Where Are the Levites?

June 2007
I Chronicles 13 deals with David’s incorrect attempt to bring the ark of God’s presence to Jerusalem. In fact, he tried to bring it to Jerusalem on a cart. Verse 8 even tells us there was lots of music being played and sung. There is only one other time recorded in the Bible that the ark was transported on a cart, and that is when the Philistines used a cart to send the ark away from them. Here in this instance, we see David trying to use a pagan method to transport the ark! Sure, it would have been a lot easier to let it ride along on a cart than to have men carry it on their shoulders, stopping every six steps to sacrifice; however, God doesn’t grant His presence to us based on our comfort. Rather, in I Chronicles 15, we see David found that God had a prescribed method for transporting the Ark of His presence. Only the Levites could carry God’s presence (verse 2), and in verses 11 – 13, David tells the Levites that the Lord “burst out in anger against us because you Levites were not with us.” (HCSB) It seems very important to the Lord that the Levites are in their place. Look at this passage as David appoints Levites to sing and play before the Lord:
“Then David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers and to have them raise their voices with joy accompanied by musical instruments—harps, lyres, and cymbals. So the Levites appointed Heman son of Joel; from his relatives, Asaph son of Berechiah; and from their relatives the Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah. With them were their relatives second in rank: Zechariah, Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, and the gatekeepers Obed-edom and Jeiel. The singers Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals; Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play harps according to Alamoth; and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead the music with lyres according to the Sheminith. Chenaniah, the leader of the Levites in music, was to direct the music because he was skillful. Berechiah and Elkanah were to be gatekeepers for the ark. The priests, Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah, and Eliezer, were to blow trumpets before the ark of God. Obed-edom and Jehiah were also to be gatekeepers for the ark.” (I Chronicles 15:16-24, HCSB)
Chapter 16 records the ceremony Israel had upon the ark’s arrival and the beautiful Psalm David wrote for the occasion. The chapter ends with David leaving the Levite musicians to “minister regularly before the ark of the Lord” while he sends the other people home. You guys are those Levites that God has given the honor of ministering before Him, and being carriers of His presence. It may not always be the most convenient or comfortable thing to do. Many times it would be easier to let someone else do it, but God wants those He called to carry the ark.

Thanks for being in your place so faithfully.
Danny