Your Whole Life for Jesus

Hey, hey, good morning, good morning. Welcome to Coffee and Devotions. This morning we're

going to talk about what are these Levites doing in Jerusalem? So let's go ahead and have

some coffee. We'll pray and we'll get into God's Word. Let's pray. Father, we thank you

for this day. We thank you for your Word and we pray that as we read your Word, your Holy

Spirit might teach us and press truths on our heart. Rejoice us and teach us how to live.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Here we go. 1 Chronicles chapter 9 beginning at verse 17.

And we'll read through verse 34. And the gatekeepers were Shulam, Akub, Talman, Hyman, and their

brethren. Shalom was the chief until then they had been gatekeepers for the camps of the children

of Levi at the king's gate on the east. Shalom, the son of Korah, the son of Abiashef, the son

of Korah, and his brethren from his father's house, the Korahites, were in charge of the work

of the service gatekeepers of the tabernacle. Their fathers had been gatekeepers at the entrance

to the camp of the Lord. And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, had been the officer over them

in the time past. The Lord was with him. Zechariah, the son of Mishalmiah, was keeper of the door

of the tabernacle of meeting. All those chosen as gatekeepers were two hundred and twelve. They

were recorded by their genealogy in their villages. David and Samuel, the seer, had appointed them

to their trusted office. So they and their children were in charge of the gates of the house of Yehovah,

the house of the tabernacle by assignment. The gatekeepers were assigned to the four directions,

the east, west, north, and south. And their brethren in their villages had come with them from time to

time for seven days. For in this trusted office were four chief gatekeepers. They were Levites,

and they had charge over the chambers and treasuries of the house of God. And they lodged all around the

house of God because they had the responsibility, and they were in charge of the opening of it every

morning. Now, some of them were in charge of the serving vessels, for they brought them in and took them

out by count. Some of them were appointed over the furnishings and over all the implements of the

sanctuary, and over the fine flour and the wine and the oil and the incense and the spices. And some of

the sons of the priests were made made the ointment of the spices. Mattahiah of the Levites, the firstborn

of Shalom, the Korathite, had the trusted office over the things that were baked in the pans. And some of

their brethren of the sons of the Kohathites were in charge of preparing the show bread for every

Sabbath. These are the singers, heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites, who lodged in the chambers

and were free from other duties, for they were employed in that work day and night. These heads of the

fathers' houses of the Levites were heads throughout their generations. They dwelt at Jerusalem." So, we need to ask

ourselves, A, what is this about? B, what's the best verse to summarize this in? C, what do we call to do in

response, right? You're not a Levite, I'm not a Levite, what's this getting at, right? Who were the

Levites? These were, there was a whole tribe of Levi, right? And so, this tribe of Levi, they were

dedicated unto the Lord. And this whole tribe, there was a small sliver of them, Aaron and his sons that

were the priests. But there's all a bunch of different Levites, right? So, you have three different kind of

sub-families, mainly, in the Levites. And so, what are they doing? Well, some of them are gatekeepers,

and it listed their names. Some of them are at the north, east, and west, right? They're in the

different gates. And, sorry, they wouldn't be in the east, because, yeah, anyways. There's gatekeepers

around, and there's other people who are taking care of stuff. They're making the incense, they're making

the bread, there's other people who are singing. And so, this is describing all these Levites who are living

in the temple area, working in the temple area. They're listed by name, right? And again, this is temple

era, so now we're away from Benjamin and Saul type era, and we're talking about David and Samuel. So, that's what

this is about. This is about the Levites serving in the temple. So, we need to ask ourselves, B, what's the best

verse to summarize this? Well, in my Bible, I got a few things underlined, but I have verse 17, and the gatekeeper,

and the gatekeepers were Shalom, Akub, Talman, Ahiman, and their brethren, Shalom, was the chief.

So, the gatekeepers. Now, there's some other things I've underlined, just because I think it's fun.

Like, for in this trusted office, were four chief gatekeepers. They were Levites, right? But then I

might also underline things like verse 28, because there's people who are in charge of vessels, and

you might underline, you know, verse 31, because Matthiah is in charge of the baking pans, right? And

then you might even underline verse 33 of that paragraph, because that's the singers who are the

Levites, right? They have all these different jobs. But you tell me, what would you underline in your

Bible? I have little notes next to each of these paragraphs, what that paragraph was talking about.

But it's all the Levites talking in the, or working in Jerusalem at the temple. Well, last, see, calling.

What are you called to do? Pack up all your things, all you men, leave for Jerusalem, go work at the

temple. Temple doesn't exist anymore, just the mount. But anyways, go sell everything you have,

right? And go act like you're Levites. No. No, that's not what this is talking about at all,

right? We are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, right? It's this priesthood of all believers,

right? Because we have a great high priest. His name is Jesus Christ, and his spirit lives in

you. And so Levi was less than Jesus, right? Because even

Melchizedek bows to Jesus. Melchizedek is greater than Abraham, and Abraham bowed to Melchizedek,

and Levi was in Abraham. And this is the book of Hebrews' argument, where Jesus is even better.

Jesus is the great high priest. He's the best high priest of the order of Melchizedek. And

we are brought into that priesthood, not to offer up the sacrifice of blood, but the sacrifice of

praise, to live our bodies, present our bodies as a living sacrifice, to bring to him his worship

in spirit and truth that it might go up to him like a sweet-smelling aroma. It's your whole life

devoted to him. This is a blessing we have in following King Jesus. And so I hope that you'll

walk in the way of holiness, knowing that our great high priest wears your name on his chest,

bears you before the very throne of God, knows you and loves you, and you get to join in the choir of

singers, worthy of the Lamb. Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much that we get to worship you

forever, enjoy you forever. You are so good. Thank you for your many graces and your goodness to us.

Lord, we pray that we would, Lord, we would just soak it in, that you could show such love

to sinners like us. Help us, God, we pray to live our lives for your glory. In Jesus' name, amen.

May God bless you. May you walk in the peace and joy of Jesus Christ. And I'll see you next time. Bye.