And Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren, of the house of his father, the Korahites, were over the work of the service, keepers of the thresholds of the tent, and their fathers, set over the camp of Jehovah, were keepers of the entrance.
1 Chronicles 9 lists the families who came back to Jerusalem after the exile, and it stops to name the men who watched the gates. Why does God keep such careful record of men who stood at a door?
Korah's name carries a shadow. He went down alive into the pit, yet his sons stand here in God's service.
How terrible sin is in the sight of the Lord! ... Numbers 16:25 never says that the sons of Korah went down with their father. Numbers 26:11 tells us, "Nevertheless, the sons of Korah did not die." Yes, in the riches of sovereign grace God saved them from going down alive into the pit. And this was not all. Because they belonged to the family of Kohath, God gave them the cities of refuge, and Hebron is named first. Oh, how our God delights in mercy! Grace spares them from the pit and gives them the place of Abraham, for Abraham lived in Hebron.
One reference work sums up where this family served.
Descendants of Korah, the grandson of Kohath. Their two main offices were the service of song and keeping the doors of the sanctuary.
The verse looks back to earlier days. One writer fills in who led that service then.
Earlier they had been "keepers of the thresholds of the tent," and their fathers had been "keepers of the entrance" to the camp of the LORD. "And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the chief officer over them in time past." Of him it was said, "The LORD was with him" (v. 20), and that says everything. David and Samuel had established the doorkeepers in their trust. At that time the temple, called "the house of the tent" in verse 23, had not yet been built.
The chapter belongs to a time of ruin and a small return. That is where the gatekeepers get their fullest description.
We then find the restoration of a weak remnant, mentioned in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, waiting at Jerusalem for the promised Messiah... This chapter also defines the work of the temple doorkeepers in exact detail.
Where older translations read "office," the margin offers another word — and that shift changes who the passage is addressed to.
They were keepers of the gates of the tabernacle, keepers of the entry, porters of the door. And notice, wherever you find the word "office," the margin reads, "trust." This is not truth for officials. It is truth for every child of God, as a trustee of Christ.
Stanley then carries the picture forward, reading the door itself as a person.
What is the door now but Christ? Their first service was to keep the door. Do we not have to guard the door now? We must not only keep Satan and men from closing the doors again. We must also maintain the gospel of Jesus, the way into the holiest. Notice, they were stationed in divisions. The porters stood at four sides — east, west, north, and south. Oh, that each beloved servant of the Lord may know his appointment from the Lord!
Standing at a gate looks like the least of the jobs. One writer says it asks for more than patience.
We do not think often enough that the service of the doorkeepers, like that of the priests (1 Chron. 9:13), called for strong qualities. It is not enough to say that this unimpressive task needs humility, dependence, zeal, and self-forgetfulness. Strength and valour are needed too.
The chapter piles up small duties. Rossier draws the lesson for anyone given a task that looks unimportant.
Modest functions, yes, but without them the whole order of the Lord's service would have broken down, or even stopped! Let us think about this. When the Lord entrusts a service to us, small though it may seem, let us carry it out with zeal. Remember: it is necessary for the order of the house of God.
Bellett ends where this family began — in the pit.
Saved from the lowest depths of the pit, these very sons of Korah were "in charge of the work of the service, keepers of the thresholds of the tent." What a stewardship! ... And now what a stewardship — all the riches of the glories of Christ committed to us, who were children of the pit.
- Spared. Korah's sons did not die with him; mercy kept them from the pit and gave them a place among God's servants.
- Stationed. That mercy became a trust — the song and the door — handed down from fathers who had kept the entrance of the camp.
- Strengthened. The gate asks for humility and dependence, and just as much for strength and valour.
- Small. Not one of these modest duties was optional; without them the order of the Lord's service would have stopped.
- Specific. Each porter had his own side of the house, and every servant of the Lord should know his own appointment.
And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the ruler over them formerly; Jehovah was with him.
A long list of the families who returned from exile pauses over the men who guarded the temple gates. It reaches back to name the leader once set over them, and says one thing about him: the LORD was with him.
The verse looks backward. The gatekeepers of the restored city stood in a line of service that began at the tent in the desert.
In these days of restoration they were doorkeepers at the gate of the temple, called "the king's gate." Before that they had been keepers of the thresholds of the tent. Their fathers, set over the camp of the LORD, were keepers of the entrance. "And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the chief officer over them in time past." Of him it is said, "the LORD was with him" (v. 20), and that says everything.
The verse does not introduce Phinehas; it recalls him. His record explains why his name still carried weight over an office centuries later.
Son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron. He showed his zeal for God when he killed Zimri and Cozbi. God commended him for it, and promised His "covenant of peace" to him and his descendants — "the covenant of an everlasting priesthood." He succeeded Eleazar as high priest.
Phinehas had made his name in a single moment. One writer looks at that act, and at the risk he took in stepping outside his normal role.
His whole life was a training for that one blow. All his character showed in it: zeal, discernment, boldness, speed. In normal times it was completely outside his role to step in and pass judgment like this. But these were no ordinary times. More than the usual legal process was needed, or the nation would perish. The plague was already raging among them. Many another man would have seen what to do a few seconds too late. He saw it, and at once he struck … and saved a nation.
Another writer ties that act of judgment to his priestly work:
Phinehas is no less a priest, standing in the place of intercession, when he uses the sword of judgment.
The verse calls Phinehas the chief officer over these men, so gatekeepers served under him. One writer warns that the qualities we would first expect of them are not enough.
We do not reflect often enough that the service of the doorkeepers, like that of the priests, called for able and strong men. It is not enough to say that this unimpressive task needs humility, dependence, zeal, and self-forgetfulness. Strength and courage are necessary too.
The task had two edges, and both needed care:
The doorkeepers had charge of all the gates of the temple. They had to be able to drive back any attack on the house of God. They had to watch with unbroken energy, so that no defiled person entered the courts of the Lord. They also had to keep the doors open, so that no priest who had the right to enter the temple was shut out.
