Week Nine - Day Three: Give Thanks

1 and 2 Chronicles covers much of the same historical period as 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings. Obviously it includes many of the same stories and the same details. Most scholars believe that Chronicles was written later – some time after the events recorded. They were written probably to encourage the Jews who were returning to Palestine from years of humiliating captivity in Babylon.

This had been a dramatic low-point in Israel’s history. Upon returning to the “promised land” the people would have to rebuild the capital, rebuild the temple, rebuild their homes and rebuild the nation stone by stone. Think of how daunting this task could have seemed. They needed the encouragement of remembering their history. They needed to be reminded that God had done it before and He could surely do it again. They also needed to remember that their success had depended upon depending upon God.

The authors of the Chronicles were convinced that an attitude of gratitude and dependence was critical to their success. They were right – both for the returning Israelites and for us!

Look at the worship time which the Jerusalemites had at the dedication of the temple recorded in 2 Chronicles 5.

(1) When all the work Solomon had done for the temple of the LORD was finished, he brought in the things his father David had dedicated—the silver and gold and all the furnishings—and he placed them in the treasuries of God’s temple.

(2) Then Solomon summoned to Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark of the LORD’s covenant from Zion, the City of David. (3) And all the Israelites came together to the king at the time of the festival in the seventh month.

(4) When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the Levites took up the ark, (5) and they brought up the ark and the tent of meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it. The Levitical priests carried them up; (6) and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted.

(7) The priests then brought the ark of the LORD’s covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim. (8) The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and covered the ark and its carrying poles. (9) These poles were so long that their ends, extending from the ark, could be seen from in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are still there today. (10) There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.

(11) The priests then withdrew from the Holy Place. All the priests who were there had consecrated themselves, regardless of their divisions. (12) All the Levites who were musicians—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and relatives—stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres. They were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. (13) The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang:

“He is good;
his love endures forever.”

Then the temple of the LORD was filled with the cloud, (14) and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the temple of God.

Again, we need to hear the study note provided by the” Life Recovery Bible” based on verse 13. “The trumpets sounded with joy! The singers happily sang out their praises to God. What a beautiful celebration! We must remember to respond with thanksgiving and praise to God for the victories in our life. It is dangerous to emphasize our problems so much that we forget to express joy for God’s cures!”

Before You Start Your Day

1. I can’t help but be struck by the attention to detail in everything related to the temple. The worship, thanks and praise of God deserves our best effort!
2. Spend a few minutes recounting to God all of the ways that He has been good to you.