-- And as to Moses the man of God, his sons were named of the tribe of Levi.
Aaron's line has just been set apart for the priesthood "forever" (v. 13). Now the record turns to Moses. It gives him a great title, yet it lists his sons with the ordinary Levites. So what does "the man of God" mean, and why does it pass nothing on to his children?
One writer lists the places where Scripture calls Moses by this name, and the life that went with it.
What is a man of God? Moses is the first servant of God to bear this honoured title. Scripture gives it to him four times (Deuteronomy 33:1; 1 Chronicles 23:14; 2 Chronicles 30:16; Ezra 3:2). His whole life was one of rare devotion to Jehovah. He gladly gave up the honours and comforts of the Egyptian palace so that he could take his place with God's crushed people. He willingly carried the burden of them through the forty years of "the provocation." And he bore their complaining and ingratitude with amazing patience.
Another writer explains what such a man is and does:
A man of God is a servant who represents God before men and upon whom God has impressed His own character. Such a man speaks for God; he speaks as the oracles of God. It is a high and solemn work, but it reduces man to nothing and strips him of all confidence in the flesh.
A writer asks why the sons of the greatest leader are filed with the crowd.
There is a special divine purpose in all the sons of Moses being counted among the mass of common Levites. "Now concerning Moses, the man of God [he himself is most prominent, and distinguished by that title], his sons were named among the tribe of Levi." There is no succession here of the kind that a Christendom copying Jewish forms boasts of. The man who took his place in leading Israel into the promised land was Joshua the son of Nun… But to be the leader of His people was an appointment God kept in His own hand.
Rossier links this listing to the start of Solomon's reign.
Aaron and Moses both belonged to the sons of Kohath. But Aaron and his sons are "forever" separated from this family of Levites to hold the office of the priesthood "forever" (v. 13). As for Moses — once "king in Jeshurun," lawgiver, mediator, and leader of the people — he and his sons enter into the tribe of Levi. From the moment the reign of Solomon begins, he and his family no longer hold a place above their brothers. So we see him on the holy mountain disappear completely, together with Elijah, to give place to Jesus alone, entering into His kingdom.
One of Moses' own descendants became a priest in idol worship.
This Levite took the place of priest in connection with idolatry. And he was a descendant of no one else but Moses himself, the great lawgiver of Israel. What a thought! Is it not true, is it not written on every verse we have read, "You must be born again"? There is no such thing as spiritual descent. There is no such thing as inheriting spiritual traits. The child of Moses may become the leader in a falling away from God.
Being ranked among ordinary Levites was no disgrace. The record names the work these men were given.
The sons of Moses "the man of God" could not, like their brothers the sons of Aaron, officiate as priests. They were named among the tribe of Levi. During David's reign, "Shebuel the son of Gershom," Moses' eldest son, was "ruler of the treasures." Shelomith, descended from Moses' second son, was the keeper, with his brothers, of "all the treasures of the dedicated things," given for the upkeep of the house of Jehovah. They held an honourable position in David's kingdom. So we can point to the sons of Moses as a striking example of that gracious promise fulfilled: "The children of Your servants shall continue; their offspring shall be established before You."
- Title — Moses is the first man Scripture calls "the man of God." The name marks a servant who gave up palace comforts for God's people, and on whom God has stamped His own character.
- Personal — The name stays with him alone. His sons appear on the common Levite roll, so the honour never becomes family property.
- No succession — Aaron's sons inherited his priesthood, but Moses' sons inherited no office. Leadership stayed in God's own hand.
- New birth — A descendant of Moses became a priest to idols. There is no such thing as spiritual descent, so each person must be born again.
- A place — These men still had real work: keeping the treasures of God's house. God's promise held true — the children of His servants are established before Him.
The sons of Moses Gershom and Eliezer.
David's great roll of the Levites gives one line to the family of the man who led Israel out of Egypt. It names his two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. Two questions follow. Why does the lawgiver's household sit here among ordinary Levites, and what do those two names still say?
The record treats the two brothers differently. Aaron's line stands apart in the priesthood. Moses' line takes its place with the rest of the tribe.
Aaron and Moses both belonged to the sons of Kohath. But Aaron and his sons are "forever" set apart from this family of Levites to serve as priests "forever" (v. 13). Moses was once "king in Jeshurun," lawgiver, mediator, and leader of the people. Yet he and his sons enter into the tribe of Levi (vv. 14-26). From the moment Solomon's reign begins, his family holds no place higher than his brothers. So we see him on the holy mountain disappear altogether, along with Elijah, to give place to Jesus alone as He enters into His kingdom.
