy and sanctity of that day, David gave them a blessing in the name of the Lord, as a father with his children. He prayed for their sake, to the Lord, who, according to the ‘Tergom’, is the eternal Word, Jehovah; from whom all blessings come. “Then he distributed to everyone of Israel, both man and woman, to everyone a loaf of bread, a peace of meat, and a cake of raisins” (3) “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” (4) Praising God with joy did not end by bringing the ark of God into the tabernacle, but David appointed some of the Levites to praise and to give thanks to God, perpetually and without ceasing. Here we notice three kinds of prayers: 1- Commemoration: (Supplication or invocation); namely reminding the people, lest they would forget the great works of God for the sake of His people. Commemoration mixes with praise and thanksgiving to God. 2- Thanksgiving: It is befitting of us to thank God, whether our requests were realized or rejected. + To know that prayer is a talk with God, listen to the words of the prophet, saying:: I wish my talk bring pleasure before the eyes of God. … Will God not give us unless we ask Him? … He waits until we give Him the chance, to make us worthy of His care. And whether we get what we asked for, or not, let us keep praying to Him, and give Him thanks, not only when He responds to our prayers but even when He does not. For if God chooses not to respond to our requests, He certainly knows what is good for us. We should, therefore give Him thanks as though we have got what we asked for; as we do not know what is good for us, as He does. (St. John Chrysostom) 3- Praise: It is befitting of us to praise God perpetually, even while sleeping. + “I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalm 34: 1). Here it seems that the prophet is giving a pledge he would not fulfill. How could praising God perpetually be in the mouth of man? How could it be while regularly taking, or while sleeping; while eating or drinking? To answer this question we say that he refers to the inner spiritual mouth of man, that fed upon the Word of life, the bread coming down from heaven (John 6: 33). About this mouth, the prophet says: “I opened my mouth and panted, for I longed for Your commandments” (Psalm 119: 131). The Lord says: “Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it” (Psalm 81: 10). Once the thought of God is planted deep in the depths of the soul, you can praise God who perpetually dwells in the soul. The righteous man does everything for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10: 31); as according to the apostle, with every work, every word, and every activity, he takes power to glorify God. Man also praises God while eating, drinking, or sleeping, and says, together with the bride of the song: “I sleep, but my heart is awake” (Song 5: 2); For the dreams often reflect the thoughts of the day. (St. Basil the Great) “Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel,Matthithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, and Obed-Edom; Jeiel with stringed instrument and harps; but Asaph made music with cymbals” (5) From captivity, 128 of the children of Asaph came back, all singers. “Benaiah and Ahaziel the priests regularly blew the trumpets before the ark of the covenant of God” (6) The silver trumpets in which the priests blew refer to the Word of God, according to the saying of the prophet: “The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times” (Psalm 12: 6) 4- THE PSALM OF THANKSGIVING: The book of the chronicles, never ceasing to mention the songs of praise and thanksgiving to God, together with its care for the groups of the singers of praise in the temple, intends to confirm that the kingdom of God is truly an enjoyment of the exultant heavenly life. We find here the psalm of thanksgiving written by David by the Spirit, then delivered to the chief singer to put it in tunes, and to sing it in the popular occasion of the entrance of the ark of the covenant to the place prepared for it. It is assumed that David wrote this psalm to be sung on a daily basis in the service of the temple; Namely, whatever other psalms they may sing, this psalm should not be exempted. David wrote many psalms before this, some during the time of affliction, suffered on the hand of Saul; but this psalm he wrote and gave to Asaph to use in the temple. We find parts of it repeated in three other psalms (verses 34, 36 in psalm 105: 1, 15; verses 22-23 in psalm 96; 1, 3’ verses 34, 36 in psalm 106: 1, 47-48), which talk about the amazing works of God for the salvation of His people in the past; with which we dealt in the interpretation of the psalms. This praise came not only to concentrate on bringing forth the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, but to open up the door of hope before the people returning from captivity, few in number, lacking authority, and power before the world; But the presence of the Lord in their midst will satisfy their needs. Some call this psalm “the psalm of the beginning of the kingdom”, in which David sees the kingdom of