We, as the “Temple of the Holy Spirit of Yehovah” today must continue to look for ways to understand and apply His Temple instructions to Moses and David so we can be more effective vessels of Praise, Worship and bringing Glory to His Name.
The duties of the singers and musicians in the Temple.
They were selected and set apart to their assigned function. There was a total of 288 singers (1 Chronicles 25:7-11) and 4000 musicians (1 Chronicles 23:5)divided into 24 courses. Therefore each course had 12 singers and more than 160 musicians. Unlike the singers, the musicians were from several families, but only one family musical group would accompany each 12 voice choir thus making rehearsals and travel more convenient.
The real service of praise in the Temple was only with the voices. The instruments accompanied and sustained the songs. The main instruments were the Nevel (harp) and the Kinnor (lyre). The silver trumpets, blown by the priests only, were for calling the assembly to worship at the Temple or to change postures while worshipping..
Cymbals were used only as a signal to begins certain parts of the services.
Other instruments were the cornet, dulcimer, flute, organ, pipe, psaltery, sackbut, timbrel and viol which were added in by the director as needed for each particular song,.
The Levite choir offered praises in the morning and evening services every day. They were trained and skillful (1 Chronicles 25:6-7) and were free from other duties (1 Chronicles 9:33). Although they sang on many occasions in the Holy Temple, one of their most important and basic tasks was the daily special song for that particular day. Each day the Levite choir stood atop the platform located in the court of Israel facing the outer altar, just inside the Nicanor gates. On the festival and new moon days, different songs were sung. All these songs with their instrumental arrangements, were performed while the morning and evening wine libations were being poured out on the altar by the officiating priests. Thus the Levites accompanied the Divine service of the priests with their own service. They complimented each other; in many ways, the Levitical songs were as important a Temple function as the priestly service of the sacrifices themselves, for the one could not function without the other- they were both a vital part of worship. Timing was essential . Each day, during the wine libation, the overseer of the choir stood atop one of the horns of the huge altar and signalled to the Levites “with a kerchief his hand” to begin their song. At three points in their song, they would pause, when the priests would sound the silver trumpets and all the people in the court prostrated themselves before the Presence of Yehovah
There were particular songs for each day of the week. On the first day of the week they sang Psalm 24, which begins with”The earth is Yehovah’s, and the fullness thereof” since on the very first day it was created. On the second day they sang Psalm 48 , which begins with “Great is Yehovah, in the mountains of His holiness” since on day #2 the waters were divided and a firmament was placed between the upper and lower waters (Genesis 1:6-7). On day #3, the Levites sang Psalm 82 beginning with the words “Yehovah stands with His congregation and judges” since on day #3 He brought forth the land for his congregation to live on, teach and judge from. On day #4 of the week, they sang Psalm 94 which begins with “O Yehovah Elohim, to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth” since on day #4 of creation, the sun,moon and stars were made visible and vengeance will be later made on those who would worship these heavenly bodies as gods. On day #5 they sang Psalm 81 beginning with “Sing aloud to Yehovah our strength: make a joyful noise to the Elohim of Yacob” for He created all the myriads of variations of animals of His handiwork on day #5. On day #6 the Levites sang Psalm 93, which begins with” Yehovah reigns, He is clothed in majesty.” Creation was crowned and completed on this day with the creation of man in the image of the creator for the express duty of recognizing Yehovah’s greatness, rulership, and becoming totally subject to the King of the universe and understanding his place in guarding and maintaining the vastness of the earth and it’s life forms. On day #7, the Holy Sabbath of rest, the Levites sang “A Psalm, a song for the Sabbath day”-Psalm 92- a song of tranquility and eternal life,. lookong ahead to the 7th millenial “day of rest” and beyond.
Even more worshipful thoughts were generated by the song selections for each day, since they also reminded the congregation of each thousand year “day” of time (Psalm 90:4) The first day song, Psalm 24 spoke of the fullness of the earth as before the flood. The second day song, Psalm 48 spoke of the mountain of Yehovah, which was mount Moriah, chosen in the second millenial day and marked by Abraham’s sacrifice, and will be Yehovah’s resting place forever with mankind. The third day song, Psalm 82 spoke of Yehovah standing and judging , and the Torah and His Divine Presence in their midst was given to mankind during the third millenium.
Psalm 94, sung on day #4, talking of Yehovah’s vengeance, referred to the times of the Israelites being taken away and the Temple being destroyed and His vengeance coming on those disobedient ones and the nations who did the damages. The fifth day song, Psalm 81 spoke of singing, since no Temple services were to be availabe for over a thousand years, all Israel could do was sing to their Elohim. On day #6 , Psalm 93 speaks of Yehovah completing His creation, His family, His kingdom, mightier, unaffected by the the nations and the adversary (waters and waves)with His dwelling place, His House in the hearts of men who are become Holy,set apart for ruling, reigning and teaching their testimonies and His Torah to the nations that are left after the flood(devastation). On day #7, Psalm 92 pictures the restful kingdom of Yeshua on earth and the eternal tranquility and growth of Yehovah’s family throughout eternity from his courts in the New Jerusalem.
A strange event happened as the Temple was being ravaged by the Romans in CE 68 and the last temple service was completed on a Sabbath evening. Instead of Psalm 92 being sung, the choir sung the song of the fourth day, Psalm 94, the Psalm of vengeance and renewal and rebirth signifying the rebuilding of the Temple which (unbeknown to them)had ALREADY started on a 4th day,40 years earlier Wednesday April 28, 28CE when Yeshua said “It is finished”, the veil of Herod’s temple rent and left it open and exposed with no divine presence there any longer (virtually torn down and spiritually depleted- see lesson #4), and He gave His life and was resurrected 3 days later so His true disciples could have His presence in them and become the NEW TEMPLE, not made with hands ,(Mark 14:58)that would go on into the kingdom, doing his bidding, teaching the clean apart from the unclean, serving Him forever in RIGHTEOUSNESS and TRUTH.
There is so much hidden away by our Father for us to discover in His WORD, His language, His temple services, His parables, His idioms, and His prayers. Let’s strive to find as many nuggets of truth as we can every time we meet together and every time we study alone with the Holy Spirit in us guiding and leading us to understand a little more of “ALL TRUTH” that He has for us to learn. (John 14:26)
Tristate Messianic Fellowship 