David's Organization of Music

An excerpt from an upcoming book on Biblical music by Aaron Dempsey:

“And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of musick, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy. So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah;  And with them their brethren of the second degree, Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, the porters. So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass; And Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries on Alamoth; And Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, and Azaziah, with harps on the Sheminith to excel. And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was for song: he instructed about the song, because he was skilful. And Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark. And Shebaniah, and Jehoshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, and Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, did blow with the trumpets before the ark of God: and Obededom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.”

From David’s organization of Temple worship in music (found in I Chronicles 15:16-24) as aligned with God’s heart and desires that are clearly conveyed in the Pentateuch, we can observe that God wants music to be done joyfully, skillfully, orderly.

David makes a specific request that the music in the Temple be done with joy. Of course, when a king such as David made a request, it was of paramount importance to follow it. Whether or not the singers were actually happy, they sung with joy because their lives and jobs quite literally depended on it. While they may have done so out of requirement, it still demonstrates that joy is a choice. Christians in church can choose to be joyful. Choosing to be joyful is not an act of inauthenticity. Rather, it is a conscious decision to focus on the positive side of life and the wonderful blessings of God. This deliberate concentration pleases God. Oh, and it makes us overwhelmingly happy in the process.

Music in the New Testament church should be of the highest quality possible. Chenaniah was skilled in music. He was instructed and able to instruct. When a church desires to expand their music ministry, it will require people to dedicate time and effort to the study of music. Imagine the eternal rewards that come with studying that which is close to the heart of God!

Temple worship was one of the most organized activities in the Old Testament. God is a God of order. Everyone had a purpose. Their purpose made good use of their talents. They had a specific place to fulfill their purpose as well. Organization is not tyrannical or demeaning; rather, if it is done right, it provides a wonderful opportunity to use our gifts and talents to glorify God. Proper organization results in happy and effective work. Poor organization results in frustration and minimal accomplishments.

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Aaron Dempsey

I Corinthians 15:58