the Messiah, and tells us about it: A- It is a call to testify among the Gentiles, to let them enjoy His kingdom. Its goal is to put the spirit of hope in the life of the people who returned from captivity; to confirm to them, and to those who felt that their nation had become lost among the powers of the world; that God is with them, the same God who saved their fathers in the old; and set with them a covenant in the past; the Judge of the whole earth, who defends His chosen people. This psalm embraces two parts: 1- The first part addressed to Israel (8 – 22). In it the psalmist calls on the Israelites to praise the Lord on His great works; and to seek His face. It is befitting of them to remember His covenant and promises to their fathers in the old 2- The second part addressed to the Gentiles (23 – 34). In it the psalmist calls upon the Gentiles to glorify the Lord; as is befitting for the God of all creation; and for the sake of His might and majesty. B- An eternal kingdom (15) C- The kingdom of every faithful believer (6) D- The kingdom of His people (17 – 22) E- A joyful kingdom (23 – 24) F- A kingdom for the glory of God 925 – 30) G- The earth harmonizes with heaven (31 – 33) H- God’s goodness and salvation (34 – 36) The psalm ends by the word “Amen”, sung by the people, as a sign of their acceptance of what this liturgical psalm uttered; sung in loud voice, together with the sound of cymbals and other musical instruments. This psalm reveals to us here the program of thanksgiving to the Lord: 1- We should remember what God had done in the past (12) 2- Telling the others (the peoples) about His works with us (8) 3- Boasting God, and His holy name (10) 4- The perpetual smile and joy for the Lord (10) 5- Remembering God’s judgments and covenants along the generations (14 – 18) 6- Remembering His faithful promises, and His protection of us (21 – 22) 7- Calling all mankind to partake of praising the Lord (23 – 34) 8- To come to Him with offerings, as a sign of thanksgiving to Him (29) 9- To join the heavenly hosts in their praise of God, their joy in Him, and their perpetual thanksgiving to Him (31) 10- Joining the nature in praising God (32 – 33) 11-Praise and thanksgiving on the personal and collective levels, seeking the edification of His kingdom, and the growth of His church (36) “And on that day David delivered this psalm into the hand of Asaph and his brethren, to thank the Lord” (7) Praise did not depart from David’s heart and tongue, even in the bitter times of affliction; Yet the entrance of the ark of the covenant of the Lord into Jerusalem, and setting it in the midst of the tabernacle, was considered as a new turning point for praise. For the collective praise before the ark of the covenant with order and according to a designated system, had its different taste. “Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples” (8) Let God be glorified in all our praises; let us glorify Him by thanksgiving (Give Him thanks), by our prayers (Call upon His name), and our songs (8), and our talk (Make known His deeds). Let us glorify Him as a great God, and greatly praised (25); as a God (higher above all gods); for all gods of the Gentiles are idols (26). Let us glorify Him, having more splendor and blessing (27); as a Creator (He made heaven); as a Judge of all creation (His judgment over all the earth) (14); And as though He is the Lord God to us alone. “Sing to Him; Sing psalms to Him; talk of all His wondrous works” (9) As not everyone has the special talent to praise God with a tune, yet everyone is invited to “talk of all His wondrous works”. “Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord” (10) The believer boasts His God, the Holy One, the Grantor of holiness to those who believe in Him, and attach themselves to Him. The secret of the joy of those who seek Him, is that God intends to give salvation to all peoples, to embrace the whole world to His kingdom.. ..Let us then, be encouraged, let us conquer, let us boast our God and trust in Him; For those who glorify the name of God, are allowed to boast His name (10); to dare to seek His promises for themselves; to make glad their hearts. Seek His face, and His strength; namely, seek Him in the ark of His strength, in which He is manifested. Commenting on this psalm of praise, Justin the martyr says: [The psalmist here, prophesies about what is going to happen after fifteen centuries, by the coming of the Lord Christ, as though he sees it already happened]. + Now, when the spirit of prophecy talks about things to come, as though they have already happened; it causes some to find difficulty in understanding them. David uttered those words 1500 years before the incarnation and crucifixion of the Lord Jesus. No one who were crucified before Him or after Him, have granted joy to the nations; No one but Jesus, the Wisdom of God, who was crucified, died, resurrected, and ascended to heaven, to reign. And through preaching Him by the apostles in all nations, there is joy for those who look forward to the non-corruption, which He promised. (St. Justin the