Study Desk

Now, my son, may the Lord be with you and help you to do well. May you build the house of the Lord your God just as He has said you would.

Only, may the Lord give you wisdom and understanding. When He has you rule over Israel, may you keep the Law of the Lord your God.

"Is not the Lord your God with you? Has He not given you peace on every side? For He has given the people of the land into my hand. The land is put under my rule before the Lord and His people.

Now set your heart and soul to look to the Lord your God. Get ready and build the holy place of the Lord God. Then you may bring the special box with the Law of the Lord. You may bring the holy objects of God. And put them into the house that is to be built for the name of the Lord."

But the names of the sons of Moses the man of God were among the family of Levi.

For David said, "The Lord God of Israel has given peace to his people. And He lives in Jerusalem forever.

He said, "Their duties are to help Aaron's sons with the work of the Lord's house, in the open spaces and in the rooms. They are to make clean all the holy things, and do any work needed to be done in the house of God.

They were divided by drawing names, all alike. For there were leaders of the holy place and leaders of God, from both the sons of Eleazar and Ithamar.

This was the way they were to come on duty to work in the Lord's house. It was a rule given to them through their father Aaron, just as the Lord God of Israel had told him.

The sons of Asaph were: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah and Asharelah. They were led by Asaph, who spoke for God under the leading of the king.

All these were the sons of Heman the king's man of God, to honor him by the Words of God. God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.

All of them were led by their father to sing in the Lord's house. They sang and played timbrels and harps, serving in the house of God. Asaph, Jeduthun and Heman were led by the king.

Ammiel was his sixth son, Issachar the seventh, and Peullethai the eighth. God had brought good to the father.

Their brothers the Levites watched over the riches of the house of God and the riches of the holy gifts.

Samuel the man of God had set apart gifts. So had Saul the son of Kish, Abner the son of Ner, and Joab the son of Zeruiah, and everyone who had set apart anything. All these holy gifts were in the care of Shelomoth and his brothers.

Jerijah and his brothers were 2,700 able men, heads of fathers' houses. King David chose them to take care of all the duties of God and of the king, among the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-family group of the Manassites.

Then King David stood up and said, "Listen to me, my brothers and my people. I had wanted to build a house of rest for the special box with the Law of the Lord, a place for God to rest His feet, so I had made plans to build it.

But God said to me, ‘You must not build a house for My name, because you are a man of war and blood.'

But the Lord, the God of Israel, chose me from all the house of my father to be the king of Israel forever. For He has chosen Judah to be a leader. And in the house of Judah, my father's house, and among my father's sons, He was pleased to make me king of all Israel.

So now I say to you in front of all these people of Israel, and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to do all the Law of the Lord your God. If you obey you will receive the good land and also leave it to your children after you forever.