Year 9, Day 295: 1 Chronicles 23

Theological Commentary: Click Here

In this chapter, David organizes the Levites.  There isn’t anything major going on here.  As the ark moves to Jerusalem and as David prepares to hand off the burden of leadership to Solomon, it is important that structure be implemented.  The young king will need help making the transition and making sure that things run smoothly.

What is neat about this is the realization that the temple construction implies that the tabernacle is unnecessary.  With the temple, the moving tabernacle becomes useless.  With the tabernacle becoming useless, all of those Levites who were tasked with moving the tabernacle no longer have a purpose.  A whole tribe of Israel is put out of work by the building of the tabernacle.

This is why David reorganizes them.  David knows that the land was divided the way that it was because the Levites were to be occupied with the tabernacle and its functioning.  He gives them jobs to do.  They are to assist with the worship.  They are to assist with the prayers.  They are to assist with the sacrificing.  They are to help safeguard the purity of the people.

Essentially, what this means is that the religious nature of the people is evolving.  As the context changes, the practices of the people likewise change.  The religious work of the people changes to stay relevant.  I think this is my favorite part of this chapter.  Religion must always stay relevant.  That implies that the shape of religion is flexible and changing.

The theological foundation of religion should not change.  The teachings that make religion powerful should not change.  The practices of the people that put these teachings into real life must absolutely change to remain relevant to the people.

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