Who am I?

But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding.
1 Chronicles 29:14-15

Who am I? by Casting Crowns

Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt
Who am I, that the Bright and Morning Star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wandering heart

Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are

I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
Vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I'm calling
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling
And You've told me who I am
I am Yours, I am Yours

Who am I, that the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love and watch me rise again
Who am I, that the voice that calmed the sea
Would call out through the rain
And calm the storm in me

Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are

I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
Vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I'm calling
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling
And You've told me who I am
I am Yours

Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You are

I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
Vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I'm calling
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling
And You've told me who I am
I am Yours

I am Yours
Whom shall I fear
Whom shall I fear
'Cause I am Yours
I am Yours

from father to son

Then David said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the LORD God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished."
1 Chronicles 28:20

David's passion to build a temple for the worship of the Lord in Jerusalem is passed on to his son Solomon with this charge. And the building of the temple would be Solomon's great work. Once completed, it would define the worship of the Lord for the Jews for centuries. Even though it no longer stands, it is still a focal point for the worship of the LORD among devout Jews. David's passion is still something talked about in the world today!

The charge to Solomon is a call to fearless service. It was a daunting task to take the materials provided by David, and the architectural drawings given to Solomon by his father, and turn them into an actual temple of stone, wood, bronze, and gold. That is why David's encouragement to his son included the reminder that God's presence and power would be with him in the work of building the temple. Solomon could do this because God would do it through him.

When we are willing to be used by God, there is no limit to what God can do to bring glory for Himself. When we insist on gaining notice solely for self, that's when the difficulties really come. Solomon's life was amazingly powerful when he followed the words of his father's charge to him. He failed miserably when he switched his focus to his own fame as king. The wisdom of David's words proved sadly true in the life of his son.

close inner circle

Ahithophel was the king's counselor, and Hushai the Archite was the king's friend. Ahithophel was succeeded by Jehoiada the son of Benaiah, and Abiathar. Joab was commander of the king's army.
1 Chronicles 27:33-34

There is not a lot of deep spiritual insight to be found in a chapter that lists out the names of army divisional commanders and royal officials. It is a mundane list. But the careful listing does grow as it describes the level of closeness to king David. These two verses get us into David's closest inner circle. And they show us just a little about his person, character, and method of leadership.

David enlisted those closest to him as royal advisors. These people were entrusted with the most power and the most access to the king. These positions consisted of advisors, friends, and commanders. They were his inner circle. David did not lead alone, but in the company of advisors and trusted relationships. These men had influence in Israel because they were close to the king.

Every person needs that inner circle of relationships to help them navigate life's road. These might be made up of certain family members. These might include trusted friends whose common sense and camaraderie have combined to help us in times of need. Even the most gregarious of personalities must have some people around who are the closest of trusted friends. And any person who has no "advisors" or "counselors" in his life will find frustration and lonely choices ahead of him. In the abundance of friendships and counselors who advise us, there is safety for all of us. David set an example of the wisdom of living that way.

Treasurers

This Shelomoth and his brothers were in charge of all the treasuries of the dedicated gifts that David the king and the heads of the fathers' houses and the officers of the thousands and the hundreds and the commanders of the army had dedicated. From spoil won in battles they dedicated gifts for the maintenance of the house of the LORD.
1 Chronicles 26:26-27

Someone had to be entrusted with the care and maintenance of the valuable gifts that were stored in the treasury of the Lord's house in Jerusalem. David commissioned gifted financial accountants with the security duty involving these gifts which came from the spoils of war. So the Jerusalem temple eventually had treasuries that were sort of vaults and sort of museums that held the rarest of articles captured in battle by Israel's defensive forces. From the spoils of war, the best and the rarest treasures were sent to Jerusalem from the commanders of the army to be used to maintain the worship of the Lord on the Jerusalem temple site. It was a kind of giving prompted by gratitude.

Again, the administrative genius of King David's later years shines through. He creates an entirely new classification of service for the Lord: treasurer. And he picks the finest financial workers and security personnel in the land to guard the treasure and administer funds for the maintenance of the worship of the Lord. He created the system that would run the finances of the vast temple complex with its hundreds of Levites and priestly workers... the complex Solomon would later build. And Solomon would fill its treasuries with even more unbelievable riches and art.

