Our Father Dwells Among His People Again
16 1 They brought the ark of our Father and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before our Father. 2 When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of our Father. 3 And he distributed to every Israelite, both men and women, a loaf of bread, a date cake, and a raisin cake.
4 He appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of our Father, to invoke, to give thanks, and to praise our Father. 1 1 v4 "To invoke" means to call on God's name — summoning him in prayer and public proclamation. 5 Asaph was the chief, and second to him were Zechariah, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with harps and lyres; and Asaph sounded the cymbals. 6 Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of our Father.
David's Song of Thanks to Our Father
7 On that day David first appointed Asaph and his brothers to give thanks to our Father: 8 Give thanks to our Father; call upon his name; proclaim his deeds among the peoples! 9 Sing to him; sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! 10 Exult in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek our Father rejoice! 11 Seek our Father and his strength; seek his presence continually! 12 Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgments he pronounced, 13 You children of Israel his servant, you sons of Jacob, his chosen ones! 14 He is our Father; his judgments are in all the earth. 15 Remember his covenant forever, the word he commanded for a thousand generations, 16 the covenant he made with Abraham, his sworn oath to Isaac, 17 which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, 18 saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan as your allotted inheritance." 19 When you were few in number, of little importance, and strangers in the land, 20 wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people, 21 he allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account, 22 "Do not touch my anointed ones, and do my prophets no harm!"
Sing to Our Father, All the Earth
23 Sing to our Father, all the earth! Proclaim his salvation day after day. 24 Publish his glorious deeds among the nations; tell every people the amazing things he has done! 25 For great is our Father, and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. 26 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but our Father made the heavens. 27 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his dwelling. 28 Ascribe to our Father, all families of the peoples, ascribe to our Father glory and strength! 29 Ascribe to our Father the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship our Father in the splendor of holiness. 30 Tremble before him, all the earth! Indeed, the world is firmly established; it will never be moved. 31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, "Our Father reigns!" 32 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the fields exult, and everything in them! 33 Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before our Father, for he comes to judge the earth. 34 Give thanks to our Father, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! 35 Say also: "Save us, our Father; gather us and rescue us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and exult in your praise." 36 Blessed be our Father, from everlasting to everlasting! Then all the people said, "Amen!" and praised our Father.
Worship Established Before Our Father's Ark
37 So David left Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of the covenant of our Father, to minister regularly before the ark as each day required, 38 and Obed-edom with his sixty-eight brothers; Obed-edom son of Jeduthun and Hosah were to be gatekeepers.
39 And Zadok the priest and his fellow priests served before the tabernacle of our Father at the high place that was at Gibeon, 2 2 v39 A "high place" was an outdoor worship site, often built on elevated ground. 40 to offer burnt offerings to our Father on the altar of burnt offering regularly, morning and evening, according to all that is written in the law of our Father, which he commanded Israel. 41 With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest of those chosen and designated by name to give thanks to our Father, for his steadfast love endures forever. 42 Heman and Jeduthun had with them trumpets and cymbals to sound, and instruments for the sacred songs of our Father. The sons of Jeduthun were stationed at the gate.
43 Then all the people departed, each to his home, and David turned to bless his own household.