24And the leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their associates, who stood opposite them to give praise and thanksgiving, one section responding to the other, as prescribed by David the man of God.
This is surround sound at its finest! Have you ever been to a theater and had the vocalists come in from the back of the auditorium singing, filling the side aisles with their voices, sound coming from every direction, all carefully tuned and in sync? It is an experience you will not quickly forget. Here in our passage we get a glimpse of worship as it was practiced over 2500 years ago. They had teams of worshipers who sang songs of thanksgiving. They were placed opposite each other on different sides of the Temple area. They would sing in a call and response fashion. They had different parts that were sung by the groups. And there were hundreds of singers. The sound must have been amazing. There were also instruments playing. At one point when they dedicate the wall around the city, they started at one point and move in opposite directions around the wall, singing and playing as they go. Those in the city would have heard the music moving around the city, calling them to worship. The Olympic Games opening ceremony had nothing on this. This was not staged for the TV cameras, but put together to celebrate the greatness and faithfulness of the one true God. These people had been delivered and they wanted to celebrate. And celebrate they did. When was the last time you really celebrated the Lord’s goodness to you? Maybe today is the day to start.
The Arnold Journey 