In this episode of Add Bible, we delve into the powerful chapters of 1 Chronicles 16 and 17, where we see David’s profound thanksgiving and God’s covenant with him. Guest reader, Senator Kevin Grantham, takes us through these impactful passages, highlighting David’s dedication to worship and the Lord’s promise to establish his throne through his descendants. We discuss David’s distinctive role in God’s plan, emphasizing the importance of fulfilling one’s unique purpose.
Welcome to Add Bible, an audio daily devotion from the Ezra Project. We join Allen J. Huth as he shares Bible passages and comments from over 30 years of his personal Bible reading journals.
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Today we will listen in to our guest reader, Senator Kevin Grantham, read 1 Chronicles chapters 16 and 17. So let’s begin. 1 Chronicles 16
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And they brought in the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it. And they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord and distributed to all Israel, both men and women, to each a loaf of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins. Then he appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the Lord, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the Lord, the God of Israel. Asaph was the chief, and second to him were Zechariah, Jael, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattathiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom, and Jael, who were to play harps and lyres. Asaph was to sound the cymbals, and Benaiah and Jehaziel the priests were to blow trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God. Then on that day David first appointed that thanksgiving be sung to the Lord by Asaph and his brothers. O give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples. Sing to him. Sing praises to him. Tell of all his wondrous works. Glory in his holy name. Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Seek the Lord and his strength. Seek his presence continually. Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered. The word that he commanded for a thousand generations, the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac, which he confirmed as a statute to Jacob… as an everlasting covenant to Israel, saying, He allowed no one to oppress them. He rebuked kings on their account, saying, Touch not my anointed ones. Do my prophets no harm. Sing to the Lord all the earth. Tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples. For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised. And he is to be held in awe above all gods, for all the gods of the peoples are idols. But the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him. Strength and joy are in his place. Ascribe to the Lord, O clans of the peoples. Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him. Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness. Tremble before him, all the earth. Yes, the world is established. It shall never be moved. Let the heavens be glad and let the earth rejoice. And let them say among the nations, The Lord reigns. Let the sea roar and all that fills it. Let the field exult and everything in it. Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord. For he comes to judge the earth. O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Say also, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather and deliver us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, and glory in your praise. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Then all the people said, Amen, and praised the Lord. So David left Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of the covenant of the Lord to minister regularly before the ark as each day required. and also Obed-Edom and his sixty-eight brothers, while Obed-Edom, the son of Jedethon and Hosah, were to be gatekeepers. And he left Zadok the priest and his brothers the priests before the tabernacle of the Lord in the high place that was at Gibeon, to offer burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of burnt offering regularly morning and evening, to do all that is written in the law of the Lord that he commanded Israel.” With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest of those chosen and expressly named to give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever. Heman and Jeduthun had trumpets and cymbals for the music and instruments for sacred song. The sons of Jeduthun were appointed to the gate. Then all the people departed, each to his house, and David went home. to bless his household. 1 Chronicles 17 Now when David lived in his house, David said to Nathan the prophet, Behold, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent. And Nathan said to David, Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you. But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, Go and tell my servant David, Thus says the Lord, It is not you who will build me a house to dwell in, for I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up Israel to this day. But I have gone from tent to tent, and from dwelling to dwelling. In all places where I have moved with all Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people, saying, Why have you not built me a house of cedar? Now therefore, thus shall you say to my servant David, Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people Israel. And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall waste them no more as formerly. From the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel, and I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover, I declare to you that the Lord will build you a house. When your days are fulfilled to walk with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. And I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from him who is before you. But I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.” In accordance with all these words and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David. Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house that you have brought me thus far? And this was a small thing in your eyes, O God. You have also spoken of your servant’s house for a great while to come and have shown me future generations, O Lord God. And what more can David say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your servant. For your servant’s sake, O Lord, and according to your own heart, you have done all this greatness in making known all these great things. There is none like you, O Lord, and there is no God beside you according to all that we have heard with our ears. And who is like your people Israel, the one nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people, making for yourself a name for great and awesome things, in driving out nations before your people whom you redeemed from Egypt. And you made your people Israel to be your people forever. And you, O Lord, became their God. And now, O Lord, let the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house be established forever, and do as you have spoken. And your name will be established and magnified forever, saying, The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, is Israel’s God. And the house of your servant David will be established before you. For you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him. Therefore your servant has found courage to pray before you. And now, O Lord, you are God, and you have promised this good thing to your servant. Now you have been pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever before you. For it is you, O Lord, who have blessed, and it is blessed forever.
