King David and Worship (1 Chronicles 15-16)
King David and Worship
INTRODUCTION:
One of David’s first initiatives, once he had ascended the throne of Israel and had conquered his domestic enemies (2 Sam. 2–4), was to capture Jerusalem. After the death of Joshua the tribe of Judah had taken Jerusalem and burned it with fire (Judg. 1:8).
David’s capital during the seven years he ruled only the southern tribe of Judah was in Hebron, deep within the territory of Judah. The shift to Jerusalem allowed him to remain within his power base of Judah while keeping a close eye on the northern tribes which had supported the house of Saul in the civil war that brought David to power.
By defeating his key external enemies the Philistines (2 Sam. 5), David was freed to focus attention on his priorities and the first of these was to bring the ark of God into Jerusalem, the first of several initiatives which would mark Jerusalem as the theological center of Israel.
DAVID BRINGS THE ARK INTO JERUSALEM
Shiloh had served as the central sanctuary of Israel in the period prior to Saul’s reign (1 Sam. 4:4), and the ark remained there until it was lost to the Philistines in the great defeat described in 1 Samuel 4. The Philistines soon discovered the disadvantage of possessing this ark (it had caused a plague) and so after seven months desperately returned it to the Israelites (1 Sam. 5–6). The initial destination was Beth Shemesh, to which the Philistines sent the ark on a “new cart” pulled by cows (1 Sam. 6:7–8), but the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh were judged for foolishly looking into the ark and so relayed it on to the house of Abinadab in the city of Kiriath Jearim (1 Sam. 7). Abinadab’s son Eleazar cared for the ark until David set out to bring it to Jerusalem.
David joined other Israelites in “celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals” (2 Sam. 6:5). The transfer of the ark to Jerusalem was to place God at the center of their national life, making Jerusalem the central site of worship of the Lord. But the transfer of the ark to Jerusalem would be no easy task.
Following the lead of the Philistines, David placed the ark on a “new cart,” guided by two other sons of Abinadab, Uzzah and Ahio. When the oxen stumbled, Uzzah reached out to steady the precarious ark and was immediately struck dead for this irreverent act. David immediately stopped the procession and transferred it to the local home of Obed-Edom the Gittite where it would remain for three months, all the time blessing this Philistine and his household.
According to the book of Chronicles, David discovered the folly of his earlier attempt to move the ark (1 Chron. 15:13). Responsibility for moving the ark was the prerogative of the Levites, a principle he would have learned had he inquired of God when he began to move the ark. The informed king then, motivated by reports that the ark was bringing blessing to Obed-Edom, set out to retrieve the ark. Again, as in the first attempt, the transfer was accompanied by joyful worship and sacrifice. David, dressed in priestly clothes (a linen ephod), “danced before the Lord with all his might,” surrounded by an Israelite community declaring the praise of God with shouts and music.
It is at this point that the writer of 2 Samuel again contrasts Saul to accentuate the character of David. This time it is Saul’s daughter watching her husband David in free-spirited worship before the Lord who reminds us of the contrast between David and Saul. Not only does she despise David in her heart (2 Sam. 6:16), but she confronts her husband as he enters his household, highlighting what she considers to be his vulgar behavior during the transfer of the ark (6:20).
David reminds her that his behavior is defined by the theological center of his life: “It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord” (6:21). At the core of David’s value system is clearly the worship of God.
DAVID INITIATES A NEW PHASE OF WORSHIP
Among the Davidic traditions in the Old Testament, it is the book of Chronicles which provides the most detail on the Davidic program of worship. David is presented in 1 Chronicles 15–16 as the founder of a new phase of worship in Israel’s life. This new phase, however, is carefully rooted in the earlier Law of Moses, and in order to highlight this the Chronicler notes several key elements of continuity.
At the heart of this continuity is the ark (15:2), the sacred object which was synonymous with the presence of God. This most holy of objects in Israel’s worship, to be housed in the “most holy place” of the tabernacle, was composed of the most precious materials available to Israel (Ex. 25:10–22). Its cover, called the lid of atonement (Lev. 16:14), was decorated with two golden cherubim, symbolic of God’s manifest presence.
Exodus 25:22 makes it clear that this was the place where God would meet with his people: “I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites” (cf. 1 Chron. 13:6). But the continuity with the Law of Moses is seen also in the careful delineation of sacred personnel (Levites and priests, 15:11–15), sacred activity (sacrifices, 15:26), all linked to the sacred authority of Mosaic revelation (15:15; 16:40).
Nevertheless, alongside these elements of continuity, the Chronicler notes corresponding elements of discontinuity. A new set of sacred objects, musical instruments, is now dedicated to the worship of God (1 Chron. 15:16). There are new sacred personnel as the king dons the garments of priesthood alongside the Levitical orders (15:27) and the Levites are given a new function as they are commissioned as singers and musicians (15:16–24).
