Context No. 2964 of 4322 · 1 Chronicles

1 Chronicles 16:37-43: in context

37So he left Asaph and his brothers there before the ark of the LORD’s covenant, to minister before the ark continually, as every day’s work required; 38and Obed-Edom with their sixty-eight relatives; Obed-Edom also the son of Jeduthun and Hosah to be doorkeepers; 39and Zadok the priest and his brothers the priests, before the LORD’s tabernacle in the high place that was at Gibeon, 40to offer burnt offerings to the LORD on the altar of burnt offering continually morning and evening, even according to all that is written in the LORD’s law, which he commanded to Israel; 41and with them Heman and Jeduthun and the rest who were chosen, who were mentioned by name, to give thanks to the LORD, because his loving kindness endures forever; 42and with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those that should sound aloud, and with instruments for the songs of God, and the sons of Jeduthun to be at the gate. 43All the people departed, each man to his house; and David returned to bless his house.

After David brings the ark to Jerusalem, he organizes the worship around it. He appoints Asaph and his brothers to minister before the ark continually, day by day as the work required, gatekeepers to guard the doors, priests to offer burnt offerings morning and evening at Gibeon, and Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals to give thanks, for his steadfast love endures forever.

The key word is continually. David does not set worship up as an occasional event but as a continual, organized ministry, morning and evening sacrifices, appointed singers giving thanks, gatekeepers on duty, so that praise and offering never lapse. The worship of God is meant to be steady and ongoing, staffed by people whose assigned task is simply to keep it going, day after day. And the refrain they sang is timeless, the one line the whole arrangement existed to declare: his steadfast love endures forever.

Is the worship of God a steady, continual rhythm in my life, or only an occasional event when I happen to feel like it?

Sources

1 Chronicles 16:37: "To minister before the ark continually, as every day's work required."
1 Chronicles 16:41: "To give thanks to the LORD, because his loving kindness endures forever."
1 Thessalonians 5:17: "Pray without ceasing."