December 15, 2021 -- I Chronicles 15:28 -- Shouts of joy, unspeakable joy!

People loved by the Father, by the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

So all Israel brought up the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD with shouting, to the sound of the horn, trumpets, cymbals, and made loud music on harps and lyres.
I Chronicles 15:28 ESV

Look at the layers of sound involved in this praise-making which is given to the glory of the LORD. Horns are loud. Trumpets louder. Cymbals—these make a noise which we call a clash. The brief text before us notes the players made loud music—they took loud sounding instruments and played them to the full and added to this harps and lyres—coaxing from these as well as much sound as they could produce. Why?

The Ark of the Covenant of the LORD represented the presence of the LORD among His people. Inside the Ark are the Ten Commandments, the sign of God’s covenant commitment to His people. There is a jar of mana in it as well. When Israel disputed about which tribe should have leadership concerning the things of God their LORD, the leaders of each tribe brought an almond branch. These twelve sticks were placed before the Ark and overnight the stick of Aaron, the Priest, grew flowers, and produced ripe almonds. God the Creator confirmed Aaron and the Levites as His servants. All of these are signs of the fact God is Immanuel—The God Who is with His people.

Today we shout and praise God because He is Immanuel—proved so in Jesus Christ and now, in our time, it is the Spirit of God Who seals the work of Christ in us. No wonder the people of the Living God break out into praise through-out every age and every generation. It is joy unspeakable, and full of glory. God is near. He has rescued His people.

Mighty God, Majestic Deliverer, forgive the times my praise is barely lukewarm. Forgive the times I am mumbling words of adoration as I am rifling through my desk for this thing or shuffling through the archives of my brain for that inconsequential item. As David and the people of Israel shouted before the Ark, inspire me by Your Spirit to declare my praise to Jesus Christ—Who is the radiance of Your glory. Give me holy focus that is centred always, truly, and whole-heartedly on Jesus. Spirit of God let the overwhelming joy of knowing Jesus Christ result in overflowing joy which leads to outpourings of praise and loud ascriptions of His glory.

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