I
C H R O N I C L E S
CHAP. XXIII.
David,
having given charge concerning the building of the temple, in this and the
following chapters settles the method of the temple-service and puts into
order the offices and officers of it. In the late irregular times, and during
the wars in the beginning of his reign, we may suppose that, though the
Levitical ordinances were kept up, yet it was not in the order, nor with the
beauty and exactness, that were desirable. Now David, being a prophet, as well
as a prince, by divine warrant and direction, "set in order the things
that were wanting." In this chapter we are informed, I. He declared
Solomon to be his successor, ver. 1. II. He numbered the Levites, and
appointed them to their respective offices, ver. 2-5. III. He took an account
of the several families of the Levites, ver. 6-23. IV. He made a new reckoning
of them from twenty years old, and appointed them their work, ver. 24-32. And
in this he prepared for the temple as truly as when he laid up gold and silver
for it; for the place is of small account in comparison with the work.
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The Numbering of the Levites.
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B.
C. 1015.
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1 So when David was old and full of days, he
made Solomon his son king over Israel. 2 And he gathered together all
the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites. 3 Now the
Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward: and their
number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand.
4 Of which, twenty and four thousand were to set forward the work of
the house of the LORD;
and six thousand were officers and judges: 5 Moreover four
thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the LORD
with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith.
6 And David divided them into courses among the sons of Levi, namely,
Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 7 Of the Gershonites were,
Laadan, and Shimei. 8 The sons of Laadan; the chief was
Jehiel, and Zetham, and Joel, three. 9 The sons of Shimei;
Shelomith, and Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the chief of the
fathers of Laadan. 10 And the sons of Shimei were, Jahath,
Zina, and Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei.
11 And Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second: but Jeush and Beriah had
not many sons; therefore they were in one reckoning, according to their
father's house. 12 The sons of Kohath; Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and
Uzziel, four. 13 The sons of Amram; Aaron and Moses: and Aaron was
separated, that he should sanctify the most holy things, he and his sons for
ever, to burn incense before the LORD,
to minister unto him, and to bless in his name for ever. 14 Now concerning
Moses the man of God, his sons were named of the tribe of Levi. 15
The sons of Moses were, Gershom, and Eliezer. 16 Of the
sons of Gershom, Shebuel was the chief. 17 And the sons of
Eliezer were, Rehabiah the chief. And Eliezer had none other sons; but
the sons of Rehabiah were very many. 18 Of the sons of Izhar;
Shelomith the chief. 19 Of the sons of Hebron; Jeriah the first,
Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.
20 Of the sons of Uzziel; Michah the first, and Jesiah the second.
21 The sons of Merari; Mahli, and Mushi. The sons of Mahli; Eleazar, and
Kish. 22 And Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters: and
their brethren the sons of Kish took them. 23 The sons of Mushi;
Mahli, and Eder, and Jeremoth, three.
Here we have, I. The crown entailed, according to the divine appointment, v.
1. David made Solomon king, not to reign with him, or reign under him, but
only to reign after him. This he did, 1. When he was old and full of days. He
was but seventy years old when he died, and yet he was full of days, satur
dierum--satisfied with living in this world. When he found himself going
off, he made provision for the welfare of the kingdom after his decease, and
pleased himself with the hopeful prospect of a happy settlement both in church
and state. 2. He did it in parliament, in a solemn assembly of all the princes
of Israel, which made Adonijah's attempt to break in upon Solomon's title and
set it aside, notwithstanding this public recognition and establishment of it,
the more impudent, impious, and ridiculous. Note, The settling or securing of
the crown in the interests of the temple is a great blessing to the people and
a great satisfaction to those who are themselves leaving the world.
II. The Levites numbered, according to the rule in Moses's time, from thirty
years old to fifty, Num. iv. 2, 3. Their number in Moses's time. by this rule,
was 8580 (Num. iv. 47, 48), but now it had increased above four-fold, much
more in proportion than the rest of the tribes; for the serviceable men of
Levi's tribe were now 38,000, unless we suppose that here those were reckoned
who were above fifty, which was not the case there. Joab had not numbered the
Levites (ch. xxi. 6), but David now did, not in pride, but for a good
purpose, and then he needed not fear wrath for it.
