Remember, Thank, and Praise the LORD

1 Chronicles 16:1-6
    1 So they brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. 2 And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD. 3 Then he distributed to everyone of Israel, both man and woman, to everyone a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins.
    4 And he appointed some of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, to commemorate, to thank, and to praise the LORD God of Israel: 5 Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, then Jeiel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, and Obed-Edom: Jeiel with stringed instruments and harps, but Asaph made music with cymbals; 6 Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests regularly blew the trumpets before the ark of the covenant of God.

As also seen in 2 Samuel 6:17–19, we find that when king David returned the Ark to the city of the king and LORD, he had it placed by the servant Levites into a new tabernacle which he erected.  This was a tent as in the wilderness when God delivered His chosen people from bondage, which represents sin, a temporary temple until God moved David to build Him a permanent house now that His people had the land promised to his forefathers.  They offered burnt offerings for sin and peace offerings with repentant hearts for their sin, and David blessed them all in the name of the LORD.  Afterwards, he ensured all were fed.  Some  Levites were tasked with serving before that Ark of God’s covenant with them.  They did three things; first they commemorated or called to mind all that God had done, then they thanked Him, and finally they praised Him.  The singer Asaph (a composer of some of the Psalms) was one of these, praising in worship with music.  Other priests continued to blow trumpets, which were used for victory in battle and for calling to worship.  They praised the LORD.  Then they were ever thankful for bringing the Ark back for His presence and blessings as His chosen ones.  Finally, they commemorated the work and person of their LORD God by recalling all He had done from the beginning of the promise to Abraham to choose them as His people to bless all the nations of the world (Genesis 17:4-7).  They reflected on all that meant, considering the grace of God in their calling by promise in spite of their continuous falling back into sin.  This reflection in worship made the ever thankful and elicited praise as a necessity from thankful hearts as His presence came in the Ark with His guidance and protection as the high priest would minister in that Holy of Holies behind the veil at the mercy seat.  We now have the veil removed by Christ (Mark 15:38-39, 2 Corinthians 3:15-18) and we can all therefore as priests come directly to the throne of grace as the Ark of His New Covenant, the mercy seat (Hebrews 4:16) of the supreme sacrifice of the living God who ever intercedes for us in eternal atonement (Hebrews 7:24-25).  Let us then consider all these things with thankfulness and praise in living a life of worship (Romans 12:1) as king David and God’s people gave us the pattern as an example.  Amen.