Read 1 Chronicles 6:1-81
By now, you are probably wondering when we will be done with all the genealogies. Soon, very soon. We’ll have a couple of long readings over the next couple days, and then we’ll get into the historical account from the priestly viewpoint of Chronicles.
Again, we encounter a lot of names, most of them hard to pronounce, all descending from Jacob’s son, Levi. We are given a lot of information in this chapter about Levi’s descendants, some of whom became priests. We’ll likely encounter some of these names again when we read the historical accounts of the kings. It’s good for us to keep in mind that the priests served right alongside the kings leading the people in matters of faith and obedience to God’s laws.
Moses’ own brother, Aaron was who God chose to carry on the priestly line for the Levite clan. I sometimes forget that only one family line became priests, much like only one family line became kings. It will be good to remember how those associations make up the history of God’s people.
This passage gives us a lot of detail about how the Levites were provided for. Since they didn’t have their own land assigned when they reached the promised land, the descendants of Levi were given shares of territories of their relatives. The fact that we’re given a glimpse into those family relationships and how they cared for each other in terms of sharing land is remarkable.
Being a worship leader myself, my favorite part of this reading is where we see how David made sure there was music in the house of the Lord. That’s a tradition we have continued to the present day. While music styles have continued to change, the idea of singing our hearts out to God is not new. That’s one way we show God our gratitude.
Understanding where it all started is what we see uncovered in Chronicles. How is God speaking to you through the Chronicler’s snapshot of history?
Let’s pray. Lord, I thank you for how you reveal yourself in the history of your people. To have such a concise account of the who is who in those early years is so astounding. What a comfort to know that my astonishing God loves me and wants to know me. Help me to embrace the history and seek you in every word. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