One writer brings the office forward to our own day, and asks what the door is now.
What is the door now but Christ? Their first service was to keep the door. Do we not have to guard the door now? We must not only try to stop Satan and men from closing the doors again. We must also hold up the gospel of Jesus, the way into the holiest place. Note, they were set in fixed watches. The gatekeepers stood in four quarters — east, west, north, and south. Oh, that each beloved servant of the Lord may know the Lord's appointment for him!
One writer counts up the many small jobs given to these servants, and asks what would happen without them.
How many different jobs these humble servants carried on! Modest jobs, yes, but without them the whole order of the Lord's service would have broken down, or even stopped! Let us think about this. When the Lord entrusts a service to us, however small it may look, let us carry it out with zeal. Let us remind ourselves that it is necessary for the order of the house of God.
- Charge — The gatekeepers of the restored temple inherited an old office. It began at the doorway of the tent in the desert camp.
- Man — Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron, once led them. God met his zeal with a covenant of peace and an everlasting priesthood, and he became high priest.
- Zeal — One act revealed his whole character: zeal, discernment, boldness, speed. Using the sword did not make him any less a priest.
- Presence — The verse adds only that the LORD was with him. One writer says that this says everything.
- Trust — A doorkeeper shuts out what is defiled and holds the door open for those with a right to enter. No task in God's house is too small to matter.
Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was doorkeeper at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
This single line sits inside a long list of names of people who came back from exile in Babylon. Why does Scripture stop to name the man at the door, and what is such work worth to God?
This verse sits in a chapter about collapse and then a small return. Even there, the record is exact about who guarded which gate.
1 Chronicles 9 shows us the final ruin of the people: "Judah was taken into exile in Babylon because of their breach of faith" (v. 1). Then we find a small, weak remnant brought back... to wait at Jerusalem for the promised Messiah. ... It also defines the work of the temple doorkeepers very exactly.
Meshelemiah's line runs back to Korah, who led a revolt in the wilderness. That his descendants now stand at God's door is the point.
"The sons of Korah." Who were they? These were the family of the man who led the disastrous revolt in the wilderness described in Numbers 16. When he and his company were swallowed up, God in His mercy spared his sons: "Notwithstanding, the sons of Korah did not die" (Num. 26:11). Sovereign mercy snatched them from the very edge of destruction, and later brought them into God's sanctuary and gave them places of honourable service there.
The work was wider than standing at an entrance. David and Samuel set it up, and it filled the nights as well as the mornings.
In these days of restoration they were doorkeepers at the gate of the temple, called "the king's gate." Earlier they had been "keepers of the thresholds of the tent," and their fathers had been "set over the camp of the LORD as keepers of the entrance." ... David and Samuel had given the doorkeepers this trust before the temple was built. And there was more. These Levite doorkeepers were "over the chambers and over the treasuries of the house of God. They stayed around the house of God at night, because the charge was on them, and they opened it every morning."
In these verses the word "office" means more than a job title. One writer shows how far that reaches.
They were keepers of the gates of the tabernacle, keepers of the entry, gatekeepers of the door of the tabernacle, gatekeepers in the gates. Notice that wherever you find the word "office," the margin reads "trust." We shall find that this is not truth for officials, but for every child of God, as a trustee of Christ.
The same writer draws the line forward to what a Christian now guards:
What is the door now but Christ? Their first service was to keep the door. Have we not now to guard the door? We must not only keep Satan and men from closing the doors again — we must also uphold the gospel of Jesus, the way into the holiest place. Notice, they were placed by watches, in four quarters — east, west, north and south. May each beloved servant of the Lord know the place the Lord has appointed him!
We assume a door needs only patience. The families chosen for this work say otherwise.
Meshelemiah, the son of Korah, has eighteen sons and brothers marked out for this office in his family... Of Obed-Edom's sons it is said that they were rulers in their father's house, that they were mighty men of valour, able men in strength for the service. We do not think often enough that the service of the doorkeepers, like that of the priests, needed these qualities. It is not enough to say that this unattractive task needs humility, dependence, zeal and self-forgetfulness. Strength and valour are needed too.
Leave the gate unguarded and nothing else in the house runs. That is the force of naming one man at one door.
How many different tasks these humble servants carried on! Modest tasks, yes, but without them the whole order of the Lord's service would have broken down, or even stopped! So when the Lord entrusts a service to us, even if it looks unimportant, let us do it with zeal, remembering that it is needed for the order of the house of God.
A line from the Psalms sets the doorkeeper's place above comfort anywhere else. One writer looks at his hours and at where he sits.
"I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness." ... The doorkeeper is first to let others in, and he has to stay till the last; he is there longest of all. The margin reads, "I would choose rather to sit at the threshold." ... He is content with the threshold, the lowest place, as long as he is in God's presence. Was God there? He would be there too.
- Ruin. The chapter tells of a nation carried off for its sin, then a small remnant brought back. Even there, God records who guards which gate.
- Grace. Zechariah comes from Korah's line. Sovereign mercy spared that family, then brought them into the sanctuary for honourable service.
- Trust. The word "office" here means a trust. It is not truth for officials, but for every child of God, as a trustee of Christ.
- Strength. Keeping a door asked for humility, dependence and self-forgetfulness — and for men of valour, able in strength for the service.
- Order. The task looks small, yet the whole order of the Lord's service depends on it. And the lowest place in God's house is the best place to be.
All these chosen to be doorkeepers at the thresholds were two hundred and twelve. These were registered by genealogy according to their villages David and Samuel the seer had instituted them in their trust.
1 Chronicles 9 lists the people who came back to Jerusalem after the exile in Babylon, and verse 22 stops to count 212 gatekeepers. Why does Scripture number doorkeepers so carefully, and what did their "office" involve?
The chapter moves from national ruin to a small return, and then turns to the men at the gates:
1 Chronicles 9 shows us the final ruin of the people: "Judah was taken into exile in Babylon because of their breach of faith" (v. 1). We then find the restoration of a feeble remnant, mentioned in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, to await the promised Messiah at Jerusalem... Finally, it defines the functions of the doorkeepers of the temple very exactly.