martyr) “Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore” (11) Remembering Saul who, instead of seeking the counsel of God, he sought it from the medium, David calls on us to “seek the Lord and His strength”. “Remember His marvelous works which He has done; His wonders and judgments of His mouth” (12) “O seed of Israel His servant, You children of Jacob, His chosen ones” (13) Here, the psalmist calls the believers, “chosen by the Lord”; as, according to the Lord Christ: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give you” (John 15: 16) “He is the Lord our God; His judgments are in all the earth” (14) “Remember His covenant always; The word which He commanded for a thousand generations” (15) If God made a covenant with Abraham, then with Isaac, and Jacob, He intends to make it, as well, with everyone who believes in Him; with the few who seek Him; He made His covenant to a thousand generations….. Let the eternal covenant, therefore, be the subject of our joy and praise. … It is also written: “He has remembered His covenant forever” (Psalm 105: 8). If God will never forget His covenant, it is befitting of us, as well, not to forget it. God made His covenant; and exhorts us to obey His commandments; for He has the authority to give the promise, and has the ability to put it into effect.. . “The covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac” (16) Although that was an ancient covenant, yet it would never be forgotten; He made it with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who all died in the old (16, 18); Yet it is still new with their spiritual seed; and His promises endure forever. “And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel for an everlasting covenant” (17) Of the beautiful features of David’s life, was that he used to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord for His promises for the sake of his descendants. He used to pray, not just for himself, but for the sake of his descendants along the generations. His heart was kindled with love for his children and grandchildren. … It is befitting even for a young man who has not yet reached the age of marriage, to pray with his whole heart for the sake of the generations to come. “Saying, ‘To you I will give the land of Canaan as the allotment of your inheritance’” (18) “When you were but few in number, indeed very few, and strangers in it” (19) “You were but few in number”; God’s promises do not depend upon the number of believers, nor upon their possibilities and abilities; For Abraham got the promises, when it was only him and his household who believed in God. In every generation there are faithful few who enjoy the divine promises, and who accept to enter into a covenant with God. Let us then remember with thanksgiving and praise, God’s mercies to our fathers and grandfathers; Let us remember how God kept the patriarchs, when they were few sojourners and strangers in Canaan; and could easily be swallowed by the enemies around them; … when they were continually departing, subject to dangers; … when many intended to harass and disturb them…. Yet God did not allow anyone to harm them; even the Canaanites and the Egyptians. The Pharaoh and Abimalech, were both reproved and stricken for their sakes; on account of that they were sanctified by His grace for the glory of His name; and received the anointment of the Holy Spirit. Being anointed prophets designated to teach the others (1 Kings 19: 16); anyone who happen to touch them was as though he touched the pupil of God’s eye (Deuteronomy 32: 10; Zechariah 2: 8); And anyone who harm them would end up perishing (19, 22). “When they went from one nation to another, and from one kingdom to another people” (20) “He permitted no man to do them wrong; Yes, He reproved kings for their sakes” (21) God did not let anyone oppress them. Although they were few in number, and their enemies were a violent multitude, yet God granted them courage and strength, and kept them protected from danger; For their sake, He reproved Pharaoh (Genesis 12: 17), and Abimalech (genesis 20: 3). “Saying, ‘Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm’” (22) The Lord counts those whom He calls to enjoy His promises, to walk in truth, and to testify for Him to the evil world, as “His anointed”. As He also calls the prophets, with whom He talked, to talk in turn about Him to others, and to testify for Him, and for the glory He prepares for His faithful. The scholar Origen quotes this verse when he talked about those who preached the salvation in every place, and who teach the gospel of Jesus Christ in every land, by sound teaching and upright life, he calls them “the anointed”; saying: + As we hear that the antichrist will come; and as we know that there are already many antichrists in the world (1 John 2: 18); In the same way, we know that Christ will come, and through Him we see many “anointed” in the world, who, like Him, love righteousness, and hate iniquity; The Father, therefore anoints them, as well, with the oil of gladness. + In case someone wishes to see many persons who are filled with the divine Spirit