In 1 Chronicles 16 King David chose and expressly named men to give thanks to the Lord. This is an interesting vocation at least, and a position which all believers are elected to fulfill today.

David did more than appoint others to give thanks, and he certainly didn’t hire others to do what he was unwilling to do. In addition to appointing thanksgivers, he himself blessed the people and his household.

When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD, and distributed to all Israel, both men and women, to each a loaf of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins. (verses 2-3)

Then the final verse of the chapter,

Then all the people departed each to his house, and David went home to bless his household. (verse 43)

What does this work of blessing involve? It seems, from the chapter, to be theological, doxological, and practical.

Blessing others depends on God, and the greater the God the greater the model and motivation of blessing. The largest part of chapter 16, verses 8-36, is David’s song, lyrics he wrote and provided to the worship team to put to song and teach the people to sing. God is holy, strong, faithful, majestic. This is who God is.

God has done wondrous works, He makes covenants and keeps His covenants, He protects, He made and established the world. He reigns. This is what God has done.

So David knows it (theology) and sings about it (doxology) and then imitates it by sharing food with the people. In other words, he announced God’s greatness and goodness with gratitude, and then gave gifts.

We cannot appoint others to give thanks if we aren’t. People, such as pastors, can’t praise for us, though they must help lead it. Thanksgiving can be multiplied in a crowd, but we cannot buy our way out of it through mercenaries of thanks ministry. I was thinking especially about dads and our worship. We are to worship with the church family, and go home and bless our households also.