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1 Chronicles Chapter Twenty-four                            

 

1 Chronicles 24

Chapter Contents

The divisions of the priests and Levites.

When every one has knows and keeps his place and work the more there are the better. In the mystical body of Christ every member has its use for the good of the whole. Christ is High Priest over the house of God to whom all believers being made priests are to be in subjection. In Christ no difference is made between bond and free elder and younger. The younger brethren if faithful and sincere shall be no less acceptable to Christ than the fathers. May we all be children of the Lord fitted to sing his praises for ever in his temple above.

── Matthew HenryConcise Commentary on 1 Chronicles

 

1 Chronicles 24

Verse 1

[1] Now these are the divisions of the sons of Aaron. The sons of Aaron; Nadab and Abihu Eleazar and Ithamar.

Divisions — The several branches into which that family was divided.

Verse 2

[2] But Nadab and Abihu died before their father and had no children: therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the priest's office.

Therefore … — Were the only persons to whom the execution of that office was committed.

Verse 3

[3] And David distributed them both Zadok of the sons of Eleazar and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar according to their offices in their service.

Distributed — Allotting to each of them several times wherein they should by turns have the government of holy ministrations.

Verse 5

[5] Thus were they divided by lot one sort with another; for the governors of the sanctuary and governors of the house of God were of the sons of Eleazar and of the sons of Ithamar.

By lot — That the disposal thereof might be of the Lord and so all contention be prevented as no man could be charged with partiality nor could any say they had wrong done them. In like manner Matthias was chosen to the apostleship by lot with prayer. "And I know not says Mr. Henry but it might be still used in faith in parallel cases as an instituted ordinance." Of God - Or rather of the things of God that is of all persons ministering in the sanctuary and of all holy ministrations done in it and of all other matters of the Lord as they are called by way of distinction from the king's matters 2 Chronicles 19:11.

Verse 6

[6] And Shemaiah the son of Nethaneel the scribe one of the Levites wrote them before the king and the princes and Zadok the priest and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar and before the chief of the fathers of the priests and Levites: one principal household being taken for Eleazar and one taken for Ithamar.

One … — Or the chief of one house of the fathers was taken (by lot) for Eleazar (out of his family) and that which was taken after it was taken for Ithamar out of his family. So the first lot fell to Eleazar and the second to Ithamar the third to Eleazar and the fourth to Ithamar so successively 'till all the families of Ithamar had received their lots. And afterwards all the lots came forth to the rest of Eleazar's families which were double in number to those of Ithamar.

Verse 7

[7] Now the first lot came forth to Jehoiarib the second to Jedaiah

Came — Out of the vessel in which all the lots were put together and out of which they were severally taken.

Verse 19

[19] These were the orderings of them in their service to come into the house of the LORD according to their manner under Aaron their father as the LORD God of Israel had commanded him.

These … — In this order and method they were to come to perform the offices of the temple.

To come — To come into the temple every sabbath-day and to continue there 'till the next sabbath when they were relieved by others.

Aaron — Under the direction of the high-priests whom he calls Aaron because he represented his person and executed his office and their father because of the authority which by God's appointment he had over them.

Verse 31

[31] These likewise cast lots over against their brethren the sons of Aaron in the presence of David the king and Zadok and Ahimelech and the chief of the fathers of the priests and Levites even the principal fathers over against their younger brethren.

Over against — Answerable for number and order to those of the priests so that there should be a course of the Levites for each course of the priests.

── John WesleyExplanatory Notes on 1 Chronicles

 

24 Chapter 24

 

Verse 2

1 Chronicles 24:2

But Nadab and Abihu died before their father.

The death of Nadab and Abihu

Learn:

I. That sin inverts the natural order of things. “They died before their father.”

II. That sin deprives of blessings which God can bestow. They “had no children.”

III. That sin often overwhelms with fearful ruin.

IV. That sin is often mentioned in history to warn of its consequences. (J. Wolfendale.)

Sad deaths

I. The sins which caused them.

1. Disobedience to Divine injunction.

2. Gross inconsistency.

3. Rashness in approaching God.

4. Presumptuous in set.

II. The punishment which followed the sins.

1. A dishonourable death.

2. A sudden death.

3. An overwhelming death.

4. A retributive death. (J. Wolfendale.)

──The Biblical Illustrator