The Volunteer State (1 Chronicles 9:22-33)

We call California The Golden State. New Jersey is The Garden State. Wyoming is The Equality State. How about Tennessee? The Volunteer State.^[1] That nickname was first given in the War of 1812 “due to the key role played by volunteers from the Tennessee militia.” The moniker was cemented when President Polk (of Tennessee) issued a call for 2,600 volunteers to join the Mexican-American War effort. 30,000 Tennesseans answered.^[2]

Today, volunteerism isn’t quite so important in the Volunteer State. In 2019, the state ranked 31st in volunteer rate. Then again, California finished in 47th place.^[3]

In the year 538 B.C., King Cyrus of Persia issued a call for Jewish volunteers to leave exile in Babylon and return to Israel to rebuild the temple and resettle the promised land. It was an astonishing fulfillment of Biblical prophecy and an awe-inspiring display of God’s grace.

Initially, about 50,000 Jews answered the call to return to worship in Jerusalem. This new era of Jewish history wasn’t going to be built around a king like David or a warrior like Joshua. It was going to be built around the new temple. That temple could not function without Levites. But in the records of Ezra and Nehemiah we find there were only a few hundred Levites who volunteered to relocate from Babylon. A lot was depending on them and they would have a lot to do.

1 Chronicles 9 shows us the kinds of things they were doing. When I think of Levites, I imagine solemn rituals. I think of the drama of blood being spilt, the lifting of oblations as incense filled the air and the Psalms of David resound through a gold-covered court. This text gives us another view of the Levites’ ministry. Many of their tasks seem mundane, even menial. But these functions were each part of connecting people to God, and reviving the heart of a nation.

We are not Levites but Christians are a priesthood. We’re invited to volunteer in service to God, in small and not-so-small ways. From this example, we can find spiritual principles about our own response to God and ministry to others and how even small service makes a big difference.

1 Chronicles 9:22 – 22 The total number of those chosen to be gatekeepers at the thresholds was 212. They were registered by genealogy in their settlements. David and the seer Samuel had appointed them to their trusted positions.

In general, the gatekeepers were tasked with protecting the Temple and granting access to it. We’ll see other duties in the coming verses. Their job is described by one source as, “one who is occupied with the gate.”^[4] Their presence, their attention, their focus was on the Temple of the Lord. This was the place where men could hear from God, give worship to Him and receive atonement. But they were also surrounded by enemies who worked hard to stop this temple from being built. So the Levites stood guard. This duty could be traced back to David and Samuel. In fact, it went even further back, all the way to Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron.

God always called for volunteers to minister in His presence, to point people in the right direction, and to maintain a place of worship so the Lord can be found by those who are seeking. Sadly, the job comes with opposition. In some cases, that opposition is much more extreme than others.

When the call went out for people to return to Israel, we’re told that anyone who wanted and anyone “whose spirit the Lord had roused” went.^[5] But the Levites didn’t pick their own duties. Their assignments were distributed. Some by lot, some by skill, some by other qualifications. Each would be specifically assigned, but all had this in common: They were faithful and capable and willing.^[6]


1 Chronicles 9:23-24 – 23 So they and their sons were assigned as guards to the gates of the Lord’s temple, which had been the tent-temple. 24 The gatekeepers were on the four sides: east, west, north, and south.

The east gate was the most prestigious – it had a few more guards than the others,^[7] but status and seniority didn’t matter for gate duty. Lots decided. No matter which gate you were stationed at, this was a wonderful job. You were able to bring people in to meet with God. You were responsible to maintain the sanctity of the Lord’s House. You helped pump the spiritual heart of the nation.

1 Chronicles 9:25 – 25 Their relatives came from their settlements at fixed times to be with them seven days,

There were 212 gatekeepers, but the job was 24/365. We’re not told how they handled shifts, but they would’ve worked a full week every three weeks or maybe every five or seven.^[8] During festival weeks, everyone would be on duty together.

This Levitical service was a family affair. Even if mom and the kids weren’t on duty, the whole of family life was dedicated to the service of the Lord. It was a group effort that required commitment and dedication. Not only would there be the week on, but we have to consider the commute.

The tribe of Levi did not have territory the way the other tribes did. Instead, the Lord was their inheritance and they were given 48 cities throughout the rest of the country. When they weren’t on duty in the Temple, they were sent back throughout all the other tribes so that they could minister there. Of course, these folks walked everywhere. That’s not such a big ask if you lived in the land of Benjamin. But if your home was up on the coast of Asher? That’s quite a trip. Maybe your Levite city was Golan, among the tribe of Manasseh. That meant you’d have to cross the river Jordan every time you came and went from your week at the Temple. Your commute was days.