The two names move in opposite directions. One looks at where Moses was living. The other looks at what God was to him.
In naming his elder son Gershom, Moses showed he knew he was a stranger in the world where he lived. The cutting off of circumcision fitted that very well. Now the second son is named, and we move from what is negative to what is positive, since Eliezer means, "My God is a help." This had now been made very plain. In these two names we find Moses saying in principle what Joseph before him had said in the names of his two sons, which meant, "Forgetting," and "Fruitful."
Exodus records a struggle over these same boys before God could use their father.
The two names bear bright witness to the true and faithful heart of their father. In Exodus 4:24, 26 we have a hint that all was not well in Moses' own household. Zipporah evidently refused to let the sons be circumcised, because to her it seemed a cruel, unnecessary custom... But before God could use His servant this must be set right, and his household, as well as he himself, must bear the mark which testifies of death.
Gershom's line has a painful sequel. Some translations of Judges make it plain.
Turn to the New Translation, or the Revised Version, of Judges 18:30, and you will read the tragic words, "Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land." If this reading is correct — and it probably is, though we may not be fully sure — then the first idol priest recorded in Israel was the grandson of Moses.
Some copies read "Manasseh" instead of "Moses" there. One reference work explains how that happened, and comes down on the same side:
In many Hebrew manuscripts the letter nun (N) sits over or between the letters mem (M) and shin (S), so as to change the name of Moses to Manasseh. The Rabbis give this reason for the supposed correction: the copyists wanted to clear the name of Moses from the disgrace of having a descendant among idolaters in Israel. No doubt Moses should be read instead of Manasseh.
The story does not end in that shadow. Under David, descendants of both Gershom and Eliezer carry real responsibility.
The sons of Moses "the man of God" could not serve as priests, as their brothers the sons of Aaron did. They were named of the tribe of Levi. During David's reign, "Shebuel the son of Gershom," Moses' eldest son, was "ruler of the treasures." Shelomith, a descendant of Moses' second son, kept "all the treasures of the dedicated things" with his brothers. These were given for the upkeep of the house of the LORD (1 Chron. 26:24-28). They held an honourable position in David's kingdom. So we can point to the sons of Moses as a striking example of that gracious promise coming true: "Your children shall dwell secure; your offspring shall be established before you."
These Levites stand for more than themselves.
The LORD took them instead of the firstborn sons of the whole nation... They were a privileged people, called to give themselves to God's interests, and He gave them special care (Numbers 3:40-51 tells us all about this). They were a type of the whole Christian company today. Their service, as King David ordered it, shows us in type the place and spiritual service God has called us to.
- Named, not exalted — Moses' sons appear in the Levite roll like everyone else. His family holds no rank above his brothers.
- Named for a testimony — Gershom owns that Moses lived as a stranger; Eliezer says "My God is a help."
- Named yet unmarked — Zipporah refused circumcision for these boys. God set the household right before He used His servant.
- Named and disgraced — if the reading of Judges 18:30 is right, Moses' grandson through Gershom became the first idol priest in Israel.
- Named and trusted again — under David, descendants of both sons guard the treasures of God's house. A servant's offspring are established after all.
The sons of Gershom Shebuel the head.
David is listing the Levite families, and this line names the head of Gershom's house. Gershom was Moses' own son — so why does the lawgiver's family sit among ordinary Levites instead of the priests, and what became of that line?
The chapter divides Levi into the three families of Gershon, Kohath and Merari, and it quietly settles where Moses himself belongs.
Aaron and Moses belonged to the sons of Kohath. But Aaron and his sons are "forever" separated from this family of Levites to exercise the office of the priesthood "forever" (v. 13). Moses was once "king in Jeshurun," lawgiver, mediator, and leader of the people. Yet he and his sons enter into the tribe of Levi (vv. 14-26). From the moment Solomon's reign begins, his family holds no place above his brothers. So we see him on the holy mountain disappearing completely together with Elijah to give place to Jesus alone, entering into His kingdom.
Shebuel's family could not serve at the altar, yet the later chapters show what they were handed instead.
The sons of Moses "the man of God" could not serve as priests, as their brothers the sons of Aaron did. They were named of the tribe of Levi (1 Chron. 23:14-17). During David's reign, "Shebuel the son of Gershom," Moses' eldest son, was "ruler of the treasures." Shelomith, descended from Moses' second son, was, with his brothers, the keeper of "all the treasures of the dedicated things," given specifically for the upkeep of the house of the LORD (1 Chron. 26:24-28). They were privileged to hold an honourable position in David's kingdom. So we can point to the sons of Moses as a striking example of the fulfilment of that gracious promise, "The children of your servants shall dwell secure; their offspring shall be established before You."
