Guarding God’s Treasure, Attending to His Matters

1 Chronicles 26:20-32

    20 Of the Levites, Ahijah was over the treasuries of the house of God and over the treasuries of the dedicated things. 21 The sons of Laadan, the descendants of the Gershonites of Laadan, heads of their fathers' houses, of Laadan the Gershonite: Jehieli. 22 The sons of Jehieli, Zetham and Joel his brother, were over the treasuries of the house of the LORD. 23 Of the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites: 24 Shebuel the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, was overseer of the treasuries. 25 And his brethren by Eliezer were Rehabiah his son, Jeshaiah his son, Joram his son, Zichri his son, and Shelomith his son.
    26 This Shelomith and his brethren were over all the treasuries of the dedicated things which King David and the heads of fathers' houses, the captains over thousands and hundreds, and the captains of the army, had dedicated. 27 Some of the spoils won in battles they dedicated to maintain the house of the LORD. 28 And all that Samuel the seer, Saul the son of Kish, Abner the son of Ner, and Joab the son of Zeruiah had dedicated, every dedicated thing, was under the hand of Shelomith and his brethren.
    29 Of the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons performed duties as officials and judges over Israel outside Jerusalem.  30 Of the Hebronites, Hashabiah and his brethren, one thousand seven hundred able men, had the oversight of Israel on the west side of the Jordan for all the business of the LORD, and in the service of the king. 31 Among the Hebronites, Jerijah was head of the Hebronites according to his genealogy of the fathers. In the fortieth year of the reign of David they were sought, and there were found among them capable men at Jazer of Gilead. 32 And his brethren were two thousand seven hundred able men, heads of fathers' houses, whom King David made officials over the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, for every matter pertaining to God and the affairs of the king.

Here some of the Levites guarded God’s treasure in the house of the LORD, while others attended to His matters of state and of God Himself.  They ensured that the things valuable to God and His people in His house were kept safe and secure from theft, including dedicated items to the LORD and spoils of the battles against strong enemies which He gave them victory over.  They were all there to be used for God’s glory and worship, not for personal gain or boasting.  The things taken in the fight were used to maintain the temple, likely sold or reappropriated in such ways as melting down and used for repairs.  Either way, all was used to honor God in devoted worship.  Some Levites were officials and judges outside of Jerusalem where the house of God stood, serving His name and the government given by Him to the king, attending to the Master’s business.  We should also be about our Master’s business (Luke 2:49, John 4:34-35) while we are about our business as we serve Him in the gospel and in the work outside of His house, our jobs.  The “affairs” or words of the king follow the words of the King over all, the words of life (Acts 5:20) in the gospel of Jesus Christ which His house, the church, stands for.  We must guard the treasure of truth in the scriptures from inside theft and pilfering (Acts 20:29-31, 1 Timothy 6:20, Jude 1:3), as well as from outside His house.  The gospel is founded on His word, both living and written, and we must defend these in our understanding by faith and gospel teaching straight and true.  Wolves abound without and within, so we are to be valiant for the truth, bold and unwavering (Acts 19:8) as guards of the treasurer and ambassadors of the heavenly state as we attend to His matters.