A Home with God Forever

Good morning, good morning. Welcome to Coffee and Devotions. This morning we are going to be at 1 Chronicles chapter 9.

We're going to be talking about people who live in Jerusalem. Not now, but way back in the day.

So let's go ahead and grab some coffee. We'll pray and we'll figure out who's living at Jerusalem and what are they doing.

Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for this day.

We thank you for the blessing it is that you have given us your word.

We pray that you would please help us to read it and understand it.

And that we would understand how it even is supposed to be applied to our lives.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Here we go. 1 Chronicles chapter 9, verses 3 through 16.

Now in Jerusalem the children of Judah dwelt, and some of the children of Benjamin, and the children of Ephraim and Manasseh.

Uthai, the son of Ammaihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, of the descendants of Perez, the son of Judah.

Of the Shilonites, Asaiah, the firstborn, and his sons.

Of the sons of Zerah, Jewel, and their brethren.

Of the children of Benjamin, of the son of Mishulam, the son of Hodaviya, the son of Hashuneu.

Ibn-Niyah, the son of Jeroram, Allah, the son of Uzi, the son of Mikri, Mishulam, the son of Shepatiya, the son of Ruel, the son of Ibn-Nijah.

And their brethren, according to their generations, 956.

All these were men, all these men were heads of a father's house in their father's houses.

Of the priests, Jeriah, Jehoi-arib, and Yachin, Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, the son of Mishulam, the son of Zadok,

the son of Merioth, the son of Ahitab, the officer over the house of God.

Ariah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Pashur, the son of Malkijah.

Masai, the son of Adiel, the son of Jehazara, the son of Mishulam, the son of Mishalimith,

the son of Imer, the son of Mishulam, and their brethren, heads of their father's houses, 1,716.

They were very able men for the work of the service of the house of God.

Of the Levites, Shemaiah, the son of Hashub, the son of Azariaham, the son of Hashabiah,

the sons of Merariah, Bakar, Heresh, Galal, and Metaniah, the son of Micah, the son of Zichri,

the son of Asaph, Obadiah, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jaduthun, and

Barakaiah, the son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Nethaphatites.

All right, we're going to stop there.

We'll pick up more with Levites next time, but we need to ask ourselves our three questions.

A, what is this about?

B, what's the best verse to summarize this?

And C, what are we called to do?

So we're talking about who's living in Jerusalem and what are they doing?

So who's living there?

Well, it's mainly Judah, but then we have also Benjamin, and we have people from Manasseh and Ephraim,

so the sons of Joseph.

So we end up with all sorts of people living in Jerusalem, and so it gives us a list of

their names, 956.

All these men were heads of their fathers' houses in their fathers' houses, right?

So these are leading men who are living in Jerusalem.

It seems to be this hot spot for these guys to congregate.

But it's not just that.

See, because Jerusalem is both the royal house of the king, but it's also the royal house,

the tabernacle, the temple, especially the temple of God.

So they have dual thrones.

One major, God's throne in the temple, and the one minor, David's throne.

And so here we find that there are people living in Jerusalem, and it doesn't surprise us that

we find both Benjamites and Judahites.

We have both Ephraim and Manasseh.

We have all the people who have kind of the most powerful tribes, and they've got a vested

interest, and they're there.

But at the heart of this is where it's talking about the priests of Jerusalem, right?

Because Jerusalem is known both for the courts of David, but even more importantly, for the

temple itself.

And so we have the priests who are serving in Jerusalem, and then the Levites who are also

in Jerusalem, and it lists kind of their families there.

So who's living in Jerusalem?

Judah.

You might say, Levites, Benjamin, Manasseh, Ephraim.

What are they doing?

Royal stuff.

In the palace, and in the temple.

So that's what this passage is about.

Real people congregating in God's city, Jerusalem.

What's the best verse to summarize this?

Well, in my Bible, I have verse 3 underlined, I have verse 10 underlined, and I have verse

14.

But maybe you would underline something else in your Bible that's free.

That's fine.

You're free to disagree with me.

Go ahead and write it down in the comments.

Shoot me a text message.

Tell me I'm wrong.

It's okay.

We can disagree on what's the best verse to summarize this.

So last, we need to ask ourselves, what are we called to do?

Do we trust the Lord?

Do we go to His house with singing?

Do we rejoice that He has given us a city in heaven to dwell in?

He's a great God.

He's given us a home forever.

Follow after Him.

Love Him.

Hold the days of your life.

I'll see you next time. Bye.