Bible 101 - 1 Chronicles Chapters 23-29

Presented May 2, 2005 by Phyllis Gilbert

Review: In the last few chapters we studied, the emphasis was on two things: first, David, with God's blessing and relying on God's promise, was able to "subdue" all his enemies; second, he begins to gather materials and makes plans for the Temple's construction. Those plans include his commissioning Solomon as the builder, telling him that God would not permit David to build the Lord's house because he was a man of war. Now in the remaining chapters of this book, those Temple preparations continue: first, the organization of the Levites and priests, and then an orderly transition from David to Solomon. And as we have seen throughout I Chronicles, the emphasis is on God - this is God's nation, David is God's king, the victories, the scope of the nation, the materials to build the temple - all are from God. This is important to the post-exilic audience. They've been foreigners in Babylon for 70 years; now they're in Israel (where a great many must feel equally foreign). The Chronicler, probably Ezra, gives them history, and also heritage, in his accounts. He shows them who they are and who provides for them. But now to David's organizational scheme.

I Chronicles 23:1: Here we're told that when David was old, he handed the crown to Solomon. Notice that this brief account substitutes for the lengthy and bloody transition that we read in II Samuel and I Kings. We read nothing of Absalom's rebellion nor of Adonijah's usurpation of the throne. Both sons of David were killed after their efforts to take the throne by force failed. Then recall that Nathan told Bathsheba that if she wanted Solomon to be king, she'd better speak with David. She did; David acted; Solomon was crowned and became the rightful heir to the throne - the one God ordained. Here in I Chronicles, however, we read only that David made Solomon king in his stead. And then the narrative moves on to additional plans for the Temple.

I Chronicles 23:2: The Levites have been counted, and we're told there are 38,000 men over age 30 (and later, every Levite over age 20), and are in three clans: the Gershonites, the Kohathites and the Merarites. In Numbers, God had said Tabernacle service would begin at age 30, and later, he'd said 25. No matter the starting age, a Levite was to be in semi-retirement at age 50. Also in Numbers, God had given specific duties to these three clans: the Kohathites, for example, were the ones who moved the Tabernacle furnishings such as the Ark; the Merarites were to carry the frames and structural pieces of the Tabernacle, and the Gershonites were responsible for the curtains of the Tabernacle. In David's time, with a permanent Tabernacle or Temple all but built, there was no need for a transport team, so David, beginning in I Chronicles 15, gives these Levitical clans new duties (music, gate keeping, etc.) In the first few verses of ch. 23, the duties are listed: the biggest group of 24,000 will be Temple supervisors (perhaps both building of the structure and maintenance once it's built); 6,000 will be judges and officials; 4,000 assigned to be gatekeepers and 4,000 serving as musicians. Names of Levites in clan groups are provided as a way of determining who would be in the Levitical corps and who would not. At the end of the chapter, vv. 28-32, we get a summary of the Levites' specific duties as assistants to the priests.

I Chronicles 24: Now the priests are organized into divisions. First the list of Aaron's sons; no one else was eligible for the priestly duties. The Levites were all descendants of Levi, as was Aaron. But Aaron, as the first high priest, and his sons, the first priests serving at the Tabernacle, were the fathers of all succeeding priests. The two families, Ithamar and Eleazar (the two surviving sons of Aaron), were formed into 24 divisions by lot. Two groups per month would then have the Tabernacle/Temple duties of making sacrifices. The rest of the year, we assume they'd be in their towns and villages serving the people there.

I Chronicles 25 and 26: Specific lists of Levites fill these two chapters under their assigned duties of music and gate-keeping. In 26:14-19, we're told what "gate keeping" meant: each of the five gates was covered by four to six Levites per day. Notice that the East Gate, the most important of the five, had the most guards. Picture the Vatican's Swiss Guards and you'll get a picture of their duties. They were to maintain order not only for the security of the Temple and its content, but also to insure that a worshipful respect was maintained in the Temple area. Contrast that with the merchants in the Temple courtyard of Jesus' day. The Temple Guard and Police were active - they arrested Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane - but their duties fell to other areas than the courtyard where animals were sold for sacrifice.

