UNROLL
First light over a small rebuilt Jerusalem on its ridge, seen from across the Kidron valley: patched stone walls, plain flat-roofed houses and a plain, modest stone temple with a thin thread of altar smoke rising, under a calm dawn sky.

The Book of

1 Chronicles 9

The exile was not the end. The first families come home, and the doors of God’s house open every morning.

44 verses≈ 6 min3 peopleBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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In this chapter

Where we are

  1. 1–9GenealogiesAll Israel, from AdamChapter 9
  2. 10Saul fallsThe kingdom turned to David
  3. 11–12David kingAll Israel gathers
  4. 13–16The arkBrought home with songs
  5. 17The covenantA house forever
  6. 18–20David's warsThe LORD gave victory
  7. 21The siteOrnan's threshing floor
  8. 22–27Preparing the templePriests, Levites and singers
  9. 28–29David's farewellBe strong, and do the work

The People of Jerusalem

So all Israel was recorded in the genealogies written in the Book of the Kings of Israel. But Judah was exiled to Babylon because of their unfaithfulness.

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Morning in the terraced hills of Judah: a returned family at their overgrown hillside plot, the father lifting a fallen stone back onto a broken terrace wall while his wife and children unload bundles from a donkey beside a roofless stone house and an old olive tree.

Now the first to resettle their own property in their cities were Israelites, priests, Levites, and temple servants.

Family line

Four tribes in Jerusalem

  1. Living in Jerusalem

    Some of the descendants of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh lived in Jerusalem:

  2. Uthai

    Of Perez son of Judah

    Uthai son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, a descendant of Perez son of Judah.

  3. Asaiah

    Shilonites

    From the Shilonites:

    Asaiah the firstborn and his sons.

  4. Jeuel

    Zerahites, 690 relatives

    From the Zerahites:

    Jeuel and 690 relatives.

  5. Sallu

    Benjamites

    From the Benjamites:

    Sallu son of Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hassenuah;

  6. Ibneiah

    With Elah and Meshullam

    Ibneiah son of Jeroham;

    Elah son of Uzzi, the son of Michri;

    Meshullam son of Shephatiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah;

  7. 956 relatives, all heads

    and 956 of their relatives according to their genealogy. All these men were heads of their families.

Priests

Priests in Jerusalem

  1. Jedaiah, Jehoiarib and Jachin

    From the priests:

    Jedaiah, Jehoiarib, and Jachin;

  2. Zadok’s line

    Azariah, chief official

    Azariah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the chief official of God’s temple;

  3. Adaiah and Maasai

    Adaiah son of Jeroham, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah;

    Maasai son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer;

  4. For the service

    1,760 able men

    and 1,760 of their relatives, the heads of their families, able men for the work of the service of the house of God.

From the Levites:

Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, a descendant of Merari;

Bakbakkar, Heresh, Galal, and Mattaniah son of Mica, the son of Zichri, the son of Asaph;

Obadiah son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun;

and Berechiah son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, who lived in the villages of the Netophathites.

Gatekeepers

Keepers of the thresholds

  1. Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman

    These were the gatekeepers: Shallum, Akkub, Talmon, Ahiman, and their relatives.

  2. King’s Gate, east

    Shallum the chief

    Shallum was their chief;

    he was previously stationed at the King’s Gate on the east side. These were the gatekeepers from the camp of the Levites.

  3. As their fathers

    Korahites at the thresholds

    Shallum son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his relatives from the Korahites were assigned to guard the thresholds of the Tent, just as their fathers had been assigned to guard the entrance to the dwelling of the LORD.

  4. In earlier times

    Phinehas once over them

    In earlier times Phinehas son of Eleazar had been in charge of the gatekeepers, and the LORD was with him.

  5. Zechariah at the Tent’s entrance

    Zechariah son of Meshelemiah was the gatekeeper at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

  6. David and Samuel

    212 chosen and trusted

    The number of those chosen to be gatekeepers at the thresholds was 212. They were registered by genealogy in their villages. David and Samuel the seer had appointed them to their positions of trust.