like the One Christ, who minister for the sake of the salvation of the people everywhere; let him notice those who teach the gospel of Jesus Christ everywhere, with sound teaching, and upright life; Those who, themselves, are called “anointed”, by the holy books, saying “Do not touch My anointed” (12; Psalm 105: 15 LXX). (The scholar Origen) . “Sing to the Lord; all the earth, Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day” (23) Here, David, the prophet and the king, the sweet psalmist of Israel, calls on the whole world to praise God. “Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day” (23). And the prophet Jeremiah sees the mercies of God, new every morning (Lamentations 3: 23). Opening his eyes in the morning, the believer anticipates joyful news; as “the Lord adds to the church daily, those who are being saved” (Acts 2: 47). Let the great salvation of our Lord be the subject of our praise (23) “Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day”; namely, the promise of salvation proclaimed by Jesus Christ; in which we have the right to exult from day to day; for we quench our thirst daily from it; and it will never be exhausted. “Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among the peoples” (24) I wish all be enlightened and taught. “Make known His deeds among the people” (8); “Declare His glory among the peoples” (24); to make those sojourners from Him recognize Him, and offer Him loyalty and worship. Hence, we should work hard to make His kingdom spread among the peoples, to make the whole earth tremble before Him (30) Here the psalmist talks about the nations as glorifying the Lord, when they still did not receive faith. He talks about the sure future as though it already happened. + The lord incarnated only among the Jews; He was not begotten by a virgin of any other peoples of the earth, nor lived among them … Nevertheless, what was written about Him was realized, saying: “A people I have not known shall serve Me” (Psalm 18: 43). .. But how could they worship Him when they do not know Him? “As soon as they hear of Me, they obey Me” (Psalm 18: 44). … The Jews knew Him, and crucified Him; Whereas the whole world heard of Him and believed in Him. (St. Augustine) “For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods” (25) “For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens” (26) “Honor and majesty are before Him; Strength and gladness are in His place” (27) “Strength and gladness”. While the strength (the reverence) of the greats of the world is bound to fear, and set upon mortal human authority; That of God is bound to gladness and spiritual beauty; on account of that it is set upon His holiness, love, compassion, and mercy. “Give to the Lord, O kindreds of the peoples; Give to your Lord glory and strength” (28) “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” (29) “In the beauty of holiness”. which is not set upon mortal outer appearances; but upon inner sanctity that glitters more in heaven. Let us praise God by caring for His sanctuaries He designated. “Bring an offering and come before Him”; It was then offering out of the fruit of the earth; but now, it is the fruits of our hearts (Hebrew 3: 15). “Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness” (29); The holiness is the splendor of the Lord, that of all the holy souls, and of the services of the sacraments. “Tremble before Him, all the earth. The world also is firmly established, it shall not be moved” (30) All the earth tremble because of wars, fall of governments and kingdoms. Wherever there are sin and oppression, there will be destruction, corruption, and lack of security; Whereas, where there is the righteousness of God and His holiness, “The world will be firmly established”. “Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; And let them say among the nations, ‘The Lord reigns’” (31) Let the kingdom of God a cause of awe and joy to the whole people. “Tremble before Him all the earth”, and “let the heavens rejoice and be glad, for the Lord reigns,… for the world is firmly established, and shall not be moved”.(30-31). The voice of the apostles filled the whole earth; and reached its far ends.. + The Lord Christ came to that far country of the earth (Luke 19: 12), to receive the kingdom of the Gentiles. (St. Basil the Great) “Let the sea roar, and all its fullness; Let the field rejoice, and all that is in it” (32) The sea refers to disturbance and anxiety; whereas, according to St. John the Theologian: “There is no more sea in the heaven” (Revelation 21: 1). While here, the sea roars; there the sea praises God with the tongue of joy and peace. “Then the trees of the wood shall rejoice before the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth” (33) Let the scenery of the judgment to come, stirs in us the spirit of tremendous joy; …. Let the earth, the sea, the fields, and the forests, rejoice for the coming of the great day of the Lord to judge the earth (32-33). “Oh, Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever” (34) “And say, ‘Save us, O God of our salvation; Gather us together, and