(That closing promise is Psalm 102:28.)
Gershom's name carries a darker memory. One writer traces a priest of idols back to this same family.
At the very end we are told who this man is (Judges 18:30). He is the son of Gershom, the son of Moses (as the Revised Version also renders it), and he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land. This Levite, who took the place of priest in connection with idolatry, was a descendant of no other than Moses himself, the great lawgiver of Israel. What a thought, beloved! Is it not true, is it not written on every verse we have read, "You must be born again"? There is no such thing as spiritual descent. There is no such thing as inheriting spiritual traits; and the child of Moses may become the leader in a falling away from God, just as much an enemy of God as an uncircumcised heathen king.
Set the two records side by side and the same family line, once linked with stolen religious treasure, is now trusted with God's own.
Why does a list of Levite names matter now? One writer explains who the Levites stood for.
The LORD took them instead of the firstborn sons of the whole nation. The blood in Egypt had sheltered these firstborn sons from judgment. The LORD claimed them as His own, but took the tribe of Levi instead of them for special service in His house and for His Name. They were a privileged people, called to devote themselves to God's interests and to receive His special care (Numbers 3:40-51 tells us all about this). They were a type of the whole Christian company today. Their service, as King David ordered it, shows us in type the place and spiritual service God has called us to. Indeed, we are called "the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven" (Heb. 12:23).
- Named, not ranked. Moses' family enters the tribe of Levi and holds no place above the rest. Aaron's line alone carries the priesthood.
- Named, then trusted. Shebuel cannot serve as a priest. Yet in David's reign he is "ruler of the treasures" of God's house.
- Named, yet not saved by it. A man of this same line became a priest of idols. There is no spiritual descent — no one inherits new birth from a godly ancestor.
- Named again in grace. The family that produced an idol-priest later keeps the dedicated treasures of God's house — a striking example of the promise that a servant's offspring will be established before God.
- Your name in the list. The LORD took Levi in place of Israel's firstborn, whom the blood had sheltered. Believers today — "the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven" — are called to the same devoted service.
And the sons of Eliezer Rehabiah the head; and Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.
This verse closes the family record of Moses in verses 14–17. Eliezer had one son, Rehabiah, and Rehabiah's own descendants were too many to count. Two questions follow. Why is the great lawgiver's family listed among ordinary temple workers? And why does Scripture note that one man's household grew so large?
The list places Moses' descendants inside the tribe of Levi, not above it. One writer ties this to the start of Solomon's reign.
Moses was once lawgiver, mediator and leader of the people. Yet he and his sons enter into the tribe of Levi (vv. 14-26). From the moment Solomon's reign begins, his family holds no place higher than their brothers. So on the holy mountain we see him disappear completely, together with Elijah, to give place to Jesus alone, as He enters into His kingdom.
Moses' sons inherited nothing from him but a place among the crowd. One writer sees God's purpose in that.
There is a special divine purpose in counting all the sons of Moses among the mass of ordinary Levites. "But the sons of Moses the man of God were named among the tribe of Levi" (1 Chron. 23:14). There is no succession here of the kind that a Christendom copying Jewish ways boasts about. His immediate successor in leading Israel into the promised land was Joshua, the son of Nun.
Moses chose the names of his two sons, and one writer weighs what those names say about him.
Moses had two sons, Gershom (A Stranger There) and Eliezer (My God is an Help), names which bear bright witness to the true and faithful heart of their father.
Eliezer had no other sons, yet Rehabiah's line became very many. Later chapters show where some of that family ended up — in joy and in sorrow.
But there is joy as well as sorrow as we trace the descendants of Moses, for "Shebuel the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, was ruler of the treasures" (1 Chron. 26:24). Shelomith came from the line of Eliezer, Gershom's brother. He was another man set "over all the treasures of the dedicated things" (1 Chron. 26:26). This was in the days of David. It is refreshing indeed to find these children of Moses trusted with some of the most responsible work in the kingdom. That is all the more striking when we remember that "Jonathan the son of Gershom, the son of Moses" was glad to share in the theft of Micah's treasures (Judges 18:18-20).
This family could not serve as priests. Another writer links their continuing line to a promise of God.
The sons of Moses, "the man of God," could not serve as priests, as their brothers the sons of Aaron did. They were named among the tribe of Levi (1 Chron. 23:14-17)… It was their privilege to hold an honourable position in David's kingdom. That lets us point to the sons of Moses as a striking example of God keeping His gracious promise: "The children of Your servants shall continue; their offspring shall be established before You."
