Within a spiritual father there is a longing from God for his children to be purposeful and useful to capacities greater than even the father walked in himself. This is imputed from God’s wisdom so that the spiritual heritage can continue its path to greater effectiveness.
This was part of David’s perfect heart toward God. Almighty God has also exemplified this with His only begotten Son Jesus, the Savior of the world.
There was a man called Asaph who was anointed to be the temple singer so that God would always be praised and not neglected. We have record that Asaph’s array of singers faithfully carried the responsibility for more than 400 years through his descendants. Almighty God scripted the verse by the hand of David in Psalm 100:4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.
Asaph was assigned these spiritual palace worship duties, often not realized as important. Asaph not only sang with voice and instrument at the gates, he attended to a useful purpose in providing timber beams for the palace entrances. As a result, Asaph was also the keeper of the king’s forest which had nothing to do with singing, or did it?
The responsibility of Asaph was about maintaining the gates with timbers, structure, singing and praise. This is a wonderful picture. Nehemiah 2:8 And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
When the presence of God occupies at the gate, it is difficult for the enemy to pass in and equally hard for a thief to steal and pass through. The singers are always the first to be attacked by Satan or man. We notice this with Jehoshaphat as the singers were the first infantry. This shows us why there is so much sensual praise or no praise at all. If there is true praise it is hunted down. Today we seek to do the least we can in providing what God has called us to do.
Let us ask ourselves some questions. Am I a helper in preserving the king’s forest so that the gates maintain their holy accesses and and to help secure the quality of what goes in and out? Do I carry questionable things in through the gates to destroy the things that God has established by His divine presence? Do I scoff at those who still have inspiration to fulfill His purposes and vision? Is it easier for me to criticize and destroy? Does my attitude neuter God’s servants because of my own issues? Has the church become eunuchs (neutered and carnal) so that God’s presence becomes unfamiliar? Have I caused God’s presence to be unwelcomed among the faithful? Have I become more comfortable with the sinner than the saint? Am I critical if someone does their job with spiritual passion? Do I threaten useful servants with the eye of jealousy? Do I seek to bring harmful influence by giving birth to more eunuchs in the house of God?
May we look at the product we have produced, literally and spiritually? May I welcome a wakeup call that I gain a better understanding of my offspring. Isaiah 39:7 And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. Has my critical mindset caused my offspring to become eunuchs? Let us not be embarrassed who we produced but what we produced. God, set a watch of repentance upon my heart! Matthew 19:12 For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother’s womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.
