Israel’s Postexilic History:
Preparing for the Arrival of the
Messiah
A Study of
1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther
LESSON 16: THE ARK AND THE TEMPLE, SOLOMON’S PRAYER
OF DEDICATION, AND A GREAT FESTIVAL (2 CHR. 5-8)
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
ISRAEL'S POSTEXILIC HISTORY: LESSON 15 WORKSHEET
Israel’s Postexilic History:
Preparing for the Arrival of the
Messiah
A Study of
1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther
LESSON 15: SOLOMON’S KINGDOM, THE TEMPLE AND ITS
FURNISHINGS (2 CHR. 1-4)
ISRAEL'S POSTEXILIC HISTORY: LESSON 13 NOTES
LESSON 13: THE MUSICIANS, DOORKEEPERS,
AND STEWARDS OF THE TEMPLE TREASURY (1 CHR. 25-26)
CHAPTER 25
As he had
done on previous occasions, David gathered all of his counselors (captains of
the host) to assist in the appointments of the musicians and singers.[1]
This was not a military matter, but it did concern the princes, the heads of
tribes and other principal leaders. Three important families among the Hebrews
provided the personnel for the corps of musicians. Asaph was a Gershonite
Levite. Heman belonged to the Kohathite family. Jeduthun was a Merarite. In
these three men all of the tribe of Levi was represented. From these three
branches of the tribe of Levi a choir numbering two hundred and eighty-eight
was selected and trained (verse 7). The
specific assignment for the musicians was that they should prophesy with harps,
with psalteries, and with cymbals (verse 1). Their ministry is described as “prophesying.” Like the seventy
elders who assisted Moses by prophesying when Israel murmured against Jehovah
(Numbers 11:16-30), so these men
were to speak out for Jehovah, to declare His wonder through sacred music and
song. In like manner, Jeduthun’s six sons (verse 3), who with their father were master harpists “Prophesied in
giving thanks and praising Jehovah.” Heman’s fourteen sons (verse 4) were trained in the use of the horn
(or trumpet), These sons were under their father’s direction. Heman was also
regarded as a seer. Samuel filled this office at the time when Saul sought his
father’s lost asses (1 Samuel 9:9). The
seer was able by divine help to give direction to men. All of these men and
their sons were trained in “the words of God” (verse 5). Their music was useful only
in connection with the “word.”[2]
ISRAEL'S POSTEXILIC HISTORY: LESSON 12 NOTES
LESSON 12: DAVID’S ORGANIZATION OF THE
LEVITES (1 CHR. 23-24)
The
Levites were numbered, according to the rule in Moses' time, from thirty years
old to fifty (Num. 4:2-3). Their numbers in Moses' time, by this rule, were
"eight thousand and five hundred and fourscore" (Num. 4:47-48). In 1
Chr. 23:24 we are told that the Levites were numbered "from the age of
twenty years and upward." It appears that this was a different ordinance
from that mentioned in Num. 4:3. At first he appointed the Levites to serve
from thirty years and upward: now it was from twenty years. These were David's
last orders: "For by the last words of David the Levites were numbered
from twenty years old and above" (1 Chr. 23:27). Since this was by the
direction of God this change was approved by God.[1]
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