The word translated "office" here means something entrusted. That changes who the verse is speaking to, and what the trust now covers:
They were keepers of the gates of the tabernacle, keepers of the entry, doorkeepers of the door of the tabernacle, doorkeepers in the gates. And notice, wherever you find the word "office," the margin reads "trust." We will find this is not truth for officials. It is for every child of God, as a trustee of Christ. What is the door now but Christ? Their first service was to keep the door. And do we not now have to guard the door? We must not only seek to keep Satan and men from closing the doors again, but also maintain the gospel of Jesus, the way into the Most Holy Place. Notice, they were placed in set watches. The doorkeepers stood at four sides — east, west, north, and south. Oh, that each beloved servant of the Lord may know his appointment from the Lord!
David and Samuel set these families in place long before there was a building to guard. Their work reached far past the doorway:
David and Samuel had placed the doorkeepers in their trust before anyone built the temple, which verse 23 calls "the house of the tent." But still more, these Levite doorkeepers were "over the chambers and the treasures of the house of God." They "lodged around the house of God, for on them lay the duty of watching, and they had charge of opening it every morning."
A gatekeeper's job cuts both ways:
The doorkeepers had charge of all the gates of the temple. They had to be able to drive back any attack on the house of God. They had to watch with constant energy, so that no defiled person entered the courts of the Lord. But they also had to keep the doors open, so that they shut out no priest who had the right to enter the temple.
The Lord keeps a record of each of these men, and the job itself ranks near the bottom of any staff list:
Each name is known to the Lord, and registered; that is enough for the servant of the Lord... Most people think of a doorkeeper as the lowest position in any organization. And it is true here also; if any man would serve the Lord, he must take the lowest place.
Yet the same men carried the ark and led the praise, which turns the ranking upside down:
Lowest, as to self, is the doorkeeper's position — highest in Christ, with songs of praise. And these same porters are keepers of the ark. And is not that ark Christ? entrusted to make known the very heart of Christ?
Strip out the gatekeepers and the whole system stops. That is why a modest task deserves wholehearted work:
How many different duties these humble servants carried on! Modest duties, yes, but without them the whole order of the Lord's service would have faltered, or even stopped! Let us think of this. When the Lord entrusts a service to us, however small it may appear, let us carry it out with zeal. Let us remind ourselves that it is necessary for the order of the house of God.
- Trust. The word rendered "office" here means a trust. So the verse speaks to every believer as a trustee of Christ, not to officials only.
- Trusted early. David and Samuel set this trust in place, and it still held after Babylon — the assignment outlived the tent, the temple and the exile.
- Trusted both ways. The trust meant shutting out what defiles and keeping the door open for every rightful worshipper.
- Trusted low. The doorkeeper takes the lowest place. Yet these same men carried the ark and sang the praise — lowest in self, highest in Christ.
- Trusted small. Remove these modest duties and the whole order of God's house halts; so do with zeal whatever the Lord entrusts to you.
And they and their sons were at the gates of the house of Jehovah, the house of the tent, to keep watch there.
In a long list of names, one verse stops to name the men who guarded the gates of the Lord's house — and it hands the same duty to their sons. Why does a book full of genealogies pause over doorkeepers, and what did this small post carry?
The chapter stands between ruin and a small recovery.
1 Chronicles 8 has brought us to the kingship according to the flesh. Its ruin will be shown to us in 1 Chronicles 10. 1 Chronicles 9 instead shows us the final ruin of the people: "Judah was carried away to Babylon because of their transgression" (v. 1). We then find the restoration of a feeble remnant, mentioned in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, to wait at Jerusalem for the promised Messiah... Last of all, it defines the work of the doorkeepers of the temple very exactly.
The verse calls the sanctuary "the house of the tent" — a name older than the temple. It also passes the post from fathers to sons.
In these days of restoration they were doorkeepers at the gate of the temple, called "the king's gate." Earlier they had been "keepers of the thresholds of the tent, and their fathers, set over the camp of the LORD, were keepers of the entrance. And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the ruler over them in earlier days." It says of him, "the LORD was with him" (v. 20), and that says everything. David and Samuel had placed the doorkeepers in their trust when the temple — called "the house of the tent" in verse 23 — had not yet been built.
The same writer takes up the doorkeepers again later, and shows their watch pulling two ways at once.
The doorkeepers had charge of all the gates of the temple. They had to be able to drive back any attempt against the house of God. They also had to watch with constant energy, so that no defiled person could enter the courts of the Lord. But they had to keep the doors open too, so that no priest with the right to enter the temple was shut out.
Several titles in these verses name the same job. One writer stops on the word older translations use for it.
They were keepers of the gates of the tabernacle, keepers of the entry, doorkeepers of the door of the tabernacle, doorkeepers in the gates. And notice: wherever you find the word "office," the margin reads "trust." We shall find this is not truth for officials, but for every child of God, as a trustee of Christ.
The same writer then moves from the door to the place each man was given.
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What is the door now but Christ? Their first service was to keep the door. Do we not have to guard the door now too? We must not only try to keep Satan and men from closing the doors again. We must also hold up the gospel of Jesus, the way into the holiest. Notice, they were placed in set posts. The doorkeepers stood in four quarters — toward the east, west, north, and south. Oh, that each beloved servant of the Lord may know the place the Lord has given him!
One writer carries this duty forward to God's people now.
In Israel there were doorkeepers who watched at the gates and kept the doors of God's house (see 1 Chron. 9:17-27 and Neh. 7:1-3). Their duty was to let in those who should come in, and to refuse entry to those who should be kept out. So today in God's assembly the work of doorkeepers is greatly needed. It keeps the assembly from being defiled by the entry of the unconverted and the unclean. There is no formal office of doorkeeper in the assembly. But this godly care must be shown over those who are received.
The gatekeeper's work looks like the smallest job in the sanctuary. One writer draws the opposite lesson from it.
