Getting Organised for the Work of God. (1 Chronicles 23)

This Podcast is a project to complete an in-depth, daily study of the entire Bible, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. 

Episode Notes:

Everyone needs to get organised. Large organisations must be organised, of course, but so must small ones. Parents learn quickly that the more children they have, the more structure they need. Even individuals need organisation if they’re 

“Let all things be done decently and in order.” (1 Corinthians 14:40)

 Order is not the enemy of spirituality, as some seem to me to suggest; it is the servant of spirituality. Organisation is not a lack of faith; it is often the expression of faith.

And in 1 Chronicles 23, we see this principle lived out in a powerful way.

This chapter shows us how David structured the work of the Levites so that the worship of God could continue faithfully, consistently, and beautifully long after he was gone. And in doing so, it teaches us something vital:

If we want to do the will of God well, we must organise ourselves, but organise ourselves around the priorities of God.

So, let's turn together to 1 Chronicles chapter 23, and let’s see what David did… and what we can learn from him….

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:15

Welcome back, friends. Welcome to another day. Welcome to another day on the Bible Journey Daily Podcast. I'm so grateful you've decided to join me again as we continue walking our way through the Book of One Chronicles, a book that was ultimately written to remind God's people of their identity, their calling, and their responsibility in his unfolding plan for the world, for all humanity, in fact. And it still continues to do that today. Now today we come to a chapter that speaks directly into the practical side of discipleship. It's not dramatic, it's not filled with any battles or miracles, but it's still absolutely essential because today's passage is about getting organized to do the will of God. And if you've ever tried to run anything, whether it be a home, a ministry, or simply just manage your own life, you'll know how important this can be. Everyone needs to get organized. Large organizations must be organized, of course, but so must small ones. Parents learn very quickly that the more children you have, the more structure you need in your family. Even individuals need some organization in their lives if they're going to live wisely and fruitfully. And if it's true in everyday life, then it's certainly true in the work of the Lord. One of the most overlooked areas and truths in Scripture is that God is a God of order. Paul reminds the Corinthian Church of exactly that when he writes to them and says, Let all things be done decently and in order. Order is not the enemy of spirituality. As if I'm honest, it seems to me some seem to suggest in the church, it is in fact and should be the servant of our spirituality. Organization does not show a lack of faith. It can, well, it is more often an expression of faith. And in 1 Chronicles chapter 23, we will see this principle lived out in a very powerful way. This is the point at which David is nearing the end of his life. The temple plans are prepared. We saw that yesterday. The materials have been gathered, and Solomon has been charged. The leader has been commanded. The leaders have been commanded. And now David turns to the next essential step of organizing the Levites. These are the men who will carry out the daily ministry of worship in the house of God. This chapter will show us how David structures the work of those Levites so that the worship of God could continue faithfully, consistently, and beautifully long after he's gone. And in doing so, I think it teaches us something vital. If you want to do the will of God well, we must organize ourselves. But organise ourselves importantly, not round our own priorities, but the priorities of God. So today we open 1 Chronicles chapter 23, and we're going to look at how David organized these people, why organization matters even in spiritual work, and how those principles might apply to you and I today as believers today. Because whether you're leading a church, serving in any position in any ministry, or raising a family, or simply just trying to walk faithfully with Christ, organization is in fact part of obedience. So let's turn together to 1 Chronicles chapter 23 and let's see what David did, and let's see what we can learn from him in today's episode of the Bible Journey Daily Podcast. So we begin with verse 1, which tells us so when David was old and full of days, he made his son Solomon king over Israel. So, this opening line of the chapter simply tells us that Solomon has now been publicly installed as king. The writer does not record any of the dramas surrounding the disputed succession and the tension between Adonagi and Solomon, or does it even mention the intervention of Nathan and Bathsheba and the decisive actions of David in dealing with those issues? All of that is found in the account in One Kings. But One Chronicles admits all of the conflict and instead focuses just on the outcome, that being Solomon is king, and a transition of the leadership is complete. Because remember, the purpose of this book is not to provide an accurate and complete historical narrative, it's to show the filling, fulfilling of the Davidic covenant. Anyway, the text continues, verse 2. He also gathered together all the leaders of Israel with the priests and the Levite. So David now gathers the whole nation's leadership. This would mean political leaders, priests, and Levites as well, because what follows will reshape Israel's worship for generations to come. David is about to