(That promise is Psalm 102:28, quoted here from an older translation. The ESV reads: "Your children shall dwell secure; your offspring shall be established before you.")
Rehabiah's many sons are not filler in a register. This chapter counts men so that each one gets work to do.
King David's realm knew nothing of handouts for the jobless. Or if it did, they did not reach the Levites, for the simple reason that none of them was out of work. There were 38,000 of them fit for the work. Of these, 24,000 were labourers — and happy to be such, we should judge. Another 6,000 were officers and 4,000 were gatekeepers. The last 4,000 praised the Lord with the instruments which David said he had made for praise: they were the singers. Thirty-eight thousand men, and not an idler among them.
- Counted down — the record puts Moses' family among the Levites, with no rank above their brothers. The lawgiver gives way as Solomon's reign begins.
- Counted out — Aaron's sons took his priesthood, but Joshua led Israel after Moses. No one inherits a great man's place.
- Counted in — Moses named this son Eliezer, "My God is an Help," and the name witnesses to his own faithful heart.
- Counted up — Eliezer's one son left descendants beyond number. David put some of them over the treasures of God's house, while Jonathan, another descendant, shared in stealing treasure.
- Counted for work — 38,000 Levites, and not an idler among them. To be on the list was to have work to do.
-- The sons of Jizhar Shelomith the head.
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.
The sons of Hebron Jeriah the head, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.
The sons of Uzziel Micah the head, and Jishijah the second.
This verse sits inside a long roll of Levite names. David is sorting the tribe of Levi into working groups for the temple. It names two men from one small branch of that tribe. Why does God keep such names on record at all?
One commentator maps out how the sorting runs, and where Aaron's family lands in it:
After the numbering of the Levites comes their division into groups (vv. 6-23) according to their three families: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Aaron and Moses belonged to the sons of Kohath. But Aaron and his sons are "for ever" separated from this family of Levites to carry out the office of the priesthood "for ever" (v. 13).
A reference work identifies the family this verse names:
Descendants of Uzziel No. 1, and one of the four divisions of the Kohathites.
Uzziel's house belonged to Kohath. That family carried the holiest furniture of the tent of worship, and carried it without wagons:
We can now easily see why Kohath had no share in the service of the princes. Gershon and Merari might need wagons and oxen to carry the boards and the rest, but not Kohath. His charge was too precious to entrust to anyone or anything but himself. So it was his high and honoured place to carry it all on his shoulders. What a privilege, for example, to be allowed to carry the ark, the table, or the golden lampstand!
In a list of Levite names and their meanings, Uzziel is given as:
Uzziel — The strength of God
Lists like this one do not record everybody. One writer points out that Kohath had other sons whose lines the list skips:
Kohath had another son, Hebron, who may have had, for all we know, ten times as many descendants. In short, the genealogies notice those about whom some special motive existed, and not the others.
So Micah and Isshiah are not filler. They are here because God had a reason to name them. The same writer says who decides a servant's place:
We are all brothers, having only one Master. But the Master gives grace to each according to His own will, according to the counsels of God the Father. He who denies brotherly unity denies the sole authority of the Master. He who denies the diversity of services also denies the authority of the Master. The Master disposes of His servants as He pleases, and chooses them according to His wisdom and His divine rights.
That is the weight behind "the chief" and "the second." The Master gives each his own place.
David, not Moses, fixes this order. One writer sees him acting here as a picture of Christ:
So David showed sovereign right to act for the LORD. He only did so because he is the type of Christ. There was One greater than Moses in the view of the Spirit of God, and David typifies Him... No doubt their duties were much enlarged. Their numbers might be great now, but the magnificence of the temple would call for every man from twenty years old. And, besides, David would give them all a place in it. It was an honour as well as a duty.
Why does a list of obscure names matter? The whole tribe pictures God's people now, each one put to work:
They were a privileged people, called to devote themselves to God's interests, and God cared for them in a special way... They were a picture of the whole Christian company today. Their service, as King David ordered it, shows us the place and spiritual service to which we have been called.
And the total count leaves no room for a spectator:
There were 38,000 of them fit for the work. Of these, 24,000 were labourers — and happy to be such, we should judge. 6,000 were officers, 4,000 were gatekeepers, and 4,000 praised the LORD with the instruments... Thirty-eight thousand men and not an idler among them.
- Named. Micah and Isshiah are on record because God had a reason to name them. The genealogies keep those about whom "some special motive existed," and pass over the rest.
