1 CHRONICLES 24 AND 25 (NOTES OF A READING)

1 CHRONICLES 24 AND 25 (NOTES OF A READING)

1 Chronicles 24: 1 - 31; 1 Chronicles 25: 1 - 8

CAC What we were seeing in chapter 23 was how the service of the Levites blended with that of the priests, intimating to us, I suppose, that the ministry of the word is always to have in view to help what is priestly. I believe the Lord would have all those who serve in the ministry of the word to have this in mind, that whatever they may take up in their ministry, the thought in their minds may be to further the service of God in a priestly way.

Ques God’s blessing is in view of what is for God?

CAC Yes. We find servants in the New Testament, teachers and prophets, men at Antioch, and it is said of them that “they were ministering to the Lord”, they were characterised by the priestly element.

Ques Would Paul and Timothy set out the thing in a practical way? Paul sent Timothy to various assemblies. Would they illustrate “the small as well as the great”?

CAC Yes, quite so. It is good to see that that is the end in view with all service carried on in the house of God. It is the end of all the service spoken of in the two epistles to Timothy, which are levitical in character. All has in view that the priestly service should be in order.

Ques Is that why the sons of Aaron are to be divided with the sons of Levi in a detailed way?

CAC God would impress on us that great matter at the present time, the carrying on of His service.

Rem The sons of Levi were to unite with the sons of Aaron in that way.

CAC There is a happy blend, all is co-ordinated and ordered in these chapters. Every discord is eliminated and all are working harmoniously with the thought in view that the great service of God can go on.

Ques Their place was sovereignly ordered?

CAC We should all feel that we are committed to this matter. Room is made for the chief of the fathers, and for all the brethren, as well the small as the great. There is room for all to come into this matter, room for the youngest and smallest of us.

Rem It is good to see that a place is allotted to the smallest — their place.

Ques How do we acquire priestly instincts and ability?

CAC Do you not think that the Lord gives exercise to His servants, even to take up their service in a priestly way? Paul says, “God ... whom I serve in my spirit” (Romans 1: 9). He was really in a priestly state, serving God. I suppose that in preaching Paul would have the same thought that he was ministering to God in the way that he preached. “We are a sweet odour of Christ to God, in the saved, and in those that perish” (2 Corinthians 2: 15).

We are led on as we are able to see that the great thing is to minister to God. Paul says, “Carrying on as a sacrificial service the message of glad tidings of God, in order that the offering up of the nations might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:16). He is looking for the result for God; that seems the priestly touch.

Rem I was thinking of Dorcas; she seemed to limit her work to what was levitical; then she died and after that the spiritual element comes in.

Rem I thought we got a priestly touch in the sense of our relations to the true Aaron. It is an inheritance in a way, is that right?

Rem I wondered if we were free to serve in this way until moral questions are settled with us, and whether we can be on the level of priestly service until we are in the good of sonship?

CAC This is the divine thought, that all that is levitical is to contribute to what is priestly. And all is set in order here, the ordering of things is in view of the house being built. We get the priestly family, of course, in chapter 24, the divisions and courses of the sons of Aaron. And we find amongst them those spoken of as “heads of fathers’ houses” and “princes of the sanctuary and the princes of God” in verse 5, i.e. the thought of those who are personally qualified to give a lead in the priestly service. I think all these elements are in the mind of God to come into view in each local assembly.

Rem It is a helpful principle to see the mind of God first, and then to see how that is developed.

CAC With Asaph we come back from the twenty-four courses of the priesthood to think of the service of song.

Ques Could you help as to “casting lots”?

CAC Yes, the twenty-four courses have their position in the service assigned by lot; there is no self-choosing. We have to work along with the priesthood in its universal aspect, to take up our assigned place in relation to the universal service of God in a priestly way.

Ques Does the lot not involve divine choice?

CAC It is the principle of the service that everything is ordered, it is an ordered system.

Ques There were more sons with Eleazar than with Ithamar?

CAC Yes, the principle of sovereignty gives a greater place to some than to others.

Rem No one gift is to predominate.

CAC And all are related and correlated in divine wisdom. You see, the thought of courses has been quite lost sight of in the religious world; you get one person carrying on the service. But God has recovered it. So that each member of the holy priesthood is to function in his day, that is, there is room for it. The Lord has been teaching us that the reduction of the size of the meeting makes it easier for the priestly courses to function.

Rem In the beginning of Luke we get a priest fulfilling his course.

CAC Yes, it says “He fulfilled his priestly service before God”. Are we in our divinely allotted place? It is a question for us to raise for ourselves.

Rem There is perfect blending, “One with another”. It puts both together as “Princes of the sanctuary” and “Princes of God”.

CAC Naturally there might be some kind of feeling of jealousy, but spiritually there was none; they work in harmony. It is good to see the order in the house, even if we see it only in a small way; each course taken on as the other has finished.

