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Strongs Concordance:Easton's Bible Dictionary Asaph Convener, or collector. 1. A Levite; one of the leaders of David's choir (1 Chronicles 6:39). Psalms 50 and 73-83 inclusive are attributed to him. He is mentioned along with David as skilled in music, and a "seer" (2 Chronicles 29:30). The "sons of Asaph," mentioned in 1 Chronicles 25:1, 2 Chronicles 20:14, and Ezra 2:41, were his descendants, or more probably a class of poets or singers who recognized him as their master. 2. The "recorder" in the time of Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:18, 37). 3. The "keeper of the king's forest," to whom Nehemiah requested from Artaxerxes a "letter" that he might give him timber for the temple at Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2:8). Hitchcock's Names Dictionary Asaph Naves Topical Index Asaph Smith's Bible Dictionary Asaph (collector of the people).
Smith's Bible Dictionary Asaph, Sons of (A school of poetry and musical composers founded by Asaph.)
We read the Psalms and think of David. Slayer of giants, musician, singer, King, David was a man after God’s own heart. He was multi-talented and wrote many of the Psalms, which are songs. But did you know that David wrote only half of the Psalms? Solomon, David’s son and successor wrote 2 of them. Moses is assigned authorship of Psalm 90, a prayer. The sons of Korah wrote 11 psalms while Psalm 88’s authorship is attributed to Heman, and one is assigned to Ethan the Ezrahite. Another group of 21 psalms is ascribed to the Asaph and his descendants. Asaph is assigned authorship of Psalms 50 and 73-83. So, who was Asaph? Asaph was a Levite music leader, leading the Tabernacle choir. (1 Chronicles 6:33, 39). His name means “to gather together” which is a great name for a congregational music leader. He is mentioned along with David as skilled in music, and of course not only did he write songs and play instruments but he was also a skilled singer. Interestingly, Asaph is also a seer, (2 Chronicles 29:30) which is a prophet who sees visions.
In Psalm 73, of Asaph, we read that the author was angry and discontent with the sleekness and seeming prosperity of the wicked. He mourned their health and prosperity, and wondered if his own efforts at a narrow walk and holiness were in vain. Then comes the turning point of the Psalm at verse 16-17- But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I discerned their end . (Psalm 73:16-17).It is this way with us. Until you enter the prayer closet, or the sanctuary, and inquire of God, you will be disgruntled. Communing with God in prayer or song relieves the stormy heart and soothes the troubled mind. We’re grateful that the Spirit inspired the Psalms and included them in the Bible for us to be refreshed by. We see that the human condition of faltering, wondering, coveting the wicked’s prosperous way are not new. We see also that our faithful God is always there, and can and does comfort us. As Asaph ended his Psalm, that I may tell of all your works Let us tell of Jesus’ works today. EPrata photo
As you’ve read the Scriptures, you’ve maybe noticed a heading on some of the Psalms: A psalm of Asaph. Is Asaph a person? Is it a musical notation? Who is this strange character who has written a few of these Psalms? Asaph was a person, and he was a worship leader assigned by David for the tabernacle choir. What else do we know about Asaph? And do his psalms have any kind of unifying theme? Most people do not realize that the Psalms are organized just as any of the other books of the Scriptures. It is not as if someone discovered a binder filled with worship songs, thrown together unthinkingly. They are not indiscriminately ordered; there is an intentional story told through the Psalms. They are structured around five books, likely a nod to the Torah. But they tell the story of the people of God from their formation, to the rise of the Davidic kingdom, to the exile, and end with a call to worship as the people of God are intended. Asaph is the author of twelve of these psalms. He first appears in Psalm 50 as the author and then in Psalm 73-83. Psalm 50 is in book II, and 73-83 open up book III. This third book is the darkest of the five books, and Asaph authored a majority of them. So, when you think of Asaph as a worship leader, don’t think of a contemporary worship leader with smoke, lights, and an attempt to get people excited about the Lord. Think instead of a worship leader sitting in ashes with torn clothes helping people properly lament. Who Was Asaph?It is not only through the Psalms that we hear of Asaph. He also appears in 1 Chronicles 6. This is one of those chapters that you likely skim in your Bible reading. It’s a long list of names that are difficult to read and practically impossible to connect to our day. But tucked away in this chapter (verses 31-48) is a list of “men whom David put in charge of the service of song in the house of the LORD after the ark rested there.” Asaph, the son of Berechiah, son of Shimea appears in that list. Asaph also appears in 1 Chronicles 16 as one of those assigned “before the ark of the covenant of the LORD to minister regularly before the ark as each day required.” Asaph and his brothers were to sing songs of praise