In this chapter, we learn about the descendants of Levi, and the responsibilities they were assigned by David. The chapter begins, “When David was an old man, he appointed his son Solomon to be king over Israel. David summoned all the political leaders of Israel, together with the priests and Levites, for the coronation ceremony. All the Levites who were thirty years old or older were counted, and the total came to thirty-eight thousand. Then David said, “Twenty-four thousand of them will supervise the work at the Temple of the Lord. Six thousand are to serve as officials and judges. Four thousand will work as gatekeepers, and another four thousand will praise the Lord with the musical instruments I have made.” Then David divided the Levites into divisions named after the clans descended from the three sons of Levi – Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. (1 Chronicles 23:1-6)
These clans were the Gershonites, Kohathites, and Merarites. In my opinion, the Kohathites were the most important clan because Aaron and Moses are descendants of this group. “The descendants of Kohath included Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his descendants were set apart to dedicate the most holy things, to offer sacrifices in the Lord’s presence, to serve the Lord, and to pronounce blessings in his name forever. (Aaron was the first High priest, and his descendants were priests.)
As for Moses, the man of God, his sons were included with the tribe of Levi. (Why is the text saying Moses' sons were included with the tribe of Levi? It reads as if they are not Levites. Moses is a Levite! Wouldn’t his sons automatically be included with the tribe? Why is that fact being emphasized? Just thinking aloud.) The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer. The descendants of Gershom included Shebuel, the family leader. Eliezer had only one son, Rehabiah, the family leader. Rehabiah had numerous descendants.” (1 Chronicles 23:12-17) I have always wondered if Moses had children. Now I know. Maybe I just missed it, but it seems as though there is very little information about Moses’ children from previous books.
The rest of the chapter breaks down the responsibilities of the Levites. “Each Levite had to be twenty years old or older to qualify for service in the house of the Lord. For David said, “The Lord, the God of Israel, has given us peace, and he will always live in Jerusalem. Now the Levites will no longer need to carry the Tabernacle and its utensils from place to place.” It was according to Davis’s final instructions that all the Levites twenty years old or older were registered for service.
The work of the Levites was to assist the priests, the descendants of Aaron, as they served at the house of the Lord. They also took care of the courtyards and side rooms, helped perform the ceremonies of purification, and served in many other ways in the house of God. They were in charge of the sacred bread that was set out on the table, the choice flour for the grain offerings, the wafers made without yeast, the cakes cooked in olive oil, and the other mixed breads. They were also responsible to check all the weights and measures. And each morning and evening they stood before the Lord to sing songs of thanks and praise to him. They assisted with the burnt offerings that were presented to the Lord on Sabbath days, at new moon celebrations, and at all the appointed festivals. The proper number of Levites served in the Lord’s presence at all times, following all the procedures they had been given.
And so, under the supervision of the priests, the Levites watched over the Tabernacle and the Temple and faithfully carried out their duties of service at the house of the Lord.” (1 Chronicles 23:24-32)
Lord, thank you for your Word today! Thank you for continually growing our knowledge and giving us instructions for living our lives and living out our responsibilities, as your children. We love you!
May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
….AND MAY WE ALL PRACTICE THIS WITH ONE ANOTHER.