deliver us from the Gentiles, to give thanks to Your name, to triumph in Your praise’” (35) The final prayer of the psalm (35-36), came conforming to (Psalm 106: 47-48). In the midst of our praise, I wish we would not forget to pray for the sake of the deliverance of the saints and the ministers of God who are in affliction (35). “Save us, O God of our salvation; Gather us together, the scattered and persecuted, and deliver us from (the pagans)”; we,. … And when we are in joy, granted to us by the Lord, , we should remember our humiliated brethren, and pray for the sake of their salvation and safety, the same way we pray for ourselves; for we are all members of the same body. . Finally, God should be the Alpha and the Omega in our praises; like David who started by saying: “Oh, give thanks to the Lord” (8) “Blessed be the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting’; And all the people said ‘Amen’, and praised the Lord” (36) “All the people said ‘Amen’”; by which they proclaimed their trust in the Lord, their pledge to walk in faithfulness, and to keep the covenant with God.. He says: “Blessed be the God of Israel”, quoting from psalm 106: 48, which adds: “Let all the people say: ‘Amen”; Praise the Lord”; We find them here so did…. After the Levites ended this psalm and praise (and not before), the people proclaimed their consent, saying ‘Amen’, bing impressed by this new way of worship that was only followed in the schools of the prophets (1 Samuel 10: 5); a way that “pleases the Lord better than an ox or bull, which has horns and hooves. The humble shall see this and be glad” (Psalm 69: 31-33); “So he left Asaph and his brethren there before the ark of the covenant of the Lord to minister before the Ark regularly, as every day’s work required” (37) After opening the door to organized worship, David left the Levites to practice praise without ceasing; and the priests to offer sacrifices and offerings to God. He left every member of the church of Christ to do his assigned work: praising, guarding (caring), preaching (blowing the trumpets, and praying. Not being the work of one day, but had to be of every day; David established the worship of God to be perpetually done by everyone, according to his own talent. In the tabernacle made by Moses, the ark and the altar were together; but since the days of Eli the priest, they were separated; and so remained until the temple was built. It is not clear why David did not bring the ark to Gibeon, where the altar and the tabernacle were; or why he did not bring the tabernacle of meeting to Mount Zion, where he brought the ark. Some parts of the tabernacle of Moses probably deteriorated with time and with the impact of the weather; that it was not possible to move it; or it could not be usable to protect the ark. Yet, being temporarily satisfied with the ark, David did not attempt to renew it, on account of that the time to build the temple was almost at hand. Anyway, whatever the reason was, although the two were separated all the days of David, yet none of them was neglected; which is obvious in that, with bringing the ark to Jerusalem, Asaph and his brethren were assigned to minister before it, as every day’s work required (37)…. However, no sacrifices or incense were probably offered there, for there were no altars, but David’s prayers were raised as incense; and his lifted up arms were like an evening sacrifice (Psalm 141: 2); …. The sacrifices were offered in Gibeon. “And Obed-Edom with his sixty-eight brethren, including Obed- Edom the son of Jeduthun and Hosah, to be gate-keepers” (38) 12-THE MINISTRY OF PRIESTS: “And Zadok the priest and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of the Lord at the high place that was at Gibeon” (39) The worship at Gibeon: In (2 Samuel 6) we see no sign of the continuity of worship in the tabernacle of meeting in Gibeon. Whereas the first book of the Chronicles, confirms the presence of two main centers of worship in that stage of the history of Israel, until the temple was built in the days of king Solomon. Setting the tabernacle in Jerusalem, and bringing the ark to it, did not annul the care for center of worship in the high place at Gibeon; but there were two centers of worship; both cared for by David; and there were two high priests; one in each center; even at the beginning of the reign of Solomon. Gibeon had its reverence, and worship was practiced there as well; for there, God spoke to Moses in the wilderness, face to face (Exodus 33: 11); and it represented the presence of God, to guide the people. And in (1 Kings 3: 4-5), it came that Solomon himself offered sacrifices there, “For that was the great high place; and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. And at Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, ‘Ask! What shall I give you”. As the ark was established in Zion, the people returned to their houses; and David returned to praise God in his own house. + According to the law, no prayer, nor offering sacrifices were allowed outside Jerusalem (Deuteronomy !2: 1-32); Why then had Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on the altar in Gibeon? … For the tabernacle of meeting was in Gibeon, as testified by the book of the Chronicles (1 Chronicles !6: 39; 21: 29); And to honor the old dwelling place, Solomon used to go there every year to offer sacrifices (Ashudad, a Nestorian) “to offer burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of burnt offering regularly morning and evening, and to do according to all that is written in the law of the Lord which He commanded Israel” (40) In Gibeon, there were the altars where the priest minister, for their task was to offer the sacrifices and to raise the incense before God, which they were doing day and night according to the law of Moses (Numbers 39-40). On account of that it refers to the mediation of Christ; this task was a commitment to do, was given a great honor, and doing it had a great blessing. In Gibeon, Zadok supervised the ministry of the altar, whereas Abiathar was in Jerusalem to supervise the ministry of the ark of the covenant; having got the breastplate of judgment through which he had to ask before the ark. That is why we read that Zadok and Abiathar were both high priests in the days of David (2 samuel 8: 17; 20: 25); the former ministered to the altar in Jerusalem, while the later ministered to the ark in Gibeon. Now, as everything was properly set, and the religious issue were made clear, we notice the following: a- Being satisfied, the people returned happily to their homes b- David, as well, returned to his home, to keep his familial worship hand in hand with the collective one; and not to annul it. “And with them Heman and Jeduthun and the rest who were chosen, who were designated by name, to give thanks to the Lord, because His mercy endures forever” (41) “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 gate-keepers” (42) In Gibeon where the altars were, David appointed singers “to give thanks to the Lord, because His mercy endures forever” (41). They used holy music instruments, specific for this ministry, which differ from those used for fun and entertainment; For the distance and boundaries between the two kinds should be elaborately watched. According to St. Basil the Great, David wrote the psalms, then gave them to Jeduthun to use; to glorify the Lord in the presence of the people, to mend their ways; and to appease his own sufferings. 13-THE END OF THE CELEBRATION: “Then all the people departed, every man to his house; and David returned to bless his house” (43) It is befitting of us to testify to the work of God even within our family life, to let the members of our families get in touch with our inner peace and joy. Here, we notice that the book did not mention the shameful attitude of Michal, Saul’s daughter, who ridiculed her husband David on account of his dancing before the ark of the covenant. ----------------------- AN INSPIRATION FROM 1 CHRONICLES 16 LET MY DEPTHS, O LORD, EXULT AS THOUGH IN A PERPETUAL FEAST + As David built houses for himself and those around him, He set, as well, in Jerusalem, a tabernacle to bring to it the ark of Your covenant. For he felt that he is indebted to you with his life, success, and all the blessings that dwelt upon him and his household; Proclaim, O my God, Your presence in me; Count my whole being, a tabernacle for Yourself; sanctify it, and prepare it to enjoy Your perpetual presence in it. + David offered You burnt and peace sacrifices; Receive my praise, thanksgiving, and love, as well-received sacrifices; Stretch Your hands and bless me; Consecrate all my thoughts and feelings for Your sake. + Let Your Holy Spirit kindle my whole life; Proclaim Your kingdom in me; to fill my soul with perpetual spirit of joy; Make me listen to Your sweet voice; and trust in Your faithful promises; Let me give You thanks all the time; For You turn the fire of my affliction into dew. + Let me never stop praising You; Testify, by heavenly joy, to Your wonders; Boast in You; for You set an unceasing feast out of my life; I shall perpetually seek You; for You are the secret of my comfort; I shall always remember Your abiding faithful promises; You promise that the earth will be for the Lord and His anointed; When shall I see all humanity find refuge in Your bosoms? When will the world enjoy the deposit of heaven? + You said: “Do not touch My anointed; and do no harm to my prophets”; I confess to You, that nothing harms me like my own sin; Grant me the true repentance, and the contrition of heart; Let me not throw the blame on the others; for my slothfulness is my real enemy; Make the sin bitter in my mouth, to hate it; Liberate my soul from the captivity of sin; Grant me the authority not to fear the devil with all his tricks; + Glory be to You, Oh amazing in Your love; How can I pay You back, for the sake of Your exalted love? Let Your grace work in my soul, to adorn it; I shall never cease to worship You with a holy adornment; Which is nothing but the work of Your hands, and the flood of Your grace; And the sanctity of Your exalted righteousness.
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