Message of the Day: Extol God’s Greatness In All the Earth!
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples.” (1 Chronicles 16:8, NKJV)
Chapters 13-16 tell the story of bringing the ark of the covenant of the Lord (Yahweh) into Jerusalem. 1 Chronicles 16:8-36 is a psalm of thanksgiving. It is part of the collage of portions of three psalms (1 Chronicles 16:8 = Psalm 105:1-15; 96:1-13; 106:1, 47-48).
The Chronicler records a psalm that was sung in celebration of the ark’s arrival in Jerusalem. The ark had been captured by the Philistines (1 Samuel 4:11). It remained with them for seven months (1 Samuel 6:1) before it was sent back by the Philistines to Israel in order to stop the plagues that had accompanied its capture and possession. It then stayed at Kiriath Jearim, for 20 years (1 Samuel 7:2). David, after establishing Jerusalem as the national capital, called all Israel together to bring the ark to Jerusalem in a grand ceremonial procession.
It was typical of the psalms sung on such great occasions. It began with a call to God’s covenant people to worship him in praise for his faithfulness to the covenant he made with Abraham (1 Chronicles 16:8-13). This covenant was the work of God alone. Out of all the nations of the earth he chose Abraham, promising to make his descendants into a nation and to give them Canaan for a national homeland. In the early days, when they were few in number, Abraham’s descendants could easily have been wiped out by hostile neighbors, but God miraculously preserved them.
In view of all that God had done for us, we are urged to extol God’s greatness in all the earth and over the nations, and especially his goodness toward his people. We are admonished to bring God worship and sacrificial offerings. His unfailing mercy is our assurance that we could always depend on him to save us.
Sources:
Fee, Gordon D. & Stuart, Douglas. How To Read the Bible Book by Book. A Guided Tour). Manila, Philippines: OMF Literature, Inc., 2004.
MySword for Android. Riversoft Ministry, 2011-2019.
Olive Tree Bible Software, 1998-2020.
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