How many diverse functions these humble servants carried on! Modest functions, yes, but without them the entire order of the Lord's service would have been interrupted, or even discontinued! Let us think of this, and when the Lord confides a service to us, insignificant though it may appear to be, let us carry it out with zeal, reminding ourselves that it is necessary for the order of the house of God.
- Trust after ruin. Judah went to Babylon for its transgression, and only a weak remnant came back. In that setting the chapter still spells out the doorkeepers' duties with care.
- Trust, not title. Older translations read "office," with "trust" in the margin. The lesson is not for officials, but for every child of God as a trustee of Christ.
- Trust older than the temple. The charge reaches back to the tent and its keepers of the entrance. It reaches back to Phinehas, of whom it is said the LORD was with him, and to the order David and Samuel set up.
- Trust that swings both ways. The keeper must turn back what defiles and keep the door open, so that no one with a right to enter is shut out.
- Trust in a set place. The doorkeepers stood on all four sides of the house. The whole order of the Lord's service rested on that small post, and each servant should know the place the Lord gives him.
At the four quarters were the doorkeepers, toward the east, west, north, and south.
This chapter lists the exiles who came back to Jerusalem, and it ends with the men who kept the doors of God's house. Why does Scripture record where each doorkeeper stood, and what does a guarded gate tell us about the God inside?
One writer traces this chapter from ruin to return, and notes the care it gives to the men at the doors:
1 Chronicles 9 shows us the final ruin of the people: "Judah was taken into exile in Babylon because of their breach of faith" (v. 1). Then comes the restoration of a weak remnant, told of in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, waiting at Jerusalem for the promised Messiah... In the end, it sets out the work of the temple doorkeepers very exactly.
Older translations call these men "porters." A Bible dictionary gives the plain sense of the word and the honour of the work:
In Scripture this word is used to mean doorkeeper. The Levites kept the doors of the temple: it was an honourable office.
Another writer agrees that the post looks like the lowest one, and makes that the rule for anyone who serves:
Most people think of a porter in any household as holding the lowest position. And that is true here too. If anyone wants to serve the Lord, he must take the lowest place.
Stanley links the door itself to Christ, and the assigned posts to each servant's own appointment:
What is the door now but Christ? Their first service was to keep the door. Do we not have to guard the door now as well? We must not only try to keep Satan and men from closing the doors again — we must also hold up the gospel of Jesus, the way into the holiest. Notice, each man was placed at his own post. The gatekeepers were on the four sides — east, west, north, and south. May every dear servant of the Lord know the place the Lord has appointed him!
He also notes what the margin says about their "office":
They were keepers of the gates of the tabernacle, keepers of the entrance, doorkeepers of the tabernacle door, doorkeepers in the gates. Notice that wherever you find the word "office," the margin reads "trust." We will find this is not truth for officials, but for every child of God, as a trustee of Christ.
A gate that is only ever shut is a wall. Rossier keeps both halves of the task together:
The doorkeepers had charge of all the gates of the temple. They had to be able to beat back any attempt against the house of God. They had to watch with tireless energy, so that no defiled person could enter the courts of the Lord. But they also had to keep the doors open, so that no one of the priesthood with a right to enter the temple was shut out.
Leslie Grant writes about the gatekeepers appointed in Nehemiah's day. He sees the same need in the church now, and says the church cannot appoint men to the work:
Gatekeepers are mentioned first, and it is a job of great responsibility. They must let in everyone who should be in, and keep out everyone who should be out. So they must be able to tell the difference between those whose claims were false and those who were true. In the Church of God today we certainly need such gatekeepers, but the Church has no authority to appoint them.
Rossier puts the doorkeepers beside the priests, and names what the work took:
We do not think often enough that the service of the doorkeepers, like that of the priests (1 Chron. 9:13), called for such qualities. It is not enough to say that this unattractive task needs humility, dependence, zeal, and self-forgetfulness. Strength and valour are needed as well.
The duties listed around this verse look small. Rossier weighs what the house would be without them:
These humble servants carried out so many different duties! Small duties, yes, but without them the whole order of the Lord's service would have been broken up, or even stopped! Let us think about this. When the Lord gives us a service, however unimportant it may look, let us do it with zeal, remembering that it is needed for the order of the house of God.
- Trust. The margin reads "trust" where the text says "office." A doorkeeper is a trustee, so this verse is the business of every believer, not of officials.
- Post. The four sides are four assigned posts. The prayer this draws out is that each servant would know the place the Lord appointed him.
- Both ways. The trust runs both ways. Keep out whatever defiles, and keep the door open for everyone with a right to enter.
- Strength. Humility, dependence, zeal and self-forgetfulness are not enough for this plain task. Strength and valour are needed too.
- Weight. The lowest place is an honourable one. Take away these small duties and the whole order of the Lord's service stops.
And their brethren, in their villages, were to come after [every] seven days from time to time with them.
The names in this chapter belong to a small company just back from exile in Babylon. This verse turns from the gatekeepers living in Jerusalem to their relatives in the villages, who came in for a week at a time to share the work.
The list of doorkeepers sits in a chapter that records both a collapse and a fresh start.
1 Chronicles 9 shows us the final ruin of the people: "Judah was carried away to Babylon because of their transgression" (v. 1). Then we find a feeble remnant brought back, as the books of Ezra and Nehemiah record, to wait at Jerusalem for the promised Messiah. … Finally, it sets out exactly what the doorkeepers of the temple did.
The seven-day turn belonged to a fixed rota. That rota outlived the exile.
Ezra restored the courses of the priests and Levites on the return from captivity, Ezra 6:18, and we find them still working in the New Testament. Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, belonged to the course of Abia. This no doubt refers to Abijah, the eighth name listed in 1 Chr. 24:10. At the end of his service he returned to his house. Luke 1:5, 23. Each turn of service lasted a week, starting from the Sabbath. 2 Chron. 23:8.
The relatives in this verse lived away from the sanctuary and came in for their turn. Their going and returning did something for the whole nation.
