Their job was a permanent worship band. Many of their services were likely timed with the morning and evening sacrifices that Zadok the High Priest offered, and other special times.
Asaph also wrote twelve of the Psalms written in scripture. In most Bible translations these will be Psalm 50, and Psa 73 - Psa These psalms tend to be a combination of praise to God, prophetic warnings to Israel, and cries to God for rescue.
Our God comes and will not be silent; a fire devours before him, and around him a tempest rages. Will the foe revile your name forever? Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?
Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them! As fire consumes the forest or a flame sets the mountains ablaze, so pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your storm. But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end. Psalm It is this way with us.
Until you enter the prayer closet, or the sanctuary, and inquire of God, you will be disgruntled. Communing with God in prayer or song relieves the stormy heart and soothes the troubled mind. We see also that our faithful God is always there, and can and does comfort us. As Asaph ended his Psalm, For behold, those who are far from you shall perish; you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you. EPrata photo. Christian writer and Georgia teacher's aide who loves Jesus, a quiet life, art, beauty, and children.
View All Posts. Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests regularly blew the trumpets before the ark of the covenant of God. We see in the next verse that Asaph was one to whom David would deliver his psalms when he had written them so that they could be publically performed. After I Chronicles 16 records for us the Psalm David presented to Asaph, we then read again of him in verse Moreover David and the captains of the army separated for the service some of the sons of Asaph, of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, stringed instruments, and cymbals.
And the number of the skilled men performing their service was: 2 Of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asharelah; the sons of Asaph were under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied according to the order of the king.
Here we see several interesting things. Yet this time we have the name Jeduthun instead of Ethan, as we had it in I Chronicles 6. This probably means that Jeduthun was another name for Ethan, not that these were two different men.
We might wonder, then, are the twelve Psalms of Asaph all by the original man, or are some by his sons representing him?
All these were under the direction of their father for the music in the house of the LORD, with cymbals, stringed instruments, and harps, for the service of the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman were under the authority of the king. Asaph and his sons are included in the twenty-four courses of service that David created for serving in the temple, so that twenty-four courses of priests would serve about twice in the year at the temple, and could do their other business the rest of the time.
We read this in verse 9, again of I Chronicles And so the list continues through the twenty-four courses. The next time we read of Asaph and the three Chief Musicians we have moved on to the reign of Solomon, and the singers are all descendants of these three men, as we read in II Chronicles We read of one significant one of these in II Chronicles , where we see that one of his sons acted as a prophet in the days of King Jehoshaphat.
The sons of Asaph were involved in the cleansing of the temple under Hezekiah, as we read in II Chronicles Once the work cleansing the temple was complete and the temple worship was begun again, it was particularly the psalms of David and of Asaph that were sung at this great event, as we read in verse 30 of the same chapter.
So they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshiped. This should not surprise us, because anyone who wrote the inspired words of God, as the Psalms are, would already be in a technical sense a prophet of the LORD. They are utterly consumed with terrors. As a dream when one awakes, So, Lord, when You awake, You shall despise their image. Surely You set them in slippery places : This is part of the understanding Asaph gained in the house of the Lord.
He understood that the ease and security of the wicked was really only an illusion, and they were actually set…in slippery places , ready to fall at any time. Earlier in the psalm, Asaph worried that his feet had almost slipped verse 2.
Now, with a perspective gained from the house of the Lord, he sees that the wicked are the ones in slippery places. The mountain yields beneath your feet, the slippery ice is melting every moment. Look down and learn your speedy doom. Yonder yawning gulf must soon receive you, while we look after you with hopeless tears.
Our prayers cannot follow you; from your slippery standing place you fall and you are gone for ever. Death makes the place where you stand slippery, for it dissolves your life every hour. Time makes it slippery, for every instant it cuts the ground from under your feet.
The vanities which you enjoy make your place slippery, for they are all like ice which shall melt before the sun. You have no foot-hold, sinner, you have no sure hope, no confidence. It is a melting thing you trust to. Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment : Asaph could only understand this with the eternal perspective brought to him at the house of the Lord. In daily life he could only see what worked well for the wicked; with an eternal perspective he saw their destruction , their desolation , their terrors.
Earlier in the psalm, we had the feeling that Asaph would gladly trade places with the wicked man who seemed to be blessed. After gaining this eternal perspective, we see that Asaph would never trade places with them. Who wants destruction , desolation , and terrors? As a dream when one awakes : With an eternal perspective from the house of God, Asaph understood that the good life of the ungodly is really as fragile as a dream, and they will soon wake to the reality of the destruction , desolation , and terrors that are their portion.
Who cares for the wealth of dreamland? Who indeed but fools? So, Lord, when You awake : Asaph admitted that it seemed as if God were asleep because one could not always see His active hand of judgment against the wicked. Using this idea, Asaph knew that God would not always sleep in His patience toward the wicked, and one day He would awake and judge them; He would despise their image. Thus my heart was grieved, And I was vexed in my mind. I was so foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You.
Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel, And afterward receive me to glory. Thus my heart was grieved…. I was so foolish and ignorant : Asaph confessed before the Lord his sinful lack of understanding before he went into the house of the Lord.
I was like a beast before You : Asaph rightly observed that animals seem to have no concept of eternity. They live their lives for momentary pleasures, satisfying natural urges. When Asaph forgot about eternity, he was truly like a beast before God. I minded only present things, as the brutes do. Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand : Asaph here declared both that he was with God, and that God was with him. You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory : With the new perspective gained at the house of the Lord, Asaph knew that God would guide him in this life and ultimately receive him to glory.
Significantly, Asaph expected God to guide him with His counsel. Asaph had the faithful expectation of an afterward of glory. This is a deliberate contrast with the end of the wicked mentioned in verses As a godly man, Asaph has his afterward and the wicked will have quite another. Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish; You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry. This is the beautiful expression of a longing heart for God and for eternity. Intellectually, Asaph probably understood that there was much for him in heaven. There were angels and dwelling places and streets of gold and the companionship of the people of God throughout all generations. Yet all of that paled in the light of the presence of God. Since thou givest me support and conduct here, and carriest me safe from hence to eternal glory, what do I need more?
Or what can I desire more?
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