When looking up the first verse with the next word for praise on my list, halal, it brought me to the story of David bringing the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem. However, instead of my focus being draw to the word halal, it was drawn to the Levite Asaf.
From 1 Chronicles 15:
[16] David spoke to the chief of the L’vi’im (Levites) to appoint their kinsmen to be singers making use of musical instruments – lutes, lyres, and cymbals – to play loudly and raise sounds of joy. [17] So the L’vi’im appointed Heman the son of Yo’el; of his kinsmen, Asaf the son of Berekhyahu; of the descendants of M’rari their kinsmen, Eitan the son of Kushayahu;
[19] The singers Heman, Asaf, and Eitan were appointed to sound the bronze cymbals.
From 1 Chronicles 16:
[4] He (David) appointed certain L‘vi’im to serve in front of the ark of Adonai, to celebrate and to thank and praise Adonai the God of Isra’el: [5] Asaf, the leader; assisting him, Z’kharyah; then Ye’I’el, Sh’miramot, Yechi’el, Mattityahu, Eli’av, B’nayahu, ‘Oved-Edom and Yachzi’el the Cohanim blew the trumpets continually before the ark for the covenant of God. [7] It was on that same day that David first ordered that thanks be given to Adonai through Asaf and his kinsmen.
[37] So, there before the ark for the covenant of Adonai, David left Asaf and his kinsmen to perform the service regularly before the ark, as each day’s work required.
In 1 Chronicles 25:1-2 reads, [1] For the service, David and the army commanders selected some of the descendants of Asaf, of Heman and of Y’dutun to prophesy with lyres, lutes, and cymbals. The list of those doing this work, according to the type of work performed was: [2] Of the descendants of Asaf: Zakur, Yosef, N’tanyah and Asar’elah; the sons of Asaf were with Asaf, who prophesied according to the direction of the king.
What we can gather from scripture, is that Asaf was a chief musician and a prophet who served before the ark, and that he had musicians who were also prophets who served with him. Outside of what we read in Chronicles, there is not much to his personal history. In the book of Psalms, there are twelve, Psalms 50 and 73-83, that are accredited to him, and as I sat and read each of them it made me wonder why I had never paid as much attention to the detail of each psalm in its entirety before. It is through these psalms that we see the prophecies that he wrote into his music. One of the details that I love about the Complete Jewish Study Bible is that throughout the New Testament it gives the scripture reference for each Old Testament verse quoted. From Matthew to Revelation, there are five times that Asaf is quoted. It is these quotes that we will look at.
1. Matthew 13:34-35: [34] All these things Yeshua said to the crowds in parables; indeed, that he said nothing to them without using a parable. [35] This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, “I will open my mouth in parables, I will say what has been hidden since the creation of the universe.” One of the facts about Yeshua that most people know right off the bat is that He taught using parables. If you are like me, you will not have known that it was Asaf who wrote this in Psalm 78:2, I will speak to you in parables and explain mysteries from days of old. This psalm speaks of Israel’s history of the Exodus and their wanderings in the desert. Verses 67-69 mention the lineage of Yeshua saying, [67] Rejecting the tents of Yosef (Joseph) and passing over the tribe of Efrayim, [68] he chose the tribe of Y’hudah (Judah), Mount Tziyon, which he loved. [69] He built his sanctuary like the heights; like the earth, he made it to last forever.
2. John 10:31-38: [31] Once again the Judeans picked up rocks in order to stone him. [32] Yeshua answered them, “You have seen me do many good deeds that reflect the Father’s power; for which one of the deeds are you stoning me?” [33] The Judeans replied, “We are not stoning you for any good deed, but for blasphemy – because you, who are only a man, are making yourself out to be God [Heb. Elohim].” [34] Yeshua answered them, “Isn’t it written in your Torah, ‘I have said, “You people are Elohim’”? [35] If he called ‘elohim’ the people to whom the word of Elohim was addressed (and the Tanakh cannot be broken), [36] then are you telling the one whom the Father set apart as holy and sent into the world, ‘You are committing blasphemy,’ just because I said, ‘I am a son of Elohim’? [37] If I am not doing deeds that reflect my Father’s power, don’t trust me. [38] But if I am, then, even if you don’t trust me, trust the deeds; so that you may understand once and for all that the Father is united with me, and I am united with the Father.” Psalm 82 is where we find Yeshua quoted from, but in order to understand what he is saying in verse 6, the quoted verse, the entire psalm must be taken into account.
