HAVE FUN WITH GOD
Opening Prayer
Rejoice in the Lord today!
Read 1 Chronicles 15:25—16:6
25 So David and the elders of Israel and the commanders of units of a thousand went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed-Edom, with rejoicing. 26 Because God had helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord, seven bulls and seven rams were sacrificed. 27 Now David was clothed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and as were the musicians, and Kenaniah, who was in charge of the singing of the choirs. David also wore a linen ephod. 28 So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouts, with the sounding of rams’ horns and trumpets, and of cymbals, and the playing of lyres and harps.
29 As the ark of the covenant of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart.
Ministering Before the Ark
16 They brought the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and they presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before God. 2 After David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. 3 Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each Israelite man and woman.
4 He appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, to extol,[a] thank, and praise the Lord, the God of Israel: 5 Asaph was the chief, and next to him in rank were Zechariah, then Jaaziel,[b] Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel. They were to play the lyres and harps, Asaph was to sound the cymbals, 6 and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God.
Footnotes:
a 1 Chronicles 16:4 Or petition; or invoke
b 1 Chronicles 16:5 See 15:18,20; Hebrew Jeiel, possibly another name for Jaaziel.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
How did you mark the last significant occasion in your life? Do you think God minds how we celebrate?This passage is all about celebration. God isn’t the heavenly party-pooper—it’s a core aspect of life that originates with him. Celebration is central to the rhythm and process of being properly human. Here is an effervescently festive human occasion and it is remarkable how much of it we can identify with, three thousand years later. Fancy clothes are worn. It’s interesting that David’s garments are more appropriate for a priest than a king. The food sounds excellent. There is plenty of music and dancing. There is even a grumpy, disapproving person whose descendant I feel I have probably met! (Do you ever find yourself, like Michal, judging others for how they worship?)
Note also that there is a real focal point for all this rejoicing. It is not the sort of aimless, escapist revelry we often find in our societies. Many of those present would have understood not only what was happening—the Ark being restored at the center of the community—but also the deeper significance of this. The Lord himself has resumed his place at the heart of their corporate lives and they are there to worship.
Apply
It seems that God loves us to rejoice with him. How we do so is probably less crucial. Review how, when and why you celebrate. Do you celebrate the goodness of God? Do you take things for granted?
Closing prayer
Remind yourself throughout the day to celebrate in praise the ways that you see God at work in your life.
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