King James Bible Study – [Mark 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.]
Date: Thursday, April 27, 2023
Chapters: I CHRONICLES 6
Study: Becoming A Reflection of Jesus
Hello My Brother/Sister/Friend,
When I was growing up I had a lot of physical features that resembled my father, but the older I get I can actually see a lot of my mother in me. One of my nephews looks a lot like me and I have also been told that I have a twin somewhere on my father’s side. We can deny it all we want, but we are a collection of descendants from our ancestors not just the ones who brought us into this world, but family or as God would put it, tribes. Now, think about it, when God becomes our Father, through our faith in Christ and we become joint-heirs with Jesus what features of His will we show? I would hope that my features show Jesus Himself,
[Colossians 3:1-4,9-11 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. 9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: 11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.]
The Old Testament of the Bible was not only written to give testimony to God dealing with Israel before Jesus came here in the flesh, it is a record book of the Jews as well as Gentiles. In fact, if we studied through our own ancestry, we would discover that we too can be traced back to our father, Noah, and even further, Adam. A birth record is very important, without it we do not exist, and we would not be able to receive the rights given to us, [Luke 10:19-20 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.]
As we return to the reading of 1 Chronicles, and after an account had been given of the chief of the tribes of Judah and Simeon, of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, follows that of Levi, and his posterity; the kingdom being given to Judah, the birthright to Joseph, and the priesthood to Levi: Which is repeated in 6:16 for the sake of their posterity after they returned from Babylon.
[1 Chronicles 6:1-4,8-10,15-16 The sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 2 And the sons of Kohath; Amram, Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel. 3 And the children of Amram; Aaron, and Moses, and Miriam. The sons also of Aaron; Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 4 Eleazar begat Phinehas, Phinehas begat Abishua, 8 And Ahitub begat Zadok, and Zadok begat Ahimaaz, 9 And Ahimaaz begat Azariah, and Azariah begat Johanan, 10 And Johanan begat Azariah, (he it is that executed the priest’s office in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem:) 15 And Jehozadak went into captivity, when the LORD carried away Judah and Jerusalem by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. 16 The sons of Levi; Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.]
[executed the priest’s office in the temple that Solomon built] The priests and Levites were more concerned than any of the other tribes about preserving their ancestry and being able to prove it. Why? Since God was their inheritance, all honors and privileges of their office depended upon their descent. We read of those who were children of the priests, yet, because they could not find the register of their genealogies, nor make out their descent by any authentic record, they were put out from the priesthood.
[1 Chronicles 6:19-23,26-28 The sons of Merari; Mahli, and Mushi. And these are the families of the Levites according to their fathers. 20 Of Gershom; Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, 21 Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, Jeaterai his son. 22 The sons of Kohath; Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, 23 Elkanah his son, and Ebiasaph his son, and Assir his son, 26 As for Elkanah: the sons of Elkanah; Zophai his son, and Nahath his son, 27 Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son. 28 And the sons of Samuel; the firstborn Vashni, and Abiah.]
[Elkanah his son. And the sons of Samuel;] Elkanah, is the biological father of Samuel, by whom Hannah, his mother had prayed to God for a son and said that she would give him to God. He is not mentioned as Samuel’s father because Hannah had given him to God and he was raised by Eli in the tabernacle. Samuel’s, lineage did not go any further because they used their heritage as a means to manipulate and bribe the people, plus they were rather conspicuous, [1 Samuel 8]. This is proof that one; you can raise up a child in the way they will go and still be influenced by the world, and two, we must all give an account of ourselves before Jesus,
[Romans 14:11-14 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way. 14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.]
While not everyone is called to be a pastor or an evangelist, many are called to be a part of the church, janitorial work, babysitting, teaching, singing, or even a pastor’s wife, every skill is given by God to enable them to be used in His ministry, and every one of them is honorable to God. Now, an account is given to the sons of Merari, from whom Asaph would descend.
[1 Chronicles 6:29-33,38-39 The sons of Merari; Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzza his son, 30 Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, Asaiah his son. 31 And these are they whom David set over the service of song in the house of the LORD, after that the ark had rest. 32 And they ministered before the dwelling place of the tabernacle of the congregation with singing, until Solomon had built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem: and then they waited on their office according to their order. 33 And these are they that waited with their children. Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman a singer, the son of Joel, the son of Shemuel, 38 The son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel. 39 And his brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand, even Asaph the son of Berachiah, the son of Shimea,]
[and then they waited on their office according to their order.] These were waiting for the temple to be built by Solomon so they could fulfill their duties appointed by David. It was their sole job to sing all the Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs that are written in the Book of Psalms. Music, is very important in our walk with Christ, but it needs to be the right music as we want to lift our spirit in song, and not our flesh.
[brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand,] Asaph, is accredited for many of the Psalms, even David dedicated many of them to him. David, appointed the jobs they would do in the temple once it was built, which Solomon would have built according to David’s specifications once his reign began, [2 Samuel 7].
David also appointed those who would do other services, but it was Aaron’s sons who would be appointed as high priests and priests according to God’s commands. An account is also given to the cities that each tribe had given them to dwell on, remember, God was their inheritance so they did not receive any land of their own.
[1 Chronicles 6:48-50,54-57 Their brethren also the Levites were appointed unto all manner of service of the tabernacle of the house of God. 49 But Aaron and his sons offered upon the altar of the burnt offering, and on the altar of incense, and were appointed for all the work of the place most holy, and to make an atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded. 50 And these are the sons of Aaron; Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, 54 Now these are their dwelling places throughout their castles in their coasts, of the sons of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites: for theirs was the lot. 55 And they gave them Hebron in the land of Judah, and the suburbs thereof round about it. 56 But the fields of the city, and the villages thereof, they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 57 And to the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of Judah, namely, Hebron, the city of refuge, and Libnah with her suburbs, and Jattir, and Eshtemoa, with their suburbs,]
[And they gave them Hebron in the land of Judah,] It is interesting to note that David chose to live in the city of refuge for seven years as king of Judah. This was a town where the accused of murder could hide out and not be hunted and killed until it was proven whether or not it was by accident or intentional. They were allowed to remain there until they were proven innocent or while the high priest was alive. While we are not all murderers on the run, we are all sinners, and Jesus, who is not only our refuge, but our high priest, still lives today does the same thing for us. It does not matter if we were born into a Godly, Christian family or a heathen, wicked family, we are a reflection of who we get around. It is only by allowing Jesus to live in and through us that we can become a reflection of Him, [Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.]
Today’s Prayer: Jesus, Thank You for saving me, cleansing me, and making me one of Yours. You have given me many skills and talents over the years and while I do not understand all the uses for them, I do understand that You have a reason and purpose for them. You have given us an example on how we are to live as not only a testimony of Your great sacrifice for saving my soul from hell, but as a reflection of You. Lord, lead me and guide me, show me how and where to use the skills, talents, and gifts that You have given me to be used for Your glory. Never let me forget that it is not how much I serve You or even where I serve You that matters most to You, it is serving You with my whole heart, and leading the lost to You through my own testimony. I love You and ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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