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In 1983, at 28 years old, when I read these two chapters, I wrote in my personal Bible reading journals, Song of praise to God is given. We can be happy and praise God when he is in our midst. I went on to write 1 Chronicles 17, same as 2 Samuel 7, about David’s desire to build a temple. Each man has a place in God’s will. Do that which God has ordained, and I shall be blessed. Don’t do what someone else has been called to do. Stepping aside from the journal for a moment, of course, that’s referring to David. David was to be a warrior. He was to establish the kingdom of Israel, but he was not the one to build the temple. God said David was a man of war, a man of blood, so he would not build a temple for God, but his son Solomon would. So again, each one has a purpose. Each one is to fulfill the purpose God has given them and us. What has God given you as a purpose? Let’s go on to my other journals. In 1997, at 42 years old, I read 1 Chronicles 14-16 on the same day, and I want to share that journal entry. I wrote, God’s word is good. It’s timely and meaningful. David asked, as I have, Shall I go up against the Philistines, his enemy? Should I go up against mine? Will you deliver them into my hand? The Lord said to him, Go up, for I will deliver them into your hand. David went up and defeated them. I shall too go up and defeat my internal enemies. And David declared, God has broken through my enemies by my hand like a breakthrough of water. So he named the place master of breakthroughs. Then they left their gods there and burned them. And I wrote a prayer after that reading. I wrote, Oh God, thank you for confirming your holy word. You will go up with me and defeat my enemies and give me a breakthrough in these areas of my life. No wonder David was whirling around and playing music and praising the Lord. Help me live in my breakthrough and be happy with myself, others, and life. And in 2009, when I was 54 years old, I read 1 Chronicles 17-19 on the same day. And concerning chapter 17, I wrote, David stays humble before God. He realized God raised him up as king, and the Lord helped David wherever he went. Let it be so for me as well. Chapter 16 is a song of thanks from David. Let’s look at a couple of key verses in David’s song of thanks. Verse 8, O give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples. Verse 11, Seek the Lord and His strength, seek His presence continually. Verse 24, Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all peoples. And finally, verse 34, O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever. And in chapter 17, when David is told no by the Lord that he is not to build God a temple, he prays one of the great prayers of Scripture in chapter 17, verses 16 through 27. Friends, we won’t have time to reread that, but I encourage you to get your Bible out and reread this great prayer from David. I love the prayers in the Bible. Father, we learn in this chapter that you have a purpose. You had a purpose for David. You had a purpose for Solomon. And we can’t mix those things up. I can’t do what you’ve called someone else to do. No one can do what you’ve called me to do. So Lord, help me find your purpose. Be excited about your purpose. And try all I can to fulfill the purposes you have given me to do in this life. David did that. David was successful. He did most things with all his might. May I do the same for you. In Jesus name. Amen.
In this episode of Add Bible, we delve into the powerful chapters of 1 Chronicles 16 and 17, where we see David’s profound thanksgiving and God’s covenant with him. Guest reader, Senator Kevin Grantham, takes us through these impactful passages, highlighting David’s dedication to worship and the Lord’s promise to establish his throne through his descendants. We discuss David’s distinctive role in God’s plan, emphasizing the importance of fulfilling one’s unique purpose.
