“Don’t long for ‘the good old days.’ This is not wise.”
ECCLESIASTES 7:10

Your Greatest Purpose Can Never Be Lost 1 Chr 9:14-34

First Chronicles 1–9 recounts how God built a great nation from a single man. The genealogy of Adam led to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob’s sons became the twelve great tribes of Israel. David eventually had an army of over 300,000 men from the tribes of Israel who were prepared to help him (1 Chr 12). Between the end of the genealogies and the accounts of the reigns of Saul and David, we meet the people to whom this book was addressed—the returning exiles. They were a pitiful bunch by comparison. In all, 690 families of the tribe of Judah, 956 families from the tribe of Benjamin, and 1,760 priests returned to begin the painful work of rebuilding the nation. A nation that had once numbered in the hundreds of thousands was reduced to a small fraction of that number.

But the chronicler makes it clear that the suffering they had endured in exile, and the almost complete loss of their worldly strength, did not in any way negate or alter their highest calling. The Levites got right to work (9:22-34). Some were assigned as gatekeepers to the Temple; caretakers of the articles used in worship; and stewards of the furnishings, incense, and oil. Others were responsible to have the bread prepared for each Sabbath day. Still others were appointed to be musicians. All of them were tasked with maintaining the worship of God so that the people of God could be led into his presence and receive his blessing as they confessed their sins, offered sacrifices, gave thanks, and presented petitions before the Lord.

Whether we are strong or weak, healthy or ill, rich or poor, numerous or few—no matter our outward circumstance—we are always able to fulfill our greatest and most glorious calling: To worship God and enable others to come and worship him with us!