When David was an old man, he appointed his son Solomon to be king over Israel. David summoned all the leaders of Israel, together with the priests and Levites. All the Levites who were thirty years old or older were counted, and the total came to 38,000. Then David said, “From all the Levites, 24,000 will supervise the work at the Temple of the LORD. Another 6,000 will serve as officials and judges. Another 4,000 will work as gatekeepers, and 4,000 will praise the LORD with the musical instruments I have made.” Then David divided the Levites into divisions… And so, under the supervision of the priests, the Levites watched over the Tabernacle and the Temple and faithfully carried out their duties of service at the house of the LORD.
1 Chronicles 23:1–6, 32–24:5, 19; 25:1, 6–8; 26:1, 12–13, 20 NLT
This is how Aaron’s descendants, the priests, were divided into groups for service… With the help of Zadok, who was a descendant of Eleazar, and of Ahimelech, who was a descendant of Ithamar, David divided Aaron’s descendants into groups according to their various duties. Eleazar’s descendants were divided into sixteen groups and Ithamar’s into eight, for there were more family leaders among the descendants of Eleazar. All tasks were assigned to the various groups by means of sacred lots so that no preference would be shown, for there were many qualified officials serving God in the sanctuary… Each group carried out its appointed duties in the house of the LORD according to the procedures established by their ancestor Aaron in obedience to the commands of the LORD, the God of Israel…
David and the army commanders then appointed men from the families of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to proclaim God’s messages to the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals. Here is a list of their names and their work… All these men were under the direction of their fathers as they made music at the house of the LORD. Their responsibilities included the playing of cymbals, harps, and lyres at the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman reported directly to the king. They and their families were all trained in making music before the LORD, and each of them—288 in all—was an accomplished musician. The musicians were appointed to their term of service by means of sacred lots, without regard to whether they were young or old, teacher or student…
These are the divisions of the gatekeepers… These divisions of the gatekeepers were named for their family leaders, and like the other Levites, they served at the house of the LORD. They were assigned by families for guard duty at the various gates, without regard to age or training, for it was all decided by means of sacred lots… Other Levites, led by Ahijah, were in charge of the treasuries of the house of God and the treasuries of the gifts dedicated to the LORD.
After preparing the raw materials for the Temple’s construction, David prepared for the Temple’s operations in 1 Chron.23-27. David wrote to Zadok:
To Zadok, Chief Priest of the Most High,
As the twilight of my time as king deepens, I impart to you the guiding principles for the temple, a vision that the Lord conceived in me, though its fruition belongs to the next era. Though I have gathered materials and resources for this temple, we also must gather and nurture the talents and spirits of those who will maintain it. Their service, offered with dedication and skill, will be the lasting incense that rises from this place.
First and foremost, let our efforts always be anchored in seeking the Lord’s will. Just as I have laid down my desire to build the temple in deference to God’s command, so too must every action in His house be a reflection of His divine will. Our path must align with His commandments as described in Scripture, just as the Ark rests at the center of the sanctuary, so should God’s will be at the center of our actions.
In you, Zadok, I see a leader for the times to come, a mentor for the generations that will follow. Guide them as I have guided Solomon, sharing wisdom and fostering a spirit of servitude. The temple’s endurance will depend not just on the strength of its walls but on the strength of its leaders. Ensure that those who follow are ready to bear our mantles, continuing this sacred service through the generations.
Embrace those who are called to serve, for in God’s house, every soul has a place. The Lord does not look at the outward appearance but at the heart. The sacred lots, which determine the roles of the Levites without regard for seniority or lineage, are a reminder that in God’s eyes, all are equal before the Lord, each called according to His purpose. Let us mirror this divine impartiality in our service.
In preparing for the temple service, remember the importance of embracing every skill and talent the Lord has bestowed upon our people. Within the Levites, God has bestowed a tapestry of talents. From the melodies of Asaph to the watchful eyes of the gatekeepers, each skill is a thread in the fabric of our worship. Recognize the beauty in diverse gifts, all converging to glorify the Most High.
Instruct and train each servant with diligence. As the Levites are meticulously mentored and the musicians train in their art, let each role be undertaken with a dedication to mastery and excellence. Our service to God deserves no less. We ensure that all who serve in the Lord’s house are well-equipped, not just in skill, but in spirit and in truth.
Lastly, steward well the resources entrusted to us. The gold and silver, the bronze and iron, each is a gift from the Lord for His glory. Manage these with prudence, investing in the future as we are but temporary custodians of His bounty.
Zadok, in our hands, and in the hands of those who will follow, lies the future of the Lord’s temple. We labor not just with the stones for today, but with the souls for a future we will not see, but which the Lord has ordained.
In His Service,
David, King of Israel
Four more devotionals! If you are competitive answer both questions. Share with your friends: “1) How can I use my skills or services to strengthen and enrich the RP community I am part of? 2) Which of the 6 principles David gave above you will need to focus on?”
