[David] also gathered together all the leaders of Israel, as well as the priests and Levites.
1 Chronicles 23:2 (NIV)

Authority. Who has the authority? From family systems to federal governments, our lives are governed by various authorities. As a disciple of Jesus, I consider God as my ultimate authority and am taught to follow Jesus’ example in being respectfully subject to the civic authorities over me.

In today’s chapter, the Chronicler continues to describe King David’s preparations for the Temple that his son, Solomon, would build. He begins by counting all of the descendants of the tribe of Levi and arranging them as to what the clans will do in service once the Temple is built.

A couple of thoughts.

First, when the people of Israel first asked for a King, God told Samuel that it was because they had rejected Him as their king. In essence, God recognized that they wanted a centralized human authority to lead them. When the people chose Saul, a tall, strapping, and handsome man, the results were disastrous. When God had Samuel anoint the king He chose to lead, it was a shepherd boy, the runt of his father’s litter, best known for being a gifted musician and songwriter. Of course, God’s choice grew up to be Israel’s greatest King.

The monarchy would ultimately lead to division, rebellion, secession, and bloody civil wars. God was not wrong in His prescient words to Samuel for how the monarchy would ultimately play out. David’s son Solomon was, at best, duplicitous in his commitment to God. After Solomon, the majority of Kings in David’s line served other gods, and all 19 of the kings of the northern tribes with faithless. David stands out, not only for being God’s anointed but also for his example of submitting himself to God’s authority.

And that’s what the Chronicler is focused on for the sake of himself and his contemporary readers. They are rebuilding the same Temple that David prepared for. They will have to arrange for Levites and priests to carry out sacrifices, offerings, and rituals that have not been performed for nearly 100 years. And, they have no king. They are now a vassal state of the Persian empire and will remain so. As the Chronicler and his colleagues prepare to restore the Temple and the worship system, he’s looking for an authoritative source to lay the groundwork for how it should be done. There is no better example than the one king known as a “man after God’s own heart” and the one king who submitted himself to God’s authority more than any other.

As I meditate on these things in the quiet this morning, I find myself thinking about the positions of leadership I have as a father, grandfather, employer, teacher, and Board member. I can, like so many of Israel’s ancient kings, divorce my civic life from my spiritual life. I can also follow David’s example in understanding that if God is my ultimate authority, then everything I do in my human positions of authority and leadership should be subject to how God expects me to think, speak, and act for the good of others in any system I lead.

If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.