The Levites - Priestly forerunners

Text 1 Chronicles 6 Time 30 09 20 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church (Zoom)

I would like us to turn this evening to 1 Chronicles 6. This chapter contains the genealogy of another tribe of Israel - the Levites. We have had Judah, Simeon, and the two and a half tribes who lived east of the Jordan and now we come to the Levites. I think it is fair to say that the writer of Chronicles has a special interest in the Levites, probably in part because he was a Levite himself - if not Ezra, then someone else. 

The Levites, of course, were quite different to other tribes in that they were the priestly tribe. In the beginning the whole nation was to be a royal priesthood with the eldest son in each family leading as priest. However, following the giving of the commandments on Sinai there was a change and one tribe, the tribe of Levi, became the priestly tribe. In each generation from then on, one Levite would be High Priest, others would be priests and all the rest of the tribe would help in the priestly work in one way or another. To preserve the match up with eldest sons numbers were taken and where the Levites fell short money would be paid to cover the anomaly. 

As the priestly tribe they were spread across the land. 

Chapter 6 is pretty long but it can be divided into three parts 

1 A long list of names of Levites (1-30) 

2 Some detail about what the Levites did (31-52) 

3 Something about where the Levites lived in Israel (53-64)

The verses are useful as they explain some of the background to what goes on throughout the Old Testament and, for example, the story of Samuel is highlighted and one or two other things. 

It was important for priests to know their line. Remember those expelled in the time of Ezra because they searched for their family records, but they could not find them ... The governor ordered them not to eat any of the most sacred food until there was a priest ministering with the Urim and Thummim. (Ezra 2:62, 63). 

As for application, remember that under the New covenant every believer is a priest under their one High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ. Three questions then 

1. Who were the Levites? 

The first thing we learn is that Levi had three sons - The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. The focus is then on Kohath and his sons as it was from this tribe the High Priest came and you will recognise some names listed in verses 2-15. Gershon and Merari are dealt with much more briefly. 

So let's focus first on Kohath - 2 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. Of these four the writer chooses the oldest Amram as he was the father of three famous people - 3a The children of Amram: Aaron, Moses and Miriam. You know those names, of course, because they are spoken of extensively in Exodus and elsewhere. Moses was the leader of God's people and a prophet but it is Aaron who became the nation's first High Priest, pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ and his priestly work. 

Aaron had four sons (3b) The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. Nadab and Abihu messed up badly. They appear to have been drunk on duty and offered unauthorised fire at the Tabernacle and so were slain. And so Eleazar, their brother, became High Priest. 

The writer then takes us (4-10) through 15 generations from Eleazar to (10) Johanan the father of Azariah (it was he who served as priest in the temple Solomon built in Jerusalem). This Azariah appears to have lived in the time of King Uzziah. In 2 Chronicles 26:16-18 we read But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense. Azariah the priest with 80 other courageous priests of the LORD followed him in. They confronted King Uzziah and said, "It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD. That is for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by the LORD God." Courageous man. What an example! 

Verses 4-10 Eleazar was the father of Phinehas, Phinehas the father of Abishua, Abishua ... of Bukki, Bukki ... of Uzzi, Uzzi ... of Zerahiah, Zerahiah ... of Meraioth, Meraioth ... of Amariah, Amariah ... of Ahitub, Ahitub ... of Zadok, Zadok ... of Ahimaaz, Ahimaaz ... of Azariah, Azariah ... of Johanan, Johanan the father of Azariah (it was he who served as priest in the temple Solomon built in Jerusalem), 

And in verses 11-15, through another nine generations from Azariah to (15) Jozadak who was deported when the LORD sent Judah and Jerusalem into exile by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. 

Verses 11-15 Azariah the father of Amariah, Amariah the father of Ahitub, Ahitub ... of Zadok, Zadok ... of Shallum, Shallum ... of Hilkiah, Hilkiah ... of Azariah, Azariah ... of Seraiah, and Seraiah the father of Jozadak. Jozadak was deported when the LORD sent Judah and Jerusalem into exile by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. 

Something is wrong here in that there is no mention of Eli at any point. Perhaps the writer simply follows the blood line even though the line of High Priests is different. 

In verse 16 the writer repeats verse 1 The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari then adds briefly (17) These are the names of the sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei and repeats (18) The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel before adding, also briefly, The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. 

Finally, at a little more length (19-30) These are the clans of the Levites listed according to their fathers: 

Of Gershon: Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son and Jeatherai his son. 

The descendants of Kohath: this time pursuing a different line of descendants he adds Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son, Assir his son, Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son and Shaul his son. 

The descendants of Elkanah: Amasai, Ahimoth, Elkanah his son, Zophai his son, Nahath his son, Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son and Samuel his son. The sons of Samuel: Joel the firstborn and Abijah the second son. This is, of course, the Samuel we know well. This information helps us understand the early chapters of Samuel in a better and more nuanced way. 

Finally (29, 30) The descendants of Merari: Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son, Shimea his son, Haggiah his son and Asaiah his son. 

Aaron, Eleazar, Phinehas, Abishua, Bukki, Uzzi, Zerahiah, etc were all High Priests or should have been but of them all one has to say, as the writer to the Hebrews says, they were weak and had their own sins to deal with and could never take away sins by the means of animal blood. Christ, on the other hand, (Hebrews 7:27), is not like other high priests; he does not need to offer sacrifices every day for his own sins first and then for the sins of the people. He offered one sacrifice, once and for all, when he offered himself. 