reorganize these Levites. That is the tribe responsible for assisting the priests and maintaining Israel's worship life. What he establishes here will become the foundation for temple worship throughout Solomon's reign and way beyond that. And the writer, the chronicler, wants us to see that David is adapting the Levite service for this new era. The worship system that had existed since the day of Moses, which of course centered around the tabernacle, which was moved from place to place, is now being reshaped for service at this permanent temple site. So this is a transition moment. The old patterns are going to be honored as much as they can, but they are also going to be expanded upon and formalized for this permanent house of God. So the opening two verses simply serve as an introduction to everything that follows. Not only in chapter 23, but in this whole section we began yesterday, which runs from chapters 23 through to chapter 27. The chapter today describes David's final act of preparation, the organization of the Levites, the structuring of the priesthood, arranging for musicians, appointing gatekeepers, establishing administrative people. The chronicler presents David as a king who in his final days is preparing thoroughly for the future. So after the introduction, the first thing David does is give us the number of people involved. Verse 33 says, the Levites, 30 years old or more, were counted, and the total number of men was 38,000. So, 38,000 Levites, all above the age of 30, are counted. And this census takes place, remember, near the end of David's life, after he has effectively handed over what we would today call the reigns of government to Solomon. David is now undertaking the task of organizing the religious and the political structure of the whole nation so that it can continue smoothly after he's gone. The age of 30 is also significant, because according to the Mosaic Law, Numbers 4, verse 3, actually, 30 was the legal age for beginning Levitical service. David at this point honours that law even as he adapts the structure of it for the temple era. So verse 3 gives us the total number, but verses 4 and 5 gives us the breakdown within it. David said, Of these 24,000 are to be in charge of the work of the temple of the Lord, 6,000 are to be officials and judges, 4,000 are to be gatekeepers, and 4,000 are to praise the Lord with musical instruments. I have provided that for that purpose. So there you go, out of these 38,000 identified Levites, 24,000 will serve in the temple, six thousand will serve as officials and judges, four thousand as gatekeepers around the temple, and four thousand as musicians, and each group is then further divided into family lines. Now this section deals just entirely with the number of workers. David is organizing the workforce now that is required to enable Israel's worship. The 6,000 judges mentioned here were likely dispersed throughout the whole nation so that the worship system would be understood and applied widely, while the other Levites served in direct connection with the temple. So the 24,000 temple workers would be the people who assisted the priests, carried out all the duties, which will later be listed for us in verses 20 to 30. Duties we'll hear about, like maintaining the courts, caring for the sacred vessels, preparing the offerings, and just generally supporting the daily worship of the Lord and the worship life of the nation around the temple. So we're talking here clearly about getting organized. And David has begun with the most basic element of all: know who you have, know how many you have, and know what they should do. But the second thing, the next level of organization, means we see David divide them into family groups. Verse 6 says David separated the Levites into divisions corresponding to the sons of Levi, Gershon, Kohath, and Morari. So we've just seen Levi appointed their role and subdivided. But now beginning in verse seven and continuing all the way through to verse 24, David breaks the Levites down according to their families, the Gershonites, the Kohathites, and the Merarites. So let's quickly listen to the text. Belonging to the Gershonites, Laden and Shimei, the sons of Laden, Jehil, the first, Zetham and Joel, three and all, the sons of Shimei, Shalomamoth, Haziel and Haran, three and all. These were the heads of the families of Laden, and the sons of Shimei, Jahath, Ziza, Jaush, and Bariah. These were the sons of Shimei, four and all. Jehath was the first, and Zizar the second, but Jaush and Bariah did not have many sons, so they were accounted as one family with one assignment. The Koathites, the sons of Kohath, Amran, Ishar, Hebron, and Uzel, four and all. The sons of Amran, Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart, and he and his descendants for ever to consecrate the most holy things and to offer sacrifices before the Lord, to minister before him and to pronounce blessings in his name forever. The sons of Moses, the man of God, were counted as part of the tribe of Levi. The sons of Moses were Gershon and Elizer, the descendants of Gershon, Shubiel, was the first, the descendants of Eliasar, Rehabai was the first. Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabai were very numerous. The sons of Ishar, Shalomith was the first, the sons of Hebron, Jariah the first, Amari the second, Jehazil the third, and Jekyam the fourth, the sons of Uzel, Makkah the first, and Isaiah the second. Then the third group, the Meriites. Verse 21. The sons of Meri, Mahili, and Mushai, the sons of Mahili, Eliezer and Kish. Eliezer died without having sons, he had only daughters, their cousins and the sons of Kish married them. The sons of Mushai, Meli, Adar, and Jeremuth, three in all. Okay, that's the text. A long list of names, some difficult to pronounce, but Gershon, Kohath, and Meri, we see each family is assigned specific responsibilities, and each division is structured for orderly service. Now this is of course detailed, meticulous, but it's intentional as well. David is not improvising here. The point is it's saying, look, this is all about organization. And the chronicler, the writer, wants us to see that organization here is not unspiritual. It's deeply important and essential for the work of God. Order is not being shown here to be an enemy of worship. It has been presented here as the servant, the engine room of enabling worship. David is preparing the Levites so that the worship of God can continue, will continue faithfully long after he's gone. So David has now given the total number of Levites, and he's then moved on to this major, the next major step of the organization. We've seen him dividing them into family groups. And then this whole section is concluded in verse 24, where it says, These were the descendants of Levites by their families, the heads of the families as they were registered under their names and counted individually. That is the workers 20 years old or more who served in the temple of the Lord. So this verse summarizes that whole section I read from verse 26 onwards through to verse 23. But did you notice something, a small change here in verse 24? Because verse 24 has now introduced something new. In it, David lowers the minimum age, the minimum age for Levitical service from 30 to 20. Now, like I mentioned earlier, originally the Mosaic law for the Levites began, said they will begin their service at the age of 30. But David here perhaps foresees the enormous workload that will now accompany the temple, a huge permanent structure, far larger and far more complex than the portable tabernacle, that he lowers the age as a way to increase the available manpower. One commentator I read backs this up, persuades me of this position. It says, since the temple proposed a much larger ecclesiastical burden, David decided to lower the age of the Levitical service to twenty. This permitted many more men to function in this much expanded system of worship. So I think that's fair. In other words, David adjusts the structure to meet the needs of the time. He honors the law, but he also adapts the organization for this new era of more centralized, a larger scale of temple worship. And this is a reminder that any organization must be effectual in order to meet the demands of work, particularly when it's a religious ministry or organization where that demand is to meet God's work and God's plans. Even in the New Testament, the apostles reorganise ministry when it was needed. Acts chapter six, verses two and three, we hear it is not desirable that we should leave the Word of God and serve tables, therefore choose among you seven men of good reputation. So this principle is the same. When the work grows, sometimes the structure needs to grow, change, or adapt to meet it. So David here assigns these people that he's just listed, now he assigns them with their duties in verses twenty-five to thirty-two. So after giving the total number of involved and dividing them into families, David now gives them their duties. Listen, verse 25. For David said, Since the Lord the God of Israel has granted rest to his people and has come to dwell in Jerusalem forever. So this is precede with David saying, Look, we need to recognise that Israel is entering a new phrase. God has given us rest, the land is subdued, Jerusalem is secure now, the era of wandering is over, an era of permanence has begun. Verse 26 and 27 continues. The Levites no longer needed to carry the tabernacle or any of the articles used in its service. According to the last instructions of David, the Levites were counted from those twenty years old or more. So this is the crucial point here. The Levites' past duties, of course, involved packing up and carrying the tabernacle from place to place, transporting it, and then setting it up again and then taking it down again. But now with a permanent temple, those particular duties are no longer necessary. So verse 25 to 27, which I've just read, reminds people and describes them of those old responsibilities, but now from verse 28 to 32, it will describe the new responsibilities for us. Okay. Verse 28. The duties of the Levites was to help Aaron's descendants in the service of the temple of the Lord to be in charge of the courtrooms, the side rooms, the purification of all sacred things, and the performance of other duties at the house of God. So their new duties, their new list is a lot of things. Things like serving in the courts and the chambers, purifying the holy things. That would mean preparing a show bed, preparing the grain offerings, baking the unleavened cakes, managing and making sure the measurements and portions were correct, offering Thanksgiving every morning and every evening now, participating in the extended session of Sabbath worship, as well as preparing monthly for new moon worship, and also participating and preparing those festivals that would take place throughout the year, and supporting the priest in all of these things and all functions of the temple. Verse 29 to 32 expands this workload even further. We see all of these things included as verse 29 explains the expansion and how it goes further. They are now in charge of bread set on table, it says, the special fire for the green offerings, the thin loaves made without yeast, the baking and the mixing of all measurements of quantity and size. They were also to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord. They