Levite Principles (1 Chronicles 23)

What principles from the Levites’ duties can we learn in church life? Is thanking and praising the Lord every morning and evening a task just for Levites? Let’s look at 1 Chronicles 23.

How did David organize the work of the Temple of the Lord? Should churches be organized?

After David had reached old age, and had completed his reign, he set his son Solomon as king over Israel. David then gathered together all of the leaders of Israel, including the priests and descendants of Levi. descendants of Levi 30 years old and above were counted for a total of 38,000. “24,000 of these,” David said, “are to be set in charge of the work of the Temple of the Lord, with 6,000 serving as officers and judges, with 4,000 gatekeepers, and with 4,000 offering praises to the Lord with the musical instruments that I have had crafted.” David divided them into divisions based on Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, Levi’s sons. (1 Chr 23:1-6 ISV)

What were the main divisions of the Gershon Levites?

Of the Gershonites were, Laadan, and Shimei. The sons of Laadan; the chief was Jehiel, and Zetham, and Joel, three. The sons of Shimei; Shelomith, and Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the chief of the fathers of Laadan. And the sons of Shimei were, Jahath, Zina, and Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei. 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. (1 Chr 237-11 KJV)

What were the main divisions of the Kohath Levites?

The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four. The sons of Amram were Aaron and Moses. And Aaron was separated in order to sanctify him as most holy, he and his sons forever, to offer offerings up in smoke before Yahweh, to minister to Him and to bless in His name forever. But as for Moses the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi. The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer. The son of Gershom was Shebuel the chief. The son of Eliezer was Rehabiah the chief; and Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many. The son of Izhar was Shelomith the chief. The sons of Hebron were Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third and Jekameam the fourth. The sons of Uzziel were Micah the first and Isshiah the second. (1 Chr 23:12-20 LSB)

What were the main divisions of the Merari Levites?

The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli were Eleazar and Kish. Eleazar died and had no sons, but only daughters; so their relatives, the sons of Kish, took them as wives. The sons of Mushi were three: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth. (1 Chr 23:21-23 NASB)

Would some tasks change, with the sacred tent surpassed? At what age did the Levites begin service?

These were the descendants of Levi by their families—the heads of families as they were registered under their names and counted individually, that is, the workers twenty years old or more who served in the temple of the Lord. For David had said, “Since the Lord, the God of Israel, has granted rest to his people and has come to dwell in Jerusalem forever, the Levites no longer need to carry the tabernacle or any of the articles used in its service.” According to the last instructions of David, the Levites were counted from those twenty years old or more. (1 Chr 23:24-27 NIV)

Why were there changes in service from Tabernacle to Temple?

because their duty was to help the sons of Aaron in the service of the house of the Lord, in the courts and in the chambers, in the purifying of all holy things and the work of the service of the house of God, both with the showbread and the fine flour for the grain offering, with the unleavened cakes and what is baked in the pan, with what is mixed and with all kinds of measures and sizes; to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord, and likewise at evening; and at every presentation of a burnt offering to the Lord on the Sabbaths and on the New Moons and on the set feasts, by number according to the ordinance governing them, regularly before the Lord; and that they should attend to the needs of the tabernacle of meeting, the needs of the holy place, and the needs of the sons of Aaron their brethren in the work of the house of the Lord. (1 Chr 23:28-32 NKJV)

Are we who are reconciled to God by the death of Jesus Christ, and saved by His resurrection life, also priests in a sense?