1 Chronicles Chapter 16
David’s Psalm of Thanks
A. The ark is brought into the prepared tent.
1. David gives the assembly a feast
(1 Chronicles 16:1-3)
“So they brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD. Then he distributed to everyone of Israel, both man and woman, to everyone a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins.”
The ark of God was finally brought into the tabernacle David had prepared, placing the symbol of God’s presence back into the center of Israel’s national life. After years of neglect and the ark’s loss in battle, the return of the ark was a restoration of spiritual order and a public testimony that the Lord once again stood at the heart of the nation. When the offerings were completed, David blessed the people in the name of the Lord and ensured that every man and woman in Israel received food, turning this sacred moment into a national feast marked by unity, gratitude, and joy.
The burnt offerings represented full consecration to God, while the peace offerings celebrated restored fellowship with Him. This was a day of devotion and communion, and it culminated in a communal meal, one that reflected both worship and generosity. Commentators note that these sacrifices pointed forward to Christ, who removes the guilt and curse of sin and brings believers into restored relationship with God. The distribution of meat is especially noteworthy because meat was not a common part of daily meals in ancient Israel. The generosity displayed here signified a king who desired both the spiritual and physical well-being of his people. Because much of the peace offering was eaten by the worshipers themselves, the people were symbolically seated at God’s own table, celebrating restored peace with Him.
2. Worship leaders are appointed to lead the congregation
(1 Chronicles 16:4-6)
“And he appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, to commemorate, to thank, and to praise the LORD God of Israel, Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, and Obed-Edom, Jeiel with stringed instruments and harps, but Asaph made music with cymbals, Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests regularly blew the trumpets before the ark of the covenant of God.”
David established a permanent ministry of worship before the ark. The day’s great celebration was not meant to be a single emotional peak but the beginning of ongoing, ordered worship centered on remembrance, thanksgiving, and praise. The Levites were specifically appointed to stand before the ark and minister in these duties. This marked a major development in Israel’s worship history. Previously, music and organized praise had been arranged for isolated events, but now David instituted a continual service of music, commemoration, and public thanksgiving.
Among the duties assigned, some Levites were chosen to “commemorate,” meaning they were to keep alive the memory of God’s mighty works. Remembering God’s past faithfulness is a vital discipline that guards the heart from forgetfulness and unbelief. This includes recording what God has done, praising Him thoroughly at the moment blessings are received, meditating intentionally on His works, speaking often of His mercies to others, and allowing the objects and surroundings of daily life to stir remembrance of God’s goodness.
David appointed Asaph as chief musician. Earlier, Heman was the leader of the worshiping Levites, but David now elevated Asaph, who belonged to the senior Gershonite line. Asaph proved to be a capable and influential worship leader, and he would later be recognized as the composer or contributor to twelve inspired psalms. His appointment strengthened the organization of worship and ensured that praise before the ark was guided by a skilled and spiritually mature leader.
B. David’s Song of Thanksgiving
1. The psalm written for the special occasion
(1 Chronicles 16:7)
“On that day David first delivered this psalm into the hand of Asaph and his brethren, to thank the LORD.”
David, the sweet psalmist of Israel, composed a special psalm of thanksgiving for the very day the ark of the covenant entered Jerusalem. This moment demanded a unique outpouring of praise, and David entrusted this psalm to Asaph and the Levitical musicians so that its words would be preserved and used in worship. The composition reflects David’s spiritual leadership as both king and psalmist. Its structure can be traced within the canonical Psalter, with portions appearing in Psalm 105, Psalm 96, and Psalm 106. Although those psalms appear anonymously in the book of Psalms, their inclusion here in David’s liturgical celebration indicates that they rightly belong to him. This psalm therefore stands as a purposeful work of worship, crafted by David for a day unlike any other, celebrating the restored presence of God among His people.
2. The call to praise
(1 Chronicles 16:8-13)
“Oh, give thanks to the LORD, Call upon His name, Make known His deeds among the peoples, Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him, Talk of all His wondrous works, Glory in His holy name, Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD, Seek the LORD and His strength, Seek His face evermore, Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth, O seed of Israel His servant, You children of Jacob, His chosen ones.”
The psalm opens with an urgent and joyful summons to praise. This is not a cold command but a warm exhortation that overflows with delight in God. The people of Israel are called to thank Him, call upon Him, sing to Him, and speak openly of His wonders. Praise is presented not as an option but as the natural response of those who know the Lord. David urges God’s people to rejoice in His name, to seek His strength continually, and to remember His marvelous works. These phrases reflect a life saturated with the presence of God, one in which gratitude, meditation, and testimony shape the believer’s daily walk.