- Placed. They stand in Uzziel's house, one of the four divisions of Kohath. That family's charge was too precious for wagons, so they carried it on their own shoulders.
- Ranked. "The chief" and "the second" show order inside the house. The Master gives to each according to His own will; to deny that diversity is to deny His authority.
- Appointed. David set this order, acting with sovereign right as a picture of Christ. He gave every man a place — an honour as well as a duty.
- Applied. The tribe pictures God's people today, called to devote themselves to His interests. Among 38,000 fit men, there was not an idler.
The sons of Merari Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli Eleazar and Kish.
Near the end of his reign, David organised the service of God's house down to the last detail. This verse sits inside that list, naming Merari — the third of Levi's three families — with the sons who came after him.
This verse is not a loose scrap of family history. It sits inside an ordered division of the Levites:
First the Levites are numbered. Then they are divided into groups (vv. 6-23) according to their three families: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
The new order also changed the work. Men could start younger, because the heavy carrying had ended:
Once the reign of peace was firmly in place, the Levites could start their service at a younger age. What had blocked this before Solomon's reign was now gone. They no longer had to "carry the tabernacle or any of the things for its service" (v. 26).
Merari's share was the frame of the tabernacle itself. One writer sees a picture of the church in those parts:
Their work was to care for the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, pillars and sockets… The boards speak of the basic facts of what believers are "in Christ," and of their union in one building, the Church of God… So Merari stands for the ministry that unites believers to Christ and to one another, resting on the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Such ministry is of great importance in our present day.
The three names in this verse are not happy ones. One writer finds the reason in the work itself:
Last of Levi's three sons we find Merari, "bitter," with his two sons, Mahli, "sick," and Mushi, "yielding." These are the strangest words of all to find among Levi's sons… His work is mainly what we may call church work. Has anyone done this work without finding the bitterness that Merari's name expresses? A man who could not feel it would be a poor fit for ministry.
Each branch of Levi had its own task, so no one had to invent a role or compete for one:
Each had his specific work given. There could be no misunderstanding about it. How strange it would have been if these 22,000 Levites had formed committees and sub-committees to divide the work and direct in it!… Every member in the body of Christ has a service to render. The Lord Himself puts each member in place… Much of what people call Christian service is done in self-will, and so it lacks power and blessing.
The verse names two sons of Mahli. One of them, Eleazar, left no sons:
Son of Mahli, a Merarite. He had only daughters who married their cousins. 1 Chr. 23:21-22; 1 Chr. 24:28.
Later, when these Levite houses were divided by lot, no one ranked above another:
Note that the least among the Levites had the same portion as the chief fathers. The division was made by lot, according to the Lord's free choice (v. 31).
A list of forgotten men is still a list God kept:
It is deeply solemn to be allowed to read such a record of names. People forgot these names long ago. God has remembered every one of them, with every detail of their path through this world. Some day our names likewise will be lost to mankind, but neither we nor our ways will be forgotten by God.
- Named. Merari, Mahli, Mushi, Eleazar, Kish. The world forgot these men. God remembered each one, and every detail of his path.
- Placed. Each of Levi's three families had its own work, with no room for confusion. In the same way, the Lord Himself sets each member of the body of Christ in place.
- Assigned. Merari's charge was the boards, bars, pillars and sockets. These parts hold the structure together — a picture of ministry that joins believers to Christ and to one another.
- Costly. The names mean "bitter," "sick," and "yielding." One writer reads them as the true experience of this work, and says a man who never feels it is a poor fit for it.
- Equal. Eleazar had only daughters, and they married their cousins. When lots were cast, the least among the Levites received the same portion as the chief fathers.
And Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters; and their brethren the sons of Kish took them.
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.
The sons of Mushi Mahli, and Eder, and Jeremoth, three.
Three names close out the family of Mushi, one line inside David's ordering of the whole tribe of Levi for temple service. Why does God's word keep names like these, and what work were they written down to do?
Mushi belongs to the third of Levi's three great branches. David was sorting the whole tribe into groups for service.
First comes the numbering of the Levites. Then comes their division into groups for service (vv. 6-23), according to their three families: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
Mahli appears twice in this family. He is a son of Merari, and here a son of Mushi. Reference works keep the two men apart:
Son of Mushi, and nephew of the Mahli listed first. 1 Chr. 6:47; 1 Chr. 23:23; 1 Chr. 24:30.
Hebrew names carry meaning, and the meanings in this family fit the work given to them.
