1 Chronicles 6:47-60: a reflection

47the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi. 48Their brothers the Levites were appointed for all the service of the tabernacle of God’s house. 49But Aaron and his sons offered on the altar of burnt offering, and on the altar of incense, for all the work of the most holy place, and to make atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded. 50These are the sons of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, 51Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, 52Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, 53Zadok his son, and Ahimaaz his son. 54Now these are their dwelling places according to their encampments in their borders: to the sons of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites (for theirs was the first lot), 55to them they gave Hebron in the land of Judah, and its pasture lands around it; 56but the fields of the city and its villages, they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh. 57To the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of refuge, Hebron, Libnah also with its pasture lands, Jattir, Eshtemoa with its pasture lands, 58Hilen with its pasture lands, Debir with its pasture lands, 59Ashan with its pasture lands, and Beth Shemesh with its pasture lands; 60and out of the tribe of Benjamin, Geba with its pasture lands, Allemeth with its pasture lands, and Anathoth with its pasture lands. All their cities throughout their families were thirteen cities.

In the middle of this priestly genealogy comes a line that names the purpose of the whole family: Aaron and his sons offered on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense, doing the work of the most holy place, and making atonement for Israel. Amid the lists of names and towns and pasturelands, that is the heart of it: this was the line God set apart to make atonement, to stand between the people and God, offering the sacrifices that dealt with their sin.

Notice the weight of that calling. Generation after generation, this family existed for one central purpose: to make atonement for the people, to keep open the way between a sinful people and a holy God. The names may blur, but the ministry running through them all was the ministry of reconciliation, bringing the people and God back together through sacrifice. It was, in a sense, the most important work in Israel.

And it all pointed forward. The priests made atonement again and again, generation after generation, because their sacrifices could never finally finish the work; they were a long shadow cast ahead of the one true Priest who would make atonement once for all. Christ is what this whole line was reaching toward: the great High Priest who made the final atonement, who reconciles us to God completely and forever. If you belong to him, the atonement this priestly family labored at for centuries has been fully accomplished for you. Rest in the finished work of the Priest all these priests foreshadowed.

Lord, this priestly line existed to make atonement for your people, to keep open the way between them and you, generation after generation. Thank you that all their sacrifices pointed forward to Christ, the great High Priest, who made the final atonement once for all. Let me rest in the finished work of the Priest that whole line foreshadowed, reconciled to you completely and forever through him.