each day as sacrifices were made. He also appears in 2 Chronicles 29:30 as a “seer” or a “prophet.” Here Hezekiah uses the psalms of both David and Asaph to sing praises with gladness. Asaph is long gone at this point, but it’s interesting that he is referred to here in Scripture as a seer. There is nothing particularly prophetic about his psalms except for some expectation that enemies would be judged by God. The “sons of Asaph” were also instrumental in the reconstruction following the exile. I would argue that they were perhaps part of compiling the Psalms themselves during this time. This might explain his prominence in the psalms. What Is the Central Theme of the Psalms of Asaph?To really understand the setting of Asaph one need look no further than Psalm 73. It is here in this psalm where we find the central theme to the rest — and really to all of book III. Asaph begins by reciting the goodness of God towards his people. Then Asaph confesses that his feet almost slipped. He became envious of the arrogant and godless. He saw only trouble in his life and blessing in theirs. At his lowest point Asaph cries out, “All in vain have I kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence.” The covenant that God made with Israel was that if they did good, they would be blessed, if they did evil they would be cursed. Asaph looked around and it seemed as if the wicked were blessed and the righteous were cursed. Yet, for Asaph everything changed when he “went into the sanctuary of God.” Here he gained an eternal perspective. He saw that the blessing of God is the stuff of eternity. Yes, the wicked may seem to have “no pangs until death” and their bodies are “fat and sleek” but in reality, they are walking on slippery places. They may have it all in this life, but this life is all that they have. Asaph also realized how perilous his own standing could be. Throughout the psalm, it’s as if there is an invisible force tugging at Asaph to pull him away from trusting the way of the LORD. He became “brutish and ignorant” and became “like a beast” toward the LORD. We aren’t strong enough to endure. We aren’t strong enough to keep the faith. But verse 26 points to our anchor. Here Asaph says, “my strength and my heart may fail.” It happened to him. His knees buckled. He was a stout and devout dude but all it took was one glance of his eyes to fixate on the forbidden fruit and he became like Adam and Eve — crippled by covetousness. We also have seasons where our strength fails. Thankfully our strength is not our anchor. Our heart — brutish as it can become — is not our anchor. The Lord Jesus and his accomplishment is our anchor. It is because of him that we have a reason to sing. It is because of Jesus that the Lord is our portion forever. We inherit everything because of Jesus. It is in him that we have all the spiritual blessings. Everything that is good will be yours. He will withhold no good thing. There will not be a moment when you are in heaven and you think — ah, man I missed out on that. You’ll never say, “I lack. I thirst. I hunger. I want. I need.” Never. Because there will be no good thing that is not yours. Wrap your mind around that. It is because of Jesus that the Lord will always do us good. It is because of the Lord Jesus that we are upheld by his right hand. It is because of Jesus that the Lord is our portion forever. And it is not only because of Jesus that these things are true. These things are true through Jesus as well. It is not the strength of your heart or your confession or your faith or anything of the sort that will make the Lord your portion. Those fail. Those falter. Those shake. Those buckle. Those shift. It is through Jesus that we are upheld. He is upholding us. He is doing us good. He is our portion forever. And that really is the theme of every one of these Psalms. It’s the people of God trying to hold onto the promises of God. It’s all about wrestling with the reality of living in a fallen world. At times it looks as if everything is upside down. It looks as if the enemies of God, and our enemies, are prospering. These psalms are cries given to God in those darker seasons. But they are profoundly hopeful. God is making all things right. Who Were Some other Authors of Psalms?Asaph wasn’t the only worship leader who had his works published in the inspired songbook of God’s people. King David wrote many psalms. Solomon wrote a few. Moses is credited with a couple. And the sons of Korah also make quite a few appearances. God used many different people to write these songs. People with different backgrounds and different perspectives all coming together to make one beautiful anthem of praise. Asaph seemed to be one of the more contemplative of the authors. He was able to see the depth of brutish temptation within his own heart, but also the steadfast anchor of God’s love for him. This would be vital for the Israelites as they trekked through the wilderness of exile and began to rebuild. And his work continues to serve believers even today as we long for the return of Christ. Photo credit: Unsplash/Ben White Mike Leake is husband to Nikki and father to Isaiah and Hannah. He is also the lead pastor at Calvary of Neosho, MO. Mike is the author of Torn to Heal and his writing home is http://mikeleake.net |