This Levitical life would require a lot of trust in the Lord. Aside from the travel, your own home and fields would have to take a backseat position. While on the job, you relied on the contributions of the other Israelites for your food. You had no ancestral land passed down to keep as a fall-back.

But none of these things were a downside. When we get to listen in on the thoughts of a truly spiritual man, David, the sweet Psalmist of Israel, what did he say? “ Better a day in your courts than a thousand anywhere else. Oh that I could dwell in the house of the Lord as a doorkeeper!”^[9]

It wasn’t just about unlocking doors or keep out vandals. This Levite life was about being in the presence of God and opening access to Him. Today there is One mediator between God and man, the Lord Jesus Christ. We don’t have to go to a priest to interact with God. But if you’re a Christian, the New Testament describes you as a servant-ambassador. You’re invited to live as a steward of grace, doing good to all, especially the household of faith, building up the Body of Christ. Like with Levites, there are a lot of ways we can be involved in that calling. God has provided a great variety of gifts and opportunities and assignments for those who want to serve. And that service is meant to become the focus of our lives. To serve God means we’re ready to leave our nets behind, ready to leave our fields unattended for the sake of living out our calling as Christians. That our time and our attention and our passions are always oriented toward how we can serve our Lord.

1 Chronicles 9:26 – 26 but the four chief gatekeepers, who were Levites, were entrusted with the rooms and the treasuries of God’s temple.

They didn’t just watch over piles of gold and silver. The rest of the Israelites were supposed to bring in contributions as daily portions for the gatekeepers and singers.^[10] These four guys were tasked with administrating those resources so that their fellow servants wouldn’t go hungry.

Sadly, during the time of Nehemiah, two things happened that brought the ministry of these Levites to a grinding halt. First, the people stopped giving, so the gatekeepers and singers were forced to abandon their posts. There was no food to eat, so they went back to their own fields.

Second, one of the guys in charge of these storerooms allowed an Ammonite official named Tobiah to move in to one of the rooms! Tobiah hated the Lord and hated the Jews and hated the Temple. But he was influential. He had position and worldly power. And so, the chief gatekeepers brought a fox into the henhouse. They bound themselves to him instead of the Lord because he had influence. Nehemiah fired those who had been in charge and replaced them with men who could be trusted. We see that word in verse 26: These Levites had been entrusted.

God’s wants to entrust you with ministry. It’s easy to think, I have to do this for God because I owe it to Him. We do, but that’s not the way the Lord thinks about it. Jesus sent out His disciples with power and authority on His behalf. God revealed Himself to Abraham and to Samuel and to David and to Moses and to Jonah and to Gideon and said, “I want to give you the opportunity to watch over some spiritual treasure.” We’re told in 1 Peter that God gives each one of us a gift to serve with as members of His house. But our service isn’t automatically continued. It is based on faithfulness.^[11]

This storeroom duty is a great example to us. On the one hand, it seems like such a boring, unimportant thing. “I get to watch a closet?” But when that duty went undone, the whole work of the ministry suffered. In fact, it came to a stop until things were put back in proper order.

The assignments the Lord offers may not seem as high-profile as we’d like, but everything He calls us to has value. And just because a person is a “chief” doesn’t mean they are above mundane service to the Lord.

1 Chronicles 9:27 – 27 They spent the night in the vicinity of God’s temple, because they had guard duty and were in charge of opening it every morning.

The gatekeepers had this simultaneous duty of guarding from intruders and granting access to attenders. Christian service is similar. God gives us the privilege of inviting others into His family. In one parable, the Master says to the servant, “Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.”^[12] At the same time, in Jude we’re told to guard the truth and contend for the faith because there are those who want to creep in and defile it.

1 Chronicles 9:28-29 – 28 Some of them were in charge of the utensils used in worship. They would count them when they brought them in and when they took them out. 29 Others were put in charge of the furnishings and all the utensils of the sanctuary, as well as the fine flour, wine, oil, incense, and spices.

So far, we’ve seen no altar tasks. The Chronicler is describing for us a bunch of custodial, administrative, even janitorial jobs. But these duties were just as sacrificial as offerings on the altar. They required dedication and focus. A faithful Levite would need to render this service carefully and purposefully. Without these small chores, the daily sacrifices wouldn’t happen.

