1 Chronicles 26:20-32 Organized 5
David continues in the process of setting everything in order before his death. Today he deals with the treasurers and other officials.
These are Temple positions he is assigning. They will all be from the Levites he numbered. I don’t know if this means ALL officials have to be Levites or just the ones concerned with matters of service to the Temple. Of the Levites numbered off, 6,000 were appointed as judges for Israel. This is where they will receive their appointments.
We are told that David set “1,700 men of ability” over the Israelites west of the Jordan “for all work of the Lord and for the service of the king” (verse 30) and “2,700 men of ability… to have the oversight of the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manassites for everything pertaining to God and for the affairs of the king” (verse 32). These men would interpret the Law and apply it to the people’s issues. They would also rule on issues concerning the king and his decrees.
I wonder why he assigned more men to govern the eastern people than the western ones. Did he feel the proximity to the king made those on the western side of the Jordan need less governors? Was the eastern side more unruly? Were they spiritually farther from God?
And what about the remaining 1,600? Where were they assigned? Were they the treasurers? There seems to be quite a few named for this office. I’m wondering how much was in the treasury of the house of God and the dedicated gifts. David was quite aggressive in defending and building Israel. There was MUCH spoil won in battles. And of that spoil MUCH was dedicated to the Lord. Not just by the king but also by the commanders and even soldiers themselves. I won’t swear to it but I believe God was to receive His portion of the spoils before it was divided by the men. But from what I’m reading, it looks as if individuals contributed to the treasury of the Lord also, beyond what was required. I would guess these were gifts of thanks giving to the Lord for how things went in battle. I know I would be saying “Thanks” as LOUDLY as possible for surviving battle!
We read much later about other kings coming in and raiding the treasuries. Was there more than one treasury of the dedicated things? Were they scattered throughout the land? If so, was it for security reasons? These treasuries would be emptied and their content stored in the Temple after its construction. I don’t know for certain but I believe some of their content was used in the building process. Why else would God want gold? It’s not as if He were Scrooge McDuck and came down to swim in His money. And He doesn’t need man to accumulate it for Him is some vault. He OWNS IT ALL! And uses it in His works, through the works of OUR hands.
For those who believe you have to be wealthy and have a LOT of possessions to prove that God is working in your life, remember what Jesus was able to do with the young boy’s lunch. With two fish and five loaves of bread He fed THOUSANDS. He doesn’t need big treasuries to draw from. He needs our hearts, surrendered to Him, to work in our lives with whatever we have to give. An empty wallet and a FULL heart is more valuable to Him than ALL the riches in the world with a closed heart. Where your treasure is, there your heart is also. Are you worrying about your bottom line or how what you have can be put to use to help others?
Father God, thank You for Your many blessings in my life. Thank You that You have provided for me abundantly and that You have brought opportunities into my life to use what You have provided to help others, especially my family. Thank You for also allowing me some extra indulgences I never thought about when I was struggling. I enjoy having the opportunity to create things for other people and engage in crafts just to keep myself busy. You have provided even these for me, like my Christmas Village project. Thank You.
Help me continue to find ways to bless those around me with what You have provided. That includes blessing them with the talents You have given me. Give me ideas for Christmas gifts for my grandchildren Lord. Thanks for caring about my concerns, no matter how small they are.
