And 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;
When David moves the ark a second time, he follows God's order at every step, and the singing is part of that order. The Levites name Heman, Asaph and Ethan to lead it, which raises real questions: why singers now, why these three men, and why such care over who may sing?
One writer ties the start of the service of song to the ark reaching its place:
While the ark was moving from place to place, with no sure resting place for the Lord among His people, there was no service of praise. The song does not begin until David brings the ark up to its resting place. Then we see "David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, as also were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the leader of the music of the singers."
The two journeys with the ark were very different:
The first attempt to bring up the ark was marked by judgment, indignation and fear, but on the second occasion there is great joy. The singers were there, and "with instruments of music, harps and lyres and cymbals, to raise sounds of joy." At the king's command, the Levites appointed the three chief musicians: Heman, Asaph and Ethan. The gatekeepers were there too.
This was music with instruments. One writer marks the difference between Israel's worship and Christian worship, then notes the order that covered every role, down to the doorkeepers:
This gives Christians no warrant to use such instruments in the worship of God. The mark of the Christian, as the Apostle says, is to sing with the spirit and with the mind also. But an earthly people would have an earthly way of expressing their praise. So everything here is right for its time. "So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel." Then we find the singers and the others — even the doorkeepers. Everything was appointed in the most orderly way.
The three men come from the three family lines of Levi. One writer notes what set each of them apart:
In each of these three families one Levite stood out above the rest, because of the gifts he had received from God. For the Kohathites it was Heman; for the Gershonites, Asaph; for the Merarites, Ethan. The other Levites "were given for all the service of the tabernacle of the house of God."
One writer weighs how carefully these three leaders were chosen:
The particular care taken here shows how important song is: the leaders of that choir had to have a kind of double witness of their right to the name of Levi, and so of their fitness to lead the singing and to share the privileges of the Levite tribe. The family line of each one is traced back to Levi. No such care is shown for any other branch of Levite service. Why such particular care about the singers? Because none must be allowed to sing except those who have the right. And who now has the right to sing? Redemption gives the right. Should there be songs for slaves? Whether for a willing or a groaning slave, deliverance must come first, and with it comes the appointment to sing. God, through David, assigns the service of song to these three leaders with great care. That has a meaning for the church now, where all are, or should be, singers, making melody in the heart.
The verse names Heman first. One writer traces his family line and finds a reason for song:
The Kohathites had the privilege of carrying on their shoulders the ark, the table of the bread of the Presence, the golden altar, and the golden lampstand. From among them Heman is chosen for the central place of praise to God. He is spoken of as "Heman the singer," and his genealogy is traced through Korah to Levi. As a descendant of Korah, he had good reason to praise God for His rich mercy. Dathan and Abiram died with their children, and Korah shared their fate. Yet the record says, "But the sons of Korah did not die." God spared them in His sovereign mercy. So no one was better suited to sing of the goodness and mercy of God.
One writer asks whether these three were more than officials, and points to what they wrote:
But was there no heart worship in these three chief singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan? Let their psalms bear witness. There are twelve ascribed to Asaph, one to Heman, and one to Ethan.
- Rest first. No settled place for the ark meant no service of song. The singers are appointed only when it comes home.
- Right first. Their family line is checked twice over, because only those with the right may lead the praise — and redemption gives that right.
- Gift first. Heman, Asaph and Ethan lead the three branches of Levi, each one set apart by God's gift to him.
- Mercy first. Heman's line runs back through Korah, whose children were spared. The best man to sing of mercy is the one who received it.
- Heart first. Fourteen psalms carry these three names. The pattern for today is praise that is melody in the heart, sung with the spirit and the mind.
and with them their brethren of the second [rank], Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obed-Edom, and Jeiel, the doorkeepers;
David is bringing the ark of God up to Jerusalem, and this verse lists the men of "the second order" — the singers who stood behind the three chief leaders — ending with two gatekeepers set to guard the ark itself. Why does Scripture slow down to name them all, one by one?
Nothing in this service is left to chance. The list runs from the chief singer down to the men at the door.
"So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel." Then we find the singers and the others — even the doorkeepers. Everything was appointed in the most orderly way.
David himself arranges every part of it.
It is David who orders the Levites to carry the ark "as Moses had commanded according to the word of the LORD" (1 Chron. 15:15). He also appoints the singers, the musicians, and the "gatekeepers for the ark" — and Scripture lists their very names.
The three men who lead these singers had to prove their right to the name of Levi. One writer asks why that mattered so much:
The importance of song as part of the service given to God comes out in the particular care taken over the leaders of that choir. They had to have a kind of double witness to their right to the name of Levi... No such care is shown for any other branch of Levitical service. Why such particular care about the singers? Because only those who have the right may sing. And who now has the right to sing? Redemption gives the right. Should slaves have songs? Whether the slave is willing or groaning, deliverance must come first, and with it comes the appointment to sing. The care with which God by David gives the service of song to these three leaders has a meaning for the church now, where all are, or should be, singers, making melody in the heart.
Among these names is the man in whose home the ark had rested.
Among them all, the name of Obed-edom is repeated four times, and it shines above all the others. He is doorkeeper for the tabernacle along with the sons of Merari; he is singer, doorkeeper for the ark, and musician. Obed-edom was a witness to God's grace and an object of it. That grace had blessed his house and everything that belonged to him (1 Chron. 13:14), because the throne of God was present in his home. So he gets very special mention in this book of God's purposes in grace.