The Levites were set apart from the rest of Israel for the service of the sanctuary and for thinking over God's word. They went up in their courses to attend the worship of God, and returned to the cities from their sacred office. This kept the whole of Israel mindful of the Lord, whose cloud overshadowed the tabernacle at Shiloh.
The duty was not only standing at a gate. It covered the stores of the house and the hours of darkness as well.
In these days of restoration the Levites were doorkeepers at the gate of the temple, called "the king's gate." … These Levite doorkeepers were "over the chambers and over the treasuries of the house of God; for they stayed around the house of God during the night, because the charge was theirs, and it was their job to open it every morning" (vv. 26-27).
Gate duty sounds like light work. The chapter itself describes the servants of the house in stronger terms.
In verse 13 the priests are called "able men for the work of the service of the house of God." Serving the house of God takes the same strength as fighting a battle. The two tasks are very different, but both need the same spiritual energy.
A week's shift as a gatekeeper looks like a small entry in a long list. It carries a lesson about how the service of God holds together.
What a range of jobs these humble servants carried out! Small jobs, yes, but without them the whole order of the Lord's service would have broken down, or even stopped! Let us think about that. When the Lord entrusts a service to us, however small it looks, let us do it with zeal, remembering that it is needed for the order of the house of God.
One writer applies the doorkeeper's work to God's people today.
The value of a good doorkeeper is that he lets in what ought to be inside, and keeps out those who should not come in. So his work is very important. It keeps the Assembly of God from being defiled by the entry of people who are not converted and are unclean in their religion. I do not mean that there is any such formal office now. I mean that the saints should take this godly care over who they welcome among them.
- Ruin, then order. Judah went into exile in Babylon. A small company came back, and their doorkeeping duties are set out in detail.
- A week's turn. Service ran in courses of seven days, starting from the Sabbath. Zacharias still served under that system, and went home when his week ended.
- Called in from outside. The villagers came up for their turn and went home again. Their going and coming kept the rest of Israel looking to the Lord.
- A real trust. The charge covered the chambers, the treasuries, the night watch and the opening of the house each morning. It needed the same strength as going into battle.
- Nothing is minor. Remove these small duties and the order of the Lord's service breaks down. The same watchful care over who is welcomed still belongs to God's people.
For in their trust these four were the chief doorkeepers they were Levites; and they were over the chambers and over the treasuries of the house of God;
The chapter lists the families who came back to Jerusalem after the exile, and then names the men who kept the doors of God's house. Four of them held the keys to its storerooms — so why does Scripture slow down for a task this ordinary, and what did God place in their hands?
This list belongs to a people who had lost everything and came back as a small remnant. One writer notes how exactly the chapter describes the men who guarded the doors:
Chapter 9 shows us the final ruin of the people: "Judah was carried away to Babylon because of their transgression" (v. 1). We then find the restoration of a feeble remnant, mentioned in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, waiting at Jerusalem for the promised Messiah... Finally, it defines the functions of the doorkeepers of the temple very exactly.
These rooms held the people's gifts, so that those who served the house could live:
All the work of the house of God, except the duties belonging only to the priests, fell to the Levites. Their support came from the tithes required of the people... The firstfruits for the priests, as well as the tithes for the Levites, were to be stored in the chambers of the house. (1 Chr. 9:26-33.)
The duty ran through the night and into the morning. Rossier, quoting an older translation, traces the trust back to David and Samuel and shows where these men slept:
David and Samuel had appointed the doorkeepers in their trust when the temple, called "the house of the tent" in verse 23, had not yet been built. But still more, these Levite doorkeepers were "over the chambers and over the treasuries of the house of God; for they stayed round about the house of God during the night, because the charge was upon them, and the opening of it every morning belonged to them" (vv. 26-27).
Older English Bibles used the word "office" here, and their margins carried a second reading. That reading changes who the verse speaks to:
Will you turn to 1 Chronicles 9:17-32. They were keepers of the gates of the tabernacle, keepers of the entry, doorkeepers of the tabernacle door, doorkeepers in the gates. And note, wherever you find the word "office," the margin reads, "trust." We will find this is not truth for officials, but for every child of God, as a trustee of Christ.
The same writer sees Christ in the door these men kept, notes where the four were stationed, and reads the stored items as pictures of Christ:
What is the door now but Christ? Their first service was to keep the door. They were placed in their divisions. The doorkeepers stood on four sides — east, west, north, and south. May every beloved servant of the Lord know the place the Lord has given him! Now we find four chief doorkeepers in their trust, "over the chambers and treasuries of the house of God," and their place is to lodge near the house of the Lord. And their charge, or trust, was to open these chambers of treasures of the Lord every morning... Have you ever understood the doorkeeper's trust — all the treasures of the house of the Lord? The opening of those treasures every morning. The fine flour — the perfection of Christ in His blessed humanity. The wine — the joy of heart in God. The oil — anointed with the Holy Spirit. The frankincense and spices — the infinite preciousness of Christ.
Scripture names these gatekeepers, and that tells us something about God:
In 1 Chronicles 26 we have the doorkeepers, for it is part of majesty to think of what is least. The Spirit of God stoops to arrange through David for the doorkeepers, just as truly as He did for the high priest, or for the different divisions of the priesthood. All has its place, and whatever has to do with the service of God is great in God's eyes. Indeed, it is only we who make so much of the differences between great and small. To God, the smallest thing has a value.
And the work was not optional. Remove the keepers of the storerooms and the whole round of service stops:
How many different tasks these humble servants carried on! Modest tasks, yes, but without them the entire order of the Lord's service would have been interrupted, or even stopped! Let us think of this. When the Lord entrusts a service to us, however small it may look, let us carry it out with zeal. Let us remind ourselves that it is necessary for the order of the house of God.
- Trust given. The word behind their "office" is trust. These four were trustees, and that trust reaches every believer, not only officials.
- Trust filled. They guarded real wealth: the firstfruits and tithes stored in the chambers. One writer reads each stored item as a picture of Christ Himself.
- Trust kept. Posted on the four sides of the house, they slept beside it. The night charge was theirs, and every morning they opened it.