As the text unfolds, we get the impression of a lot of activity, many moving parts, but not that many people on shift to do it. Jesus was up front with us that, in ministry, there’s always going to be a lot to do and not as many people as we’d like to do it. “The harvest is great, but the workers are few.”

These Levites didn’t spend their days complaining that so many other Levites stayed in Babylon. Instead, they set about their business week by week. God had stirred up their hearts. God was using them. They were a meaningful part of the rebirth of a nation. Faithfulness focuses on what I’m called to do, not what others should be doing. A faithful servant says “I could,” not “you should.”

1 Chronicles 9:30 – 30 Some of the priests’ sons mixed the spices.

The mixing of temple spices was a restricted job. According to the Law in Exodus 30, specific people had to follow a specific recipe to make these spices for a specific purpose. To go outside those boundaries was unlawful. It was a duty that demanded skill and study and authorization.

1 Chronicles 9:31-32 – 31 A Levite called Mattithiah, the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, was entrusted with baking the bread. 32 Some of the Kohathites’ relatives were responsible for preparing the rows of the Bread of the Presence every Sabbath.

Early on in the pandemic, baking bread became trendy. The problem was, Americans baked all the flour away! One company saw their sales of flour increase by 2,000%. Flour shortages remained a persistent problem even while supplies for other hoarded items started to bounce back.^[13]

A particular fellow named Mattithiah is singled out here as the baker of the showbread. I love that we’re given his name because it reminds us that we are not just warm bodies to the Lord. We’re not just cogs in His machine. We are beloved children. These loaves would be set out on a special table once a week. This task was directly connected with ritual and worship in the Temple and required reliability. The bread must be prepared and displayed week by week. It was a team effort between the baker and others to accomplish this particular duty every Sabbath.

The showbread reminds us of Christ’s persistent, holy presence. It reminds us that He is the Bread of Life. It reminds us that He is a Provider and Sustainer and that when we come to Him we will never go hungry. This was a special ministry – but it wouldn’t be possible if other Levites hadn’t prepped the flour and cleaned the utensils, and if the Israelites hadn’t contributed to the work.

1 Chronicles 9:33 – 33 The singers, the heads of the Levite families, stayed in the temple chambers and were exempt from other tasks because they were on duty day and night.

I’ve done a lot of singing over the years. I can’t say I’ve ever had to sing in the middle of the night. These singers were on duty round the clock, just in case 2am singalong needed to happen, I guess.

Nehemiah tells us that these singers built settlements for themselves around Jerusalem. They were exempt from the other jobs listed above because, as one translator puts it, “The task was upon them.”^[14] In Ezra and Nehemiah we see the emphasis that was put on corporate praise. As they re-established this nation, they were determined to be a worshipping people. These particular Levites had specific skill that they could use to facilitate worship with the whole congregation. The singing brought sanctification and joy and thanksgiving and celebration. The singing of God’s people was heard far and wide and was a testimony of God’s power and grace. What an amazing witness it was to the unbelieving peoples around Jerusalem. These Jews came back to ruins and waste. No city, no temple, no wall, no homes. And a very short time later they were lifting high the praises of their God who had filled their hearts with rejoicing and done the impossible through them.

They worshiped when they laid the foundation of the temple and when the wall was finished. They worshiped when more Jews returned from Babylon and when they realized they needed to confess their sin. Despite the difficulty of the days, they were always ready to praise God and remind themselves of His steadfast love. Part of our making the most of the time we have is by worshipping with songs and hymns and spiritual songs. Marking our days with thanksgiving to God.

So, as these different jobs come into focus, we see that some of them were randomly assigned by lot, some required individuals with a certain set of skills. Some meant you’d be on duty day and night, others would be a weekly thing. Some would require you to live in Jerusalem, some would allow you to live elsewhere in the land. While one fellow was inventorying, another might be inviting a guest inside. While one man was tuning up an instrument of David, another was taking stock of the food for the shift coming on duty. While one man was baking, another was just being in the vicinity in case he was needed. But all of it was part of the greater work of keeping the Temple open and functioning. You’ve heard of the central nervous system – this was the central spiritual system. If their nation was to survive, the spiritual life would have to thrive.

The jump from their experience to our application isn’t far. God looks at the Church and says, “You’re a nation of priests, set apart for service and the building of a spiritual house.” And we have all sorts of things that we can do to serve the Lord and build up His house and proclaim Him and offer worship and be a blessing to others. It’s a huge effort that has a place for every one of us.

