Maybe as you read the Scripture today, you find yourself wondering why it matters what the Levites’ roles are and why it needed to be documented here. I mean the reading begins with David preparing to turn the kingdom over to his son, Solomon. Then, immediately, we get a long list of the duties and roles of the Levites. What is going on here?
It’s important to understand that the Levites are the priests of Israel. Rather than receiving a portion of land – as the other tribes of Israel did – the Levites have the Lord as their portion. They have been set apart by God for that role.
And in this period of transition, David is wanting to make sure that Solomon is set up for success, first ensuring that servants of the Lord were equipped to lead his people well. In fact, they are called to build a Temple for the Lord. And this Temple will allow the Israelites to experience the presence of God in their lives.
When we put first things first, we are ready to face a variety of challenges. It’s when we start to major in the minors that we get distracted and our lives become unbalanced. Now, what if that imbalance made its way into corporate worship too?
Imagine coming to a church service and the worship leader gets up and says, “We forgot to think about the songs for today. We were discussing an idea we had for the hospitality team and never got to it. Does anyone have any ideas what we should sing?” You might wonder what’s going on, right? Then, the pastor gets up and says, “I forgot to prepare for the message today. I was thinking about a conversation I need to have with the Bishop of our Synod about next year’s Annual Meeting. So, just talk amongst yourselves until you feel you’ve received a good word from God.” I’m guessing you’d probably not come back the next week, right?
Having some order in our lives and majoring in the majors – like focusing on our relationship with God – actually leads to a fuller life. So, it shouldn’t surprise us that God calls us to order in our lives and even in worship for the sake of the Good News. In other words, intentionality matters.
As the prophet Taylor Swift reminds us: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” And God is a pro at making plans. Of course, we want to make sure our plans are aligned with his, by listening well and spending time with him. And we do that by majoring in the majors, by letting him be first in our lives. That’s why David, ready to pass the baton to Solomon, starts with making a plan to ensure the people are ready to focus their worship on the Lord, first and foremost. Let it be so with us too.
Questions for reflection:
1. Where have you been majoring in the minors in your life these days? What steps could you take to begin letting go of the things that are not life-giving in order to realign with God?
2. Consider the next big decision you have on the horizon. Spend time praying to God about how he wants to focus you in that decision.