David reassigns the 38,000 Levites.

DAVID REASSIGNS THE 38,000 LEVITES

VERSE 1. Now David was old and full of days; and he made Solomon his son king over Israel.

VERSE 2. He gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.

VERSE 3. The Levites were counted from thirty years old and upward; and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty-eight thousand.

VERSE 4. David said, “Of these, twenty-four thousand were to oversee the work of the LORD’s house, six thousand were officers and judges,

twenty-four thousand. David reassigns 24,000 Levites to supervise the work at the temple. They will be the project managers.

Are they qualified to be project managers? Do they have the training and skills needed?

six thousand. David reassigns 6,000 Levites to be officials and judges. They will be the civil leaders.

Are they qualified to be civil leaders? Do they have the training and skills needed?

VERSE 5. four thousand were doorkeepers, and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which I made for giving praise.”

four thousand. David reassigns 4,000 Levites to be gatekeepers. They are the ushers.

Are they qualified to be ushers? Do they have the training and skills needed?

four thousand. David reassigns 4,000 Levites to praise and worship. They are the music ministry.

Are they qualified to be ministers of music? Do they have the training and skills needed?

VERSE 6. David divided them into divisions according to the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

VERSE 7. Of the Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei.

VERSE 8. The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the chief, Zetham, and Joel, three.

VERSE 9. The sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the heads of the fathers’ households of Ladan.

VERSE 10. The sons of Shimei: Jahath, Zina, Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei.

VERSE 11. Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah didn’t have many sons; therefore they became a fathers’ house in one reckoning.

VERSE 12. The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four.

VERSE 13. The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses; and Aaron was separated that he should sanctify the most holy things, he and his sons forever, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister to him, and to bless in his name forever.

VERSE 14. But as for Moses the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi.

VERSE 15. The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.

VERSE 16. The sons of Gershom: Shebuel the chief.

VERSE 17. The son of Eliezer was Rehabiah the chief; and Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.

VERSE 18. The son of Izhar: Shelomith the chief.

VERSE 19. The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

VERSE 20. The sons of Uzziel: Micah the chief, and Isshiah the second.

VERSE 21. The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.

VERSE 22. Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters only; and their relatives, the sons of Kish, took them as wives.

VERSE 23. The sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jeremoth, three.

VERSE 24. These were the sons of Levi after their fathers’ houses, even the heads of the fathers’ houses of those who were counted individually, in the number of names by their polls, who did the work for the service of the LORD’s house, from twenty years old and upward.

VERSE 25. For David said, “The LORD, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people; and he dwells in Jerusalem forever.

VERSE 26. Also the Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all its vessels for its service.”

no longer need to carry the tabernacle. There is no longer a need for the artifacts of the Tent of Meeting to be carried about.

So David assigns new duties to the Levites.

VERSE 27. For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were counted, from twenty years old and upward.

VERSE 28. For their duty was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the LORD’s house—in the courts, in the rooms, and in the purifying of all holy things, even the work of the service of God’s house;

VERSE 29. for the show bread also, and for the fine flour for a meal offering, whether of unleavened wafers, or of that which is baked in the pan, or of that which is soaked, and for all measurements of quantity and size;

VERSE 30. and to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise in the evening;

every morning … in the evening. They had a morning prayer. And an evening prayer.

In our day, some Christians imitate them by praying twice daily.

VERSE 31. and to offer all burnt offerings to the LORD on the Sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the set feasts, in number according to the ordinance concerning them, continually before the LORD;

VERSE 32. and that they should keep the duty of the Tent of Meeting, the duty of the holy place, and the duty of the sons of Aaron their brothers for the service of the LORD’s house.

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1 CHRONICLES

CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29

RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize

Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.

1 Chronicles chapter 23