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Worship in David's Kingdom

1 Chronicles 23-26

The likely author of 1 and 2 Chronicles was Ezra—a priest and member of the tribe of Levi. It is no surprise, then, that he took great care in chronicling the history of the Levitical responsibilities as outlined by King David. From the days of the Tabernacle at Mount Sinai until the building of the first temple in Jerusalem, worship was at the heart of Israel's life. As soon as the exiled community was returned to Jerusalem, rebuilding the temple and implanting worship was a top priority. It was negligence of the temple and worship that resulted in their deportation. As background, coupled with extensive genealogies, Ezra recounted the history of worship in Jerusalem as established by King David (1 Chronicles 23-26).

David spent most of the years of his kingship subduing Israel's enemies. He also regained control of the Ark of the Covenant and moved it to Jerusalem. Finally, with those tasks accomplished, David turned his attention to the temple and the appointment of those who would lead the nation in worship—the Levites. David designed and raised money for the temple and turned its construction over to Solomon (1 Chronicles 28-29).

When David counted the Levites who were 30 years old or older, there were 38,000. In a sweeping move, he divided them as follows: 24,000 carried out temple worship; 6,000 were made officials and judges; 4,000 manned the gates leading into the temple precinct; 4,000 were musicians which included singers, prophesiers, and accompanists (1 Chronicles 25). The fact that four chapters of 1 Chronicles (23-26) are devoted to the Levites, and only one chapter (27) to the leaders of the military, shows the priority of the author in reestablishing the system of worship in post-exilic Jerusalem.

The responsibilities of the Levites show how broad the umbrella of worship was—priests, musicians, singers, gatekeepers, and treasurers all contributed their part to the central dimension of Israel's life as a nation.

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