The Grammar of Gladness: Worship Set in Order Text: 1 Chronicles 16:4-6
Introduction: The War on Worship
We live in an age that is deeply confused about worship. For many, worship is a feeling, a subjective experience, a therapeutic session set to music. It is something we do to express ourselves, to find ourselves, to feel closer to God. The modern evangelical impulse, well-meaning as it often is, has treated the corporate gathering of the saints as a blank canvas upon which we can paint our own preferences, our own tastes, our own cultural sensibilities. The result is a worship that is often shallow, man-centered, and, frankly, disorderly. It is a worship service that often feels more like a pep rally or a concert than a holy convocation before the living God.
But the Scriptures present a radically different picture. Biblical worship is not a free-for-all. It is not something we invent; it is something we are commanded to do, and the instructions are not vague. God cares deeply about how He is worshiped. The story of Nadab and Abihu, who offered "strange fire" and were consumed, should be a perpetual warning to all who would approach the Almighty with casual presumption (Leviticus 10:1-3). God is not our buddy; He is the sovereign Lord of heaven and earth, and He sets the terms of our meeting.
When David finally brings the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem, after a disastrous first attempt that cost Uzzah his life, he does so with meticulous attention to God's prescribed order. The previous failure was a failure of reverence, a failure to do things God's way. This second, successful attempt is a master class in the grammar of true worship. David understands that for worship to be acceptable, it must be ordered. It must be structured according to the divine pattern. This is not about stifling joy with dead ritualism; it is about channeling true joy through the forms God Himself has given. True freedom is found within the boundaries of God's law, and true worship is found within the structure of God's commands.
In our text today, we see David, having brought the Ark to its place, immediately appointing ministers to serve before it. He doesn't just say, "Alright everyone, let's just praise the Lord however you feel led." No, he establishes an ordered, structured, and perpetual system of worship. He understands that the presence of God among His people requires a formal, disciplined, and joyful response. This passage is a direct assault on the formless, casual, and man-centered worship that plagues the modern church. It teaches us that true worship is structured, it is assigned, and it is loud.
The Text
And he made some of the Levites ministers before the ark of Yahweh, even to bring remembrance and to thank and praise Yahweh, the God of Israel: Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with musical instruments, harps, lyres; also Asaph played loud-sounding cymbals, and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests blew trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God.
(1 Chronicles 16:4-6 LSB)
Worship by Divine Appointment (v. 4a)
We begin with the foundational action of David:
"And he made some of the Levites ministers before the ark of Yahweh..." (1 Chronicles 16:4a)
The first thing to notice is that worship leadership is an appointment. It is not a volunteer position for anyone who feels "called" in a subjective sense. David, as the king, the civil magistrate acting in accord with God's law, formally appoints specific men from a specific tribe, the Levites, to this task. This is not David's bright idea; he is following the pattern established in the Torah. The Levites were set apart by God for the service of the sanctuary (Numbers 3). This is a top-down, authoritative act. It establishes that worship is not a democratic enterprise where we vote on the style or the participants. God appoints, and His appointed leaders execute that appointment.
This principle carries directly into the New Covenant. Church officers, elders and deacons, are not self-appointed. They are called by God and that call is recognized and affirmed by the church through an orderly process of ordination (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9). The men who lead us in worship, who preach the Word and administer the sacraments, are ministers appointed to their task. This protects the flock from charlatans and ensures that the worship is conducted decently and in order, as Paul would later command the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 14:40).
Furthermore, they are to minister "before the ark of Yahweh." The Ark represented the very presence of God, His footstool on earth. This was not a gig; it was a holy and perilous duty. To minister before the Ark was to stand in the presence of the Holy One of Israel. This required gravity, reverence, and careful adherence to God's commands. Our worship today is no less serious. We do not gather before a wooden box, but we do gather in the name of Jesus Christ, who is the true presence of God. By the Holy Spirit, we ascend into the heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 12:22-24). This is not a casual affair. We are on holy ground.
The Threefold Task of Worship (v. 4b)
The verse goes on to define the specific job description of these appointed ministers. Their task is threefold.
"...even to bring remembrance and to thank and praise Yahweh, the God of Israel:" (1 Chronicles 16:4b LSB)
Here we have the essential components of God-honoring worship. First, they are "to bring remembrance." The Hebrew word here means to recall, to commemorate, to memorialize. What were they to remember? They were to remember the mighty acts of God in salvation history. They were to recount His covenant faithfulness to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They were to remember the deliverance from Egypt, the giving of the Law, the conquest of the land. This is a foundational principle: biblical worship is rooted in history. It is not about generating vague spiritual feelings; it is about remembering what God has actually done. This is why the public reading of Scripture and the preaching of the Word are central. They are acts of corporate remembrance. In the New Covenant, our central act of remembrance is the Lord's Supper. "Do this in remembrance of Me," Jesus said (Luke 22:19). We remember His death, burial, and resurrection, the mighty acts of our salvation.
