Tuesday, 14 July 2020 1 Chronicles 16:1-36
“Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name…..” -1Chronicles 16:29
The occasion for the Song of Thanksgiving in our reading today is when the Ark of the Lord (which had been captured by their enemies) was brought back and placed in the Tabernacle. It was a day of great rejoicing as the people gathered to worship and sacrifices were offered to honour the Lord. King David delivered the psalm to Asaph the chief musician and his brethren to lead in giving thanks to the Lord.
Two chief things the people of God were called to remember which still hold true for us today are:
Remember His wonderful deeds (1 Chr. 16:12)
God’s chosen people had many things to recount of how the Lord had led them and brought them to the land of promise. They were to constantly remember God’s great acts of deliverance from their past. “..be careful not to forget the Lord, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt.” (Deut. 6:12)—they were to pass it on to their generations- talk of all the wondrous works He had done on their behalf. We who have come to Lord ought to remember from time to time how the Lord has rescued us from the slavery of sin and brought us to the His Kingdom and made us His chosen ones too. 1 Peter 2: 9,10 says: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” Think of all times He has rescued you when you called on the Lord to deliver in difficult times that brought songs of praise on your lips to give Him glory. Therefore we are called to “Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face continually.”
Remember His covenant forever (1 Chr. 16:15)
Israel was to remember God’s covenant to them from the time of Abraham-the word which He commanded to a thousand generations (1 Chr. 16:15)—this is about the possession of their promised land. Even though they were scattered from time to time for their disobedience and unfaithfulness, the faithful God always remembered His covenant to them and brought them back to their land. For the believer, we have the New Covenant through Jesus Christ who through His blood has brought us forgiveness of sins (Matt.26:28). Being forgiven and accepted into God’s family, we have God’s promises in His Word which helps us taste God’s faithfulness. 1 Cor.1:9 says: “God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” When we go through varied circumstances in life, it is God’s faithfulness that sees us through and brings us victory through Christ! Sometimes we have to hold on to them as an anchor until the storms of life pass by. “Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.” (Hebrews 10:23 NLT)
There is no special occasion for the believer to sing praise to the Lord- in fact we to “Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Eph.5:19,20). When we have a heart of constant gratitude, our joy is doubled and our troubles are halved! The Lord is great and worthy of our praise- let us ascribe to Him the glory due His name!
Act on: “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.“ (1Chron.16:34 NLT)
Listen: ‘Ascribe unto the Lord’
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