Our Daily Bread

A Blessing to all Israel

I Chron. 16:1-11

“After David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord.” (2)

The ark of God finally arrived in Jerusalem and was set in the tent that David had prepared for it. This has deep symbolic meaning to all the Israelites. It meant that God was at the very heart of the nation. They were God’s chosen people, his treasured possession, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Ex 19:6). The ark returning to its rightful place meant that David and all Israel wanted to be God’s people who worship God alone. They presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. No one can approach the holy God without a sacrifice. These offerings point to Jesus the Lamb of God who takes away our sin and brings us into the presence of God.

“After David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord.” (2) David blessed the people in the name of the LORD and gave each one a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins. God’s servant should bless others. David blessed the people in the name of the LORD.  The gift of bread, dates and raisins were a token of God’s abundant provision of grace that flows through his covenant of love. As we come to God through Jesus, we are experiencing the bread of life (Jn 6:35).

Then David appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, to extol,^[a] thank, and praise the Lord, the God of Israel (4). One might call them prayer servants and praise leaders. They were ministers before the ark of the LORD. They led the people in prayer and praise. Worship is a celebration of our life with God. We as the church are meant to be a royal priesthood who declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Pe 2:9). 

Then David committed to them a psalm of thanks to the LORD.

“⁸Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
    make known among the nations what he has done.
⁹ Sing to him, sing praise to him;
    tell of all his wonderful acts.
¹⁰ Glory in his holy name;
    let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
¹¹ Look to the Lord and his strength;
    seek his face always.”

As God’s people, we are called to worship God and make His name glorious. We glory in His name and tell of all His wonderful acts. 

Through this passage, I realized that the role of God’s servant is to bless others. God called Abraham to bless him and to make him blessing (Ge 12:2-3). Peter tells us that as Christians we are a royal priesthood and a holy nation to declare the praise of God who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Pe 2:9). Wherever I am, I should be a blessing to others.