1 Chronicles 6

• Click here to read
• Click here to listen
• Click here if you like to listen while looking at a visual (starts at the bottom of the page.)

Listen, I am not going to pretend like this is an exciting chapter.  It’s not.  But if you were Jewish, and you were returning to Jerusalem with Ezra in 500 years, you would want to know if your family was recorded. It matters to them.

At the center of the genealogies, we come to Levi.  Quick recap: There are 12 tribes of Israel (from the 12 sons of Jacob).  Levi gets carved out as a Priesthood to care for the Tabernacle (leaving 11).  Joseph’s line gets split in 2 (Ephraim and Manasseh) so that brings us back to 12.

So here is a recap visual of our tabernacle:

Let’s go way back to the Burning Bush.  Remember Moses said I cannot do what you are asking me to do!! I am slow at speech.  (As if God didn’t know!! Ha).  God put Moses’ brother Aaron on the job with him.  Moses had 1 brother and 1 Sister: (Look on the bottom left corner)

 

Chapter 6 starts with the above

6 The sons of Levi:

Aaron (regardless of the countless crazy mistakes he makes) receives the privilege of the High Priest.  ALL High Priests come from the line of Aaron.  Wait!  Flag on the field!   All High Priests are SUPPOSED to come from Aaron.  Well, If the author of this book is Ezra, what Ezra does not know is that by the time Jesus is born, the High Priest position has become a “political” position and corrupt!

If you have an interest in following the entire priestly genealogy I keep a copy in the Handouts section. (or click here)  You will see the line ends with the captivity:

Verse 15: Jozadak was deported when the Lord sent Judah and Jerusalem into exile by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.

Then we read the Temple Musicians.

Verse 31:These are the men David put in charge of the music in the house of the Lord after the ark came to rest there. ³² They ministered with music before the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, until Solomon built the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. They performed their duties according to the regulations laid down for them.

We see that David (a musician himself) put together a worship team at the tabernacle and then they moved to the Temple that Solomon builds in Jerusalem.  Wait, Solomon?  David does not build the temple??  No, he is not allowed!  If you don’t know why….you will have to keep reading!

These verses lay out the vision for cooperation among the Levites in the worship at the Temple (soon to come).  Of course, I put a heart next to Asaph after reading yesterday’s Psalms!!

---

Atonement: (covering sin)

⁴⁸ Their fellow Levites were assigned to all the other duties of the tabernacle, the house of God. ⁴⁹ But Aaron and his descendants were the ones who presented offerings on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense in connection with all that was done in the Most Holy Place, making atonement for Israel, in accordance with all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.

Only the High Priests entered the Most Holy Place, once a year to make an Annual Atonement for the sins of the nation.  The Most Holy Place was behind the curtain, where the Ark sat with God’s presence.

Finally, we have an account of their settlements (since they were not given a territory), they were placed in specific locations BY GOD so that everyone would have the ability to bring their sacrifices to the Lord regardless of where they lived,