Our Lord Jesus is the High Priest and Chief Singer, but He calls on us to join Him in this holy work.
While the earlier lists in 1 Chronicles might seem only of interest to the pedantist, when we come to 6:27-53, we can see how important this genealogy is. The others might affect land inheritance, but this was the Lord’s inheritance. Those who couldn’t show a direct lineage in Levi were disqualified from serving in the priesthood (Ezra 2:62). 1 Chronicles 6 begins with Levi and his sons, “Gershon, Kohath, and Merari” (v 1). These lent their names to the three divisions of Levites who attended the priests. We’re told that Kohath’s son, Amram, was the father of “Aaron, Moses, and Miriam” (1 Chron 6:3), and Aaron’s line produced the high priests (vv 3-15, 49-53). It was kind of the Lord to set up a system with a high priest in-waiting so the service could continue unabated in spite of death, but the New Covenant offers something far superior in Christ. “He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Heb 7:24-25). But what is priestly service without praise? So we are introduced to “the men whom David appointed over the service of song in the house of the Lord” (1 Chron 6:31ff). See any old friends? There’s Heman, Samuel’s grandson (v 33). Asaph is linked with Psalms 50 and 73-83 (v 39). Ethan, nicknamed Jeduthun (“praising”), is the “chief musician” in Psalms 39, 62, and 77. And they didn’t wait to praise until the temple was complete. “They were ministering with music before the…tabernacle of meeting” (v 32). We should do the same, praising the Lord on the pilgrim trek, even while the temple of living stones is still under construction. Then, what singing!