1Ch 15:22 | KingComments | STEP | We see three tasks of the Levites: they carry the ark ( ), they perform the service of singing ( ) and they are guardians of the ark ( ). Where the ark is, there is joy. David has understood this. With this in mind, he has connected a whole new service to that place: the service of the singers. At the tabernacle we do not read about singers, they are not even mentioned in the books of Samuel and of the Kings. Only here, in connection with the ark’s final resting place, is this joyful service mentioned. At the place where the ark stands, singing is done. God’s people are a singing people. This also applies to the church ( ; ; ), especially when the church meets around the Lord Jesus ( ). It is a service to the Lord, in full awareness of His guidance in that service. For He starts the hymn of praise ( ). All believers are involved in the service of singing. Therefore, the Lord has given us the ability to sing. This is not primarily about the melody. The melody is the bearer of the words that express the feelings of the heart. A song is ideally suited to express the feelings of the whole, where each singer has his or her own feelings. The meetings of the church are services “in spirit and truth” ( ). All external things, that are important to Israel in the Old Testament worship, have no place in the meetings of the church. This is why the building in which the believers meet does not matter. Also there are no literal animal sacrifices, there is no priest’s clothing, there is no literal altar, and so on. The new invention for the transport of the ark in 1 Chronicles 13 is wrong because it is contrary to God’s precept. This does not mean, however, that all the new is wrong. This is the first time that the service of singing is mentioned here in front of the ark, in front of the symbol of the presence of the LORD. Moses is used to introduce the sacrifices; David is used to introduce the song. Singing is a form of sacrifice. We are encouraged to offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving ( ; ). In three main singers are mentioned: Heman, Asaph and Ethan. Heman means ‘faithful’, Asaph means ‘one who gathers together’, Ethan means ‘constantly’. Ethan is the same as Jeduthun ( ), which means ‘a choir of praise’. In the sense of these names, we see indications of a continuous service of praise in the meetings of the church ( ). The praise when the church comes together, should happen in faithfulness to God’s Word and will be unifying, so that there is a choir of praise to be heard. The “relatives of the second rank” ( ) we perhaps may apply to young people who participate in the service. Although they are less experienced than the elderly, they can still make themselves heard. Under Moses only the Levies of thirty years and older were allowed to participate in the service of the tabernacle, but under David this is allowed from the age of twenty. This presupposes that those who – spiritually seen – are between twenty and thirty years old, form the group of ‘the second rank’, to grow after education and experience they have learned from the first rank. God expects in the church that young believers will also contribute to the service. There are two types of tunes ( ). In it is “to alamoth”, an expression which is also in the heading of Psalm 46 (“set to Alamoth”, ). The word is related to the word ‘virgins’. Hence the idea that the tune is for soprano voices. It can also be translated with “high tuned”. In it is “to the sheminith”. This word is derived from a word which comes from the word for ‘eight’ – see the headings of Psalms 6 and 12 “upon an eight-string lyre“ ( ). The word is used to indicate music in a lower octave and can therefore also be translated with “low tuned”. This also gives a contrast with : high and low. High tuned praise and low tuned praise arises in us when we look at the Lord Jesus as the One Who “ascended far above all the heavens” after He “had descended into the lower parts of the earth” ( ). The same feelings of admiration arise in us when we see how on the one hand He humbled Himself and became obedient to death, even to death on the cross, and on the other hand He was highly exalted by God ( ). It says of Chenaniah that he “was [in charge of] the singing” and that he “gave instruction in singing because he was skillful” ( ). He knows how to sing. This has nothing to do with what today is called a ‘worship leader’. In spiritual terms, every believer should be “skillful” in singing. Every believer is expected to sing praises both with his spirit and with his mind ( ). It is part of “worship … in spirit and truth” ( ), meaning that worship happens in a spiritual way, with the heart, but also with understanding of the truth of God’s Word about Christ and His work. Getting into ecstasy, losing control of one’s own will, is foolish and harmful for the Christian. It is reminiscent of the work of demons ( ).

‏ 1 Chronicles 15:22

Singers

We see three tasks of the Levites: they carry the ark (1Chr 15:15), they perform the service of singing (1Chr 15:16) and they are guardians of the ark (1Chr 15:23).

