Journal Through the Bible: Week 88 Wednesday

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I Chronicles 6:31-53

This portion of the chapter tells about the gospel musicians of the tabernacle and temple eras. These were the people David appointed as singers and songwriters from the 3 different lines of Levites. Can you imagine the tryouts for this choir?! These people ministered in the tabernacle after the Ark of the Covenant had been successfully moved to its place in Jerusalem. Their families continued to minister in Solomon's Temple after it was completed.

You will most likely recognize several of the names in this passage. "Shemuel," otherwise known as Samuel is listed here. Remember that he was the last judge of the nation because the people rejected his sons, Vashni/Joel and Abiah as being judges over them. This led to their request for a king and that's when Saul entered the picture. But Samuel's story does not end there. Notice that his grandson, Heman, was one of the singers that David appointed to serve in the tabernacle! Heman (and therefore Samuel) was from the Levite family of Kohath. Heman was the central musician. Since many of the psalms written by David denote that they are for the Chief Musician perhaps Heman was the one responsible for putting those to music for the king!

The name of Asaph, called his "brother" and basically the right hand man of Heman, should also be familiar as the writer of many psalms. He wrote Psalms 50, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, and 83. Asaph was descended from the Levite family of Gershom.

The name of the man on the left of Heman is not well known today. His name is Ethan and he descended from the Levite family of Merari.

We are also given an abbreviated review of the high priests. This list is a replica of that which was given in the first verses of this chapter but it does not extend as far as the other. Even though it is given at the end of today's assigned reading I have shown it first in the genealogy outline so that the three musicians' lineages can be shown in succession.

22. Israel

23. Levi

24. Kohath (Through this son of Levi comes the high priest line and Samuel’s family)

25. Amram

26. Aaron

27. Eleazar

28. Phinehas

29. Abishua

30. Bukki

31. Uzzi

32. Zerahiah

33. Meraioth

34. Amariah

35. Ahitub

36. Zadok

37. Ahimaaz

25. Izhar

26. Korah

27. Ebiasaph

28. Assir

29. Tahath

30. Zephaniah

31. Azariah

32. Joel

33. Elkanah

34. Amasai

35. Mahath

36. Elkanah

37. Zuph

38. Toah/Tohu

39. Eliel/Elihu

40. Jeroham

41. Elkanah

42. Shemuel/Samuel (son of Hannah)

43. Joel

44. Heman*

24. Gershom (Through this son of Levi comes the psalmist, Asaph, whose family was on right )

25. Jahath

26. Shimei

27. Zimmah

28. Ethan

29. Adaiah

30. Zerah

31. Ethni

32. Malchiah

33. Baaseiah

34. Michael

35. Shimea

36. Berachiah

37. Asaph*

24. Merari (Through this son of Levi comes Ethan’s family, those on the left of Heman)

25. Mushi

26. Mahli

27. Shamer

28. Bani

29. Amzi

30. Hilkiah

31. Amaziah

32. Hashabiah

33. Malluch

34. Abdi

35. Kishi

36. Ethan*

* The chief musicians