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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 Henry《Concise 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 Wesley《Explanatory Notes on 1 Chronicles》
24 Chapter 24
Verse 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》