Read 1 Chronicles 15 and 16 at Bible Gateway.
The Hebrew paragraph divisions:
1 Chr 15:1-2 {p} David built houses for himself + place for the ark, which the Levites were to carry
1 Chr 15:3-4 {s} David gathered Israel to bring up the ark of God + assembled the sons of Aaron + Levi
1 Chr 15:5 {s} Of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, and one hundred and twenty of his brethren
1 Chr 15:6 {s} Of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, and two hundred and twenty of his brethren
1 Chr 15:7 {s} Of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and one hundred and thirty of his brethren
1 Chr 15:8 {s} Of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, and two hundred of his brethren
1 Chr 15:9 {s} Of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, and eighty of his brethren
1 Chr 15:10 {p} Of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, and one hundred and twelve of his brethren
1 Chr 15:11 {s} David called for Zadok + Abiathar the priests/ heads of the Levites, the six just named
1 Chr 15:12-15 {p} David commanded the Levites: Sanctify yourselves to bring up the ark of God
1 Chr 15:16 {p} David commanded the Levites: Appoint singers + musicians, with resounding joy
1 Chr 15:17a {s} The Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel + Asaph the son of Berechiah
1 Chr 15:17b-25 {p} They appointed gatekeepers, singers, musicians, music master, doorkeepers for the ark
1 Chr 15:26-29 {p} David + Levites + Israel brought up the ark with joy + Michal despised David in her heart
1 Chr 16:1-4 {s} David set the ark in its place + sacrificed + blessed the people + appointed the Levites to praise
1 Chr 16:5-7 {p} Asaph the chief + David ordained Asaph + his brethren to thank the LORD continually
1 Chr 16:8-22 {p} Give thanks to the LORD + sing to Him, remembering His marvelous works + covenant
1 Chr 16:23-36 {p} Sing to the LORD all the earth + give Him the glory due His name
1 Chr 16:37-38a {s} He left Asaph + his brethren before the ark to minister continually, with Obed-Edom
1 Chr 16:38b-43 {p} Also the priests to do according to the Law at the tabernacle at Gibeon + the Levites to give thanks + David returned to bless his house
The strong themes:
1 Chr 15:1-2 {p} David built houses for himself + place for the ark, which the Levites were to carry
1 Chr 15:3-10 {sx6+p} David gathered Israel + priests and Levites to Jerusalem to bring up the ark of God
1 Chr 15:11-15 {s+p} David called Zadok + Abiathar the priests/ commanded the Levites: Sanctify yourselves to bring up the ark of God
1 Chr 15:16 {p} David commanded the Levites to appoint their brethren singers + musicians, with resounding joy
1 Chr 15:17-25 {s+p} The Levites appointed gatekeepers, singers, musicians, music master, doorkeepers for the ark
1 Chr 15:26-29 {p} David + Levites + Israel brought up the ark with joy + Michal despised David in her heart
1 Chr 16:1-7 {s+p} David set the ark in its place + sacrificed + blessed the people + appointed the Levites to praise
1 Chr 16:8-22 {p} Give thanks to the LORD + sing to Him + remembering His marvelous works + His covenant
1 Chr 16:23-36 {p} Sing to the LORD all the earth + give Him the glory due His name
1 Chr 16:37-38-43 {s+p} He established the Lord’s worship + he returned to bless his house
These two chapters form an instructive chiastic structure:
1a) 1 Chr 15:1a, David built houses for himself in the City of David;
1b) 1 Chr 15:1b-15 {p+sx6+p+s+p} David prepared a place for the ark, to bring it up according to the word of the Lord;
1c) 1 Chr 15:16-25 {p+s+p} David established the Levities to praise before the Lord with resounding joy;
1d) 1 Chr 15:26-28, They brought up the ark of the Lord with praise;
central axis) 1 Chr 15:29 {p} And it happened, as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came to the City of David, that Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked through a window and saw King David whirling and playing music; and she despised him in her heart;
2d) 1 Chr 16:1-3, They brought up the ark of God/ David blessed both YHVH + the people;
2c) 1 Chr 16:4-38a {s+px3+s} David established the Levites for continual praise before the ark of the Lord;
2b) 1 Chr 16:38b-42, David established the Lord’s worship according to the Law of Lord;
1a) 1 Chr 16:38b, Including Obed-Edom the son of Jeduthun, and Hosah, to be gatekeepers;
1b) 1 Chr 16:39-40, And the priests to offer burnt offerings according to the Law of the Lord;
1c) 1 Chr 16:41a, And with them Heman and Jeduthun and the rest who were designated by name;
central axis) 1 Chr 16:41b, To give thanks to the Lord, because His mercy endures forever;
2c) 1 Chr 16:42a, And with them Heman and Jeduthun;
2b) 1 Chr 16:42b, To sound aloud with trumpets and cymbals and the musical instruments of God;
2a) 1 Chr 16:42c, Now the sons of Jeduthun were gatekeepers.
2a) 1 Chr 16:43 {p} Then all the people departed, every man to his house; and David returned to bless his house.
First, the A pairs tell us that David built his house, i.e., his household, his family, by blessing it. I want to do a study through Scripture on how fathers bless and curse their households. But one way David cursed it, as we saw in Samuel, was by breaking the commandments of God, and being unfaithful to his marriage covenant.
Now it is interesting that David’s wife is the central axis of this structure. She despised him in her heart. This puts me in mind of:
The wise woman builds her house,
But the foolish pulls it down with her hands. Pro 14:1
The structure seems to be saying, that David built his house by blessing it, but David’s wife did not build her house, but pulled it down with her own hands, by despising her husband. The structure might even be saying that David’s wife planted the seed of destruction that manifested itself in David seeking love and comfort elsewhere, outside of his marriage.
The second thing that this structure is teaching, that I can see today, is the Old Testament and Hebraic manner of Spirit- filled worship and praise before the Lord. It included skillful musicians in worship and praise with all manner of instruments, from percussion (cymbals), to strings and horns. It included singers. It included resounding joy with dancing and whirling before the Lord. Hey, it sounds like a modern- day charismatic church! I think the lesson of the chiastic structure, is to not despise Spirit- filled worship and praise before the presence of the Lord. ♥
Leave a Reply