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One of the things I like most about reading the Bible is how the Holy Spirit points out new things, each and every time you read a familiar passage. And what the Holy Spirit points out is exactly what you need to hear in that particular moment!
This particular time, I didn't get the message the first time. Or the second or the third. It wasn't until I had seen it multiple times that it -- albeit slowly! -- began to filter through to my spirit: The simple line, "As prescribed by David".
Oh, if you go right now and do a Bible search on that particular wording, it will only come up with a couple of references, but the books of history in the Old Testament are peppered with this same idea.
And just what is this David-inspired idea that keeps popping up rooted in? His military achievements? Perhaps the time he slew a giant? Or maybe it goes back farther to when he killed a lion and a bear to protect his father's flocks? Is it the songs of David? The fact that his playing called the evil demon in Saul? Is it, perhaps, David's great sin with Bathsheba?
Nope. None of the above. It is something far less spoken about when we study the life of David, a little fact that I, for one, tended to skip over completely!
The story starts back in 1 Chronicles 16:4: "David appointed the following Levites to lead the people in worship before the Ark of the LORD—to invoke his blessings, to give thanks, and to praise the LORD, the God of Israel." (NLT).
Did you catch it? Those two little words at the beginning? "David appointed..."?
Would you have caught those two words as being the most noteworthy point in David's life?
I certainly wouldn't have. Yet we see over and over again through the history sections of the Bible that the temple worship was reinstated, "as prescribed by David"!
We find it in 1 Chron. 23:27, when Solomon was taking over the kingdom: "In accordance with David’s final instructions, all the Levites twenty years old or older were registered for service." (NLT See also 1 Chron 23:31).
We find it in the records of King Hezekiah: "King Hezekiah then stationed the Levites at the Temple of the LORD with cymbals, lyres, and harps. He obeyed all the commands that the LORD had given to King David through Gad, the king’s seer, and the prophet Nathan." (2 Chron. 29:25 NLT).
We see it when Israel returned from captivity, first in the book of Ezra: "When the builders completed the foundation of the LORD’s Temple, the priests put on their robes and took their places to blow their trumpets. And the Levites, descendants of Asaph, clashed their cymbals to praise the LORD, just as King David had prescribed." (3:10 NLT)
And again throughout the book of Nehemiah: "They used the musical instruments prescribed by David, the man of God. Ezra the scribe led this procession." (12:36 NLT See also vs. 24, 45, 46).
I could go on with more examples, but the point is, this one little thing that most of us wouldn't have noted as even important in the life of David had a profound impact on the making of history in upcoming years.
Sometimes we accomplish great things. We write songs, conduct crusades, author books, etc. But sometimes what the Lord requires of us seems pretty small: Praying for someone, making someone a meal, smiling at someone, singing in the congregation. The Lord doesn't measure our service in the same way we do. The little things can potentially hold as much—or in the case of David, more—impact than the big ones. Our job isn't to strive to do something big in the eyes of the world. Our job is to be obedient to what calls each one of us to do! Big or small!
What are you called to do? Are you tempted to think that it isn't big enough to make a difference? Then remember: David isn't mentioned throughout scripture as the one who brought down Goliath! He's remembered as the man of God who organized the temple worship!
God may have something grandiose for you to do, but don't shirk away from the smaller things!
In His love,
Lyn
Lynona Gordon Chaffart
Author, Moderator, Acting Director, Answers2Prayer Ministries
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