1 Chronicles 23
At the beginning of this chapter, David makes Solomon king of Israel (1 Chron. 23:1); in 1 Chron. 29:22, he is made king for the second time. This event, mentioned only in Chronicles, thereby takes on a special importance. In 1 Kings 1, Solomon is anointed, so to say, at the last moment of David's reign, when the life of the latter, like a candle-end about to die out, was still throwing off a feeble glow, and the old king was lacking the strength to make a prompt, manly decision according to God. Solomon's ascension to the throne put an end to Adonijah's usurpation, and signaled the judgment of all those who, like Abiathar, Joab, and Shimei, had opposed God during David's reign. Chronicles suppresses this entire account and does not even mention Abishag, the Shunammite, who became the occasion of Adonijah's judgment. The events we have cited, along with many others, enlighten us as to the comparative scope of Kings and Chronicles. In the book of Kings David is responsible to appoint Solomon king according to God's order and would have, we can clearly see, failed in this responsibility, had God not intervened (see 1 Kings 1). Solomon likewise was responsible to establish his kingdom upon righteousness with regard to those who had taken advantage of the reign of grace in order to do evil. He did so according to God's thoughts, although later he fell into sin.
Chronicles presents an entirely different order of thought. When God's grace, which had been glorified over against judgment, had been proclaimed at Oman's altar upon Moriah, the reign of peace could be instituted, for peace depends upon grace. Once the victim's death has intervened, the sacrifice becomes the basis of all blessing, righteousness is satisfied, grace has stopped judgment, and peace is made. Peaceful Solomon can now be established king over Israel by David while David is yet reigning. The son sits with his father on his throne. Does this not speak to us in a striking way of Christ's reign? Expiation having been accomplished on the cross, Christ has sat down at the Father's right hand on His throne (Psa. 110:1; Rev. 3:21); crowned with glory and honor in the heavenly part of His kingdom. This first phase of His kingdom has taken place and is existing at present, just as it was at Solomon's establishment by David. The second phase of Christ's reign will take place when, like Solomon, He will be established and anointed a second time with regard to His earthly kingdom (1 Chron. 29:22).
In First Kings, Solomon's having his place on the throne during his father's lifetime is presented in a way much less striking, but in accord with the purpose of this book. The two personalities, David and Solomon, are there rather united in one, so that the reign of the second is the uninterrupted continuation of that of the first.
In 1 Chron. 29 of Chronicles, as we have already said, Solomon is made king a second time to rule over Israel and, according to God's counsels, to take in hand the reins of the earthly kingdom. Thus this book closes in a worthy way with the fulfillment in Him of the promises as to the government of this world.
From 1 Chron. 23:3 we see David numbering the Levites, for the preparation not only of the materials for the temple, but also of all its service, down to the least detail, depends entirely on him. The Levites are first numbered from the age of thirty years and upward, but they perform the work of the service from the age of twenty years and upward (1 Chron. 23:3, 27). This was the order established by David and not that which had been established by Moses with regard to the sons of Kohath (Num. 4:3). Once the reign of peace had been positively established, the Levites could enter into the activity of service at a younger age. The obstacles which had hindered this before Solomon's establishment were removed; the Levites no longer had to "carry the tabernacle, nor any of its vessels for its service" (1 Chron. 23:26). The difficulties created by the fact that the Lord had journeyed under one tent with the camp of Israel were lifted. The strength of mature men was no longer necessary from the moment when it was no longer necessary to carry the ark, the altars, and the vessels from stage to stage, or to load the rest on carts. Henceforth the service would devolve upon younger men who could devote themselves to the various tasks in the house of God without being betrayed by their strength.
All these arrangements were done "by the last words of David" (1 Chron. 23:27). Notice how much these differ from those uttered in 2 Sam. 23:1. There we see David confessing to having completely failed in his responsibility, although the eternal covenant based upon God's grace could not be annulled. At the same time the eyes of the prophet-king are directed to Christ, the Just Ruler, who will bear the full weight of responsibility of His reign unwaveringly. Here there is not a word about responsibility. The king ordains the order of a perfect service beforehand: a service that answers to God's thoughts concerning the ultimate reign of His Beloved One.
The Levites were 38,000 in number. 24,000 of them—thus the majority—directed the work of the house of God. They had the office of leaders and overseers among God's people. 6,000 were officers and judges. It is important to understand that administration and judgment is not entrusted to the greatest number of God's servants. A still smaller number, 4,000, kept the gates. Their function was to guard that nothing profane or foreign should find its way into the temple. Disasters may take place among God's children when all think they are qualified to discern, failing to accept the fact that this service is entrusted to some to the exclusion of others. Lastly, 4,000 Levites praised the Lord with instruments. Here again we find an order that affects us with regard to praise. If the Christian Church is composed without exception of kings and priests, which was not the case with the Jewish assembly, then the Church is not composed of Levites.
A certain order, a certain initiative as to the direction of the praise was incumbent upon the musicians. It is the same in the assembly: a small number have been qualified for this office which has its importance just like everything that relates to worship. Praise was offered with instruments made by David (1 Chron. 23:5). David alone was the author of all that had to do with the future temple, even of the musical part of the worship. Nothing like it had been instituted under the system of the tabernacle in the wilderness. The instruments themselves had been invented by David in connection with the glorious accession of Solomon to the throne, a type of the millennial reign of Christ upon earth. Today praise is in connection with His heavenly glory and consequently has an entirely spiritual character.
After the numbering of the Levites comes their division into courses (1 Chron. 23:6-23) according to their three families: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. — Aaron and Moses belonged to the sons of Kohath, but Aaron and his sons are "forever" separated from this family of Levites in order to exercise the office of the priesthood "forever" (1 Chron. 23:13). As for Moses, once "king in Jeshurun," lawgiver, mediator, and leader of the people: he together with his sons enters into the tribe of Levi (1 Chron. 23:14-26), and does not with his family occupy a place superior to his brethren from the moment the reign of Solomon begins. Thus we see him on the holy mountain disappearing completely together with Elijah to give place to Jesus alone, entering into His kingdom.
A difference is noted here between the priests and the Levites. The former did service to the Lord Himself (1 Chron. 23:13), the latter, "did the work of the service of the house of God" (1 Chron. 23:24, 28).
In 1 Chron. 23:28-32 we find the details of the Levites' service. They attended to: 1. the courts and the chambers; 2. the purification of all holy things; and 3. the work of the service of the house. This latter consisted of three aspects: a. arranging the shewbread; b. providing the flour for the meal offering and for the unleavened cakes; c. attending to all measures of capacity and size. 4. They struck up the praise. 5. Lastly, the service connected with the burnt offerings on the sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the solemn feast days devolved upon them. All this was to take place "continually before Jehovah" (1 Chron. 23:31). In 1 Chron. 23:32 Their service is summarized in three points. They kept their charge: firstly, in relation to the tent of meeting; secondly, to the sanctuary; and thirdly, they were servants of the sons of Aaron their brethren.
All this is full of instruction for anyone who wants to devote himself to the service of the Lord, and any such person should meditate on the details in this passage. Two features dominate all the rest here. On the one hand, a service worthy of the name must be rendered to the Lord; on the other hand, the servant must take a place of humility, of modesty, and of inferiority in relation to the priestly family which, as we know, includes all believers, and must not be composed of men who lord it over God's heritage, regarding them as belonging to themselves (1 Peter 5:3).