Last of Levi's three sons we find Merari, "bitter," with his two sons, Mahli, "sick," and Mushi, "yielding." Mahli, on the other hand, may express the faintness that comes from too much work. Mushi may point to that spirit of patience and gentleness which can give up everything else, where the truth allows it. How necessary such a spirit is in just this relation to the Church of God! The lack of it causes about as much trouble among believers as anything you could find. The leader over Merari's families stands in striking, comforting contrast to these names: Zuriel, "my rock is God," the son of Abihail, "the father of valour."
Merari's charge was the frame of the tabernacle — boards, bars, pillars, cords. Writers read that work as a picture of one kind of service.
Merari's service has to do with the house of God, the church of the living God. It has to do with holding up Christ as the way of access to God. And it has to do with supporting, strengthening and steadying what is His witness in the world. He stands for the workman. Gershon stands for the stranger and pilgrim, and Kohath for the one taken up with Christ. His name — Merari, "bitterness" — tells how painful such service is. Self-love will break down under it, or run off into some odd path that is easier on flesh and blood.
Naming every son of every father was not clerical fussiness. It meant nobody had to guess where he belonged.
Merari (bitter), with the family of the Mahlites and Mushites, numbered 6,200 people. Their place was on the north side, opposite Dan. Their service was to handle the boards of the tabernacle, the pillars, sockets, pins and cords. Each had his specific work given. There could be no misunderstanding about it. How strange it would have been if these 22,000 Levites had formed committees and sub-committees to divide the work and direct it! All this would have brought in disorder. All they needed to do was the work into which the Lord had called them. The same is true in the church. Every member of the body of Christ has a service to give. The Lord Himself puts each member in place, and He gives each one his service, as He gave these sons of Levi and their families their specific work around the tabernacle.
Writers link the whole Levite arrangement to Christians today. The reason lies in how the tribe first came to hold its place.
The Lord took them instead of the firstborn sons of the whole nation. In Egypt the blood had sheltered those firstborn sons from judgment, and the Lord claimed them as His own. But He took the tribe of Levi in their place, for special service in His house and for His Name. They were a privileged people, called to give themselves to God's interests and to receive His special care. They were a picture of the whole Christian company today. Their service, as King David arranged it, shows what place and spiritual service God has called us to.
Writers admit that a list like this gives little on the surface. They look ahead for its full sense.
We pass over the names and the assigned work in the chapters that follow. They are not unimportant. But the full meaning of this listing may only be seen when everything comes to pass under the reign of the true Solomon.
- Placed. Mushi's three sons close out the Merarite branch. Merari was the third of Levi's families, and David was dividing the tribe for service.
- Named. The names read like the work itself. Merari means "bitter", Mahli "sick", Mushi "yielding" — the very spirit this service needs.
- Charged. Merari's load was boards, bars, pillars and cords. Plain work like this steadies and supports God's witness in the world.
- Assigned. The Lord gave each man his own task, so no one could mistake it. The tribe needed no committees, only obedience.
- Kept. These names record a people taken in place of the firstborn, a picture of Christians. Their full meaning waits for the reign of the true Solomon.
These were the sons of Levi according to their fathers' houses, the chief fathers, as they were reckoned, by number of names by their polls, who did the work of the service of the house of Jehovah, from twenty years old and upward.
Near the end of his life, David lists the Levites for temple service, family by family and man by man. The starting age is twenty, not the thirty Moses had fixed. Commentators ask two questions here. By what right did the king change Moses' rule? And what does a list like this say about serving God now?
The chapter starts with Moses' standard and then moves past it. One writer traces the steps and points to the king himself.
He first numbers the Levites, and he numbers them according to Moses, from thirty years old and upward. But even Moses himself gives us a change to this: from twenty-five years. David goes further. He is the king, and all now depends upon the king.
The same writer explains why David could act this way:
Thus David showed sovereign right to act for Jehovah. He only did so because he is a picture of Christ. There was One greater than Moses in the view of the Spirit of God, and David pictures Him.
The thirty-year rule belonged to a moving sanctuary. The Levites had to carry the tent and its vessels from stop to stop. Once Israel had a settled house, that load was gone.
David first numbers the Levites from the age of thirty years and upward, but they do the work of the service from the age of twenty years and upward (vv. 3, 27)... Once the reign of peace was firmly in place, the Levites could begin active service at a younger age. The obstacles that had blocked this before Solomon's reign were now gone. The Levites no longer had to "carry the tabernacle or any of the things for its service" (v. 26)... They no longer had to carry the ark, the altars and the vessels from stage to stage, so the strength of mature men was no longer needed.
The temple's scale called for every available man, and the king wanted none of them left out.