Psalm 82
[1] Elohim [God] stands in the divine assembly; there with the elohim [judges], he judges: [2] “How long will you go on judging unfairly, favoring the wicked? [3] Give justice to the weak and fatherless! Uphold the rights of the wretched and poor! Rescue the destitute and needy; deliver them from the power of the wicked!” [5] They don’t know, they don’t understand, they wander about in darkness; meanwhile all the foundations of the earth are being undermined. [6] “My decree is: ‘You are elohim [gods, judges], sons of the Most High all of you. [7] Nevertheless you will die like mortals; like any prince, you will fall.’” [8] Rise up, Elohim, and judge the earth; for all the nations are yours.
The CJSB explains that in verse 1 the one true God, Elohim, stands in the Great Assembly in heaven. In stating that “you are elohim,” the psalmist is speaking of those who were appointed as the judges and administers in Isra’el. I can’t help but think of Jeremiah 23 which starts by saying, “Oh no! The shepherds are destroying and scattering the sheep in my pasture!”, but in verse 5 prophecies “The days are coming,” says Adonai when I will raise a righteous Branch for David. He will reign as king and succeed; he will do what is just and right in the land.
3. 1 Corinthians 10:26 reads, for the earth and everything in it belong to the Lord. This is quoted from the first psalm accredited to Asaf. We find the reference in Psalm 50:12, If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is mine, and everything in it. We are familiar with verse 10 of this particular psalm as it tells us that the animals (cattle) on a thousand hills are His. This entire psalm is powerfully prophetic and speaks of Yeshua’s return and His role as Supreme Judge in the Messianic Age.
4. In Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians, we find our next New Testament reference to one of Asaf’s psalms. Chapter 1, verses 6-8 read, For it is justice for God to pay back trouble to those who are troubling you, [7] and to give rest along with us to you who are being troubled, when the Lord Yeshua is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels [8] in a fiery flame. Then he will punish those who don’t know God that is, those who don’t listen to the Good News of our Lord Yeshua and obey it. Psalm 79 is more of a song of lament as it speaks of the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem. In verse 6 Asaf cries out, Pour out your wrath on the nations that don’t know you on the kingdoms that don’t call on your name. This psalm again made me think of the prophet Jeremiah as he cried out to God for His compassion upon His people. One cannot help but also think of the compassion of Yeshua as He gave His life so that all the nations could know the Father through Him.
5. The final reference to the writings of Asaf is found in Hebrews 13:15-16. [15] Through him, therefore, let us offer God a sacrifice of praise continually. For this is the natural product of lips that acknowledge his name. [16] But don’t forget doing good and sharing with others, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Two verses from Psalm 50 are what Paul was referring to. Verse 14, Offer thanksgiving as your sacrifice to God, pay your vows to the Most High. And verse 23, Whoever offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice honors me; and to him who goes the right way I will show the salvation of God. Asaf was not the only psalmist to write about sacrifice and thanksgiving in the same sentence, Psalm 116:17 says, I will offer a sacrifice of thanks to you and will call on the name of Adonai. Thanksgiving is a form of praise that can only come from our heart. You may have noticed earlier in this post a passage of scripture that is in bold print, but no reference as to why; it is because it ties to these scriptures. David ordered thanks be given to Adonai through Asaf and his kinsmen, and Asaf was true to his charge.
While we do not know much about the life of Asaf outside of the few scriptures that detail his service to God and the psalms that he penned, we can see through his words the impact he had on those who have read and will continue to read them. Asaf means “gatherer”, and throughout the centuries, he has gathered readers, including Yeshua and Paul to share his words across the pages of scripture from Old Testament to New, and unless Yeshua tarries, we will see his prophetic words fulfilled before our own eyes. While a chief musician to the king (David), Asaf was a living sacrifice of praise to the King of Kings.
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