I Chronicles 27:22 These were the princes of the tribes of Israel.
Any Great Endeavor
When my family and I recently returned from the West Branch of the Bill Rice Ranch in Williams, Arizona, I was reminded of how much work it is to keep the teams in Tennessee and Arizona on the same page. We are on the same team, but it is easy for us in Tennessee to be less than mindful of our companions in Arizona if we are not careful. We are all part of the same ministry, but we are separated by many miles and we all have our own individual tasks. Truthfully, it takes work for all of us to be on the same page even when we are on the same property here in Tennessee! I think of this when I read I Chronicles 27.
As you look at the last several chapters of I Chronicles you find out three things. The first is that any great endeavor is bigger than any one person. That is encouraging because many times we feel like our existence isn’t very significant. The truth is that any worthwhile endeavor we are engaged in is going to be bigger than our own self.
The second thing is that any great endeavor needs people like you. Although the book of Chronicles records the kings, the last several chapters aren’t about the kings but about the people who served the kings. Now you and I are not kings, but both of us should be serving with the King, the Lord God.
The third thing is that any great endeavor includes people that are nothing like you. Let’s look at the story of Solomon’s temple. Of course, Solomon didn’t actually build the temple himself. He did not do the hammering, stonemasonry, and so on. David was the catalyst, Solomon was the leader, and thousands of others did all kinds of work for this major endeavor.
These last several chapters of I Chronicles talk about the duties and organization of priests, musicians, porters, princes, counsellors, soldiers, and so on. They illustrate that the chronicles of Solomon’s temple and David’s kingdom were about much more than just the king. This is the history of God’s working through this king and this nation. There are three lessons we can take away.
First, realize your value. You are not valuable because you are a king or a stonemason. You are valuable because God has created you and given you a place to serve Him. Your value is not based on someone else’s gifting, ability, or position. It is based on your giving the Lord God what He has given you and doing it with all your heart.
Second, realize your limits. Realize that if you are part of some large endeavor, you probably don’t have all the facts or enjoy the broadest perspective. The skills God has given you are different than other people. You don’t have theirs and they don’t have yours.
Third, realize that how you serve does matter. I Chronicles 26:1 talks about the porters of the Korhites. Korah was a man who was discontent with the authority in his life, with his position, and with his gifting. He was a miserable man whose rebellious attitudes eventually spread to an entire nation. People died because of his rebellion. Korah wasn’t called to be the leader or high priest of Israel. He was called to do the task that God had given him to do in His service to the tabernacle.
Any great endeavor is bigger than you, includes people like you, and includes people nothing like you. We need to realize our value, our limits, and that how we serve does matter.