What Does the Bible Say about Asaph?
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Asaph is the psalmist you know but don’t realize you know. He’s also the psalmist you should get to know because he has many lessons for us.
What Does the Name Asaph Mean?
Asaph is a Hebrew name that means “collector,” “convener,” or “who gathers together.” It appears many times in Scripture.
There are three Asaphs mentioned in the Old Testament. One is noted as the father of Joah, the recorder who worked for King Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:18; 18:37). Joah was part of the king’s household staff. Typical of those who kept the records, we learn little else about this Asaph.
Another Asaph lived during Nehemiah’s time and is mentioned as “keeper of the king’s forest” (Nehemiah 2:8). Part of Nehemiah’s request to the king was that he should be given letters, one for Asaph, “that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.” This Asaph must have chosen lumber to help rebuild Jerusalem.
The “sons of Asaph” are also mentioned in Nehemiah 7, 11, and 12. These were Levites involved in the music and worship of the Israelites and may have been biological sons of Asaph, musical Levites mentored by him, or both.
A third, to whom we’ll devote our attention, was a Levitical choir leader in King David’s time (1 Chronicles 6:39) following the ark’s return to Israel.
Who Was the Asaph that Lived in David’s Time?
The third Asaph is introduced in a passage about how King David appointed musicians to lead worship (1 Chronicles 6:31-32). Asaph, “the son of Berechiah, son of Shimea,” was one of those men (1 Chronicles 6:39).
A reference to Asaph’s songs being used in King Hezekiah’s reign refers to him as a seer (2 Chronicles 29:30). This indicated he had a prophetic or visionary role through his words.
We know Asaph could sing and play an instrument (loudly apparently) from 1 Chronicles 15:16-17:
“David also commanded the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brothers as the singers who should play loudly on musical instruments, on harps and lyres and cymbals, to raise sounds of joy. So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brothers Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari, their brothers, Ethan the son of Kushaiah…” (ESV)
How Many Psalms Did Asaph Write?
Twelve psalms are attributed to Asaph: Psalm 50 and the 11 psalms that open Book III of the Psalms (Psalms 73-83).
Asaph penned many familiar Bible verses, such as:
“Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:25-26 ESV)
This passage gives you a sense of this prophet-poet who wrestled with his circumstances to hold onto faith and successfully kept his eyes on God.
More than a wordsmith, Asaph wove prophetic visions and pronouncements, often of judgment, into his psalms. The role of a prophet was to “foretell and to forthtell,” meaning to proclaim the words of God, usually warning of coming judgment. Asaph’s words certainly included foretelling.
Asaph’s psalms, first sung in worship by the Israelites, are darker songs than other psalms. They have a distinct tone of lament, reflecting the times they were written.
Asaph lived and led worship during David’s reign, which was so full of warfare that God would not allow David to build his temple:
“Then King David rose to his feet and said: ‘Hear me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord and for the footstool of our God, and I made preparations for building. But God said to me, ‘You may not build a house for my name, for you are a man of war and have shed blood.’” (1 Chronicles 28:2-3 ESV)
The turmoil of these times was the backdrop for the tone of Asaph’s psalms.
Many modern believers can relate to Psalm 73:2-3, “But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” Asaph reminds us (again) of the value of worship in verses 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.”
In Psalm 74, Asaph cries out to God over a disaster that has come upon Israel. Introducing this song to worship would have meant leading the entire community of Israel in a lament echoed later on in Habakkuk—who, like Asaph, cried out, “How long, O Lord?” Asaph calls on God to arise and defend His people.
Psalms 75-79 recount God’s mighty deeds and appeals to God to save. Psalm 80 is a request for restoration. In Psalm 81, Asaph calls on his people to abandon their idolatry, and in Psalms 82 and 83, Asaph speaks of God’s judgments against those nations who have come against Israel.
This set of psalms illustrates a progressive appeal to God in prayer and worship for deliverance from personal and national unrighteousness. Asaph focused much of his writing on God as judge, administer of justice, and deliverer. The only other psalm he wrote, Psalm 50, appears to speak with strong terms and metaphors of God as a judge. Still, Asaph ends Psalm 50 with hope when he writes, “The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!” (Psalm 50:23 ESV)
What Can We Learn from Asaph’s Psalms?
The lessons Asaph learned and lived out are relevant and applicable to our lives.
Lesson 1: Worship is a priority. King David and all the kings after him treated worship as vital enough that the king himself selected the musicians, as we see in the passage about David selecting Asaph.
Lesson 2: God can use every believer’s gifts, voice, and life to build His family. Asaph was a talented musician who used his talents to contribute to prophecy and speak God’s Holy Word. The canon of Scripture is closed, but God continues to speak through believers with various gifts and roles in our times.
Lesson 3: Humans’ struggles haven’t changed. Asaph shared his personal struggles in his Psalms but called God’s people to repentance and warned of consequences for those who practice unrighteousness. In Psalm 73, Asaph describes his personal struggle. In the next psalm, he illustrates his nation’s struggle to stay righteous—something nations still struggle with today.
Lesson 4: Worship brings us back to God in dark times. Asaph’s struggles mirror ours, and we can learn how to hold onto faith from his words. Worship was key to Asaph’s faith and should be key for us. In Psalm 73, he describes how his faith had nearly slipped, but he found his footing in the sanctuary of God, worshiping among his people.
How Can We Benefit from Asaph’s Psalms Today?
The meaning of Asaph’s name, “convene” or “to gather together,” combined with his role—bringing people together to worship. His example should encourage us to prioritize joining with other believers in worship.
He closed Psalm 73 by saying, “But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works” (Psalm 73:28). This is a worthy prescription for a faith that is slipping from our grasp: Draw near to God, make God our refuge, and speak of His works to others. It also describes what happens when we gather for worship.
He wrote his psalms when Israel was undergoing a time of wrestling, hardship, and warfare. He also wrestled within his soul because of the unrighteousness he witnessed. And yet, despite his times and personal turmoil, Asaph held onto faith. He wrote of his belief that as hard as it is to be righteous, it is worse to choose unrighteousness.
The writer of Hebrews urges Christians, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24-25). This practice may be particularly vital during stressful times. It could be key to addressing the division of our times—if we’ll only listen to the voice of Asaph, musician, prophet, and poet. His particular role of writing Scripture can’t be imitated today. Still, perhaps some of “Asaph’s sons (and daughters)” continue to speak God’s truth with their music and words today, encouraging us to come together in worship.
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/MKucova
