“They ministered with singing before the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting, until Solomon had built the Lord’s house (temple) in Jerusalem, performing their service in due order. These men and their sons served from the Kohathites: Heman the singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel [the great prophet and judge],”
1 Chronicles 6:32-33 AMP
A question has been echoing in my spirit with today’s reading: why do the singers go first?
And almost as quickly as the question came, a memory came to mind of my Great Uncle – Uncle EJ and with it, a possible answer.
Elbert James Sprague, or Uncle EJ, was quite a character. One of my favorite memories of him is from the summer I convinced my grandmother to let me go to his house for a few days. He and my Aunt Geneva lived in Canton, had cows, and he was a real “farmer.” I was very excited!
Over breakfast early one morning, I asked him when we were going to pick potatoes and he burst into laughter. He was so tickled as he told me that we “dig” potatoes up from the ground – we don’t “pick” them.
The memory of that day is what came to mind – him tilling and turning the soil and me digging through the dirt on my hands and knees to find all those potatoes.
That’s when it hit me- he had to till and turn to soil to plant the potatoes long before he dug up them up.
It’s a little bit of a rabbit trail and may not make sense to anyone but me – but maybe the singers go first to “till the soil” of our hearts and get it ready for the Word to be planted there.
The singers prepare both the way and the atmosphere where the presence of G-d dwells.
I would never have described my Uncle EJ as a worshipper throughout his life. I never saw him in that place or that posture. But as he prepared to pass from earth into eternity, I saw his hand raise in worship as I sang songs – songs I sang to usher in the presence of G-d as the veil between heaven and earth became translucent. My Unlce EJ’s hands toiled the soil the heart then and today once again as I’m reminder how close eternity really is.
Thank you Uncle. I honor your memory today.
Father – thank You for the family You’ve given me. Your kindness is more than I deserve. Bless my Aunt Geneva with peace and healing today. You are good. Your leadership in my life is perfect and You can be trusted. Amen.
Daily Reading: 1 Chronicles 6