2. What did the Levites do? 

In verses 31-52 the focus is on what the Levites did. The writer takes us to David's reign as it was then that everything became more formalised and ordered in preparation for the erection of Solomon's Temple. 

Three duties are specified. 

1. Praise in music 

He begins These are the men David put in charge of the music in the house of the LORD after the ark came to rest there. They ministered with music before the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, until Solomon built the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem. They performed their duties according to the regulations laid down for them. 

Verses 33-38 Here are the men who served, together with their sons: 

From the Kohathites: Heman, the musician, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel, the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel;! 

Psalm 88 is by Heman, possibly the same one. This is the grandson of Samuel, David's old friend. His father Joel was a disaster but not his grandfather nor himself. 

Verses 39-43 and Heman's associate Asaph, who served at his right hand: Asaph son of Berekiah, the son of Shimea, 40 the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malkijah, the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei, the son of Jahath, the son of Gershon, the son of Levi; Several psalms have Asaph's name. 

Verses 44-47 and from their associates, the Merarites, at his left hand: Ethan son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluk, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah, the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shemer, 47 the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi. 

Psalm 89 is by Ethan again possibly the same one. 

2. Other duties 

This is more general (48) Their fellow Levites were assigned to all the other duties of the tabernacle, the house of God. 

There was plenty to do in the Temple - fetching water and fuel, washing, sweeping, carrying out ashes, killing and flaying beasts, boiling sacrifices, etc. Plenty for God's people to do today too. 

3. The High Priests 

49-53 But Aaron and his descendants and only they were the ones who presented offerings on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense the golden altar just outside the Most Holy Place in connection with all that was done in the Most Holy Place, making atonement for Israel, in accordance with all that Moses the servant of God had commanded. These were the descendants of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas, Abishua , Bukki, Uzzi, Zerahiah, Meraioth, Amariah, Ahitub, Zadok and Ahimaaz his son. 

• making atonement for Israel, that was the great aim 
• in accordance with all that Moses the servant of God had commanded that was the rule 

As we have said, under the new covenant all believers are priests and so this is all obsolete but here is a reminder to praise God and to make sacrifices and to do all our other priestly duties including telling people about the Lord Jesus Christ. 

3. Where did the Levites live? 

Unlike the other tribes, most of whom occupied certain allotted areas in Israel, the Levites were spread all over the country in their own priestly towns. Here the writer elucidates 

1. The Kohathites lived in 31 towns in Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim and Manasseh 

Verses 54-61a These were the locations of their settlements allotted as their territory (they were assigned to the descendants of Aaron who were from the Kohathite clan, because the first lot was for them): 

They were given Hebron in Judah with its surrounding pasturelands. But the fields and villages around the city were given to Caleb son of Jephunneh. So the descendants of Aaron were given Hebron (a city of refuge), and Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, Hilen, Debir, Ashan, Juttah and Beth Shemesh, together with their pasturelands. 

And from the tribe of Benjamin they were given Gibeon, Geba, Alemeth and Anathoth, together with their pasturelands. The total number of towns distributed among the Kohathite clans came to 13. 

The rest of Kohath's descendants were allotted 10 towns from the clans of half the tribe of Manasseh. 

Then in verses 65-70 there is a further note saying that as well as them having land From the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin that is the previously named towns there were also given six towns in Ephraim and two more in Manasseh. 

Some of the Kohathite clans were given as their territory towns from the tribe of Ephraim. In the hill country of Ephraim they were given Shechem (a city of refuge), and Gezer, Jokmeam, Beth Horon, Aijalon and Gath Rimmon, together with their pasturelands. 

And from half the tribe of Manasseh the Israelites gave Aner and Bileam, together with their pasturelands, to the rest of the Kohathite clans. 

2. The Gershonites lived in 26 towns in Issachar, Asher, Naphtali and Manasseh 

Verse 62 The descendants of Gershon, clan by clan, were allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Issachar, Asher and Naphtali, and from the part of the tribe of Manasseh that is in Bashan. 

Again there is a further note about another 13 towns in Manasseh, Issachar, Asher and Naphtali. See verses 71-76 

The Gershonites received the following: From the clan of the half-tribe of Manasseh they received Golan in Bashan and also Ashtaroth, together with their pasturelands; 

from the tribe of Issachar they received Kedesh, Daberath, Ramoth and Anem, together with their pasturelands; 

from the tribe of Asher they received Mashal, Abdon, Hukok and Rehob, together with their pasturelands; 

and from the tribe of Naphtali they received Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon and Kiriathaim, together with their pasturelands. 

3. The Merarites lived in 24 towns in Reuben, Gad and Zebulun 

Verse 63 The descendants of Merari, clan by clan, were allotted twelve towns from the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Zebulun. 

Verse 64 sums up So the Israelites gave the Levites these towns and their pasturelands. 

As with the other two, however, there is a supplementary. In verses 77-81 we learn that the Merarites were given another 12 towns. 

The Merarites (the rest of the Levites) received the following: From the tribe of Zebulun they received Jokneam, Kartah, Rimmono and Tabor, together with their pasturelands; 

from the tribe of Reuben across the Jordan east of Jericho they received Bezer in the wilderness, Jahzah, Kedemoth and Mephaath, together with their pasturelands; 

and from the tribe of Gad they received Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim, Heshbon and Jazer, together with their pasturelands. 

Perhaps the lesson here is about giving and the need to provide for those who minister in the Lord's service. It is not always simply a matter of money. There are other forms of giving too.