Rēad to Read …Again
Daily Reading: I Chronicles 22-24
I Chronicles 23:30
And to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord, and likewise at even;
Once the Ark was properly transported to Jerusalem (and presumably the original tabernacle with it) it was set up not to be moved anymore. Soon, Solomon would build the great Temple and the tabernacle would be retired, but for a while there the tabernacle stood and was used daily.
Upon this time, David appointed the Levites to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the Lord (23:28). Don’t be confused, the sons of Aaron were Levites, but they were separated as being the priests that offered the sacrifices and performed the rites. The High Priest was of the lineage of Aaron. Both Moses and Aaron were of the tribe of Levi. But there were other Levites that were not from the branch of Aaron. They were also considered to be of the priestly tribe, but they were helpers, if you will, of those of the line of Aaron. Of the three sons of Levi, the Kohathites (Kohath) were the priests, from which Aaron came. The Gershonites (Gershon) were responsible for the decorations of the tabernacle, the curtains, ropes, coverings, etc. The Merarites (Merari) had the responsibility to carry the tabernacle from place to place, the pillars, poles, pegs, bases, frames, etc.
Once the tabernacle was in Jerusalem, under David’s reign, there were many Levites, that were no longer needed for its transport and care. David reassigned them. Four thousand were appointed to be singers, and players of instruments (23:5) and four thousand were porters. These singers were Levites, but probably not of the branch of Aaron. However, they provided a wonderful and much needed task. They stood every morning and evening and sang praises and songs of thanksgiving to the Lord.
All this is given as background for today’s truth. The tabernacle was a temporary movable place for God to dwell (in the most holy place). In Jerusalem four thousand Levites were to sing and play instruments every morning and evening. Today, every child of God lives in a tabernacle. Paul wrote: For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (II Corinthians 5:1) Peter wrote: Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance. (II Peter 1:13) These were not random words; they teach us that today we are the tabernacle where God abides. He through the Holy Ghost lives in the most holy place of a believer’s body, in their soul.
As such, perhaps every morning and evening we should praise Him with songs, with instruments, with words, with actions of thanksgiving and praise. It is one thing to pray to Him petitioning Him for things needed in this life. It is quite another to praise Him and Thank Him in song from the heart, for this is true worship of Him at its finest. It is one of the four ways He is to be worshipped, the other three are giving, submission through prayer, and instruction/meditation of the Word of God.
There are wonderful local church radio stations that play the finest songs, hymns, and spiritual songs that will aide in your morning and evening time of praise and thanksgiving. They can be accessed via the world wide web, if you need help finding one let me know. But in any case, find a way to worship Him in your tabernacle through praise and thanksgiving, morning, and may I add noon, and night.
Dr. William T. Howe