Although the older sacred activity of sacrifice continues in this new phase, now this sacrifice is accompanied by music both vocal and instrumental (15:16–16:42). While the authority of the older elements of worship was clearly linked to Mosaic revelation (15:15), the authority of this new phase is linked to David (1 Chron. 15:2, 3, 11, 16; 16:4, 37, 39), who claims direct revelation from God (1 Chron. 28:11–19; 2 Chronicles 29:25).
MUSICAL WORSHIP
It is evident that key to this new phase of worship initiated by David is the new sacred activity of music. In the Mosaic legislation the focus is clearly on ritual action, especially seen in the activities of sacrifice, consecration, and festal rituals, actions which are facilitated by the Levitical orders. At a few points there is evidence of a verbal aspect, whether that is related to the pronouncement of blessing (Num. 6:22–27; Deut. 10:8; 21:5) or the confession of sins (Lev. 5:5; 16:21; Num. 5:7). In the Davidic phase, however, the verbal aspect of worship is now clearly linked to music and raised to greater prominence. This greater focus on musical worship is not surprising considering David was first invited into the royal court as a harpist to soothe Saul during his attacks from the evil spirit (1 Sam. 16:14–23).
David’s vision of worship included first the integration of a variety of musical instruments into the worship experience of Israel, including lyres, harps, cymbals, trumpets, and rams’ horns (1 Chron. 15:16, 19–21, 24, 28; 16:5–6, 42). But this was not all, for the human voice was also to be featured in this new phase with the appointment of singers who were organized into choirs (15:16, 22, 27). In all of this there was a need to nurture a guild (a group of song leaders) within Israel who could hone the skills necessary for this new musical phase of worship, people to whom responsibility could be given because they “were skillful at it” (15:22).
First Chronicles 15–16 not only outlines for us the breadth of musical resources nurtured in this new phase of worship, but also the breadth of verbal expression that was commissioned by David. In 1 Chronicles 16:4 we are told that David appointed some of the Levites “to minister” before the ark of the Lord. This ministry before the ark was verbal in character and involved three types of expression: “to make petition, to give thanks, and to praise the Lord, the God of Israel.” David, however, did more than just commission songs, but also created them himself, a truth reflected in the description of David in 2 Samuel 23:1 as “Israel’s singer of songs.”
Walter Brueggemann noted that human experience moved through a constant cycle from Orientation to Disorientation to New Orientation. Orientation typified life in equilibrium, the blessed life of promise. Disorientation typified life when this equilibrium was upset, when due to human sin or divine sovereignty difficulty was introduced into life. New Orientation typified life in transition from Disorientation back to the equilibrium of Orientation.
Following the appointment of the Levites to this new commission, the Chronicler includes a psalm which offers an example of the kind of expressions David had in mind. The resulting psalm is actually an amalgamation of three psalms from the Psalter: Psalm 105:1–15 (1 Chron. 16:8–22); Psalm 96:1–13 (1 Chron. 16:23–33); Psalm 106:1, 47–48 (1 Chron. 16:34–36). What is interesting is that these three psalms represent the three basic types of psalms: Psalm 105 is a psalm of thanksgiving (New Orientation), Psalm 96 is a psalm of praise (Orientation), and Psalm 106 is a psalm of penitence (Disorientation).
IMPLICATIONS
David placed worship at the center of the life of his new kingdom by bringing the ark to his capital city. He was also a catalyst for a whole new phase in worshipful expression to God with a breadth of creative musical expression both in terms of the medium of expression (instruments, voices) and the content of expression (Orientation, Disorientation, New Orientation).
These characteristics in David speak relevantly into the present context of the church. First, David reminds us that worship lies at the center of our life as the community of God. The human activities of evangelism and preaching are but means to a greater end: the worship of God. When worship is subsidiary to the life of a church, that church loses its character as the community of Christ which was created to “declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). The expression “to the glory of God” is often etched into the cornerstones of church buildings or slipped into mission statements, but it needs to be evident in the life of the community both corporately and individually.
Second, the breadth of musical media in David’s new phase of worship challenges us to remain open to new sentiments in worshiping God. David’s new phase of worship certainly stretched his community to adopt new modes of worship, but underlying all of this there was strong evidence of joy (1 Chron. 15:16, 25), showing a people who fully embraced the new ways of communicating.
Third, the breadth of verbal content initiated by David is echoed in the New Testament. The early church was encouraged to echo the kind of praise initiated by David and reflected in the Psalter (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16; 1 Cor. 14:26). Christians were also encouraged to express their worship to God with the same breadth exhorted by David. James 5:13 encourages the early church: “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.”
What was suggested in our reading of 1 Chronicles 16 is now expressly stated: the type of expression to God is shaped by the setting of the life of God’s people: in Disorientation (“Is any one of you in trouble?”), pray; in Orientation (“Is anyone happy?”), praise.
Take home message: When we worship, let’s do so from the deep conviction that God’s promise to bless his obedient children is active and constant.