Rejoice The Ark Of Covenant Has Come To Jerusalem
On the day that David and the Levites brought the Ark Of Covenant into Jerusalem and placed it in the tent that he prepared for it David gave Asap, the Levite leader of the “Praise Team”, this song of thanksgiving.
David was so excited about the Ark that his praise embarrassed his wife.
1 Chronicles 15:29 (NLT2) 29 But as the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant entered the City of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down from her window. When she saw King David skipping about and laughing with joy, she was filled with contempt for him.
1 Chronicles 16:1-6 (NLT2)1 They brought the Ark of God and placed it inside the special tent David had prepared for it. And they presented burnt offerings and peace offerings to God.2 When he had finished his sacrifices, David blessed the people in the name of the LORD.3 Then he gave to every man and woman in all Israel a loaf of bread, a cake of dates, and a cake of raisins.4 David appointed the following Levites to lead the people in worship before the Ark of the LORD—to invoke his blessings, to give thanks, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel.5 Asaph, the leader of this group, sounded the cymbals. Second to him was Zechariah, followed by Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel. They played the harps and lyres.6 The priests, Benaiah and Jahaziel, played the trumpets regularly before the Ark of God’s Covenant.
David was so excited
This song includes parts of Psalms 105, 96, and 106.
1 Chronicles 16:12 (NLT2)12 Remember the wonders he has performed, his miracles, and the rulings he has given,
Psalm 105:5 (NLT2)5 Remember the wonders he has performed, his miracles, and the rulings he has given,
1 Chronicles 16:15 (NLT2)15 Remember his covenant forever— the commitment he made to a thousand generations.
Psalm 105:8 (NLT2)8 He always stands by his covenant— the commitment he made to a thousand generations.
Genesis 15:1-6 (NLT2)1 Some time later, the LORD spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.”2 But Abram replied, “O Sovereign LORD, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth.3 You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.”4 Then the LORD said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.”5 Then the LORD took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”6 And Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his faith. (emphasis mine)
In that covenant God promised Abram’s (Abraham) descendants that they would inherit the land in which he was a foreigner.
Genesis 17:7-8 (NLT2)7 “I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you.8 And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.”
Abraham’s descendants did not come into possession of Canaan for hundreds of years. They even spent hundreds of years in Egypt most of them as slaves.
Genesis 15:13 (NLT2)13 Then the LORD said to Abram, “You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years.
Exodus 12:40-41 (NLT2)40 The people of Israel had lived in Egypt for 430 years.41 In fact, it was on the last day of the 430th year that all the LORD’s forces left the land.
Verses 20 through 28 are a brief history of Israel before they settled in Egypt. During all this time God warned the nations not to harm His people (Abraham and his descendants) and His prophets.
1 Chronicles 16:21-22 (NLT2)21 Yet he did not let anyone oppress them. He warned kings on their behalf:22 “Do not touch my chosen people, and do not hurt my prophets.”
Psalm 105:13-15 (NLT2)13 They wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another.14 Yet he did not let anyone oppress them. He warned kings on their behalf:15 “Do not touch my chosen people, and do not hurt my prophets.”
Psalm 105 in verses 16-45 provides a history Abraham’s dependents from their coming to live in Egypt, their freedom from slavery, their wilderness wandering, to their entrance into Canaan.
Beginning with verse 29 David includes some passages from Psalm 96
1 Chronicles 16:29-33 (NLT2)29 Give to the LORD the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come into his presence. Worship the LORD in all his holy splendor.30 Let all the earth tremble before him. The world stands firm and cannot be shaken.31 Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! Tell all the nations, “The LORD reigns!”32 Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!33 Let the trees of the forest rustle with praise, for the LORD is coming to judge the earth.
Psalm 96:8-13 (NLT2)8 Give to the LORD the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come into his courts.9 Worship the LORD in all his holy splendor. Let all the earth tremble before him.10 Tell all the nations, “The LORD reigns!” The world stands firm and cannot be shaken. He will judge all peoples fairly.11 Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!12 Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy! Let the trees of the forest rustle with praise13 before the LORD, for he is coming! He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with his truth.
The song ends with praise and thanksgiving for victory over and deliverance from the Philistines which resulted in return of the Ark of Covenant. The final word of the Psalm is Amen or in Hebrew Halleluya (Hallelujah)!
1 Chronicles 16:35-36 (NLT2) 35 Cry out, “Save us, O God of our salvation! Gather and rescue us from among the nations, so we can thank your holy name and rejoice and praise you.”36 Praise the LORD, the God of Israel, who lives from everlasting to everlasting! And all the people shouted “Amen!” and praised the LORD.
Psalm 106:47-48 (NLT2) 47 Save us, O LORD our God! Gather us back from among the nations, so we can thank your holy name and rejoice and praise you.48 Praise the LORD, the God of Israel, who lives from everlasting to everlasting! Let all the people say, “Amen!” Praise the LORD!