Where the ark is, there is joy. David has understood this. With this in mind, he has connected a whole new service to that place: the service of the singers. At the tabernacle we do not read about singers, they are not even mentioned in the books of Samuel and of the Kings. Only here, in connection with the ark’s final resting place, is this joyful service mentioned. At the place where the ark stands, singing is done.

God’s people are a singing people. This also applies to the church (Eph 5:19-20; Col 3:16-17; Heb 13:15), especially when the church meets around the Lord Jesus (1Cor 14:15b ; 1Cor 14:26). It is a service to the Lord, in full awareness of His guidance in that service. For He starts the hymn of praise (Heb 2:12).

All believers are involved in the service of singing. Therefore, the Lord has given us the ability to sing. This is not primarily about the melody. The melody is the bearer of the words that express the feelings of the heart. A song is ideally suited to express the feelings of the whole, where each singer has his or her own feelings.

The meetings of the church are services “in spirit and truth” (Jn 4:23). All external things, that are important to Israel in the Old Testament worship, have no place in the meetings of the church. This is why the building in which the believers meet does not matter. Also there are no literal animal sacrifices, there is no priest’s clothing, there is no literal altar, and so on.

The new invention for the transport of the ark in 1 Chronicles 13 is wrong because it is contrary to God’s precept. This does not mean, however, that all the new is wrong. This is the first time that the service of singing is mentioned here in front of the ark, in front of the symbol of the presence of the LORD. Moses is used to introduce the sacrifices; David is used to introduce the song. Singing is a form of sacrifice. We are encouraged to offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving (Psa 50:14a; Hos 14:2).

In 1Chr 15:17 three main singers are mentioned: Heman, Asaph and Ethan. Heman means ‘faithful’, Asaph means ‘one who gathers together’, Ethan means ‘constantly’. Ethan is the same as Jeduthun (1Chr 25:1), which means ‘a choir of praise’. In the sense of these names, we see indications of a continuous service of praise in the meetings of the church (Heb 13:15). The praise when the church comes together, should happen in faithfulness to God’s Word and will be unifying, so that there is a choir of praise to be heard.

The “relatives of the second rank” (1Chr 15:18) we perhaps may apply to young people who participate in the service. Although they are less experienced than the elderly, they can still make themselves heard. Under Moses only the Levies of thirty years and older were allowed to participate in the service of the tabernacle, but under David this is allowed from the age of twenty. This presupposes that those who – spiritually seen – are between twenty and thirty years old, form the group of ‘the second rank’, to grow after education and experience they have learned from the first rank. God expects in the church that young believers will also contribute to the service.

There are two types of tunes (1Chr 15:20-21). In 1Chr 15:20 it is “to alamoth”, an expression which is also in the heading of Psalm 46 (“set to Alamoth”, Psa 46:1). The word is related to the word ‘virgins’. Hence the idea that the tune is for soprano voices. It can also be translated with “high tuned”.

In 1Chr 15:21 it is “to the sheminith”. This word is derived from a word which comes from the word for ‘eight’ – see the headings of Psalms 6 and 12 “upon an eight-string lyre“ (Psa 6:1 ; Psa 12:1). The word is used to indicate music in a lower octave and can therefore also be translated with “low tuned”. This also gives a contrast with 1Chr 15:20: high and low.

High tuned praise and low tuned praise arises in us when we look at the Lord Jesus as the One Who “ascended far above all the heavens” after He “had descended into the lower parts of the earth” (Eph 4:8-10). The same feelings of admiration arise in us when we see how on the one hand He humbled Himself and became obedient to death, even to death on the cross, and on the other hand He was highly exalted by God (Phil 2:6-11).

It says of Chenaniah that he “was [in charge of] the singing” and that he “gave instruction in singing because he was skillful” (1Chr 15:22). He knows how to sing. This has nothing to do with what today is called a ‘worship leader’. In spiritual terms, every believer should be “skillful” in singing. Every believer is expected to sing praises both with his spirit and with his mind (1Cor 14:15).

It is part of “worship … in spirit and truth” (Jn 4:23-24), meaning that worship happens in a spiritual way, with the heart, but also with understanding of the truth of God’s Word about Christ and His work. Getting into ecstasy, losing control of one’s own will, is foolish and harmful for the Christian. It is reminiscent of the work of demons (1Cor 12:1-2).