In God’s service, every job matters. He decided to use people like you and me to do His work. But He does not force us. He invites us, just as these people in 1 Chronicles 9 had been invited.

But remember: Many Levites heard the call, but decided to stay in Babylon. Imagine for a moment being one of those individuals. You see, to be a Levite meant you were a person who was set aside to serve God. But there you were in Babylon, no longer in exile. You were there by choice. In the town square you might meet someone and hear them ask, “Where are you from and what do you do?” “Well, I’m a Levite, but I do whatever.” A Jew would know that Levites existed to serve God.

The Levites in our passage were serving because they volunteered, but they volunteered to come and be who they were already set apart to be! God had whispered to their hearts, “Come and be with Me and we’ll do a great work together. This is what I’ve wanted for you all along.”

“What will we be doing?” “Some big things. A lot of small things. But all significant things.” This text shows us that all ministry matters when God has given it to us. Whether it’s baking bread or unlocking a gate or playing an instrument or organizing a group or proclaiming God’s Word.

As Christians, we’re invited to serve the Lord in all sorts of ways according to the lot He casts, the skills we’ve developed, the gifts we’ve been given by the Holy Spirit, the place and circumstances we’re in. But that invitation to volunteer is really a calling to become who God has already made us to be. The Christian life is not about having a religious philosophy on top of a human existence. We’ve been made into new creations. We’ve been transferred into a new Kingdom, a new Family, a new citizenship, a new future, a new direction, a new purpose. We have the chance to become like these Levites who were at the center of what God was doing, by accepting His invitation and volunteering to go along with Him.

In Exodus 32, Moses asked a simple question: Who is on the Lord’s side? The Levites answered, “We are.” That was the beginning of their special service. That’s why we know who they are and know nothing about the Zebulunites. In the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, the question was essentially the same: Who wants to serve the Lord? A few hundred said, “We do.”

Today the Lord brings us into one tribe, one Church, all set aside for service and ministry and spiritual harvest. He asks: “Who wants to join Me in saving souls and changing lives and sharing testimonies and building a spiritual house?” If we volunteer to do what we’ve already been made to do He will use us and assign us and give to us gifts and opportunities. The power is His, the choice is ours.

The Selected Service (1 Chronicles 22-26)

The Selective Service System is an agency of the government which maintains information on those potentially subject to military conscription. We know it commonly as the “draft”. Historically, men in the United States, ages 18 to 25 had to register, and respond to the call to join the military, should the need arise. While conscription ended more than 45 years ago, the system remains in place, despite some recent court challenges.

I was surprised to learn that there’s another list maintained by the SSS. In 1989, Congress ordered the agency to put in place an additional system “capable of drafting persons qualified for practice or employment in a health care and professional occupation, if such a special-skills draft should be ordered.” It’s called the Health Care Personnel Delivery System. This plan includes both men and women, ages 20 to 54 in 57 different job categories.

While it seems like the general draft of men into the armed services may be a thing of the past, the conscription of individuals into particular jobs might be what happens in the future. The idea that led to the creation of the Health Care Personnel Delivery System could be extended to other fields and assignments.

During a meeting of the House Armed Services Committee, Representative Martha McSally, a former Air Force fighter pilot, had this to say concerning how the draft might be adapted in the future: “It could be medical positions, we could need cyber warriors — there are all sorts of positions we’d need the country to mobilize for.”

I got to thinking about conscription and the idea of setting up an administration and jobs for what might come in the future because of a passage in First Chronicles. In chapters 22 through 26 we’re given the story of how David put in place an administrative system for staffing the temple and maintaining it generation after generation. Now, there was no temple at this point. And David knew he’d never see it built in his lifetime. Yet, he dedicated the last years of his life making plans, storing up supplies and conscripting thousands of Levites into particular areas of service.

What’s amazing is that, even though the Levites were conscripted into their work, told what they would be doing, we’re given no indication that there was ever a lawsuit against this system. That would be silly, of course, but there are no stories of some group of Levites coming to the king and refusing the draft. On the flip side, there also wasn’t some sort of religious police that went around making sure the Levites did what they had been commanded to do by the king.

The arrangement was: For this tribe, God was their inheritance. And they had the rare and precious privilege of working in His house and representing Him among the people.

As Christians in the Church, there are many ways in which our calling is similar to that of the Levites. First of all, each and every one of us is conscripted into service in the world and in the house of God, by virtue of being a part of the family. Like the Levites, we’ve got different callings and duties within God’s house. Like the Levites, our work continues generation after generation.

