1 Chronicles Chapter 6

Descendants of Levi

  • 1Chronicles 6:1  The sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 

Levi was the third son of Jacob and was chosen by the Lord to become the line of the Levitical priesthood. According to the testiments of the sons of Jabob in non biblical writings, Levi and the other brothers knew of this.

When I mention other writings other than what we have in the bible, I'm not saying they were 100% true but usually they confirm what is in the bible we accept as truth. So far I've not found anything that was the opposite of what the bible says. That doesn't mean there is not books out there that are false but just saying that what I have read so far seems to verify the bible rather than oppose it.

  • 1Chronicles 6:2  And the sons of Kohath; Amram, Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel. 
  • 3  And the children of Amram; Aaron, and Moses, and Miriam. The sons also of Aaron; Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 

So we see there that God chose one from the tribe of Levi to deliver the Israelis out of bondage in Egypt. Moses, Aaron and Miriam all were from the tribe of Levi. Moses' father was Amram son of Kohath. So Moses and Aaron were great grandsons of Levi. Aaron inherited the priesthood. It seems that the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Levi were chosen by God to lead. From Judah came the line of kings and the line in which God brought forth His own Son, Jesus into the world to usher in the way of salvation for all who would believe both Jew and Gentile. Levi was chosen to be the line in which the priesthood was inherited until the time when Jesus came. Now Jesus is our high priest forever. We really have no need of a priesthood after the coming of Jesus who is the head of the church.

  • Hebrews 7:11  If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? 
  • 12  For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.
  • 13  For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar. 
  • 14  For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. 
  • 15  And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, 
  • 16  Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. 
  • 17  For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. 
  • 18  For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. 
  • 19  For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. 
  • 20  And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest: 
  • 21  (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:) 
  • 22  By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. 

So it would seem that God chose the eternal everlasting priesthood from the line of Judah whom God chose to bring His own Son to us. God the Son became a human man to reverse the curse of sin to all who would believe thereby granting us eternal life when we come to Him by faith, renoucing sin and allowing His Holy Spirit to enter into our innermost being. Born again by the Holy Spirit of God.

Nadab and Abihu died by a fire from the Lord for offering up a strange offering by fire. This reminds us that a lack of discerning the holy from the unholy is important. We must not take the holiness and presence of God lightly. This account is written about in Leviticus chapter 10. It makes one stop and think that we sometimes can take the place of worship lightly and not have respect for the presence of the Lord during worship. God help us. We need to be free to worship and praise the Lord but also be serious about showing respect and honor to the one we are there to worship.

  • 1 Chronicles 6:4  Eleazar begat Phinehas, Phinehas begat Abishua, 
  • 5  And Abishua begat Bukki, and Bukki begat Uzzi, 
  • 6  And Uzzi begat Zerahiah, and Zerahiah begat Meraioth, 
  • 7  Meraioth begat Amariah, and Amariah begat Ahitub, 
  • 8  And Ahitub begat Zadok, and Zadok begat Ahimaaz, 

David Wilkerson did a sermon years ago on the difference between the Zadok priesthood and the Abiathar priesthood.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y44WI3XsqkY. In video. https://www.worldchallenge.org/zadok-priesthood. Written version.

The above links may change in the future but as of April 2025, they work.

  • 1Chronicles 6:9  And Ahimaaz begat Azariah, and Azariah begat Johanan, 
  • 10  And Johanan begat Azariah, (he it is that executed the priest's office in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem:) 
  • 11  And Azariah begat Amariah, and Amariah begat Ahitub, 
  • 12  And Ahitub begat Zadok, and Zadok begat Shallum, 
  • 13  And Shallum begat Hilkiah, and Hilkiah begat Azariah, 
  • 14  And Azariah begat Seraiah, and Seraiah begat Jehozadak, 
  • 15  And Jehozadak went into captivity, when the LORD carried away Judah and Jerusalem by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. 

We see here the line that went from Jacob's son Levi until the time of the captivity to Babylon. The line continues and we know from reading Revelation that they exist somewhere on the earth today.

  • Revelation 7:7 Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. 

In the latter days during the great tribulation 144 thousand of Israel will be saved and sealed so they can escape the plagues sent by God upon the earth. Right now we do not know where these people are but God knows.

  • 1Chronicles 6:16  The sons of Levi; Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. 
  • 17  And these be the names of the sons of Gershom; Libni, and Shimei. 
  • 18  And the sons of Kohath were, Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel. 
  • 19  The sons of Merari; Mahli, and Mushi. And these are the families of the Levites according to their fathers. 
  • 20  Of Gershom; Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son, 
  • 21  Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, Jeaterai his son. 
  • 22  The sons of Kohath; Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, 
  • 23  Elkanah his son, and Ebiasaph his son, and Assir his son, 
  • 24  Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son. 
  • 25  And the sons of Elkanah; Amasai, and Ahimoth. 
  • 26  As for Elkanah: the sons of Elkanah; Zophai his son, and Nahath his son, 
  • 27  Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son. 
  • 28  And the sons of Samuel; the firstborn Vashni, and Abiah. 

In 2 Samuel 8:2 we read that the first born was Joel and the second was Abiah. Perhaps they went by other names. The two sons of Samuel did badly in mineristing to the people by being oppressive which is why the people desired a king instead of the priests ruling.

