“The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and also Mattaniah, who, together with his associates, was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving. Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, stood opposite them in the services.”
Nehemiah 12:8-9
Last time we saw the last of the leaders of the priests, grateful Yah is our portion. Today we dive into the names of the Levites.
Jeshua is up first, a name we’ve seen often, meaning “The LORD is salvation.” Sometimes, when I’m up to my eyeballs in to-do lists, personal needs, others’ needs, and the world, I like to think about how He is salvation. Don’t you? Like, doesn’t it just help you exhale?
Binnui is next, another name we saw in Nehemiah a couple of chapters ago. It is from the word banah – to build, built up, rebuilt, restored. Thank goodness for that prefix “re.” To do again. If it’s been torn down, we can rebuild. If it’s been broken, it can be restored. If we never give up and trust what He’s doing, we can be built up in Him, no matter the outcome of external circumstances.
Kadmiel is next, whose name means “God is the ancient one.” It comes from qedem – aforetime, before, east end, everlasting; “the front, of place (relatively the East) or time (antiquity)…”
Qedem comes from qadam – to come or be in front, meet, anticipate, confront, receive, rise; flee before, disappoint, prevent; “to project (one self)…to anticipate, hasten, meet (usually for help).”
However you look at it, this name points to Another that precedes us. One outside of space and time, transcending linear timelines and the rising of the sun from the East to which our schedules obey.
Qedem is used in the oft-quoted Micah 6 section:
With what shall I come before the Lord
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God
Micah 6:6-8
In that first verse of “with what shall I come before the Lord,” before is a version of this word qedem. How do we stand before the Ancient One? We know in our hearts we don’t deserve to, haven’t lived up to what it takes to be in the presence of pure and holy Light.
The good news is, He Himself did what verse 7 asks rhetorically: Offered His firstborn for transgressions for all. The God-Man we celebrate this season coming to us as a Baby, grew up and ultimately walked out seeking justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly in submission to His Father.
Sherebiah is next and means “Yah has sent burning heat” from Yah and sharab – burning heat, parched ground, scorched land; “… to glare; quivering glow (of the air)…mirage.” A friend recently used the phrase “baptism by fire,” reminding me of this definition. Sometimes it’s what He calls us to, isn’t it? And we can’t look away from the part of this name which directly points to Yahweh being the One to send it.
I’m likely diving into theological waters beyond my depth, but as I’m reading Job these days, I’m reminded how we know the back story, but our main character doesn’t. We know God gave the enemy permission to test Job’s character, but the fact that he had to ask first says so much about Yahweh’s sovereignty.
And when this Yahweh finally answers Job’s complaint? He does not apologize for His character, His power, or His sovereignty. And in the end, Job can say with certainty,
“My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.”
Job 42:5
The intimacy which can come when Yah sends burning heat is unmatched. If He sends burning heat upon us as His Body, may we lean into the refinement and relish the relationship.
Judah is next, a common name in the Old Testament, which probably means “praised, celebrated.” It’s from yadah – to throw, cast, confess, give thanks, cast out, throw down…”from yad; literally, to use the hand; to throw (a stone, an arrow) at or away; especially to revere or worship (with extended hands); intensively, to bemoan (by wringing the hands)…”
Well, speaking of Yah sending burning heat. Worshipping intensely, bemoaning with wringing hands, sounds exactly like Biblical praise. Honest sharing of life with the Giver of life. And don’t you love the giving thanks part? Our celebrations and practice of gratitude, despite any burning heat in our lives, is transformational.
And continuing on with Thanksgiving, Mattaniah is listed next as the one leading (al – hovered over) the songs of thanksgiving (psalms) with his associates. Literally, the “psalms hovered over them.” What kind of spectacular image is this?
These songs of thanksgiving likely were joined to the real-life challenges our group of returned exiles experienced. The ones whose parents had left their homes and brought them to a new place only to be faced with constant rebuilding. Add to that all-too-common relational struggles, sinful decisions, and sickness or death, and you have a picture of the book of Psalms. May this honest and honoring praise hover over us all.
Finally we have Bakbukiah and Unni and their brothers who stood opposite – neged: in front of, in sight of, opposite to, aloof, against, away, before, demoralized, other side, risked, straight ahead, suitable, under; “From nagad; a front…[p]art opposite; specifically a counterpart, or mate…”
This one makes me smile, as my personal counterpart and I regularly choose something directly opposite each other. One time I actually said, “I suppose in order to figure out what you would do, I should just think of how I would do it, then do the exact opposite.” And you know what? That’s good stuff. We both love Jesus, our family, our community. So it’s okay when our same purposes end up looking opposite. That’s what makes it complete, whole.
How about us as the Body? I saw a tweet the other day which pointed out how the culturally challenging topic of meat sacrificed to idols did not turn into a call for uniformity to Paul. Rather, he pointed to patience and understanding toward each other. We can be complete in Him as His perfectly imperfect church and not see eye to eye on everything.
However, if any of our perspectives turn into demoralizing others, we can be assured we are not representing our sacrificial Savior.
Which leads to the definition of duties which Bakbukiah, Unni, and their associates took up. It is mishmereth – guard, charge, function, allegiance, keep, obligation, post, safeguard, service, watch, worship; “from mishmar: a place of confinement, jail, prison, division, diligence, keeping watch…sentry, the post; Preservation.”
I believe we can hold to orthodoxy while challenging our cultural assumptions on how we live out those beliefs in our day. After all, He is regularly doing a new thing and putting a new song in our hearts. We are not to live on moldy manna or old wineskins. Walking with Jesus daily assumes He is always at work, on the move, and we are to join Him.
Perhaps it would do us all good to think of which direction we personally tend to lean, then intentionally lean into the opposite. If we prefer things like they’ve always been and enjoy tradition, it would probably be best to purposely look into ways the worldwide Body is experiencing fresh manna. We do serve a God-Man Who said, “You have heard it said, but I say to you…”
However, if we’re always on the lookout for something new, it would likely do our souls well to learn from those who have lived out long obedience in the same direction.
If our primary allegiance in our duties is loving God with our entire heart, soul, mind, and strength, while seeking to love our neighbor as ourselves, we can watch and worship and serve diligently without it turning into a place of confinement for us or others.
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. This Advent may we live like that’s true.