In 1 Chrn 16, David appoints Asaph and his crew to sing a song of thanks for the ark of God being brought to Jerusalem. While this does present an interesting worship scenario (with the ark being in Jerusalem while the Tabernacle set up in Nob, ref. 1 Sam 21), the song of thanks is a grouping of several Psalms. The order is as follows: 1 Chrn. 16:8-22 = Psalm 105:1-15; 1 Chrn. 16:23-33 = Psalm 96; and 1 Chrn. 16:34-36 = Psalm 106:1, 47-48. All of these Psalms come from Book Four of the Psalms, a small book that only has 17 Psalms. What is intriguing about Book Four is that the Psalms prominently feature Moses, they exclaim the praise of Yahweh, and they tend to emphasize the reign of Yahweh. These features are especially true in the compilation that David has instructed the song leaders to sing. Ps. 105 is a history of the exile out of Egypt, Ps. 96 (v. 10) exclaims the reign of the Lord, and Ps. 106 is a praise to the Lord for this deliverance and rule (and note, this is the final Psalm of the book).
So what is being sung? First, the song in 1 Chrn. 16 praises the Lord for bringing them out of Egypt. Second, the song declares that the Lord is king. Finally, the song announces praises for the Lord – for His deliverance and for His rule. This is our song!! Christ has delivered us from sin and death and now He is our King. This should result in our praise and thanks to Him! David's song of thanks is our song of thanks, because God has completed what He was doing through the lives of Moses and David in Christ. David and Moses merely pointed to God's saving and ruling acts in Christ Jesus. Sing 1 Chrn 16 boldly – for this is in our hymn book as well.