The verse ends with two men set to guard the door. One writer draws a line from their task to the care of Christ's interests in the church today.
And who were the doorkeepers? They took the greatest possible care of the ark. Think of the order of the Assembly when it gathers for worship, the testimony of the gospel, the ministry of the Word of God, and who is admitted to His Assembly today. In all of this it matters greatly to have the spirit of the doorkeepers here. We are to be very careful about everything that belongs to Christ and His interests.
The task looks lowly, but it is not soft work:
Obed-edom became a doorkeeper of the ark when David brought it up to Jerusalem. Here we see him and his large family as doorkeepers of Solomon's future temple, and of his sons it is said that they were mighty men of valour, able men in strength for the service. We do not think often enough that the service of the doorkeepers, like that of the priests (1 Chron. 9:13), called for these qualities. It is not enough to say that this unattractive task needs humility, dependence, zeal, and self-forgetfulness; strength and valour are needed as well.
Eleven of these men are "of the second order." They lead nothing, yet Scripture records every name.
The Spirit of God stoops to arrange, through David, for the doorkeepers, just as He did for the high priest and for the different groups of priests. Everything has its place. Whatever has to do with the service of God is great in His eyes. It is only we who make so much of the difference between great and small. To God, the smallest thing has a value.
- Appointed — David appoints every singer, musician and gatekeeper here. Nothing in the ark's journey is left to guesswork.
- Entitled — only those with the right may lead the song. Redemption gives that right: deliverance comes first, and the call to sing comes with it.
- Blessed — Obed-edom, who once housed the ark, serves here as singer, musician and gatekeeper. His name shines above the rest as a witness of grace.
- Guarded — two men keep the door. That task calls for humility and self-forgetfulness, and for strength and valour too. Today it means care over everything that belongs to Christ.
- Recorded — the men of the second order lead nothing, yet God writes down each name. The gap between great and small service is ours, not His.
and the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, to sound aloud with cymbals of brass;
The verse names three men — Heman, Asaph and Ethan — and gives them one job. They sound the bronze cymbals while Israel carries the ark of God up to Jerusalem. Why does a book full of family lists stop to record who played the cymbals? And what had changed since the first try at moving the ark ended in disaster?
Israel had tried this same procession before, and it ended in judgment. One writer sets the two occasions side by side. The difference he points to is the appointment of singers.
Now the singers are properly appointed. This is a true and acceptable service to God, a service of song to Him. Why indeed should they not sing? The first time, there was gladness of heart. Perhaps it poured itself out in loud shouting that had no understanding in it. It was not the ordered, reverent joy of people who worship God... Now the singers are appointed; Heman, Asaph, and Ethan take the lead. Back then, it was the joy of the flesh pushing into holy things. To defend His own order and majesty, God had to judge them all in the person of Uzzah.
Loudness was not the problem. The first time, energy ran ahead of order. This time the same gladness took the form God had named.
These three names are not random. Each man comes from a different branch of Levi, the tribe set apart for God's service. Scripture takes unusual trouble over their family line, and one writer asks why.
You can see how important song is in the service given to God from the special care taken over the leaders of that choir. They had to have a kind of double proof of their right to the name of Levi... Of the sons of Kohath, Heman; of Gershom, Asaph; and of Merari, Ethan... Why such special care about the singers? Because no one must be allowed to sing except those who have the right. And who now has the right to sing? Redemption gives the right. Should there be songs for slaves? Whether the slave is willing or groaning, deliverance must come first, and with it comes the appointment to sing. The care with which God, through David, gives the service of song to these three leaders has a meaning for the church now, where all are, or should be, singers, making melody in the heart.
What were these bronze cymbals? A Bible dictionary describes them, and notes what they could not do alone.
Ancient musical instruments, made of metal plates struck together. On their own they made no tuneful sound (compare 1 Corinthians 13:1), and players could use them only alongside other instruments. 1 Chronicles 15:16, 19, 28; Ezra 3:10; Psalm 150:5 and so on. In Corinthians it is a picture of someone making a show in speaking without love in the heart.
David the king arranges this choir. One writer draws a line between what suited Israel then and what suits Christians now.
This gives Christians no warrant to use such instruments in the worship of God. What marks out the Christian is, as the apostle says, to "sing praise with my spirit... sing with my mind also." But an earthly people would have an earthly form of expressing their praise. Therefore all is in season. "So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel." Then we find the singers and the others — even the doorkeepers — everything appointed in the most orderly way.
There was a time when Israel had no service of praise at all. One writer marks the moment that changed.
While the ark kept moving from place to place, the Lord had no sure resting place among His people, and there was no service of praise. The song does not begin until David brings the ark up to its resting place.
Did these three men worship in their hearts, or only handle instruments? One writer answers by pointing to what they left behind.
But was there no heart worship in these three chief singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan? Let their psalms bear witness. There are twelve ascribed to Asaph, one to Heman, and one to Ethan.
- Rest, then song. There was no service of song while the ark still moved from place to place. Praise began when the ark came to its resting place.
- Redemption, then right. Scripture traces the singers' family line with care, because only those with the right may sing. Redemption gives that right. Deliverance comes first, and with it the appointment to sing.
- Order, then joy. The first try was loud shouting with no understanding in it. The second brought the same gladness in the form God had named, and He accepted it.
- Cymbals, then chorus. Bronze cymbals make no tune on their own. They need the other instruments — a picture of show without love in the heart.
- Heart, then sound. Heman, Asaph and Ethan left psalms behind them. The men with the cymbals were worshippers, not performers.