So, when we come across a passage like this one in First Chronicles, it can provide some encouraging devotional insights for us as we apply principles we see here to our own lives and our own place in the work of God.

In our limited time we won’t have the luxury of going through all 5 chapters. But I’d encourage you to listen through it sometime this week. Instead, let me set the stage and then we can examine what was established by David, so that we can take some of the characteristics to heart.

David wanted to build God a permanent house in Jerusalem. God had to tell him that he would not be the man to do it. Rather, his son Solomon would be the temple builder. But, David heard that and thought, “Just because I’m not the person to cut the ribbon on the temple doesn’t mean I can’t be a part of the work.” And so he poured himself into the preparation process. Gathering materials. Getting people on board. Drawing up plans. In chapter 22 we read about him storing up iron and precious metals, an “immeasurable quantity of bronze” for all that would need to be made. We see him appointing stonecutters and getting cedar imported. It says this in First Chronicles 22, verse 5:

1 Chronicles 22:5b – … the house that is to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly great and famous and glorious in all the lands. Therefore, I must make provision for it.” So David made lavish preparations for it before his death.

Of course, the temple would not just need stuff, but it would need a lot of staff. And so, in the chapters that follow, we see the various clans of Levi being assigned to different aspects of temple work. And, being Chronicles, there are a bunch of lists of numbers and names of who was who and what they would do. But here are some characteristics stand out as you work through the plan.

First, and most general, as you read through the lists and assignments, you’re reminded again and again that it was a family affair. There’s an emphasis on clans and fathers and which line of Levi each servant was from. Now, Israel was a tribal society. And there were very specific rules that God had put into place concerning tribe and heritage. Only Levites could serve the Lord in this special way. And only Levites from the line of Aaron could be priests, for example.

Now, in the Church, we do not have that kind of tribal separation. We’re all part of God’s holy priesthood. The walls of ethnicity or heritage are broken down and we’re united in Christ. But one way this constant reference in the text to tribe and fathers and sons and families speaks to us is to remember that, in the Church, we are a family brought together under Christ’s loving headship and commanded to love and serve one another. If you were a Levite serving in the temple, you were literally kin with your co-workers. But spiritual brotherhood is to be just as real. The epistles assume we will regard one another as brothers and sisters. Not that we just have some loose affiliation, but that we consider and operate and communicate with each other the way a loving family does.

In chapter 26, verse 13 we see they were assigned by family. In chapter 25 verse 7 they’re trained by family. They would be undertaking their assignments together, learning together, supporting each other and helping each other along. What a great reminder for local churches that we’re to operate as a loving and unified family, Growing together and in it for the long haul.

We also notice in these chapters that, in this work, there was a lot of different kinds of work to do, open to a wide variety of those called to serve.

1 Chronicles 25:8 – 8 They cast lots for their duties, young and old alike, teacher as well as pupil.

We’re told in multiple places that young and old alike had a share. Teachers and students. Heads of families and younger brothers. Now, of course, under the Old Testament law there were a lot of exclusions. You had to be a man from the tribe of Levi to do this work. You couldn’t be crippled or deformed. But in the church, those distinctions are gone when it comes to serving the Lord. In Christ, we’re told, there is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. Now we’re all one Body and one Building, built up as God’s house. And what we find throughout the Bible and throughout history is that God can use anyone to do His work. David himself is a great example of what God can do. God took the ruddy, afterthought, shepherd boy and made him a warrior, a poet, a king, an instrument maker, a prophet. God worked through David in the arts, in administration, in advancing the kingdom. All because David had a servant’s heart and because he sought the Lord.

When we look at the work of God through His church, there is a lot to do. I don’t just mean here, locally (though there’s a lot to do here), but in God’s work globally, there’s much more work and many more opportunities than any of us could hope to accomplish in a lifetime. And the good news is that there is a place for young and old, master and apprentice, skilled and unskilled.

Now, it’s true, some positions in the temple administration required “capable” individuals. In chapter 26 we’re told, for instance, about the officers and judges.

1 Chronicles 26:31b – A search was made in the fortieth year of David’s reign and strong, capable men were found among them at Jazer in Gilead.

In the Church, there are some areas which require particular capability or qualifications. But, there’s no one in God’s family who He’s not interested in including in the work. Even in this Chronicles passage, we don’t see some clan of Levi showing up, ready to be given their assignment, and David says, “Sorry. We’ve got nothing for you.” In fact, there was a lot to do. Some did this, some did that.

