Asaph And His Family Of Singers

It is about time for you to meet Asaph and his singing family because the next eleven psalms are all credited to the Asaph clan. Throughout many of the Psalms and the other Old Testament books of 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah, the Asaph family keeps popping up every time music is mentioned. Asaph was the patriarch of one of the three families of Temple musicians who were appointed by King David to be in charge of singing in the Temple. They are even mentioned in one of the apocryphal books (1 Esdras), where they are identified as the “Temple singers.” Occasionally they are also described as playing the cymbals, but usually they sing.

Asaph and his family also wrote some of the Psalms. Here are a few lines from Asaph’s hymnbook:

Psalm 50:15

Trust me in your times of trouble,

and I will rescue you,

and you will give me glory.

Psalm 73:26

My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,

but God remains the strength of my heart;

he is mine forever.

Psalm 76:4

You are glorious and more majestic

than the everlasting mountains.

Psalm 77:14

You are the God of miracles and wonders!

You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations.

Psalm 82:3

Give fair judgment to the poor and the orphan;

uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute.

In the 1920s and 1930s gospel quartets enjoyed singing a novelty tune called “The Grumblers’ Song.” It started like this: “In country, town, or city, some people may be found who spend their lives at grumbling at everything around.” And the chorus went: “Oh, they grumble on Monday, grumble on Tuesday, grumble on Wednesday, too. Grumble on Thursday, grumble on Friday, grumble the whole week through.”

Asaph’s family was not like that at all. Once a vast army was marching against Judah. The people were terrified; so was King Jehoshaphat. The king prayed, “O our God . . .? We are powerless. . . . We do not know what to do” (2 Chronicles 20:12). But the Spirit of the Lord came upon one of the Asaph family, who gave the people the word from God: “Do not be afraid! . . . the battle is not yours, but God’s. . . . Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. He is with you” (verses 14-17). So King Jehoshaphat appointed singers to walk ahead of the army. When they began to give praise to God, the enemy armies began to attack each other! God gave his people a great victory that day—all because they turned to him in praise and thanksgiving.

How do you respond to the struggles of life? Are you a grumbler? Or do you praise God in all circumstances, just as he has commanded us (Ephesians 5:20)? Why not quit the Grumblers Society and become an honorary member of Asaph’s clan this week?

There is never a day so dreary,

There is never a night so long,

But the soul that is trusting in Jesus

Will somewhere find a song.

ANNA B. RUSSELL

Follow the “Asaph Family Singers” through the Old Testament: 1 Chronicles 15:19, 27; 16:5-7; 25:1-2, 6, 9; 2 Chronicles 5:12; 29:30; 35:15; Ezra 2:41; 3:10; and Nehemiah 12:46.