were to do the same in the evening, and whenever burnt offerings were presented to the Lord on the Sabbaths. At the new moon feasts and at the appointed festivals, they were to serve before the Lord regularly in the proper number and in the way prescribed for them. And so the Levites carried out their responsibilities for the tent of meeting, for the holy place, and under the relatives, the descendants of Aaron, for the service of the temple of the Lord. So it's like I it's like that list I just gave you. Did you get all that's compressed into those few verses? The Levites' new deities are indeed extensive. The principal task was to assist the priest, of course, to maintaining the daily worship of the temple, but they had to do all these other things, like the preparing of bread, the grain, the baked offerings, and including offering thanksgiving every morning and evening, and all these additional Sabbaths and festival days. In short, the Levites will maintain the worship of God expressed by the nation of Israel. They were the support structure, the unseen labor force, if you like, that made the whole temple ministry and worship of God possible. And that's a really powerful reminder that the work of God requires many hands in many places, doing many different things, not just divisible leaders. And the New Testament echoes this for us many times. Paul again writing to the church in Corinth says that we are many members, yet one body, and an eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you. The Levites in this situation, I picture them as the hands and the feet, the workers behind the scenes, and the organization that they made work was they made worship possible. So that's the text. Let me try and gather it all together for you. David here has just organized the Levites by first of all counting their total number, dividing them into groups according to their families, and assigning them all specific duties. That is the entire structure of 1 Chronicles 23. It is a chapter about organization. It's not about abstract theory, it's about practical, detailed, thoughtful, prayerful organization, but organization for the work of God. I find it fascinating. As someone who's pastored a church, had different jobs, different positions in life, different ministries in the Christian church, and seen multiple people in different roles, I know firsthand how essential organization can be. And here in this scripture we see David modeling it for us with real clarity and wisdom. So I want to close by trying to draw out some of the principles, and let me be clear, I believe they're biblical principles that apply not only to temple worship here, but to any ministry, to any church, to any Christian organization, and even any Christian in our personal life. Four principles for organization of living a life for God, whether singly or collectively, drawn from 1 Chronicles 23. Of the four, the first I would say organization needs to begin with needing to know the total number of people required to do the thing in mind, to do the ministry. Now that sounds simple, but it shouldn't be missed. It's foundational. Before David did anything else, we see him count the Levites. He needed to know who he had. And how many he had. So in ministry the first question often should be, how many people do we need to actually accomplish this task? And David begins by giving us the total number. And I think that is the first good principle of leadership. Secondly, then, David takes those people and he divides divid he divides them for their roles. So organization requires some sort of setting aside, setting apart divisions of labor, the modern business speak would be. So after determining the total number, David we see here divides the Levites into groups, and on this occasion they're based around their families and the roles that he assigns them. And we're told there's out of this thirty-eight thousand, there's twenty-four directly into temple service, six thousand to administering and judging not just in Jerusalem but across the land, four thousand in terms of gatekeeping around the temple, and four thousand people set aside for music and worship. This is division of labor. Clear, structured, and most importantly, intentional, godly intentional. And in any organization, you must of course determine not just who does what, but how many people are needed to do or to do it and what area are those people needed and required in. And Paul again echoes this principle in the New Testament when he writes and says there are variet there are varieties of activities, but the same God who empowers them all. So different peoples, different roles, but with one purpose. Okay, my third principle is that organizations require clear duties, something akin to what we would today call job descriptions. Did you notice David lists the old duties of the Levites, those carried out with the moving tabernacle, and now the new duties, those of maintaining the temple, assisting the priests, and preparing offerings, all those things and those details, things that lead to and enable worship. Now today we would call this probably a job description, but the important point here is a good organization, spiritual as well, should have clear expectations and people should know what is expected of their responsibilities, particularly in readership. A good ministry, any good ministry will have clear boundaries and responsibilities for the people serving. And a good church that has clarity about that is a church that will do well, I believe. And seeing David here give them actual job descriptions of exactly what they do, I think shows us that scripture affirms that this approach is wise. But finally, my fourth principle