In the assembly each brother should go on with the course where the other has finished, and the next after him and so on. I think that is the divine idea. So there is the progress of the service, until the whole spiritual year is accomplished in that way.

Rem That would avoid repetition.

CAC I doubt very much if repetition is pleasing to God in the assembly; we should move on in the service.

Ques What of the separation of the priests for prophecy?

CAC The military side comes in here. All that is done in a militant way is intended to be developed into the service of song. The faith has to be earnestly contended for (Jude 3). It is all that the service of song should be enhanced. The Reformation and whatever conflict for the truth there has been results in that.

Rem You may get a victory as in Exodus or defeat as in the end of Samuel, but both lead to song.

CAC The great revival of the truth as to Christ and the assembly resulted in a marked change in the service of song; hymns were written in the last hundred years such as were never written in the church before.

Rem A good soldier would have the service of song before him.

CAC No one contended for the truth like J.N.D., and no one contributed so much to the service of song; and all that grew out of the militant character that great servant had to take up in the conflict for the truth. We sang one of his songs tonight. I think that is the principle, and we should get on to that side of it, not considering that the conflict wastes time but thinking of what has come out of it. The conflict regarding the sonship of Christ has resulted in greater praise.

Then the thought of prophecy is very interesting, as in chapter 25: 1, 2 and 3, showing that the element of prophecy comes in in connection with the musical service.

I think the word “Direction” is very good. The Lord is Director of things. It is not headship, but more as Son over God’s house. Everything is at the hand of the king through Asaph, and I think we need that. I think the Lord is seen very much as Director at the end of Luke; it is not exactly lordship or headship, but the Lord directing. I think the Lord has to direct us, so as to bring us into harmony with Himself, before He can come in as Head. It is a service on the mediatorial side which magnifies God and so directs us that we come into harmony with Him. Asaph was the director. Indeed, the very word is used in 2 Thessalonians 3: 5, “The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God”. I think it is a principle that we must accept, that He can direct us into harmony with Himself.

Ques First under the hands of Asaph and then at the direction of the king?

CAC It is the principle of direction, and, of course, the Lord may use a brother that would direct us; He would use a word perhaps in the assembly. We need directing into the love of God and His thoughts. As Mediator, He directs us into the things of which He is the Mediator.

Then the principle of prophecy enters into it. In the most exalted service of the assembly this should have a place. Here, in what is addressed to God, is an element designed for the formation of the assembly. So that one taking part with his spirit ministers to God, but he should do so with his understanding also, so that the saints are helped, so that there is a prophetic element in it that helps the saints.

Rem That makes two meetings!

CAC This is the most refined and elevated character of service that we have, and the element of prophecy comes in, so that not only God gets something, but the saints too, this prophetic element adding to our knowledge of God, on the formation side, so that we are increased in our knowledge of God. Take 12:1, what a prophetic power there is in it. Who could sing it without being enlarged in the thought of Christ where He is and there for His people, and the priestly service of God? So there is something additional brought in: so that we get a touch of God we did not have before. It is in that character.

“All these were sons of Heman the king’s seer in the words of God, to exalt his power” (chapter 25: 5). It is not exactly God speaking to us, but words spoken that make much of God and the people of God; that is on the Ephesian line. Heman magnifies God. It is what we say to God — “the words of God”. I think perhaps we have lost the sense of the things that are presented in this chapter; direction and this element of prophecy entering into the service of God.

Rem Saul prophesied.

CAC The effect of prophesying in divine power is to make other people prophesy. So a prophetic word in a meeting stimulates another good prophetic word.

The prominent thought when we come together in assembly has in view the service of divine Persons, but it has this thought of prophecy brought into it; so the morning meeting ought to edify us more than any other meeting.

Ques How do instruction and skill enter into it (verse 7)?

CAC I suppose it is the working out of the thing. “Twenty-four thousand” represents the assembly in its highest privilege of service, and all are represented as instructed and skilful.

Ques Would it correspond with the prayer in Ephesians 3; the divine power is reflected in the saints?

CAC The thing is presented in its ideal perfection first, and then there is a verse to encourage us so that the smallest one could come in (verse 8). If the apostle Paul were present he would not say anything that would not be true for the youngest. You get the prophetic touch in Ephesians 5: 19: “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs”. It is the prophetic side of the matter.

We may have a harp or lute, or a cymbal; there are different grades of service. The harp calls for the greatest skill. There are some hymns that the feeblest brother can enter into, and others need spiritual maturity. There is a united service in singing a hymn. It is a wonderful thing, a company of persons come up from the wilderness, and so coming under the hand of the Lord, His direction and then His headship, that they can sing together to God! It moves heaven.

We get hopelessly formal; we need to enter in our affections into our singing. Fifty or sixty persons blending in their singing, magnifying God and His love — why, it would be a little bit of heaven let down into the sordidness of this world!