In just a few lines, David lists multiple expressions of worship: giving thanks, calling upon the Lord, making His deeds known, singing, speaking of His works, glorying in His name, rejoicing, seeking His presence, and remembering His mighty acts. Worship is therefore holistic. It involves prayer directed to God, testimony directed toward others, and the internal discipline of recalling God’s faithfulness. It is a life that recognizes that every good thing comes from the Lord. Spurgeon notes that many enjoy God’s gifts while ignoring the Giver, like animals feeding under an oak tree without ever looking up to acknowledge its source. True worship lifts the eyes to heaven.
David also confronts the human reluctance to speak of God’s works. People readily talk about sermons, church programs, preachers, or criticisms, yet often fail to talk about God Himself. To talk often of His wondrous works guards the heart from criticizing others, keeps the mind anchored in truth, and cultivates joy. It requires no eloquence, only willingness. Silence about God is never due to inability but to lack of desire.
Finally, David addresses Israel as the seed of Jacob and the chosen people of God. While all creation is called to praise the Lord, it is especially fitting that God’s covenant people lead in worship. Those whom God has redeemed bear the responsibility and privilege of proclaiming His greatness.
3. Remembering God’s covenant with His people
(1 Chronicles 16:14-19)
“He is the LORD our God, His judgments are in all the earth. Remember His covenant forever, The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations, The covenant which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac, And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, To Israel for an everlasting covenant, Saying, ‘To you I will give the land of Canaan As the allotment of your inheritance,’ When you were few in number, Indeed very few, and strangers in it.”
David reminds the congregation that the Lord is not a local deity confined to Israel alone, but the sovereign Judge whose authority reaches across the entire earth. Though He has a unique covenant relationship with His chosen people, His rule is universal. The call to remember God’s covenant is central, for God commands His people never to forget the promises He established by His own word. His covenant with Abraham included the promise of land, nationhood, and a messianic blessing. His covenant with Israel at Sinai set forth the conditions of blessing or cursing under the law. His covenant with David established the royal line through which the Messiah would come. Ultimately, the New Covenant in Christ provides salvation through His blood for all who believe. This psalm rightly emphasizes the covenant because it was written for the day the ark of the covenant was restored to its rightful place. Its arrival was a visible sign of God’s faithfulness and mercy after years of neglect.
David then highlights the specific promise of the land of Canaan. God vowed to Abraham, and reaffirmed to Isaac and Jacob, that their descendants would inherit that land. This was not a poetic metaphor but a literal covenantal grant of territory. Israel was few in number, vulnerable, and strangers in the land when God made these promises, which makes His faithfulness all the more astonishing. This portion of the psalm instructs Israel. It is worship through teaching, reminding the people why they belong to the Lord and why the land in which they dwell is theirs by divine promise.
4. God’s protection upon His people
(1 Chronicles 16:20-22)
“When they went from one nation to another, And from one kingdom to another people, He permitted no man to do them wrong, Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes, Saying, ‘Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm.’”
David continues by recalling God’s protective hand over His people during their early wanderings. Though Israel moved from nation to nation before becoming established in the land, the Lord sovereignly guarded them. This is one reason the Chronicler, writing after the Babylonian exile, included this psalm even though it is absent from the parallel account in 2 Samuel. The returning exiles needed the reminder that God protects His people even when they are displaced from the Promised Land. Historically, Israel certainly suffered under Pharaoh and others, yet from the divine perspective, no enemy ever thwarted God’s purposes for His covenant people. Even those who oppressed them ultimately served as instruments in God’s larger plan.
The command, “Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm,” refers not merely to isolated prophetic figures but to the people of God collectively, the covenant community under His protection. Though other nations were stronger militarily, and though Israel appeared weak and few, God defended them and even rebuked kings on their behalf. This stanza reinforces the truth that Israel’s safety never depended on numbers or power but on the covenant-keeping God who guarded them for His own purposes.
5. The command to praise the LORD
(1 Chronicles 16:23-30)
“Sing to the LORD, all the earth, Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised, He is also to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before Him, Strength and gladness are in His place. Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Give to the LORD glory and strength. Give to the LORD the glory due His name, Bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness, Tremble before Him, all the earth. The world also is firmly established, It shall not be moved.”
David commands not only Israel but the entirety of the earth to lift its voice in praise to the Lord. The call is universal because the glory of God is universal, and His salvation is the only good news worthy of proclamation day after day. Salvation belongs to the Lord alone, not to human effort or righteousness, which makes His deliverance worthy of continual testimony. Every saint has reason to sing, for no believer is without the evidence of God’s mercy. David urges the people to declare God’s glory among the nations, announcing His wonders and His works with boldness. This is the proper duty of God’s covenant people, for they know the truth of who God is while the nations worship lifeless idols. All the gods of the peoples are empty, powerless images, but the Lord made the heavens. The Creator alone deserves glory.
