CHAPTER 16 Oct. 2 
David’s Song of Praise
They brought in the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it. They offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. 2When David had made an end of offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Yahweh. 3He dealt to each one of Israel, both man and woman, to every one a loaf of bread, a portion of meat and a cake of raisins. 4He appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of Yahweh, and to celebrate and to thank and praise Yahweh, the God of Israel: 5Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel, with stringed instruments and with harps; and Asaph with cymbals, sounding aloud; 6and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually, before the ark of the covenant of God. 7Then on that day David led the giving of thanks to Yahweh, by the hand of Asaph and his brothers: 8Oh give thanks to Yahweh! Call on His name. Make His deeds known among the peoples. 9Sing to Him, sing praises to Him. Tell of all His marvellous works. 10Glory in His holy name. Let the heart of those who seek Yahweh rejoice. 11Seek Yahweh and His strength. Seek His face for evermore. 12Remember His marvellous works that He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth, 13you seed of Israel His servant, you children of Jacob, His chosen ones. 14He is Yahweh our God. His judgments are in all the earth. 15Remember His covenant forever, the word which He commanded to a thousand generations, 16the covenant which He made with Abraham, His oath to Isaac. 17He confirmed the same to Jacob for a statute, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant 18saying, ‘I will give you the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance;’ 19when you were but a few men in number, yes, very few, and foreigners were in it. 20They went about from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people. 21He allowed no man to do them wrong. Yes, He reproved kings for their sakes, 22Don’t touch My anointed ones! Do My prophets no harm! 23Sing to Yahweh, all the earth! Display His salvation from day to day. 24Declare His glory among the nations, and His marvellous works among all the peoples. 25For great is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised. He also is to be feared above all gods. 26For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but Yahweh made the heavens. 27Honor and majesty are before Him. Strength and gladness are in His place. 28Ascribe to Yahweh, you relatives of the peoples, ascribe to Yahweh glory and strength! 29Ascribe to Yahweh the glory due to His name. Bring an offering, and come before Him. Worship Yahweh in holy array. 30Tremble before Him, all the land. The world also is established that it can’t be moved. 31Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice! Let them say among the nations, Yahweh reigns! 32Let the sea roar, and its fullness! Let the field exult, and all that is therein! 33Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before Yahweh, for He comes to judge the earth. 34Oh give thanks to Yahweh, for He is good, for His grace endures forever. 35Say, ‘Save us, God of our salvation! Gather us together and deliver us from the nations, to give thanks to Your holy name, to triumph in Your praise’. 36Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting. All the people said, ‘Amen’, and praised Yahweh. 37So he left there, before the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, Asaph and his brothers, to minister before the ark continually, as every day’s work required; 38and Obed-Edom with their brothers, sixty-eight; Obed-Edom also the son of Jeduthun and Hosah to be doorkeepers; 39and Zadok the priest, and his brothers the priests, before the tabernacle of Yahweh in the high place that was at Gibeon, 40to offer burnt offerings to Yahweh on the altar of burnt offering continually morning and evening, even according to all that is written in the law of Yahweh, which He commanded to Israel. 41With them were Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest who were chosen, who were mentioned by name, to give thanks to Yahweh, because His grace endures forever; 42and with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those that should sound aloud, and with instruments for the songs of God; and the sons of Jeduthun to be at the gate. 43All the people departed each man to his family; and David returned to bless his family.

Commentary

16:2,3 Here and in 15:27 David acts as a priest, even though he was from the tribe of Judah and not Levi. On one hand, our understanding of the spirit and essence of God frees us from the need for literalistic obedience; but as David experienced at the time of the breach upon Uzza (13:10) and his sin with Bathsheba, this can lead us to disregard His principles to a point where it is counted as sin. On the other hand, when Uzziah acted as a priest he was condemned for it (2 Chron. 26:19-21). The same actions can be righteousness for one person and sin for another. In this lies the impossibility of our ultimately judging the outward actions of others; we simply must leave it to God.
16:3 Raisins were made from grapes, so we have here a prefigurement of the bread and wine of the communion service. It is a celebration of the blessing we have received from our high priest, the Lord Jesus.
16:21 He reproved kings for their sakes- This is a reference to the rebuking of Abimelech in Gen. 20; yet in this case Abimelech was in the right and is portrayed as the honourable one, and Abraham and Sarah as less than honourable and in need of reproof (Gen. 20:16). David is therefore asking Israel to glory in God’s undeserved kindness, His grace, towards them (:34,41).
16:26 The Truth of the Gospel is the only way to come to salvation. All other religions apart from true Christianity will not give salvation nor a relationship with God. Realising this, David pleads with his people to be a missionary nation (:8,25,26). The more we realise the pathetic fallacy of human religion, indeed the whole and utter vanity of life under this sun, the more we will preach Yahweh’s Truth to a tragically wandering, aimless world.
16:33 The prospect of God ‘coming’ to judge the earth should be a source of joy to us rather than of endless fear.