- Trust needed. Modest duties, yet remove them and the whole order of service in God's house halts.
- Trust noticed. God arranged for gatekeepers as truly as for the high priest. It is part of His majesty to think of what is least.
for they stayed round about the house of God during the night, because the charge was upon them, and the opening thereof every morning [pertained] to them.
The list of returned exiles in this chapter ends with the Levites who kept the doors of the house of God, slept around it at night, and unlocked it each morning. Why does Scripture record a doorkeeper's night shift, and what does such a trust ask of anyone who serves God?
The chapter moves from a ruined nation to a small company brought home again.
reason: non-ESV verse quotation presented as Scripture; archaic wording
The office is older than the temple, and it covered far more than the door.
David and Samuel had appointed the doorkeepers to their trust before the temple was even built. These Levite doorkeepers were also over the rooms and over the treasuries of the house of God. Some of them had charge of the vessels used in the service, counting them as they brought them in and counting them as they brought them out.
The night watch and the morning unlocking shaped his whole day. One writer counts the cost of the post in hours:
The doorkeeper has to be first to let others in, and he has to stay till the last. He is there longer than anyone. Another reading of the words is, "I would choose rather to sit at the threshold." That gives us a different thought: he is content with the threshold, the lowest place, as long as he is in God's presence. Was God there? Then he would be there too.
Read as a list of chores, these duties look minor. Read as a system, nothing runs without them.
How many different duties these humble servants carried out! Small duties, yes — but without them the whole order of the Lord's service would have broken down, or even stopped! Let us think about this. When the Lord entrusts a service to us, however small it may look, let us carry it out with zeal. It is needed for the order of the house of God.
The same care that set out the priesthood also set out the doorkeepers.
In 1 Chronicles 26 we have the doorkeepers, for it is part of majesty to think of what is least. The Spirit of God stoops to arrange, through David, for the doorkeepers, just as truly as He did for the high priest, or for the different groups of priests. Everything has its place, and whatever has to do with the service of God is great in God's eyes. Indeed, it is only we who make so much of the differences between great and small. To God, the smallest thing has a value.
Rank the jobs in a great house, and this one comes last.
In any household, the first thought about the doorkeeper is that his is the lowest position. And that is true here too. If anyone wants to serve the Lord, he must take the lowest place.
Yet look at what his keys opened.
What is the door now but Christ? Their first service was to keep the door... their place was to stay near the house of the Lord. And their charge, or trust, was to open these rooms full of the Lord's treasures every morning... The fine flour — the perfection of Christ in His blessed humanity. The wine — the joy of heart in God. The oil — anointed with the Holy Spirit. The frankincense and spices — the infinite preciousness of Christ.
The door decides who comes in. That one decision reaches as far as the singing.
The singers gave the Lord His portion. Only the redeemed can sing the songs of Zion. So the doorkeepers must carry out their responsibilities faithfully, if the Lord is to have His portion. To let in people without God-given qualifications is to let in people who cannot sing. Carelessness in the doorkeepers will mean loss to the singers.
- Trust given. God put the doors, rooms, treasuries and vessels into the hands of named men, not officials in general.
- Trust kept at night. They stayed around the house through the dark hours, first in and last out. They were content at the threshold, because God was there.
- Trust opened at dawn. Each morning they unlocked the house's treasures — flour, wine, oil, frankincense — and one writer sees a picture of Christ in each one.
- Trust in small things. Small duties, yet the whole order of service depended on them. To God the smallest thing has value.
- Trust or loss. A careless doorkeeper costs the singers their song. Faithfulness at the lowest post guards the worship of the whole house.
And [part] of them had the charge of the instruments of service, for by number they brought them in and by number they brought them out.
These duties belong to a people only just back from exile in Babylon. So why does Scripture stop to name the men who counted the dishes in and out?
The chapter moves from the nation's collapse to a small return home. Only then does it list the temple duties.
1 Chronicles 9 shows us the final ruin of the people: "Judah was taken into exile in Babylon because of their breach of faith" (v. 1). We then find the restoration of a weak remnant, mentioned in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, waiting at Jerusalem for the promised Messiah... Finally, it sets out the duties of the temple doorkeepers in exact detail.
David's arrangements went right down to the men who kept the gates.
In 1 Chronicles 26 we have the gatekeepers, for it is a part of majesty to think of what is least. Through David the Spirit of God stoops to arrange things for the gatekeepers, just as truly as He did for the high priest, or for the different groups of priests. All has its place, and whatever has to do with the service of God is great in God's eyes. Indeed, it is only we who make so much of the differences between great and small. To God, the smallest thing has a value.
Ezra's company kept the same care with number and weight when they reached Jerusalem. One writer turns it into a lesson about anything the Lord puts into our hands.
Ezra 8:32-34 tells us of the great zeal of the priests and Levites to fulfil their mission: they carried out their task whole-heartedly. Nothing was missing; we find the number and weight of all these objects recorded anew. May we copy them in the responsibilities, great or small, which the Lord entrusts to us. May we never treat anything He puts into our hand as our own. It is something to give back to Him, after we have faithfully managed it for Him.
Counting also protects the one who counts.
The people might have had full confidence in the integrity of both Ezra and the priests. But Ezra wanted to leave the enemy no opening. So he had the vessels, and the silver and the gold, weighed when he put them into the priests' hands, and weighed again when they delivered them. In this way he proved his own faithfulness and theirs. This is a godly example, and a scriptural one, for anyone who has charge of the offerings of the Lord's people. Such people should be careful to give an account of their stewardship, and not wait until someone presses them for it.
Not just anyone could carry these vessels. The choice rested on what the men were.
The ground of the choice was, that they were "holy unto the Lord," as also were the vessels. (Ezra 8:28.) As the prophet said, "Purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of the LORD." This, we know, was according to God's order. Only the priests and Levites could touch or carry the holy vessels or furniture of the house of God. (See Num. 4)
"Some of them" had this charge — not all of them, and not by their own choosing.
