1 Chronicles 26
Following the previous chapters outlining the Levitical priests and the establishment of the temple musicians by David and the officers of the army…
Pause.
David AND the officers of the army appoint temple musicians.
My breath catches as I consider the value placed by David on God’s worship.
And with him, his mighty men of valor. God-fearers every one of them. They know battle firsthand. They’ve tasted blood many times, felt wars sting, sweat its curse, felt adrenaline pound their heart until its rhythm overcomes all senses.
They know the value of worship.
Of who has numbered their days. They know who they have turned to time and again at the moment of death, after victorious wins, and in the heat of the unknown outcome.
And then fell the appointment of the division of the gatekeepers… with its governance over each gate leading into the city. For those in charge of its treasuries. Its security. Spoil, some of it, won by David in battles, some given as dedicated gifts for the maintenance of the house of the Lord.
Men were appointed who exercised authority in their ancestral houses. Able men, the word says. Guards.
And I see the alliance of a people pulled together in their awe, fear and love, of God. And it is a thing of beauty. This city of God, the house of the Lord- where every person has their place and fits together beautifully.
May our houses of worship have this same alliance to Him and may we be warrior-worshippers appointed for the protection of its treasuries and gates. May we encourage one another in the pursuit of the awe, fear and love, of God.
For His glory, others’ good, and our eternal joy.