Not only was there a lot of different kinds of work to do, it was a work that would have to be done perpetually. Here are a couple of examples. David says in chapter 22, verse 14:

1 Chronicles 22:14 – 14 Notice I have taken great pains to provide for the house of the Lord—3,775 tons of gold, 37,750 tons of silver, and bronze and iron that can’t be weighed because there is so much of it. I have also provided timber and stone, but you will need to add more to them.

1 Chronicles 26:27 – 27 They dedicated part of the plunder from their battles for the repair of the Lord’s temple.

They were making a plan to provide for the maintenance and repair of a temple that hadn’t even been built yet! The idea was that the work would continue until the end. Of course, the same idea is meant to permeate our service to the Lord. I’m to live as a lifelong servant of the King until He calls me home or brings His Kingdom here. And then, we’ll still be serving Him, just in different ways.

I had a friend ask me recently what I thought our church would be doing in 40 years. It’s an interesting question. While we, of course, believe in the imminent return of Jesus Christ, we also want to be mindful and thoughtful about what work the future might hold for us, should the Lord postpone our arrival date to heaven.

As we look forward to the continuing work of God in our church and in our families and in our individual lives, we should consider things like: What does it mean to be a faithful, fruit-producing Grandparent? Or, what will Hanford need in 15 years? 20 years? We want to be growing people who don’t just get stuck in the same patterns forever. We want to be growing in capacity and effectiveness and taking new ground in our service to the Lord.

We think this way when it comes to investing, right? There are long-term investments and short-term investments. Some of you probably go to garage sales and find items that you can clean up or improve and flip either online or at a sale of your own. That’s a great, short-term investment. But then, some investments take a lot of time to mature. Deferred annuities, for example, start paying sometimes decades in the future. Things like IRAs and mutual funds require thoughtful planning, patience and faithful investment so that one day there’s a great return on the efforts.

The Levites were thinking about what the temple would need decades down the line. We want to think about God’s work like that as well, while we’re also giving ourselves to the needs of today.

As you read these chapters you see that there were a lot of different types of work. Guys who watched the gates, guys who were musicians, guys who worked with sacrifices, guys who were accountants. Bakers. Judges. All sorts of work. But, they didn’t get to pick the thing that they wanted to do. It was assigned to them. Perhaps, in some cases, it wasn’t what they would’ve hoped for. Maybe someone from sons of Ladan played a mean harp and would’ve rather been assigned to the worship team than the oversight of the treasuries. But, it was the will of the king that they were to humble themselves under. The application for our own service is plain and simple. God is the Master Builder. Jesus is our head. He is to assign, we are to obey and trust His judgment.

How were they assigned? Well, here in Israel, it was by the casting of lots. We’ve seen in our studies in Acts that we no longer go to the lot for direction or assignment. Rather, we’re told to seek the Lord and follow the Spirit to find those answers. We’re to search out the Lord’s will and discover what particular service God the Holy Spirit has selected us for. It’s God’s desire to reveal that to us so that His work can flourish and expand. He doesn’t want to hide these sort of answers from us. After all, He’s given us various gifts, various callings, various duties so that we all fit together perfectly, as each part does its own special work. And when we are all doing our special work, it helps the other parts grow so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

The last characteristic of this section I’d have us note tonight is that this was an imperative work. It wasn’t just some king’s vanity project. It was important and urgent and something for everyone to get behind. In chapter 22 we’re told David “gave orders” to gather together and start things going. He tells them in verse 19: “Determine in your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God. Get started building the Lord God’s sanctuary.” And in verse 16 we read this:

1 Chronicles 22:16 – Now begin the work, and may the Lord be with you.

The work was imperative and important. But, it wasn’t supposed to be a back-breaking burden. It was meant to be a blessing to these servants and to the nation and the wider world, as these children of God served together, as a family, doing a great variety of work generation after generation, the world would be changed by the glory of God. That was the idea, anyway. That they, equipped by God, supplied by His riches, supporting one another, would make a magnificent house, “famous and glorious throughout the world.”

Each part of the work was significant and necessary. There was room for a countless number of servants, generation after generation. Today, as God’s people serve Him, it is not in the confines of one building in Jerusalem, but though the global Body of Christ. Together, let’s determine in our minds and hearts to seek the Lord our God and continue honoring Him in whatever service He has selected each of us for.