“The list of the men of the people of Israel:
The priests…
The Levites…
The singers…
The gatekeepers of the temple…
The temple servants…
The descendants of the servants of Solomon…
The whole company numbered 42,360, besides their menservants and maidservants; and they also had 200 men and women singers. They had 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.” (Ezra 2:2b, 36,40,41,42,43,55,64-67)
That is quite a crew.
Do you already know about the different workers of the Temple? We know about the priests. The Levites were in charge of different tasks involved in worship and Temple upkeep.
I think the singers are an interesting category. Did you know the temple had singers? Verse 41 specifies them as the descendants of Asaph:
“These are the men David put in charge of the music in the house of the LORD after the ark came to rest there.” 1 Chronicles 6:31
“David…set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun for the ministry of prophesying, accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals…all of them trained and skilled in music for the LORD…” 1 Chronicles 25:1, 7b
It makes me think of how Heaven might be. I never thought before about the Temple being a place of music. But, it was a place of worship. And music is often the soul’s pathway to focus on Someone higher.
Do you think they sang on the four-month journey? There were horses and donkeys and forty thousand people. Surely there were times they needed to lift their eyes to the One worthy of the pilgrimage.
How about us? When life adds up and our own sin weighs us down, how do we fix our eyes on the One Who pursues us and keeps us?
Singing His praise can be a way. Lyrics that drip with Truth, straight from His Holy Word, refocus us on the point:
The Beauty of Jesus.
We see Him as He is: The One from before the foundation of the world. The One given dominion over all. The One Who walked with us so He could take the wrath for us. The One to Whom every knee will bow.
The One Who is coming again.
He is worthy. May we sing His praises today.