Nothing in practice is more important than this: each servant of God should know the work He has given him to do. And once he knows it, he should stick to it. You can be sure, too, that it matters greatly never to interfere with another's service. The Lord is sovereign in this. He divides according to His own will.
Counting dishes sounds like the smallest job on the list. Ask what would happen if no one did it.
How many different jobs these humble servants carried on! Small jobs, yes, but without them the whole order of the Lord's service would have broken down, or even stopped! Let us think about this. When the Lord entrusts a service to us, small as it may look, let us carry it out with zeal. Let us remind ourselves that it is needed for the order of the house of God.
- Trust given. Ruin and restoration stand side by side. A weak remnant is back home, and God still spells out their temple duties.
- Trust measured. Counting in and counting out treats nothing as our own. We manage what God puts into our hands, then hand it back to Him.
- Trust proved. Ezra weighed the vessels at both ends, which keeps honest servants clear of suspicion. Good stewards give an account before anyone asks.
- Trust kept clean. These men, like the vessels, were holy to the Lord. Holy things were not for any hands.
- Trust in its place. Each servant has his own work and should stay with it. No task is small, because whatever touches God's service is great in His eyes.
[Part] of them also were appointed over the vessels, and over all the holy instruments, and over the fine flour, and the wine, and the oil, and the frankincense, and the spices.
The chapter records collapse first, then a small recovery.
Our verse is one item in a chain of assignments. Reading them together shows how finely the work was divided — night watch, morning opening, counting the vessels in and out, then the stores themselves.
These Levite doorkeepers were "over the chambers and over the treasuries of the house of God; for they stayed around the house of God during the night, because the charge was upon them, and the opening of it every morning belonged to them" (vv. 26-27). Finally, "part of them had the charge of the instruments of service, for by number they brought them in and by number they brought them out" (v. 28). Others were "in trust over the things that were made in the pans. And some of the sons of the Kohathites, their brothers, were over the loaves to be set in rows, to prepare them every sabbath." Finally, there were "the singers" (vv. 31-33).
(Rossier quotes an older English translation; the ESV reads "the showbread" for the loaves set in rows.)
These stores were not just supplies. Each item belonged to the offerings, and one writer reads each one as a picture of Christ.
Some have charge of the ministering vessels — the fine flour, and the wine, and the oil, and the frankincense, and the spices. And some are entrusted with the things made in the pans. And some with the showbread. My soul, dwell on each of these types of Christ, and then say, Have you ever understood the doorkeeper's trust — all the treasures of the house of the Lord? The opening of those treasures every morning. The fine flour — the perfection of Christ in His blessed humanity. The wine — the joy of heart in God. The oil — anointed with the Holy Spirit. The frankincense and spices — the infinite preciousness of Christ. The grain offering in the pans — the Person and walk of Christ, as a pleasing aroma to God. The showbread — Israel covered with Christ. All these glories and perfections of Christ are committed in trust to the doorkeeper.
Caring for these things was more than housekeeping. One writer explains who received this charge, and what all ministry must protect.
Older versions call these duties an "office." That word can sound like a job for professionals, but the margin note says something different.
They were keepers of the gates of the tabernacle, keepers of the entry, doorkeepers of the door of the tabernacle, doorkeepers in the gates. And notice: wherever you find the word "office," the margin reads "trust." We shall find that this is not truth for officials. It is for every child of God, as a trustee of Christ.
Measuring flour and oil looks like the lowest rung of temple work. Remove it, and everything above it stops.
How many different functions these humble servants carried on! Modest functions, yes, but without them the entire order of the Lord's service would have faltered, or even stopped! Let us think of this. When the Lord entrusts a service to us, however small it may seem, let us carry it out with zeal. Let us remind ourselves that it is necessary for the order of the house of God.
- Ruin — Judah was taken into exile in Babylon because of their breach of faith. What comes back is a feeble remnant, waiting for the promised Messiah.
- Treasures — The stores in this verse are types of Christ. Fine flour is His perfect humanity, wine the joy of heart in God, oil the anointing of the Spirit, frankincense and spices His infinite preciousness.
- Trust — Where older versions say "office," the margin says "trust." That trust belongs not to officials but to every child of God, as a trustee of Christ.
- Guarding — The vessels set out what Christ is in all His offices. So the first duty of service is to watch over them and keep them.
- Order — These tasks look modest, yet without them the whole order of the Lord's service would stop. So carry out the small task you are given with zeal.
And it was [some one] of the sons of the priests who compounded the ointment of the spices.
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.
And Mattithiah of the Levites, who was the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, was in trust over the things that were made in the pans.
A long list of returned exiles pauses on one man with one job: Mattithiah, a Levite of the Korahite family, baked the flat cakes for the sanctuary. Why does Scripture keep the name of a man who worked over a pan, and what were those cakes for?
The chapter this verse sits in looks back on collapse and then forward to a small recovery. One writer traces the movement:
1 Chronicles 9 shows us the final ruin of the people: "Judah was carried away to Babylon because of their transgression" (v. 1). We then find the restoration of a feeble remnant, mentioned in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, to await the promised Messiah at Jerusalem.
So Mattithiah's pans belong to a weakened, returned people. The kingdom was gone, yet named men again cared for the daily details of God's house.
Mattithiah's charge is one line in a longer list of Levite duties:
These Levite doorkeepers were over the rooms and over the treasuries of the house of God. They stayed around the house of God during the night, because the charge was on them, and the opening of it every morning belonged to them (vv. 26-27). Some of them had charge of the vessels used in the service, and they brought them in by number and brought them out by number (v. 28). Others were in trust over the things that were made in the pans.
The cakes from those pans belonged to an offering, and one writer reads that offering as a picture of Christ:
The grain offering pictured the moral perfection of the man Christ Jesus, and God's acceptance of Him. It was a cake of fine flour, baked in an oven, a pan, or a frying-pan, with its oil and its frankincense. (Lev. 2)
Another writer goes through the treasures in the doorkeeper's care and names what each one stands for:
Oh, my soul, dwell on each of these pictures of Christ, and then say: have you ever understood the doorkeeper's trust — all the treasures of the house of the Lord? The opening of those treasures every morning. The fine flour — the perfection of Christ in His blessed humanity. The wine — the joy of heart in God. The oil — anointed with the Holy Spirit. The frankincense and spices — the infinite preciousness of Christ. The grain offering in the pans — the Person and walk of Christ, as a sweet aroma to God.