No doubt their duties were much larger now. Their numbers might be great, but the splendour of the temple would call for every man from twenty years old. And, besides, David would give them all a place in it. It was an honour as well as a duty, and one can see grace at work in calling in the younger men.
The words used for the Levites' task set them apart from the priests.
There is a difference here between the priests and the Levites. The priests served the Lord Himself (v. 13), while the Levites "did the work for the service of the house of the LORD" (vv. 24, 28).
The list sorts the whole tribe into its jobs.
There were 38,000 of them fit for the work. Of these, 24,000 were labourers, and glad to be so, we should judge. 6,000 were officers, 4,000 were gatekeepers, and 4,000 praised the Lord with the instruments that David said he had made for praise — they were the singers. Thirty-eight thousand men and not an idler among them.
Mawson takes this privileged tribe as a picture of Christians today:
They were a privileged people, called to give themselves to God's interests and to receive His special care... They were a picture of the whole Christian company today, and their service, as King David ordered it, shows in picture the place and spiritual service God has called us to. Indeed, we are called "the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven" (Heb. 12:23).
Another writer sees the same rule set in place again and calls it a return to the order of Scripture, even though it was David who first set the age at twenty. Commentators differ on that point.
We find that the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, had the charge of carrying forward the work of the house of the Lord. This was plainly a return to the order of Scripture. It came from God-given understanding of the kind of work they were doing (see Num. 4; 1 Chr. 23:24). Keeping God's order in the work of His house matters more than anything, because it is in fact submission to His will as He has expressed it in His word.
- Peace first. The age dropped from thirty to twenty only after the settled house replaced the carried tent — rest changes what service requires.
- The king's word. David, not Moses, set this order, acting with sovereign right because he stands as a picture of Christ.
- Grace reaches wider. The lower age brought the younger men in. Their duties grew, yet grace gave them all a place — an honour as well as a duty.
- Everyone placed. Counted family by family and head by head, 38,000 men — labourers, officers, gatekeepers, singers — and no idler among them.
- Order held. Later workers took up this same rule again. Keeping God's order for His house is submission to His word.
For David said, Jehovah the God of Israel has given rest to his people, and he will dwell in Jerusalem for ever;
David gives a reason before he gives an order. The ark no longer travels, so he numbers the men who once carried it for new work. The verse turns on one gift — rest — and asks what God's servants are for once the journey ends.
Everything in this chapter flows from David's throne. One writer ties Israel's new order of worship to that throne, and the throne to a coming King:
David changed the whole system of religious worship and everything belonging to it, as we shall find later on in the book. He brought the ark to Zion, and King Solomon later built the temple in the city of David. But David arranged everything around the great centre of the land. This was not the case before... The king became the central thought. In God's purpose, everything hung on the king. The reason was that the king was a picture of "the great King" who is coming.
The rest David speaks of arrives while the kingdom's full splendour is still ahead. One writer places Solomon at the head of all that God was establishing:
Solomon is introduced as the head of all that was being established. He holds the first and supreme place in the mind of God. All the rest depended on him, and could not even exist now without him. The house, the whole order of the house, and its government, all referred to Solomon... It is one person, whom His sufferings and victories place on the throne of glory and of peace. At this moment the glory had not yet shown its result. Even so, God had given rest to His people, that they might dwell at Jerusalem.
The older translations quoted here read the second half as the people dwelling at Jerusalem. The ESV reads it of God Himself dwelling there forever.
That rest is the ground for a practical change. One writer ties the new age of service to the ended journey:
The Levites are first numbered from thirty years old and upward, but they do the work of the service from twenty years old and upward. This was the order David established, and not the one Moses had established for Kohath's family. Once the reign of peace stood firm, the Levites could begin their service at a younger age. Before Solomon was established, obstacles stood in the way. Now they were removed, and the Levites no longer had to carry the tabernacle or any of the things for its service. The Lord had travelled under one tent with the camp of Israel, and the difficulties this created were now lifted. Once no one had to carry the ark, the altars and the vessels from stage to stage, the strength of mature men was no longer needed.
What replaces the carrying is not idleness. One writer sums up the change in a sentence:
The Levites have changed their service. No longer do they have burdens to bear through a wilderness, but they lift up their songs in the house of the Lord.
One writer draws the line to us by asking where the true Ark is now:
David appointed the Levites to this happy service. In earlier days they had carried the tabernacle, its vessels and its furniture through the wilderness. Now the ark had rest and their carrying service was over. How good it was for them to take up the service of praise to the Lord... We are still passing through the wilderness... but we also know that the true Ark, our Lord Jesus Christ, is no longer here. He is in the scene of rest. It is our privilege to join in the service of song that delights His heart and the heart of His God and Father.
