1 Ch. 15: All Singing, All Dancing

1 Chronicles 15:15 "And the Levites carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the LORD."

The ark was coming back to Jerusalem from Obed-Edom's crib, and David was going to do it right this time. He made sure he didn't repeat the same mistakes as last time, and was going to deal with the ark the way it was intended, by having the Levites carry it with the poles. David had an intense encounter with God's holiness, and probably had a newfound respect for it.

I wonder how Obed-Edom must have felt. The ark's time with him led to great blessing and prosperity. He must have known that it wasn't going to last forever. Would the blessings continue after the ark departed? Would God remove the blessings? Why would he?

So...David gets the music fired up too. Worship is a celebration. Joyful songs as well as horns, strings and...gasp...percussion were used to accompany the party. I imagine it was quite the scene. What songs did they sing? Did they make them up on the spot? I wonder how it all sounded, what was the structure of music a million years ago? Did they do verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus-coda? 

Verse 17 mentions that Heman, the Master of the Universe, played the cymbals, along with Asaph and Ethan. Interesting that he had time to stop battling Skeletor and come over from ... ok, enough of that.

The lead singer of this whole deal was Kenaniah. Minor thus far, as characters go, but immortalized in the great eponymous Petra song. I wonder what he sounded like? Deep rumbling baritone? Soaring tenor? I don't know. But if the Levites appointed him, he must have had what it takes to be the next Americ...to lead the entire nation in song.

David's wife Michal looked disapprovingly upon this whole situation, David dancing freely, intensely, celebrating before God. She thought it was unbecoming of a king to go that nuts before the LORD. 2 Samuel 6, entry.