Later, David feels ashamed to see God’s ark housed in something inferior to his own palace. He wants to build a magnificent temple suitable for the ark and formal worship. But God refuses his request. David may make preparations, but the privilege of building the temple goes to David’s son, Solomon. David prepares by setting aside money and materials in vast quantities. He also organizes armies of musicians for the coming temple.
The Levites, thirty years old and upward, were numbered, and the total was 38,000 men. “Twenty-four thousand of these,” David said, “shall have charge of the work in the house of the LORD, 6,000 shall be officers and judges, 4,000 gatekeepers, and 4,000 shall offer praises to the LORD with the instruments that I have made for praise.” (1 Chronicles 23:3-5)
David and the chiefs of the service also set apart for the service the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who prophesied with lyres, with harps, and with cymbals. (1 Chronicles 25:1)
In due time, Solomon implements his father’s arrangements.
All the Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, their sons and kinsmen, arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals, harps, and lyres, stood east of the altar with 120 priests who were trumpeters; and it was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the LORD, and when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the LORD, “For He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever,” the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud. (2 Chronicles 5:12-13)
Then the king and all the people offered sacrifice before the LORD. King Solomon offered as a sacrifice 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. The priests stood at their posts; the Levites also, with the instruments for music to the LORD that King David had made for giving thanks to the LORD—for His steadfast love endures forever—whenever David offered praises by their ministry; opposite them the priests sounded trumpets, and all Israel stood. (2 Chronicles 7:4-6)
“The instruments for music to the LORD” now become integral to the priestly and Levitical worship. Remember this close connection to the animal sacrifices and the temple. It may prove important as we consider music’s ultimate meaning.