GOD’S WORD FOR YOU
1 CHRONICLES 26 Summary
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This chapter describes the divisions of the gatekeepers in the temple. A short list is found in Ezra 2:42, after the return from the exile in Babylon. Three duties for the gatekeepers are described. (1) They tended the gates and doors of the temple as “guardians of the entrance” (1 Chronicles 9:19), opening and closing them at the proper times and seeing to it that they were shut and perhaps locked at night. (2) They actually guarded the doors to refuse entrance to anyone who did not belong there or were forbidden from approaching the altar (Leviticus 21:23; Numbers 3:10). Today we would describe this as practicing church fellowship. (3) The gatekeepers were also assigned other menial tasks. We already visited these things in chapter 9, but this is a sample:
■ They counted the articles (knives, bowls, tongs, etc.) used in the temple service, counting them “when they were brought in (into the temple) and when they were taken out” (1 Chronicles 9:28).
■ They took care of the furnishings and the other articles of the sanctuary, cleaning, storing, and accounting for them (1 Chron. 9:29a).
■ They acquired, stored, and accounted for the flour, wine, oil, incense and spices (1 Chron. 9:29b). (However, “some of the priests took care of [actually] mixing the spices,” 1 Chron. 9:30).
■ One Levite was appointed to be the baker who made the offering bread (1 Chron. 9:31). There was a kind of kitchen staff among the gatekeeping Levites for baking and preparing the bread set out each sabbath (1 Chron. 9:31-32).
12 The following were the divisions of the gatekeepers, according to their influential leaders, who had offices like their brothers, to minister in the LORD’s house. 13 They cast lots for every gate according to their fathers’ houses, the small as well as the great. 14 The lot for the east side fell to Shelemiah. Then they cast lots for his son Zechariah, a wise counselor, and his lot came out for the north side… (EHV)
Each side of the temple had a different number of gates. The east wall, facing the sunrise, had six separate posts, each with a named officer. The north wall, which led to the further slope of Mount Zion where the city laundry was done (Isaiah 7:3; 36:2) had four posts of gatekeepers with their officers. The south end also had four posts, with two additional postings for storehouses. The west side had four posts leading out to the road beyond and two more posted sets of guards at the connecting entrance between the temple and the court itself. It was at one of those gates that, for example, a healed leper would go to present himself to a priest (Mark 1:44; Luke 5:14) to be inspected and be received back into temple worship.
28 Everything that Samuel the seer, Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner, and Joab son of Zeruiah had dedicated, regardless of who had dedicated it, was under the control of Shelomoth and of his brothers. (EHV)
There were other postings for the gatekeepers apart from the gates of the temple. This included the treasuries. Perhaps these were once guarded by the families of the men who originally dedicated them, but now under David’s orders, the gatekeepers guarded everything, “regardless of who dedicated it.” Sometimes even today, a Christian will present a gift to the church, but then they will feel ownership over that thing and sometimes even make demands about it. Does one still own a gift after it is given? “Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of a gift he does not truly give” (Proverbs 25:14). And again: “Do not cause grief by words when you present a gift.”
The services of the gatekeepers clearly fall within the doctrine of good works. It is sometimes said by Lutherans: “God does not need your good works, but your neighbor does.” But while we believe that the Bible shows that good words are in no way necessary for our salvation, this doesn’t mean that God has not commanded any good works to be done. We do good works, not for our own salvation, but because God commands them to be done for his glory and honor. Therefore some good works are done for God’s sake, others are done for our neighbor’s sake, and still others for our own sake. Jesus classes these three with different words, saying prayer, almsgiving, and fasting. Prayer includes all worship in general which is owed to God. The Christian loves the Lord his God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength (Matthew 22:37-39). This is good in God’s eyes, done for God’s glory and as a part of our worship.
The second good work, the one for our neighbor, is whatever is done as a duty of love for one’s neighbor. Often this includes our career choices as they relate to human beings: a nurse, a teacher, a counselor, a painter, a goatherd, a cook, and so on. A wise man said, “Lend to your neighbor in the time of his need, and in turn, repay your neighbor promptly.”
The third good work, which is toward oneself, is self-control, fasting, discipline in study and in maintaining one’s life, one’s debts (and bills!), and other things. Paul wrote: “The grace of God teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age” (Titus 2:12). Maintaining one’s own health is part of this good work, since “physical training has some value” (1 Timothy 4:8), but maintaining our spiritual health is even more important, since “godliness has value for all things.” And Paul urges: “Watch your life and doctrine closely” (1 Timothy 4:16), so that we can “encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it” (Titus 1:9).
Do whatever the Lord sets before you to do, and give him glory, working every task with joy out of faith in Christ. For whether I wash the dishes, or set out the trash, or trim the lawn, or study the Holy Scriptures, when I do them out of thanks to Jesus, I do them for the best possible reason, and this pleases God who gave all such gifts and opportunities in the first place.
In Christ,
Pastor Timothy Smith
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Pastor Smith serves St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, New Ulm, Minnesota
God’s Word for You – 1 Chronicles 26 Summary – Good works