Second, they are "to thank" Yahweh. Thanksgiving is the natural and necessary response to remembrance. When we remember what God has done, who He is, and what He has promised, the only sane response is gratitude. A thankless Christian is a contradiction in terms. Thanksgiving is not just a feeling; it is an action. It is a declaration. The Psalms are filled with calls to give thanks to the Lord. This guards our worship from becoming a complaint session or a self-pity party. We come into His gates with thanksgiving, recognizing that everything we have is a gift of His grace.
Third, they are "to praise" Yahweh. Praise goes beyond thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is about what God has done for us. Praise is about who God is in Himself. We praise Him for His holiness, His justice, His wisdom, His power, His goodness. We praise Him simply because He is worthy of praise. This is the highest activity of worship. It is ascribing to God the glory due His name. Remembrance leads to thanksgiving, and thanksgiving overflows into praise. This is the logical and theological progression of true worship.
Ordered and Orchestrated Worship (v. 5-6)
The final two verses give us the details of this appointed worship. It is not abstract; it is concrete, organized, and full of instrumentation.
"Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, then Jeiel... with musical instruments, harps, lyres; also Asaph played loud-sounding cymbals, and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests blew trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God." (1 Chronicles 16:5-6 LSB)
Notice the order. There is a hierarchy. Asaph is the chief. There is a clear chain of command. This is not a chaotic jam session. This is a disciplined orchestra and choir under designated leadership. God is a God of order, not of confusion, and His worship should reflect His character. The long list of names is not just filler; it emphasizes the corporate and specific nature of this work. These were real men with real assignments.
And what were their assignments? They were to play musical instruments. We see harps, lyres, cymbals, and trumpets. This should put to rest the strange and anemic idea that God is somehow offended by instruments in worship. On the contrary, God commanded them. David, acting as a prophet, instituted this instrumental worship that would become central to the Temple liturgy. These instruments were not for entertainment; they were weapons of warfare and instruments of praise. The harps and lyres would provide the melodic beauty, the trumpets, blown by the priests, would announce the presence of the King, and the cymbals, played by the chief musician himself, were "loud-sounding."
This is a crucial point. Biblical worship is not quiet, timid, or demure. It is robust, joyful, and loud. The Psalms repeatedly command us to "make a joyful noise to the Lord" (Psalm 98:4). This is not an excuse for sloppy, chaotic noise, but it is a clear mandate for loud, exuberant, and full-throated praise. The world makes plenty of loud noise for its idols, its sports teams, and its rock stars. Shall we offer our God a lesser praise? The sound of God's people singing His praises with skill and passion, accompanied by a symphony of instruments, is a foretaste of the heavenly chorus.
The priests blew the trumpets "continually." This was not a one-time event. David was establishing a perpetual ordinance of worship. This was to be the ongoing, regular, disciplined life of God's people before His presence. Our weekly Sunday gathering is a continuation of this principle. It is the continual offering of the sacrifice of praise from the people of God.
Conclusion: Worship in the New Covenant
So what does this mean for us, who live on this side of the cross? The Ark is gone. The Levitical priesthood has been fulfilled in Christ. But the principles of worship established here are permanent, because they reflect the character of the God who does not change.
First, our worship must be ordered by the Word of God. We are not free to invent new forms of worship. We are called to be faithful to the pattern given in Scripture: the reading and preaching of the Word, the singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, prayer, and the administration of the sacraments. This is the grammar of gladness God has given us.
Second, our worship must be centered on the threefold task of remembrance, thanksgiving, and praise. We come to remember the gospel, the finished work of Jesus Christ. That remembrance must produce in us profound thanksgiving for our salvation. And that thanksgiving must erupt in joyful praise to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Finally, our worship should be robust, joyful, and full-bodied. We are not disembodied spirits. God gave us voices to sing, hands to raise, and bodies to present as living sacrifices. He gave us the gift of music, with all its power and beauty, to aid us in our praise. Our worship should be skillful, passionate, and yes, at times, loud. It should be a joyful noise that declares to a watching world that our God reigns. David set the worship in order before the Ark, and in doing so, he gave us a pattern for how we are to worship before the true Ark of the Covenant, Jesus Christ our Lord, until He returns.