I Chronicles 26:20: Here we discover that some Levites, in particular Gershonites, were assigned to collect offerings and safe guard them, keeping the books and making use of the funds for the support of the priests and Temple maintenance. Recall that during Joash and Josiah's time, they made sure the monies collected for Temple repairs were used to do just that. These Levites also kept track of the treasures David had taken in battle and dedicated to the Lord for use in the Temple.

I Chronicles 27: the Chronicler now shifts to a list of 12 army divisions, one on duty each month. Each division had a chief officer and 24,000 men. How this rotation worked is not presented in detail, but perhaps a division whose month it was was posted in Jerusalem to guard the city; the 11 other divisions would be available for a full-scale threat.

I Chronicles 27:16 to end: More administrative details in tribal leadership and in David's staff are provided.

I Chronicles 28 and 29: Here we have David's final acts, and we see an orderly transition from father to son, from one king to another, and from a reign that had been marked by wars to one of peace and rest. Because David had been a warrior, Solomon was to become a king of peace. And that peace allowed for many years of construction in Jerusalem - first of the Temple and then of Solomon's many palaces.

I Chronicles 28: David brings the nation's leaders together, and in their presence, he hands over the Temple's plans and materials to Solomon. He commissions Solomon as the builder, and tells him "be strong and courageous" (does this mean Solomon is NOT strong or brave?), and "to obey the law." David knows that all he has, all he's accomplished, has been because of God. Obedience to the law is first and foremost the duty of a king; it is the king who leads the nation both politically and spiritually. David is more aware of this than Saul, certainly, or of any of his successors.

I Chronicles 29: Continuing to speak to the assembly, David asks the leaders' help for Solomon. He appeals to the experience and wisdom of the leaders, saying "Solomon. . . is young and inexperienced. The task is great." It will be a collaborative effort, and as such, will allow all of Israel to feel they've had a part in its construction. In both chapters, David lists the great quantities of gifts available to build the Temple. Like our capital campaign, everyone participated.

I Chronicles 29:10-20: Not surprisingly, David prays. David's prayers are numerous in the Psalms, but also in I Chronicles and I/II Samuel, we see him in prayer. He was, after all, a man after God's own heart, and here we see more evidence of why that was his description. He praises God, and even as king, he's humble before God. And he asks that God will be with Solomon as he's been with him. It was quite a worship service; people praised God with David and fell prostrate before God, suggesting that God's glory was a real presence that day, and that God blessed what David had done.

I Chronicles 29:21: The next day, Solomon is officially crowned king with all the appropriate sacrifices and ritual. The loyalty of all David's leaders and Israel's leaders was pledged to Solomon.

I Chronicles 29:26: "At a good old age," David dies after reigning 40. The standard summary of a king's reign follows - a summary we'll see repeated throughout II Chronicles as the kings of Judah live and die.

David as seen by the Chronicler: In I/II Samuel, we saw David as a much younger man (his anointing while still a shepherd boy, his confrontation of Goliath), and a young man whose life is not easy. We see him tested; he spends 10 years running from Saul, but during that time, he makes many loyal friends (his Mighty Men), and learns above all to depend on God. It is that dependence that we see in I Chronicles. David is here pictured as a mature man who obeys God and whose many successes come because of God. Whatever we may conclude about David, he was a hero to his people, and he left us a legacy of wonderful prayers and hymns. In addition, he gave us an example of faith, and showed us that even living in a cave, or running from enemies, , we can serve God.

Next week: we'll begin II Chronicles where the first 9 chapters give us a look at Solomon's reign. It, too, will be different emphasis than we saw in I Kings. Then the kingdom splits in 930 B.C., and from then until the exile into Babylon in 586 B.C., the Chronicler concentrates on Judah, the kings of which are David's descendants. We'll talk about why Israel, the northern kingdom, is all but ignored. Stay tuned.

Homework for those who want to go deeper:

Let's close in prayer.