Mattithiah's job was a charge placed in his hands, not a rank he had earned. The same writer, reading from an older translation, applies that word to every believer:
Most people's first thought about a doorkeeper in any establishment is that it is the lowest position. And it is true here also: if anyone would serve the Lord, he must take the lowest place. … And notice, wherever you find the word "office," the margin reads "trust." We will find this is not truth for officials, but for every child of God, as a trustee of Christ.
Baking cakes looks like small work. Yet one writer will not let the reader dismiss such duties:
How many different jobs these humble servants carried on! Modest jobs, yes, but without them the whole order of the Lord's service would have broken down, or even stopped! Let us think about this. When the Lord entrusts a service to us, however small it may look, let us carry it out with zeal, remembering that it is necessary for the order of the house of God.
Mattithiah came from the family of Korah, the Levite who rebelled against Moses and whom the earth swallowed. His line did not die out, and one writer reads their later place in God's house as mercy:
Sovereign grace saved the sons of Korah from the awful fate of their father. They were saved from the pit. Mercy was remembered in wrath. … They had the cities of refuge, they kept the gates of the tabernacle, they were over the rooms and treasuries of the house of the Lord, and the instruments of the sanctuary, the wine, the oil and the rest were in their charge.
- Ruin — Judah went to Babylon for their transgression. A feeble remnant came back to Jerusalem to wait for the promised Messiah.
- Trust — The Levites' duties were charges placed in their hands. In the older reading, "office" is "trust," and that trust belongs to every child of God.
- Mercy — Mattithiah came from Korah's line. Grace saved that family from the pit and gave them charge of the gates, the treasuries and the holy vessels.
- Christ — What came out of his pans was the grain offering: the Person and walk of Christ, a sweet aroma to God. Fine flour pictures His perfect humanity.
- Order — These duties were modest. Without them the order of the Lord's service would have stopped, so carry out whatever small service the Lord entrusts with zeal.
And [some] of the sons of the Kohathites, their brethren, were over the loaves to be set in rows, to prepare them every sabbath.
This verse sits inside a long list of names of people who came back from exile. It picks out some of the Kohathites — one branch of the tribe of Levi — and gives them one job: getting the bread ready for the table in God's house, week after week. What was this bread? Why did it have to be replaced so often, and why does Scripture record who handled it?
Scripture gives this bread several names, and each one tells us something. One writer collects them and shows that the wording here points to bread arranged and set out before God.
It was called showbread, or "bread of face," suggesting that it was set before the face of God, perfectly acceptable to Him. It was also called "the continual bread" (Num. 4:7), reminding us that it was always before God; and the "hallowed bread," speaking of the holiness connected with this presentation. It was that which was presented before God, as is suggested by the expression, "Bread of ordering" (1 Chr. 9:32, margin), and "Bread of setting forth, or presentation" (Heb. 9:2, Greek).
The number of loaves was not random. It matched the number of the tribes of Israel, and one writer explains why God wanted their memorial on that table.
The bread on the golden table was twelve loaves. That clearly matches the twelve tribes of Israel, but it is certainly also connected with Christ, for He is always the object of God's purposes. It is God displaying Himself in Christ; but those who had this connection with Christ were Israel. Of them He came, and He was pleased to have their memorial on this table before God.
That memorial held steady even when the nation was in ruins — the very situation of the people who had come back from exile in this chapter.
They were kept in the sanctuary before the Lord, on the pure table, for seven days. After that they became food for Aaron and his sons, the priests. This gives another striking picture of Israel's condition as the Lord sees it, whatever their outward state may be. The twelve tribes are always before Him. Their memorial can never perish.
This verse does not stand alone. It closes a careful list of jobs handed out to the Levites — the men who served in God's house — after the return from exile. Read the whole list and you see how carefully the work was divided.
These Levite doorkeepers were over the rooms and the treasuries of the house of God. They stayed around the house of God through the night, because that charge was theirs, and opening it every morning was their task (vv. 26-27). Some of them had charge of the instruments used in the service, counting them as they brought them in and as they brought them out. Others were appointed over the vessels, over all the holy instruments, and over the fine flour, the wine, the oil, the frankincense and the spices (vv. 28-29). Others were trusted with what was prepared in the pans. And some of the Kohathites, their brothers, had charge of the showbread, to prepare it every Sabbath. Last of all came the singers (vv. 31-33).
The bread never sat there for long. Fresh loaves each week teach us something about our own fellowship with God.
Is this fellowship only occasional? Not at all. Fresh bread was to be arranged on the table every Sabbath day (v. 8). So our fellowship with God and with His saints is to be continual, never allowed to become stale. The priests were responsible for this. In the same way, if we are acting as priests, we will always be in communion with the Lord.
Baking bread sounds like the smallest job on the whole list. One writer draws the opposite conclusion.
How many different tasks these humble servants carried on! Modest tasks, yes — but without them the whole order of the Lord's service would have broken down, or even stopped! Let us think about this. When the Lord entrusts a service to us, however small it may look, let us carry it out with zeal. It is necessary for the order of the house of God.
- Presented — Its names, "bread of face" and "bread of ordering," mean bread arranged and set before God, acceptable to Him, and holy.
- Represented — Twelve loaves matched the twelve tribes. They were held before God in connection with Christ, who is always the object of God's purposes.
- Preserved — The memorial stood whatever the nation looked like on the outside. So the people back from exile still kept the table supplied.
- Repeated — Fresh bread every Sabbath. Fellowship with God is meant to be constant, never left to go stale.
- Prized — Handling flour and loaves looks minor. Yet without such tasks the whole order of God's house would stop. No service the Lord gives is too small to do with zeal.