III. The Levites distributed to their respective posts (v. 4, 5), that
every hand might be employed (for, of all men, an idle Levite makes the worst
figure), and that every part of the work might be carefully done. Now it was
for the honour of God that so great a number of servants attended his house
and the business of it. Much of the state of great men consists in the
greatness of their retinue. When God kept house in Israel see what a great
household he had, and all well fed and well taught. But what were these to the
attendants of his throne above, and the innumerable company of angels? It was
the happiness of Israel that they had among them such a considerable body of
men who were obliged by their office to promote and keep up religion among
them. If the worship of God go to decay in Israel, let it not be said that it
was for want of due provision for the support of it, but that those who should
have done it were careless and false. The work assigned the Levites was
four-fold:-- 1. Some, and indeed far the greater number, were to set forward
the work of the house of the Lord: 24,000, almost two-thirds, were appointed
for this service, to attend the priests in killing the sacrifices, flaying
them, washing them, cutting them up, burning them, to have the meat-offerings
and drink-offerings ready, to carry out dirt, and keep all the vessels and
utensils of the temple clean, and every thing in its place, that the service
might be performed both with expedition and with exactness. These served 1000
a-week, and so went round in twenty-four courses. Perhaps while the temple was
in building some of these were employed to set forward that work, to assist
the builders, at least to quicken them, and keep good order among them, and
the decorum which became temple-work. 2. Others were officers and judges, not
in the affairs of the temple, and in the controversies that arose there (for
there, we may suppose, the priests presided), but in the country. They were
magistrates, to give the laws of God in charge, to resolves difficulties, and
to determine controversies that arose upon them. Of these there were 6000, in
the several parts of the kingdom, that assisted the princes and elders of
every tribe in the administration of justice. 3. Others were porters, to guard
all the avenues of the house of God, to examine those that desired entrance,
and to resist those that would force an entrance. These were the life-guards
of the temple, and probably were armed accordingly. 4. Others were singers and
players on instruments, whose business it was to keep up that part of the
service; this was a new-erected office.
IV. The Levites mustered, and disposed of into their respective families and
kindreds, that an account of them might the better be kept, and those that
neglected their duty might be the more easily discovered, by calling over the
roll, and obliging them to answer to their names, which each family might do
for itself. When those of the same family were employed together it would
engage them to love and assist one another. When Christ sent forth his
disciples two and two he put together those that were brethren. Two families
were here joined in one (v. 11) because they had not many sons. Those
that are weak and little, separately, may be put together and appear
considerable. That which is most observable in this account of the families of
the Levites is that the posterity of Moses (that great man) stood upon the
level with common Levites, and had no dignities or privileges at all peculiar
to them; whilst the posterity of Aaron were advanced to the priest's office,
to sanctify the most holy things, v. 13. It is said indeed of
the grandson of Moses, Rehabiah, that his sons were highly multiplied, v.
17, margin. When God proposed to him that, if he would let fall his
intercession for Israel, he would make of him a great nation, he generously
refused it, in recompence for which his family is here greatly increased, and
makes up in number what it wants in figure, in the tribe of Levi. Now, 1. The
levelling of Moses' family with the rest is an evidence of his self-denial.
Such an interest had he both with God and man that if he had aimed to raise
his own family, to dignify and enrich that, he might easily have done so; but
he was no self-seeking man, as appears from his leaving to his children no
marks of distinction, which was a sign that he had the spirit of God and not
the spirit of the world. 2. The elevation of Aaron's family above the rest was
a recompence for his self-denial. When Moses (his younger brother) was made a
god to Pharaoh, and he only his prophet or spokesman, to observe his orders
and do as he was bidden, Aaron never disputed it, nor insisted upon his
seniority, but readily took the inferior post God put him in, submitted to
Moses, and, upon occasion, called him his lord; and because he thus
submitted himself, in his own person, to his junior, in compliance with the
will of God, God highly exalted his family, even above that of Moses himself.
Those that are content to stoop are in the fairest way to rise. Before honour
is humility.
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The
Office of the Levites.
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B.
C. 1015.
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24 These were the sons of Levi after the
house of their fathers; even the chief of the fathers, as they were
counted by number of names by their polls, that did the work for the service
of the house of the LORD,
from the age of twenty years and upward. 25 For David said, The LORD
God of Israel hath given rest unto his people, that they may dwell in
Jerusalem for ever: 26 And also unto the Levites; they shall no more
carry the tabernacle, nor any vessels of it for the service thereof.