would be that organization needs sometimes, must sometimes be flexible. David, we see lower the age of service here from thirty to twenty because he recognizes the temple will require more manpower. In other words, he adapts the structure to meet the new spiritual need. This is flexibility. A rigid organization can become ineffective, but one that is flexible is much more likely to become fruitful. Even in the New Testament, we just read how the apostles adjusted their structure when the need increased. And in Acts 6, I quoted for you, we saw the appointment of seven administrators in order to carry out the new role. Flexibility is not compromise. Flexibility in our approach is wisdom, biblical wisdom. Now, underlining those principles, I also think this passage throws us three phases of any project or ministry. Planning, organization, and administration. Now, if we step back and look at the broader picture here, whether that's in ministry, business, or even just your personal life, effective planning and organization will always, in a sense, involve these three phases. Planning is deciding first what needs to be done. Planning will involve a purpose. Why do we exist? Setting a vision. Explain or explaining a vision. Goals. What do we want to accomplish? Objectives. What are the short-term steps towards achieving that objective? How do we meet the goals? Through what programs do we set up? The schedule, the order in which we should do it, and the time frame. And of course, don't forget it, particularly in church life, as well as home life, budget. What resources will it require and how much we should set aside for that? This is true in any organization, this is true in any church, and this is true in any family. Now the purpose of the church is particularly unique, is that it exists to glorify God, and it exists for the benefit of those who aren't yet involved in it. But the long-term goal is always to make disciples, and everything else should flow from that. So, as well as planning, the next phase is organization. In other words, placing people within the plan, and that's what we've seen here David do exactly in 1 Chronicles 23. He had a plan which was to build and maintain the temple, and he places the people in that plan. And there are many different places for them Levites, priests, musicians, gatekeepers. He assigns duties, he explains the administration of them, whether it be through the offerings or the worship. You see, organization is ultimately simply putting people in the right place to accomplish the overall plan. And any minister knows if you choose the right people and get them in the right roles, you can sleep at night. But if you choose the wrong people and put them in the wrong roles, you'll probably end up praying all night instead. And David here models for us how to choose wisely. He places people where they belong, and by doing that he builds a structure that has the potential to last. But once that's been done, of course, there must be some level of, shall we say, administration. There must be some level of supervising the work, administering the actual physical means in order to bring that to be, whether it be financial or other resources, overseeing and encouraging the people, ensuring people know and understand what they're expected to do, helping each of them reach their objectives within the wider goal, guiding them towards the long-term unified goal of God's purpose for humanity expressed through the local church, ensuring the organization fulfills that which is its core purpose. Now, in the Old Testament, God gave the plan here, and in 1 Chronicles 23, David organizes the people, and later we'll see Solomon administrate the work to bring God's plan to fruition. Now, this may sound like a business administration course, but this is in fact the core biblical pattern on how these things should be done, being set here. And if you want 1 Chronicles 23 in one sentence, it is we are seeing David place people into the plan of God. David taking ordinary people and placing them to live out a life that enacts the will of God in the world. He's organizing the Levites so that the worship of God would continue faithfully long after he's gone. And that is the core message of this text for us today, my beloved. God has given us a plan. God has given us, Jesus Himself gave us what is called the Great Commission, and He has given us people, individuals coming together to work together towards that plan in what is called the Body of Christ, the Church. And He has called, by creating that community of faith, He calls us by nature to organize ourselves so that His work is done well. You see, ultimately, this passage tells us that having a plan and organization is not an unspiritual thing. In fact, good organization is nothing less than obedience to the will of God in your life. I hope you found that helpful. How shall we say, groups of people who will serve in rotation? If chapter 23 showed us how to organize ourselves, chapter 24 will teach us how to stay organized, whether that be in leadership or any other form of service. Now it's another chapter about structure to a degree and order, but it's also a chapter about faithfulness, and it speaks directly to how we can organise our lives and our ministries today. So, please come back again tomorrow as we continue the Bible Journey Daily Podcast, and we discover how God uses his organization of people in the world, not to restrict people, but to empower them for his work and bring their lives into his lives and the will of God. So until then, plan well, organize wisely, friends, and remember, God's work always deserves our best intentions. Thanks for being with me today. Bye bye for now.