1 Chronicles 26:20-32: a reflection

20Of the Levites, Ahijah was over the treasures of God’s house and over the treasures of the dedicated things. 21The sons of Ladan, the sons of the Gershonites belonging to Ladan, the heads of the fathers’ households belonging to Ladan the Gershonite: Jehieli. 22The sons of Jehieli: Zetham, and Joel his brother, over the treasures of the LORD’s house. 23Of the Amramites, of the Izharites, of the Hebronites, of the Uzzielites: 24Shebuel the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, was ruler over the treasuries. 25His brothers: of Eliezer, Rehabiah his son, and Jeshaiah his son, and Joram his son, and Zichri his son, and Shelomoth his son. 26This Shelomoth and his brothers were over all the treasuries of the dedicated things, which David the king, and the heads of the fathers’ households, the captains over thousands and hundreds, and the captains of the army, had dedicated. 27They dedicated some of the plunder won in battles to repair the LORD’s house. 28All that Samuel the seer, Saul the son of Kish, Abner the son of Ner, and Joab the son of Zeruiah had dedicated, whoever had dedicated anything, it was under the hand of Shelomoth and of his brothers. 29Of the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons were appointed to the outward business over Israel, for officers and judges. 30Of the Hebronites, Hashabiah and his brothers, one thousand seven hundred men of valor, had the oversight of Israel beyond the Jordan westward, for all the business of the LORD and for the service of the king. 31Of the Hebronites, Jerijah was the chief of the Hebronites, according to their generations by fathers’ households. They were sought for in the fortieth year of the reign of David, and mighty men of valor were found among them at Jazer of Gilead. 32His relatives, men of valor, were two thousand seven hundred, heads of fathers’ households, whom King David made overseers over the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of the Manassites, for every matter pertaining to God and for the affairs of the king.

Among the Levites, some are appointed as trusted stewards over the treasuries of God's house, guarding what had been dedicated to God, a picture of the trust of being made a faithful steward of what belongs to God. These Levites were over the treasures of God's house, the account says, and over the treasures of the dedicated things; they had charge of all the treasuries of the dedicated things, which the leaders had dedicated to the LORD. To these men was entrusted the care of what had been set apart for God, the dedicated things, the treasuries of his house. It was a trust: they were made stewards, responsible to guard faithfully what belonged to God, not their own. Others were given oversight of outward business, as officers and judges; each was a steward of what was committed to him. This shows the trust of being a faithful steward of what belongs to God. Be a faithful steward of what is entrusted to you, especially what belongs to God. What is dedicated to God is a trust to be guarded faithfully. We are stewards, responsible for what is committed to our care. Guard faithfully what has been entrusted to you.

Notice the trust these Levites were given. They were made stewards over the treasuries of God's house, over the dedicated things that had been set apart for the LORD. This was not their own property to do with as they pleased; it was a trust, entrusted to their care, to be guarded faithfully as belonging to God. And others among them were given oversight of outward business, as officers and judges; each was made a steward, responsible for what was committed to him. This reflects a truth about our own lives before God. Much of what we have is not finally our own, but a trust: our resources, our gifts, our time, our responsibilities, and above all what has been dedicated to God, are committed to our care as stewards, to be handled faithfully as belonging to him. We are not owners free to do as we please with what is ours, but stewards, responsible to God for the faithful handling of what he has entrusted to us. And especially what has been dedicated to God, set apart for him, is a trust to be guarded faithfully, not treated carelessly or as our own. We do well to see ourselves as faithful stewards, guarding and handling faithfully what has been entrusted to us, especially what belongs to God. Be a faithful steward of what has been entrusted to you, especially what belongs to God. What is dedicated to God is a trust, not your own, to be guarded faithfully. You are a steward, responsible to God for what he has committed to you. Handle faithfully what has been entrusted to your care.

That is worth taking to heart, for we are stewards of what has been entrusted to us, especially what belongs to God, and we do well to guard it faithfully, as these Levites were made stewards over the dedicated things. We can treat what we have as our own to do with as we please; but these men were entrusted with what was dedicated to God, to guard faithfully as a trust. We are stewards. Do not treat what has been entrusted to you as merely your own; guard and handle it faithfully as a trust, especially what belongs to God. Be a faithful steward of what has been entrusted to you, guarding and handling it faithfully as a trust rather than treating it as merely your own, especially what belongs to God, as among the Levites some were appointed as trusted stewards over the treasuries of God's house, guarding what had been dedicated to God, a picture of the trust of being made a faithful steward of what belongs to God, since these Levites were over the treasures of God's house and the dedicated things which the leaders had dedicated to the LORD; for to these men was entrusted the care of what had been set apart for God, a trust in which they were made stewards responsible to guard faithfully what belonged to God and not their own, while others were given oversight of outward business as officers and judges, each a steward of what was committed to him, which reflects a truth about our own lives before God, that much of what we have is not finally our own but a trust, our resources, gifts, time, and responsibilities, and above all what has been dedicated to God, committed to our care as stewards to be handled faithfully as belonging to him, so that we are not owners free to do as we please but stewards responsible to God for the faithful handling of what he has entrusted, and especially what has been dedicated to God is a trust to be guarded faithfully, so that we do well to see ourselves as faithful stewards.

Lord, among the Levites, some are appointed as trusted stewards over the treasuries of your house, guarding what had been dedicated to you, a picture of the trust of being made a faithful steward of what belongs to you. These Levites were over the treasures of God's house, the account says, and over the treasures of the dedicated things; they had charge of all the treasuries of the dedicated things, which the leaders had dedicated to the LORD. To these men was entrusted the care of what had been set apart for you. It was a trust: they were made stewards, responsible to guard faithfully what belonged to you, not their own. Others were given oversight of outward business; each was a steward of what was committed to him. Show me the trust these Levites were given. They were made stewards over the treasuries of your house, over the dedicated things set apart for you. This was not their own property to do with as they pleased; it was a trust, to be guarded faithfully as belonging to you. And others were given oversight of outward business; each was made a steward, responsible for what was committed to him. This reflects a truth about my own life before you. Much of what I have is not finally my own, but a trust: my resources, my gifts, my time, my responsibilities, and above all what has been dedicated to you, are committed to my care as a steward, to be handled faithfully as belonging to you. I am not an owner free to do as I please with what is mine, but a steward, responsible to you for the faithful handling of what you have entrusted to me. And especially what has been dedicated to you is a trust to be guarded faithfully, not treated carelessly. Take that to my heart. Keep me from treating what has been entrusted to me as merely my own to do with as I please; help me be a faithful steward, Lord, guarding and handling faithfully what you have committed to my care, especially what belongs to you, responsible to you for it as a trust.