(from Mikey)
For me I believe I can help talk to people who have things they wouldn’t tell another because I might joke alot but when people tell me something that bothers them but they don’t want to come out in the open I listen and I’ll tell them you know it’s not right but you can do better just learn from it so I just believe I’m good at lending and ear. As for one of the 6 principles I need to adhere to more would be to align my will with God’s in everything I do because I do things still that aren’t becoming of someone trying to get myself right with God but Im trying my best but people tell me try harder
(1) I can use my skills or services to strengthen and enrich the RP community that I am part of by building the relationships with others and getting to know them. I think that even though I’m pretty heavily introverted, I do enjoy getting to know people and that can help build community. (2) I think that of the principles that David gave above, I would need to focus on proclaiming God’s messages like he appointed to the families of Asaph, human, and Jeduthun. Being intentional about spreading the gospel in my conversations with others and my actions.
From Teri
Throughout the years at RP, whenever we had the event to provide free flu shots to the community, I used my skills learned as a pharmacist by helping RP provide the flu injections to the community. It was a fun and meaningful event that brought the community to our church and hopefully we had new church members through these outreach activities.
I wish my employer is more flexible and I can take enough time off to be able to join Becky and Nhiều on those mission trips to Vietnam. There, I can definitely use my skills as a pharmacist to help with these medical mission trips.
Being a part of events like the ones Rose lead with Mary’s Kitchen and providing my time to help the less fortunate brought RP together for a good cause.
I hope to have the opportunity to help with more of these events with RP.
Regarding the six principles, I feel what I need to focus on most is seeking God’s will with my efforts. In doing so, my contribution will be more align with God’s will.
I have confidence in my cooking skills, and I’m able to prepare meals quickly. Consequently, I’m always willing to assist with providing food because I can do it efficiently, sparing others the struggle of cooking for a large group. I’ve utilized my cooking abilities to serve RP every week for the past 13 years. To be honest, despite my proficiency, there are times when I become weary and disheartened due to the continuous nature of this commitment. It leaves me with little time for other pursuits or self-care, and occasionally, I attend church on Sundays feeling fatigued and unable to fully engage in worship. However, given my extroverted nature, I tend to recover quickly from exhaustion.
I recognize the need to prioritize the first principle that David emphasized: seeking the Lord’s will. I’m a capable individual, and I often take matters into my own hands without seeking God’s guidance. I tend to act before I pray, and I acknowledge that this approach needs to change.
Dear RP,
I’ve dedicated my cooking skills to serving you faithfully every week for the past 13 years. To be honest, despite my proficiency, there are times when I feel weary and disheartened due to the unceasing nature of this commitment. It often leaves me with little time for other interests or self-care. Occasionally, I find myself attending church on Sundays feeling fatigued and unable to fully engage in worship.
I kindly request your prayers for me to find additional individuals who can join and assist in this area. It’s my hope that more people will step up and provide support. The tasks involved, from planning and grocery shopping to preparation, cooking, and van packing, while coordinating meals for over a hundred people, are significant, and as I age, they become more challenging.
Not cooking is not an option because these meals play a crucial role in bringing people together. Our church is small and young, and many young individuals don’t have families to provide them with meals. Sunday might be the only time they get to share a meal with people they consider family. This ministry is vitally important, and we need more help to continue serving our community effectively.
I recognize the importance of prioritizing the first principle David emphasized: seeking the Lord’s will. I am a capable individual, but I often take matters into my own hands without seeking God’s guidance. I tend to act before I pray, and I understand that I need to change this approach.
Sincerely yours,
jho
1)God has blessed us with many talents. Sometime I have mistaken the talents or skills that I have was the fruits of my work and yet it is not. The gift and skill I possess are meant to be use for honoring God and glorify Him. Because without him, we could not have the chance to win against the evil of this world. And our God is fighting for us and we should fight alongside Him. I will continue to serve in the media team with hope that I can help deliver the worship and message to the church. And all the glory belongs to God and God alone.
2) I will work on embracing the calling to serve. When Timmy and other staff of the VAY CORE ask me to lead Long Beach core. I hesitated to say yes, because I was not sure if I am prepared to lead. And also I did not feel comfortable to take on the responsibility of leading people who are same age as me and possibly same level of faith as me. But I need to take on responsibility of bearing the fruits of my faith.
1) I don’t have a lot of knowledge like you guys, but I am trying to help people with my past experiences. For example, I am surrounded by people who would call out to me if I were alone, and wonderful people like Jenney who cooks a lot of food every week. I want to be in this community to be like those people.
2) I think I also want to focus on instructing and training with diligence. I am new to this community and am trying to actively participate in community bible studies and events. I try to get people like me who are trying to learn to participate in events with me as much as possible. And I will always remember to develop this positive attitude of mine.
1) Something that I truly find joy in is connecting with others and getting to know the youth. Today at dinner, Johnny shared with me about his excitement towards going to church and engaging in worship. It is so encouraging to see high school students and the younger generation having a desire and curiosity to know who God is. I want to continue to faithfully serve the youth by meeting with the younger girls at our church to do bible study and praying over them.
2) I would like to focus more in seeking God’s will. Last month in SonLife training, I was reminded of the importance of dependence on the Lord and our prayer life is a good indicator of how dependent we are on the Lord. I want to prepare my heart in my servitude to the Lord and seek His will rather than relying on my own understanding of what I think is best for His ministry.