Genealogy – Chapter 6
As we turn to Levi we must realize that we are speaking here about
the line of priests among the Hebrew people.
Of course, we cannot help but remember that before the exile the Hebrew
priests were leading the rebellion away from God as much as the people. However, just as the people went into exile
in order that the remnant could come forth and be devoted to God, so also the
priests went with them. The priests were
no holier than the rest of the people, but they were among those sent into
exile and brought back.
Having said that, let’s also look at the other extreme. These priests were the religious backbone of
the people. They were the ones who were
charged with the operations of the temple and transmission of purity. They were also the ones charged with ensuring
that the priests of the next generation would be trained for their duty.
In this respect they had a very important role. Here in this chapter, we find exquisite
detail given by the chronicler. He goes
into seemingly greater detail in this chapter than other chapters. The chronicler is making a point in the
detail. As the people come back from
exile, the priestly line would be important.
The people had to pay attention to the priests. The priests had to lead the people
properly. This relationship would govern
the faithfulness of the people from this point forward.
We can add to this idea the length of this chapter with respect to
the other genealogical chapters. While
certainly the Davidic line takes a primary role, as one reads through the
genealogies it is easy to see that this chapter on the priestly line is
certainly secondary in importance.
In addition, you will notice here that the chronicler doesn’t only
give the genealogical data. The chronicler
also records the names of the towns that were given the priests so that they
could support themselves. Again we get a
glimpse of the chronicler’s point. The
people would not only be in relationship with the priests, they would support
them and give them room in their lives to work.
This is a good point to remember from a genealogy. We are in relationship with one another. When we lose sight of this relationship,
things tend to go poorly. As in all
relationships, there must be give, take, support, time, and genuine care.
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