1 Chronicles 6

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TALKS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS

The Genealogical Record of Tribe of Levi

BACKGROUND NOTES



DOCTRINAL POINT(S)

  1. The Levites were the tribe of the Temple priests.

  2. The Levites were the tribe of the Temple singers.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

  1. The “B” in God’s Plan B stands for “Best”!

QUESTIONS

  1. Why are the biblical genealogies important?

  2. Why is so much emphasis given to the genealogy of the tribe of Levi?

  3. Were all Levites priests?

  4. Which psalms were written by these Temple singers?

  5. Where did the tribe of Levi reside in the Land? How did the Levites redeem themselves?

ANSWERS

  1. They show that the Old Testament stories deal with real people in real time and are not Jewish legends as the critics of the Bible say. The biblical genealogies are also important because they establish the Davidic dynasty of the tribe of Judah as the kingly line from which the Messiah would come.

  2. Levi was the tribe of the priests and temple servants. Thus the Levites played a very important role in the nation of Israel.

  3. No. All priests were Levites, but not all Levites were priests. The priests were only descendants of Aaron. One of the priests at any given time would be the high priest. Aaron was the first high priest.

  4. Heman the Kohathite (verse 33) was the author of Psalm 88. Asaph the Gershonite (verse 39) was the author of Psalms 50 and 73-83. Ethan the Merarite was the author of Psalm 89.

  5. The tribe of Levi, like Simeon, was given no tribal territory in the land because of Levi’s participation in the massacre at Shechem (Genesis 34). The Levites resided in 48 cities scattered throughout the Land. The Levites redeemed themselves when they stood with Moses in the wilderness in opposition to the idolatry of the golden calf incident (Exodus 32).

DISCUSS/CONSIDER

  1. The Levites had no tribal territory as a consequence of Levi’s sin, but by being scattered in cities throughout the nation, the Levites could teach the people God’s Word and the right way of worship. This is an example of God’s Plan B proving to be Best. Can you give a personal example of this?

CHALLENGE

  1. Remember God’s redemption of the Levites the next time you read a psalm written by a Temple singer.

KEY VERSES

  • “The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.” 1 Chronicles 6:1

  • “But Aaron and his sons offered sacrifices on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense, for all the work of the Most Holy Place, and to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.” 1 Chronicles 6:49

  • “So the children of Israel gave these cities with their common-lands to the Levites.” 1 Chronicles 6:64

1 Chronicles, Old Testament, TalksRon Reid1 CHRONICLES 6