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Training the Levites for Generations to Come

-chapter1-

Asaph was one of the chief musicians that David appointed to minister unto the Lord and to train the younger musicians. Here are just a few of the verses from I Chronicles that describe who these Levites were and what they did.

I Chron. 9:33 Now these are the singers, heads of fathers' households of the Levites, who lived in the chambers of the temple free from other service for they were engaged in their work day and night.

I Chron. 15:16 Then David spoke to the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their relatives the singers with instruments of music, harps, lyres, loud-sounding cymbals, to raise sounds of joy.

I Chron. 16:4,5,7 And he appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the Lord, even to celebrate and to thank and praise the Lord God of Israel:
Asaph the chief...with musical instruments, harps, lyres
...also Asaph played loud-sounding cymbals.

(*a drummer!!! *editor's note)

Then on that day David first assigned Asaph and his relatives to give thanks to the Lord.
I Chron. 16:37 So he left Asaph and his relatives there before the ark of the covenant of the Lord , to minister before the ark continually, as every day's work required.
I Chron. 25:1,2... David set apart for service some of the sons of Asaph and of Heman and of Jeduthun, who were to prophesy with lyres, harps, and cymbals...

The sons of Asaph were under the direction of Asaph, who prophesied under the direction of the king.
These Levites praised and thanked the Lord, ministered unto the Lord before the ark, and learned to prophesy with their instruments for the king...

-chapter2-

II Chronicles 20 sets the stage for one of the most amazing story of deliverance in the Old Testament. A 'multitude' invaded Judah to make war against Jehoshaphat. The king was afraid, but called the people to turn to God. They did all the right things: Jehoshaphat called a fast, Judah gathered to seek help from the Lord, and the king and all of the people sought the Lord. They praised Him and they worshiped and humbled themselves in the house of the Lord.

II Chron. 20:14-17 Then in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite of the sons of Asaph; and he said, "Listen, all Judah... thus says the Lord to you, 'Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's.
Tomorrow go down against them...you need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf... Do not fear or be dismayed... the Lord is with you.

The next day, Judah saw the promised salvation of God; the enemy was ambushed by their own allies and then turned on each other completely, destroying one another.

But don't miss this: the Levite who stood up in the assembly to prophesy to the king and all of Judah was Jahaziel, the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Matteniah, the Levite of the sons of Asaph.

Asaph (ch.1) was one of David's chief musicians who trained his sons to prophesy... and generations later his great, great, great grandson stood in the midst of God's people in crisis and spoke a prophetic word of deliverance that rescued Judah from certain destruction.

We must teach our younger musicians to minister unto the Lord and prophesy with their instruments. And they will stand one day in the house of the Lord and speak forth the Word of the Lord that will deliver nations...we must... for the generations to come.

Generations...

-chapter 3-

My grand-father and my dad built the house that I now live in, the house that my son and I moved into "temporarily" fifteen years ago. We came, broken from divorce, to stay a while with my now 96 year old grandmother. As it turned out, in God's wisdom and with His great provision, we found that we needed each other and that we were very comfortable with the house and with each other.

My room is upstairs... actually almost a suite... what was once an attic, now a lovely living space with dormer ceilings and "character." As I was climbing the stairs one day, I thought about my dad and my grand-dad building those stairs. I wondered if they knew, if they had any idea, that they were making provision for their children and grand-children and even great, grand-children.

Be encouraged that as you build, physical buildings and spiritual legacies, you are building for generations to come.

We are preparing the way of the Lord for our children. Keep building...

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