  • 1Chronicles 6:29  The sons of Merari; Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzza his son, 
  • 30  Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, Asaiah his son. 
  • 31  And these are they whom David set over the service of song in the house of the LORD, after that the ark had rest. 
  • 32  And they ministered before the dwelling place of the tabernacle of the congregation with singing, until Solomon had built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem: and then they waited on their office according to their order. 
  • 33  And these are they that waited with their children. Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman a singer, the son of Joel, the son of Shemuel, 

Herman was Samuel's grandson who sang and wrote psalms and hymns for worship.

  • 1Chronicles 6:34  The son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, 
  • 35  The son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, 
  • 36  The son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah,
  • 37  The son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, 
  • 38  The son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel. 
  • 39  And his brother Asaph, who stood on his right hand, even Asaph the son of Berachiah, the son of Shimea, 
  • 40  The son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchiah, 
  • 41  The son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah, 
  • 42  The son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei, 
  • 43  The son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi. 
  • 44  And their brethren the sons of Merari stood on the left hand: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch, 
  • 45  The son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah, 
  • 46  The son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shamer, 
  • 47  The son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi. 
  • 48  Their brethren also the Levites were appointed unto all manner of service of the tabernacle of the house of God. 

Leading worship, singing and choirs were all part of the worship of God. I used to sing in the choir and really miss those days. We mostly have praise teams today which is okay too. Some buildings are not big enough for a large choir.

  • 1Chronicles 6:49  But Aaron and his sons offered upon the altar of the burnt offering, and on the altar of incense, and were appointed for all the work of the place most holy, and to make an atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded. 
  • 50  And these are the sons of Aaron; Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, 
  • 51  Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, 
  • 52  Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, 
  • 53  Zadok his son, Ahimaaz his son. 
  • 54  Now these are their dwelling places throughout their castles in their coasts, of the sons of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites: for theirs was the lot. 
  • 55  And they gave them Hebron in the land of Judah, and the suburbs thereof round about it. 
  • 56  But the fields of the city, and the villages thereof, they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 
  • 57  And to the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of Judah, namely, Hebron, the city of refuge, and Libnah with her suburbs, and Jattir, and Eshtemoa, with their suburbs, 
  • 58  And Hilen with her suburbs, Debir with her suburbs, 
  • 59  And Ashan with her suburbs, and Bethshemesh with her suburbs: 
  • 60  And out of the tribe of Benjamin; Geba with her suburbs, and Alemeth with her suburbs, and Anathoth with her suburbs. All their cities throughout their families were thirteen cities. 

We must remember that the tribe of Levi were of the priests and did not have a large portion of land like the other tribes but were scattered among the tribles living in cities appointed for them in each tribe. They were to serve God and lead the people is worship and service to the Lord.

  • 1Chronicles 6:61  And unto the sons of Kohath, which were left of the family of that tribe, were cities given out of the half tribe, namely, out of the half tribe of Manasseh, by lot, ten cities. 
  • 62  And to the sons of Gershom throughout their families out of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities. 
  • 63  Unto the sons of Merari were given by lot, throughout their families, out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities. 
  • 64  And the children of Israel gave to the Levites these cities with their suburbs. 
  • 65  And they gave by lot out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, and out of the tribe of the children of Benjamin, these cities, which are called by their names. 
  • 66  And the residue of the families of the sons of Kohath had cities of their coasts out of the tribe of Ephraim. 
  • 67  And they gave unto them, of the cities of refuge, Shechem in mount Ephraim with her suburbs; they gave also Gezer with her suburbs, 

The cities they occupied became cities of refuge from those that were accused of a crime like murder and fled there to be safe until they had a fair trial to see if they were really guilty.

  • 1Chronicles 6:68  And Jokmeam with her suburbs, and Bethhoron with her suburbs, 
  • 69  And Aijalon with her suburbs, and Gathrimmon with her suburbs: 
  • 70  And out of the half tribe of Manasseh; Aner with her suburbs, and Bileam with her suburbs, for the family of the remnant of the sons of Kohath. 
  • 71  Unto the sons of Gershom were given out of the family of the half tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with her suburbs, and Ashtaroth with her suburbs: 
  • 72  And out of the tribe of Issachar; Kedesh with her suburbs, Daberath with her suburbs, 
  • 73  And Ramoth with her suburbs, and Anem with her suburbs: 
  • 74  And out of the tribe of Asher; Mashal with her suburbs, and Abdon with her suburbs, 
  • 75  And Hukok with her suburbs, and Rehob with her suburbs: 
  • 76  And out of the tribe of Naphtali; Kedesh in Galilee with her suburbs, and Hammon with her suburbs, and Kirjathaim with her suburbs. 
  • 77  Unto the rest of the children of Merari were given out of the tribe of Zebulun, Rimmon with her suburbs, Tabor with her suburbs: 
  • 78  And on the other side Jordan by Jericho, on the east side of Jordan, were given them out of the tribe of Reuben, Bezer in the wilderness with her suburbs, and Jahzah with her suburbs, 
  • 79  Kedemoth also with her suburbs, and Mephaath with her suburbs: 
  • 80  And out of the tribe of Gad; Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs, and Mahanaim with her suburbs, 
  • 81  And Heshbon with her suburbs, and Jazer with her suburbs. 

If all of these priests and their children would have stayed faithful and did as the Lord directed, teaching the people, leading worship being just and fair, I wonder then if the people would not have lost their nations by committing idolatry and departing from God by asking for a king who eventually led them into captivity by their evil leadership.

1 Chronicles Chapter 7

 

 
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