Men at Work

Scripture: Azmaveth the son of Adiel was over the king’s treasures, and Jonathan the son of Uzziah was over the storehouses in the fields, in the cities, and in the villages, and in the towers. Ezri the son of Kelub was over those who did the work of the field to till the ground. Shimei the Ramathite was over the vineyards, and Zabdi the Shiphmite was over what was in the vineyards for the stores of wine. Baal-Hanan the Gederite was over the olive trees and the sycamore trees that were in the Shephelah, and Joash was over the stores of oil. Shitrai the Sharonite was over the herds that fed in Sharon, and Shaphat the son of Adlai was over the herds that were in the valleys. Obil the Ishmaelite was over the camels, and Jehdeiah the Meronothite was over the donkeys. Jaziz the Hagrite was over the flocks. All these were the overseers of King David’s property. 1 Chronicles 27:25-31

Observation: Outside of the temple, the city defenses and the army, and tribal leaders, these are the kings officials. They oversee the treasures, the storehouses, the farms and farmers, the vineyards and wine production, the olives and oil production, and all kinds of livestock. In other words, these people are responsible for the economy.

Application: I find these parts of the bible ... boring, confusing, fascinating, challenging ... all at the same time. Why would I care who is in charge of the camels around Jerusalem in ~975 BC? Then again, God cared enough to have it put in the bible, so what does it mean? In this section, we have covered massive lists of musicians, and gatekeepers around the wall, and temple treasurers. I can think of two possible lessons.

First, God cares about all work done well. These individuals were not running temple worship, they were overseeing the details required in a stable society, and God cares about it.

Second, God cares about service to others. All of these items, even if they represent employment, ultimately created the infrastructure needed for all of Israel to live well. God acknowledges this kind of service.

In both cases, I see a "holy vocation" message and lesson. This is a situation where being an olive picker, or a donkey rancher, or a money counter ... matters. Doing a job of service well serves God's people, God's ways, and God's desires for all mankind, ourselves included.

Prayer: Lord, may I execute well in my holy vocation this week. Help me to serve others through the work of my mind, hands, thoughts, and words. And in so doing, may all glory and honor come to you and you alone. In the wonderful name of Jesus I pray. Amen.