The Spiritual Song - Exploring Prophetic Worship by Mike Herron

Asaph ministered on Mount Zion at David’s Tabernacle while Heman and Ethan ministered at Moses’ Tabernacle. This was significant because the glory of The Ark of the Lord’s Covenant was there while there was no Ark at Moses’ Tabernacle on Mount Gibeon. Like the coming New Testament era of grace, Asaph experienced the immediate presence of the Lord while his contemporaries sang praises before a Tabernacle that represented the fading glory of the Law. (1 Chron. 16:4, 41) Asaph is later described as a seer; ‘ divine communication in a vision, oracle, prophecy 20 this was a high prophetic office in Israel. Apparently Asaph could see open visions and visions in his mind through the gift of the Holy Spirit and express them with song. ‘King Hezekiah and the officials ordered the Levites to praise the Lord with the psalms written by David and by Asaph the seer. So they offered joyous praise and bowed down in worship.’ (2 Chron 29:30) Asaph ’s greatest honor from the Lord was that he authored 12 Psalms: 50, 73-83. Some of the distinguishing marks of the psalms are the use of God’s name ‘Elohim’, the emphasis on his presence in Zion, his references to the history of Israel and the direct prophecies from the Lord. The Holy Spirit becomes the source of inspiration for the songwriter.

20 Brown, Driver & Briggs.