27 For by the last words of David the Levites were numbered from twenty
years old and above: 28 Because their office was to wait on
the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD,
in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things,
and the work of the service of the house of God; 29 Both for the
showbread, and for the fine flour for meat offering, and for the unleavened
cakes, and for that which is baked in the pan, and for that which is
fried, and for all manner of measure and size; 30 And to stand
every morning to thank and praise the LORD,
and likewise at even; 31 And to offer all burnt sacrifices unto
the LORD
in the sabbaths, in the new moons, and on the set feasts, by number, according
to the order commanded unto them, continually before the LORD:
32 And that they should keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation,
and the charge of the holy place, and the charge of the sons of Aaron
their brethren, in the service of the house of the LORD.
Here is, I. An alteration made in the computation of the effective men of the
Levites--that whereas, in Moses's time, they were not enlisted, or taken into
service, till they were thirty-years old, nor admitted as probationers till
twenty-five (Num. viii. 24), David ordered, by direction from God, that they
should be numbered for the service of the house of the Lord, from the
age of twenty years and upwards, v. 24. This order he confirmed by his
last words, v. 27. When he put his last hand to the draught of this
establishment he expressly appointed this to be done for ever after; yet not
he; but the Lord. 1. Perhaps the young Levites, having no work appointed them
till twenty-five years old, had many of them got a habit of idleness, or grew
addicted to their pleasures, which proved both a blemish to their reputation
and a hindrance to their usefulness afterwards, to prevent which inconvenience
they are set to work, and brought under discipline, at twenty-years old. Those
that will be eminent must learn to take care and take care betimes. 2. When
the work of the Levites was to carry burdens, heavy burdens, the tabernacle
and the furniture of it, God would not call any to it till they had come to
their full strength; for he considers our frame, and, in service as well as
sufferings, will lay no more upon us than we are able to bear. But now God had
given rest to his people, and made Jerusalem his dwelling-place for ever, so
that there was no more occasion to carry the tabernacle and the vessels
thereof, the service was much easier, and what would not over-work them nor
over-load them if they entered upon it at twenty-years old. 3. Now the people
of Israel were multiplied, and there was a more general resort to Jerusalem,
and would be when the temple was built, than had ever been at Shiloh, or Nob,
or Gibeon; it was therefore requisite there should be more hands employed in
the temple-service, that every Israelite who brought an offering might find a
Levite ready to assist him. When more work is to be done it is a pity but
there should be more workmen fetched in for the doing of it. When the harvest
is plenteous why should the labourers be few?
II. A further account of the Levites' work. What the work of the priests was
we are told (v. 13): To sanctify the most holy things, to burn
incense before the Lord, and to bless in his name; that work the
Levites were not to meddle with, and yet they had work enough, and good work,
according to that to which they were appointed, v. 4, 5. 1. Those of
them that were to set forward the work of the house of God (v.
4) were therein to wait on the sons of Aaron (v. 28), were to do
the drudgery-work (if any work for God is to be called drudgery) of the
house of God, to keep the courts and chambers clean, set things in their
places, and have them ready when there was occasion to use them. They were to
prepare the show-bread which the priests were to set on the table, to provide
the flour and cakes for the meat-offerings, that the priests might have every
thing ready to their hands. 2. Those of them that were judges and officers had
an eye particularly upon all measure and size, v. 29. The
standards of all weights and measures were kept in the sanctuary; and the
Levites had the care of them, to see that they were exact, and to try other
weights and measures by them when they were appealed to. 3. The work of the
singers was to thank and praise the Lord (v. 30), at the
offering of the morning and evening sacrifices, and other oblations on the
sabbaths, new moons, &c., v. 31. Moses appointed that they should
blow with trumpets over their burnt offerings and other sacrifices, and on
their solemn days, Num. x. 10. The sound of the trumpet was awful, and might
be affecting to the worshippers, but was not articulate, nor such a reasonable
service as this which David appointed, of singing psalms on those occasions.
As the Jewish church grew up from its infancy, it grew more and more
intelligent in its devotions, till it came at length, in the gospel, to put
away childish things, 1 Cor. xiii. 11; Gal. iv. 3, 9. 4. The work of the
porters (v. 5) was to keep the charge of the tabernacle and of the
holy place, that none might come nigh but such as were allowed, and those
no nearer than was allowed them, v. 32. They were likewise to keep the
charge of the sons of Aaron, to be at their beck and go on their errands, who
are yet called their brethren, to be a memorandum to the priests that,
though they were advanced to a high station, yet they were hewn out of the
same rock with common Levites, and therefore must not lord it over them,
but in all instances treat them as brethren.
Contents
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