Glory in Your Praise
Today’s passage: 1 Chronicles 16
Focus verse: “Save us, God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, and glory in your praise.” (1 Chronicles 16:35)
The nation of Israel takes the ark of God into battle, and the Philistines capture it (1 Samuel 4:1–10). But the Philistines don’t keep the ark, for its presence inflicts whatever town holds it.
They eventually send it back to Israel on a cart, and it ends up in Kiriath Jearim, where it stays for twenty years (1 Samuel 7:1–2).
Later, King David tries to bring the ark to Jerusalem, but he stops when the trip goes awry (1 Chronicles 13). When he realizes what went wrong, he tries again. This time he succeeds (1 Chronicles 15).
This is the background for what happens in today’s passage. It’s a grand celebration of the ark of God being brought back and placed inside the tent reserved for it, for the temple hadn’t been built yet.
David appoints a team of Levites to minister there. They are to extol, thank, and praise God. Asaph leads this effort. Their song of praise reads much like a psalm and parallels Psalm 106.
As instructed by David, this song extols the Lord, offering him praise and thanksgiving. It opens and concludes with the instruction to praise God. It also includes instructions to give thanks to God.
The first time it says to thank the Lord, “for his love endures forever.” We covered this phrase extensively in the reading for Day 5, as well as in Days 7, 14, and 17.
This phrase occurs over forty times in the Old Testament, most of them in the book of Psalms, so we should be familiar with it.
The second time this song talks about thanking God, it’s a future-focused reference. In a prophetic nod, it cries out to God to save them, gather them, and deliver them from their enemies.
We will eventually see this fulfilled through Jesus when he gathers his people to save them from the enemy of sin.
Because of God’s future rescue, they may give thanks to God, to “give thanks to your holy name.”
It’s one thing to give thanks to God for his character and his blessings, but to give thanks to his name may seem like a stretch.
Yet even his name is holy. His name is also worthy of receiving our praise and thanksgiving.
May we not only view God as holy but also esteem his name as holy. May we give thanks to his holy name.
Questions:
Why might we want to give thanks to God’s holy name instead of just thanking him directly?
How can our understanding that God’s name is holy influence how we refer to him?
Prayer: Lord God and Savior, you are holy. May we praise your holy name forever. May we thank your holy name and all that it entails.
[This devotional is taken from the November 19 reading in Thanksgiving with Jesus.]
Thanksgiving isn’t just a day—it’s a way of life. Let the 30-day devotional Thanksgiving with Jesus lead you into it. Then you can go deeper than the holiday.
Perfect for the Thanksgiving season or anytime you want to grow in gratitude.
Thanksgiving with Jesus is part of the beloved Holiday Celebration Devotionals Series.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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