article by site founder, Connie Rice
In his commentary on the book of 1 Chronicles, Chapter 16, respected pastor and theologian from the late 17th and early 18th Centuries, Matthew Henry, gives context and background for this portion of Scripture. He notes that David used parts of psalms he had already written to create a prayer of thanksgiving to God. It had been on David’s heart to bring the Ark of the Covenant, which had been God’s dwelling place in the wilderness and beyond, symbolizing His presence with the Israelites beginning with Moses as explained in the book of Exodus. In Chapter 16 of 1 Chronicles, David had just brought the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem for the public worship of God. Below is the passage beginning in verse 8 – our church used this passage in a sermon this past Sunday (May 24, 2026) and it is applicable to our present day as well:
8Oh, give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
9 Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
10 Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
11 Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
12 Remember His marvelous works which He has done,
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,
13 O seed of Israel His servant,
You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!
14 He is the Lord our God;
His judgments are in all the earth.
15 Remember His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations,
16 The covenant which He made with Abraham,
And His oath to Isaac,
17 And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute,
To Israel for an everlasting covenant,
18 Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
As the allotment of your inheritance,”
19 When you were few in number,
Indeed very few, and strangers in it.
20 When they went from one nation to another,
And from one kingdom to another people,
21 He permitted no man to do them wrong;
Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes,
22 Saying, “Do not touch My anointed ones,
And do My prophets no harm.”
23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
24 Declare His glory among the nations,
His wonders among all peoples.
25 For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised;
He is also to be feared above all gods.
26 For all the gods of the peoples are [a]idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
27 Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and gladness are in His place.
28 Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
Give to the Lord glory and strength.
29 Give to the Lord the glory due His name;
Bring an offering, and come before Him.
Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!
30 Tremble before Him, all the earth.
The world also is firmly established,
It shall not be moved.
31 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
And let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”
32 Let the sea roar, and all its fullness;
Let the field rejoice, and all that is in it.
33 Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the Lord,
For He is coming to judge the earth.
34 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
35 And say, “Save us, O God of our salvation;
Gather us together, and deliver us from the Gentiles,
To give thanks to Your holy name,
To triumph in Your praise.”
36 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
And all the people said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord.
Sadly, those in our culture have forgotten or have never really known who God is, so there is a strong tendency for people to make God in their own image, using their wisdom to judge Him and His Word. God is our Creator and knows us better than we know ourselves. He provided a way for us to live in freedom from the bondage of sin as well as be with Him in heaven forever. He even gave us His Word so we could know Him and know how to live in fellowship with Him while on earth. The gift of salvation through Jesus Christ is free to all who will believe in Him and surrender their lives to Him, but it came at great cost to Him. When we think logically about it, the extent of God’s love, mercy, and patience toward sinful and arrogant mankind is mind-boggling and should leave us with a grateful heart, totally in awe of Him. Below is part of Psalm 25 written by David:
4Show me Your ways, O Lord;
Teach me Your paths.
5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day.
6 Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses,
For they are from of old.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions;
According to Your mercy remember me,
For Your goodness’ sake, O Lord.
8 Good and upright is the Lord;
Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.
9 The humble He guides in justice,
And the humble He teaches His way.
10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth,
To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.
11 For Your name’s sake, O Lord,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.
If you really want to know if God is real and if He is who He says He is, then genuinely seek Him – but don’t be surprised if He chooses to reveal Himself to you. Before I did this, I was completely unaware of the invisible spiritual realm and that it was even possible to have a personal relationship with my Creator while still in the midst of a fallen world. When God revealed Himself to me, it changed my life and gave me peace and purpose that I had never experienced before. Studying His Word with the help of the Holy Spirit (another gift from God to help and guide us) has given me understanding and discernment. I’m so thankful that He has allowed me to be part of His Kingdom work so others can find Him too. God is truly worthy of all praise and glory. May each of us learn this and remind ourselves of it thereafter, until He takes us home to be with Him forever.
© Constance Rice 2026
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