It was a marvellous day when King David was finally able to fulfil his ambition —to bring God’s Ark into Jerusalem. There was no temple at that time, but David had set up a tent in the grounds of his own house. The Ark was a gold-plated chest where God’s presence was (2 Samuel 6:2), and David wanted to be close to his God.
Since the Israelites arrived in the Promised Land there had been centuries of spiritual stagnation, but David was determined that he was going to turn that around. The Ark was going to be the focus of a revitalized culture of worship for the nation.
1 Chronicles 16 describes the great day. The king had called the nation together for a celebration. He had made detailed preparations. ‘Then he appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the Lord, to invoke, to thank, and to praise the Lord, the God of Israel’ (v. 4). He organised a choir and instrumentalists to lead the regular service before the Ark. And being a musician himself and an inspired Psalmist, he produced a song for use in the worship:
Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!
Sing to him; sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!… (vs. 8–10).
The song culminates in a crescendo of praise:
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures for ever!’ (v. 34).
Solomon’s Temple
From that time on, that phrase ‘His steadfast love endures for ever’ occurs time and again in the people’s worship. When David’s son Solomon built the temple, he called the nation together for another great celebration. This is what happened:
And when the priests came out of the Holy Place… 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 for ever,”
the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God (2 Chronicles 5:11–14).
Solomon prepared offerings and made a prayer of dedication. When he had finished fire descended from heaven and consumed the sacrifices, and the people fell on their faces and shouted ‘For he is good, for his steadfast love endures for ever’ (7:3). It was their spontaneous chorus of worship.
The phrase appears throughout the book of Psalms, including as a chorus in every verse of Psalm 136. When the Jews returned from exile and rebuilt the temple, five centuries after Solomon’s first temple, this was still the phrase at the core of their worship:
And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord,
“For he is good
for his steadfast love endures for ever towards Israel.”
And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid (Ezra 3:11).
Steadfast Love
It was the ‘steadfast love’ of their God for which they praised Him. What does ‘steadfast love’ mean? It’s a single Hebrew word, hesed. Your Bible version might translate it as ‘loving-kindness’, or ‘mercy’. According to a Bible dictionary it means ‘devotion’, and it defines it as ‘commitment to a relationship beyond the rule of law’. What does that mean?
The word is very often used of God’s love for His people, and it’s also sometimes used of their love for Him. It’s used of the love within a marriage, and perhaps that enables us to grasp its meaning—it’s an attachment which is both contractual and emotional, the kind of love that hangs on through good times and bad, doesn’t hold grudges, makes you do things purely for the pleasure of making the other happy. In the Old Testament God presents Himself as a husband to His people Israel
(Isaiah 54:5), just as in the New Testament the community of believers is described as the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:31–32).
God’s love for His people Israel endures for ever (Jeremiah 33:25–26), although they don’t deserve it. One day (we believe it will be soon!) a remnant of them will turn to Him and be saved (Romans 9:27). God’s love for you and me (if we have been baptised into His family) endures for ever. No matter how unworthy we are, if we walk with Him in repentance and faith, we will be saved: ‘For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God’ (Ephesians 2:8).
The Song of the Redeemed
Finally we come to the Bible’s last book, Revelation. It shows us a number of glimpses of the Kingdom of God, after Christ has returned. This is one of them. God’s people are worshipping Him again in song. They’re now singing of His steadfast love to all His people:
And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,
“Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations!
Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed” (Revelation 15:3–4).
Do you want to be there, in that glorious age, among that immortal throng? Now is the time to make your decision.
Emmanuel Chipaka