The people are told to “give” glory and strength to the Lord, not in the sense of adding something to Him, but in recognizing and crediting to Him what He already possesses. Worship acknowledges reality. God is full of honor, majesty, strength, and gladness, and the proper response is to bring an offering and come before Him in reverent praise. David exhorts Israel to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness, recognizing that the holiness of God is not a harsh or cold attribute, but a radiant and beautiful one. God’s purity, His justice, His mercy, His power, and His transcendent nature set Him apart from all creation and make Him infinitely worthy of worship. The call to tremble before Him reflects reverence, not terror, acknowledging His sovereignty over the firmly established world that He upholds.
6. Creation praises God
(1 Chronicles 16:31-33)
“Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad, And let them say among the nations, ‘The LORD reigns.’ Let the sea roar, and all its fullness, Let the field rejoice, and all that is in it. Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the LORD, For He is coming to judge the earth.”
David expands the circle of praise even further by including all of creation itself. The heavens, the earth, the sea, the fields, and the forests are summoned to rejoice before the Lord. Creation testifies continually to its Creator through its beauty, order, and power. The roaring sea, the fruitful fields, and the singing forests declare in their own way that the Lord reigns. Israel possessed the written Word of God to instruct them in His rule, yet the nations also have testimony through creation, which according to Romans 1:19-23 leaves them without excuse.
The proclamation “The LORD reigns” is a statement grounded in the observable world. Creation reveals a God of infinite wisdom, incomparable power, and perfect order, and therefore points to the truth that this God rules and will one day judge the earth. The psalm concludes with a declaration of coming judgment. This anticipates the future return of the Lord in glory. As noted by commentators, this passage may contain the earliest written reference in Scripture to the doctrine of the Second Coming. Creation rejoices because the Judge who comes is righteous, holy, and faithful, and His reign will set all things right.
7. Conclusion: Celebrating God’s faithfulness to His people
(1 Chronicles 16:34-36)
“Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, For His mercy endures forever. And say, ‘Save us, O God of our salvation, Gather us together, and deliver us from the Gentiles, To give thanks to Your holy name, To triumph in Your praise.’ Blessed be the LORD God of Israel From everlasting to everlasting. And all the people said, ‘Amen!’ and praised the LORD.”
This final portion of David’s psalm calls the people to thank the Lord for His unchanging goodness and His enduring mercy. The declaration that God’s mercy endures forever became one of Israel’s most cherished lines of worship, a refrain repeated throughout their history. David then adds a prayer for deliverance, asking God to gather His people and save them from the nations. Although written long before the Babylonian exile, these words carried powerful meaning for the exiles who returned to rebuild Jerusalem. The Chronicler includes this psalm precisely because it spoke directly to their situation. The plea for God to gather and deliver His people applied not only to ancient cases of scattered captives but also to the later generations who experienced dispersion under foreign powers. The purpose of this gathering was not merely political restoration but spiritual renewal, so that the people might give thanks to God’s holy name and triumph through praise.
The passage concludes with the corporate response of the people. As David’s psalm was sung, the people agreed wholeheartedly, saying “Amen” and praising the Lord together. This confirms that the psalm was not intended as a private reflection but as a public expression of national worship. The unity of the congregation testified to their shared acknowledgment of God’s faithfulness.
8. Postscript: Maintaining the worship of God
(1 Chronicles 16:37-43)
“So he left Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of the covenant of the LORD to minister before the ark regularly, as every day’s work required, and Obed-Edom with his sixty-eight brethren, including Obed-Edom the son of Jeduthun, and Hosah, to be gatekeepers, and Zadok the priest and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of the LORD at the high place that was at Gibeon, to offer burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of burnt offering regularly morning and evening, and to do according to all that is written in the Law of the LORD which He commanded Israel, and with them Heman and Jeduthun and the rest who were chosen, who were designated by name, to give thanks to the LORD, because His mercy endures forever, and with them Heman and Jeduthun, to sound aloud with trumpets and cymbals and the musical instruments of God. Now the sons of Jeduthun were gatekeepers. Then all the people departed, every man to his house, and David returned to bless his house.”
After the great celebration, David ensured that worship before the ark continued daily. Asaph and his brothers were appointed to minister continually, maintaining praise, thanksgiving, and musical worship before the ark. Gatekeepers, priests, and appointed musicians remained stationed there to fulfill their duties. This shows David’s deliberate strategy to establish worship as an ongoing reality rather than a single momentary event. The presence of the ark in Jerusalem required continual reverence and service, and David organized the Levites accordingly.
At the same time, the center of sacrificial worship remained at the tabernacle located at Gibeon. Zadok and the other priests were stationed there to offer the morning and evening burnt offerings and to obey everything commanded in the Law of the Lord. During this transitional period, Israel’s worship life was divided between the ark in Jerusalem and the altar at Gibeon. The musical worship and thanksgiving centered around the ark, while the sacrificial system continued at the tabernacle. Commentators note that this division persisted for some time until the full centralization of worship in Jerusalem under Solomon. The section ends by noting that after the celebration concluded, the people returned to their homes and David returned to bless his household, closing the chapter with a picture of order, stability, and ongoing devotion.