God deserves the best we can give Him. The national treasures of Israel under David and Solomon were kept in the temple where God was worshiped. And the gifts given for His worship needed protection and wise administration. What Israel valued most was relationship and worship of God. It literally showed in what the nation treasured and where they treasured it. And the way that David set the example made it clear that God was the most important leader in the life of the nation. Those visible values made a difference. And just where are my visible values? The answers will be shown in what is seen in my life.

organized worship

The number of them along with their brothers, who were trained in singing to the LORD, all who were skillful, was 288. And they cast lots for their duties, small and great, teacher and pupil alike.
1 Chronicles 25:7-8

King David extended the organization of the worship of Yahweh to include the singers and musicians who were on site at the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. It was quite a task. There were 288 of these skilled musicians, songwriters, and singers. And all of them were organized around the same type of schedule that regulated the duties of the Levites. With that many artists to manage, the worship of the Lord must have been quite a production!

The bottom line was that these musicians were divided into 24 teams. Then they were assigned musical duties in worship around the same 48 month lunar calendar that the Levites followed. So there was always a worship team planned and organized around every worship activity in the life of the nation of Israel.

Both experienced master musicians and their most gifted proteges served together in this ministry. And the result was that the ministry of musical worship always had a good learning, growing, artistic edge. It was always worshiping toward the future. David's skill as a musician is shown in this stroke of developmental genius. He fostered new talent. He knew that good art is always growing into the next generation. That's why pupil and teacher alike were part of the rotation.

I love music. And I love playing music and singing. I deeply feel the loss in my busy life right now. Circumstances are such that I am unable these days to offer any musical worship service due to the overcrowding of other important expectations and responsibilities that have been pressed upon me. I could play and learn new guitar abilities for hours (when I have those hours... which is never). I dearly wish sometimes that I had the hours to give it again because I find it often brings me into sweet communion with God, personally. Given that insight, I feel something when I read this story in 1 Chronicles. I get a feel for how elated these 288 musicians must have felt to be released and supported and organized to do nothing but worship God with their hearts, hands, instruments, and voices. And there will be a time when I will get to do nothing but that myself. I'll bide my time until then, I suppose.

Team ministry is a not just a New Testament concept.

These had as their appointed duty in their service to come into the house of the LORD according to the procedure established for them by Aaron their father, as the LORD God of Israel had commanded him.
1 Chronicles 24:19

Ministry has its demands. And the priestly work of the levitical priesthood in Israel was not only spiritual but also hard physical labor. It required teamwork and organization. And David took all of the families of the priests and organized them into 24 different divisions. Then those divisions were organized into work teams arranged on a 48 month lunar calendar and assigned various levitical duties in the house of God. Each division served publicly two months out of each year. The rest of the year was filled with behind-the-scenes responsibility.

The levitical duties were diverse. The duties at the house of the Lord including being bakers (the grain offerings and the shewbread were regular requirements). They were incense makers. They were butchers (some sacrifices let the person offering the sacrifice take home a portion of the meat. Other portions of sacrifices went to feed the Levites and their families. Every day numerous goats, sheep, and oxen were slaughtered on the grounds of the temple). All this physical labor was shared through this unique service roster.

The priests and Levites benefitted from team ministry. And the ministry itself was strengthened by the organization and administration of these teams. David was a wise king to ensure that those who led Israel's worship did so in an atmosphere of organization and mutual ministry. So team ministry is not just a New Testament concept. It is a biblical concept. There are no "Lone Rangers" in the plans that God has for His worship.

administration's greater glory

For their duty was to assist the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD, having the care of the courts and the chambers, the cleansing of all that is holy, and any work for the service of the house of God.
1 Chronicles 23:28

David's passion for the worship of the Lord combined with a gift of administration to organize the Levites around the duties of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. Not only did David want to make sure that all the preparations were made for a physical temple, but he also wanted to put together the organization of the levitical duties in such a way that when the temple was complete and as worship was conducted in Jerusalem, the Law would be followed and the duties of the priests and Levites could function smoothly for the glory of God.

So by royal edict, the Levites were mustered, arranged, and a duties list was organized. This account is almost purely administrative in its detail. But it is clear that the focus of this was to bring the kind of quality worship that God deserved in His place of meeting. And roles and responsibilities emerged that were clearly understood. By the time David's edict was finished, the transition to worship on the site of the temple was complete. Worship commenced and continued even as Solomon began the work of building a temple there.

An application to consider is the role of administration within God's kingdom. It is a service gift within the church. And there are always details to manage in ministry. The important distinction is that administration as it relates to God's kingdom is not solely about project management. It is much more about the glory of God being emphasized by offering our organizational gifts and abilities to Him.

I am so thankful that God uses us in this way. And many people labor with servant's hearts behind the scenes so that God's glory may be known among the nations. Some of us organize and others of us perform the tasks assigned. But all of us worship God in His work for His purpose so that His name may be great among all people.