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1 Chronicles 16 … Consider the Glory Due His Name

The Planting Place
Originally posted: 4/24/2020

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name;
Bring an offering, and come before Him;
Worship the Lord in holy array, (16:29).

This account of celebration after the return of the ark to the city of David, would prompt the returning exiles to fix their hearts and minds on their God: Holy, Great. and Faithful; and strengthen their faith and praise in the God of their salvation.

Then say, “Save us, O God of our salvation,
And gather us and deliver us from the nations,
To give thanks to Your holy name,
And glory in Your praise,” (16:35).

The tent had been prepared and the praise celebration was to be solely for, and about, Him. Planning was meticulous, the vigilant labor had been completed; and now, King David himself provided the contribution for all his people; none would be excluded in coming to worship with their offering.

And they brought in the ark of God and placed it inside the tent which David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. 2 When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. 3 He distributed to everyone of Israel, both man and woman, to everyone a loaf of bread and a portion of meat and a raisin cake, (16:1-3).

The returning exiles would be reminded that nothing was left to chance. The offering was planned and provided, praise was intentionally assigned and filled with consuming gratitude for His wondrous deeds, and hearts were prepared and made ready to worship.

The king, the man after God’s own heart, ensured that nothing was overlooked and that none would fail to contemplate the Glory Due His Name.

[David] appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the Lord, even to celebrate and to thank and praise the Lord God of Israel… 7 Then on that day David first assigned Asaph and his relatives to give thanks to the Lord, (16:4, 7).

Consider the Glory Due His Name

Often, when we think of God’s Glory, images of His mighty miracles and demonstrations of supernatural phenomenon emerge.  You may have heard or referred to this as His “Shekinah” Glory.

Shekinah Glory is a visible manifestation of God on earth, whose presence is portrayed through a natural occurrence. The word shekinah is a Hebrew name meaning “dwelling” or “one who dwells.” Shekinah Glory means “He caused to dwell,” referring to the divine presence of God. The word Shekinah is not in the Bible, but the description is… (Exodus 3:2; 13:21-22; 19:16-18; 24:16-18; 40:34-38; 1 Kings 6:13; 8:10-13; 2 Chronicles 7:1; Zechariah 2:5), Christianity.com.

Obviously, when Asaph instructs the peoples to “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name,” he is not expecting them to produce a manifestation of God’s Presence. So what then was his intention?

From Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance:

Ascribe: 3051. יָהַב yāhaḇ,  הַב haḇ: I. A verb indicating to give, to come; to pay attention.
Glory: 3519. כָּבוֹד kāḇôḏ, כָּבֹד kāḇōḏ: A masculine singular noun meaning honor, glory, majesty, wealth.

In his song of praise, Asaph leads the people in their coming and giving God the attention He alone deserves; attributing to the God of their salvation the honor, glory, majesty, and wealth that belong to Him, and Him alone.

Asaph’s song provides a far-reaching list, highlighting God’s honor, majesty and wealth. And as the people remember and reflect on this thumbnail sketch, encompassing just a morsel of His Glory, they will be moved; moved to come and to give, to pay attention, and to ascribe to Him the Glory Due His Name.

 How do we respond to the Glory Due His Name?

I find it fascinating that David appointed priests to give thanks, to offer praise, assigned to be a voice of adoration. Wouldn’t the people just have naturally responded in praise?

Perhaps appointments were necessary as we are so prone to forget. And as my husband so profoundly articulates, “We fail to keep the Main thing the Main thing.” Instead of His Glory, we often see our Grief. Instead of His Honor, we focus on our Hardships. Instead of His Majesty, we are consumed with our Misery. Instead of His Wealth, we sink into our Worry.

And let’s all admit it; in these shelter-in-place days, when we forget His Deeds, it can be so easy to sink into Despair.

Today, let’s appoint ourselves as the singers of faith, and choose to refocus our minds on His Truth rather than our Trials.

Asaph’s song is a great place to stir up our memory of all He has already done and is doing; and to stir up our faith of what He will do again. This is how we can array ourselves in holiness. As we give Him the praise He deserves, as we come in humility and faith, convinced His ways are righteous and perfect, and as we pay attention to Him rather than the events around us, we set ourselves apart for His consecrated purpose to proclaim His Honor, Majesty, and Wealth.

Let us ask Him to grow us in holy array, that we would proclaim His Glory to those who need to hear.

Dear Lord,
Please plant us firmly in Your Truth, that we would purposely live as a voice of praise and boldly ascribe to the You the Glory Due Your Name.

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name;
Bring an offering, and come before Him;
Worship the Lord in holy array, (16:29).

Let’s Grow Together!

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