The rest David announces was real, but it is not the last word. One writer marks out two rests, both tied to the same Person:
Zion is the election of God's sovereign grace. And there, when Christ is King, will be His full rest on earth. Believers of this period know that there is another and a higher rest... But whether in Zion or in heaven, this rest is connected with Christ. In Zion it is Christ as God's anointed King, whom He will set on His holy hill. In heaven it is Christ seated at His own right hand.
- King first. David reorganised Israel's whole worship around the throne. That king pictures the great King who is coming.
- Rest given. The rest is God's gift, not Israel's work. It comes before the kingdom's glory appears.
- Burdens ended. The tabernacle no longer travels, so the work no longer needs the strength of mature men. David enrols younger ones.
- Songs begun. Service does not stop when carrying stops; the shoulder-work becomes song-work in the house of the Lord.
- Rest ahead. The true Ark is already in the scene of rest, so praise is our service now. A fuller rest still waits: on earth for Zion, higher for believers. Both hang on Christ.
and the Levites also have no more to carry the tabernacle, nor any of its vessels for its service.
David spoke these words near the end of his reign, after the ark had come to Jerusalem and he had begun preparing for the temple. The tribe that carried God's dwelling through the desert would never carry it again — so what does a servant do when his life's work ends?
Carrying was a desert arrangement. It was needed only while God's dwelling moved from camp to camp. One writer links the end of that duty to the reign of peace, and shows what it changed about who could serve.
Once the reign of peace was firmly in place, the Levites could start serving at a younger age. The things that had stood in the way before Solomon was established were now removed: they no longer had to "carry the tabernacle or any of the things for its service" (v. 26). The Lord had travelled under one tent with the camp of Israel, and the difficulties this created were now lifted. No one needed the strength of mature men any more, because no one had to carry the ark, the altars and the vessels from stage to stage, or load the rest onto carts.
With the heavy lifting gone, the starting age could drop. A reference work traces the ages across the tribe's history.
Numbers 4:3 and the verses after it suggest the Levites started their tabernacle service at the age of thirty. But Numbers 8:24-26 gives the age as twenty-five. Perhaps they spent the first five years in a trial period, learning their duties. When Israel had settled in Canaan, the work of carrying the tabernacle was over. Then they started their service at the age of twenty. They worked until they were fifty years of age. 1 Chronicles 23:24-27.
The verse takes a duty away. One writer shows what took its place.
The Levites have changed their service. No longer have they burdens to bear through a wilderness, but they lift up their songs in the house of the Lord.
Song was new in Israel. One writer notes that the tabernacle had sacrifices but no singing, and that the joy David prepared belonged to Solomon's day.
Moses long ago appointed sacrifices, but no songs were heard in the tabernacle. David appointed the singers, gave them their instructions, and arranged them in their divisions. Yet all this joy was prepared for Solomon. In the house that Solomon built, the priests, the trumpeters and the singers — Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun, with their sons and brothers — first awakened the praises of the Lord in Israel.
Losing the burden did not mean losing the job. The census that opens this chapter accounts for every man.
There were 38,000 of them fit for the work. Of these, 24,000 were labourers — and happy to be so, we should judge. Six thousand were officers. Four thousand were gatekeepers, and 4,000 were to "offer praises to the LORD with the instruments that I have made for praise," said David — they were the singers. Thirty-eight thousand men, and not an idler among them.
The work was divided, and one writer warns what happens when everyone takes on the job of discerning.
Disasters may take place among God's children when all think they are qualified to discern.
We stand on both sides of this verse: still travelling, yet already free to sing.
Now that the ark had rest, and their carrying service was over, how good it was for them to take up the service of praise to the Lord. These things were written for our learning, so that we might grasp the kind of service God has given us. We are still passing through the wilderness, and we have the blessed privilege of carrying the testimony of God in our lives until the wilderness ends. But we also know that the true Ark, our Lord Jesus Christ, is no longer here. He is in the scene of rest, and it is our privilege to join in the service of song.
- Rest arrives. The journey ends, so the duty ends. Peace under Solomon lifts the load off Levite shoulders.
- Rest widens. Strength is no longer the test. The starting age drops from thirty to twenty, and younger men join the work.
- Rest reassigns. Thirty-eight thousand men, none of them idle: labourers, officers, gatekeepers, singers. The burden goes; the calling stays.
- Rest sings. The desert had sacrifices but no song. Song waited for the house Solomon built.
- Rest reaches us. We still cross the wilderness, but the true Ark, Jesus Christ, is already at rest — and we may already join His praise.