Reflect

Positions of trust

The gatekeepers were chosen by David and Samuel and given “their positions of trust,” and their families kept them for centuries. Their work was keys, doors and night watches: faithful, ordinary and mostly unseen. What small, ordinary trust has God given you? Write it down, and write how you will keep it this week.

Dawn on a road climbing toward the small rebuilt Jerusalem on its ridge: three Levite gatekeepers in plain linen with bedrolls and water skins walk up the road, seen from behind, terraced slopes around them.

So they and their descendants were assigned to guard the gates of the house of the LORD—the house called the Tent. The gatekeepers were stationed on the four sides: east, west, north, and south. Their relatives came from their villages at fixed times to serve with them for seven-day periods.

0:17

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

First light at the eastern gate of the second temple’s court: Shallum, a gray-bearded Levite, turns a large wooden key in heavy cedar doors while another Levite holds a small clay oil lamp after the night watch; beyond, the plain, modest stone house.

But the four chief gatekeepers, who were Levites, were entrusted with the rooms and the treasuries of the house of God. They would spend the night stationed around the house of God, because they were responsible for guarding it and opening it every morning.

They would spend the night stationed around the house of God, because they were responsible for guarding it and opening it every morning.

1 Chronicles 9:27

Question

Quick question

Not every gatekeeper lived in Jerusalem. Their relatives came in from the villages to take their turn.

How long was each turn of duty for the gatekeepers from the villages?

Those who were musicians, the heads of Levite families, stayed in the temple chambers and were exempt from other duties because they were on duty day and night. All these were heads of Levite families, chiefs according to their genealogies, and they lived in Jerusalem.

The Descendants of Saul

Family line

Saul’s family, again

  1. Jeiel

    Married Maacah

    • Abdon
    • Zur
    • Kish
    • Baal
    • Ner
    • Nadab
    • Gedor
    • Ahio
    • Zechariah
    • Mikloth

    Father of Gibeon

    Jeiel the father of Gibeon lived in Gibeon. His wife’s name was Maacah.

    Abdon was his firstborn son, then Zur, Kish, Baal, Ner, Nadab,

    Gedor, Ahio, Zechariah, and Mikloth.

  2. Mikloth

    In Jerusalem

    Mikloth was the father of Shimeam. They too lived alongside their relatives in Jerusalem.

  3. NerKishSaul
    • Jonathan
    • Malchishua
    • Abinadab
    • Esh-baal

    Ner was the father of Kish, Kish was the father of Saul, and Saul was the father of Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh-baal.

  4. JonathanMerib-baal
    • Micah

    The son of Jonathan:

    Merib-baal, who was the father of Micah.

  5. Micah
    • Pithon
    • Melech
    • Tahrea
    • Ahaz

    The sons of Micah:

    Pithon, Melech, Tahrea, and Ahaz.

  6. AhazJarah
    • Alemeth
    • Azmaveth
    • Zimri

    Ahaz was the father of Jarah; Jarah was the father of Alemeth, Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri was the father of Moza.

  7. MozaBineaRephaiahElasah

    Moza was the father of Binea. Rephaiah was his son, Elasah his son, and Azel his son.

  8. Azel
    • Azrikam
    • Bocheru
    • Ishmael
    • Sheariah
    • Obadiah
    • Hanan

    Six sons

    And Azel had six sons, and these were their names:

    Azrikam, Bocheru, Ishmael, Sheariah, Obadiah, and Hanan. These were the sons of Azel.

Pray

Day and night

Judah went into exile for unfaithfulness, and still God brought His people home and opened His house again. Thank Him that the exile was not the end. Pray for those who keep the doors and do the unseen work of worship in your church: the early setup, the counting, the baking, the music. And ask that your own praise would not stop, day and night.

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1 Chronicles 9

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A verse to carry with you

They would spend the night stationed around the house of God, because they were responsible for guarding it and opening it every morning.

1 Chronicles 9:27

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