The Glorious Grind: God in the Details Text: 1 Chronicles 9:28-32
Introduction: The World Behind the World
We live in an age that despises the mundane. Our culture is addicted to the spectacular, the sensational, and the instantaneous. We want the mountaintop experience without the tedious climb. We want the glory of the victory without the grind of the training. We want a faith of grand pronouncements and emotional highs, but we have very little patience for the small, repetitive, and seemingly insignificant duties that constitute the vast majority of a faithful life.
But the Bible, in its rugged realism, will not allow us this romantic escape. It constantly brings us back down to earth. After the soaring genealogies that trace the grand sweep of God's covenant history, the Chronicler brings us to a halt in post-exilic Jerusalem and gives us what appears to be a dry administrative roster. Who was in charge of the utensils? Who mixed the spices? Who baked the bread? Our modern evangelical sensibilities are tempted to skim over such passages, looking for the "real" spiritual stuff.
But in doing so, we reveal a profound spiritual sickness. We have imbibed the Gnostic heresy that matter does not matter, that the spiritual is divorced from the physical. We think holiness is a feeling in our hearts, disconnected from whether the dishes are washed or the inventory is counted correctly. The Scriptures will have none of it. This passage is a direct assault on that kind of thinking. It teaches us that the glory of God is not just found in the fire on the altar, but also in the careful accounting of the pans the sacrifice was cooked in. True worship is not an ethereal flight of fancy; it is embodied, detailed, and orderly. God is the God of the grand cosmic plan, yes, but He is also the God of the fine flour, the wine, the oil, and the spices.
This text shows us that faithfulness is not measured in grand gestures alone, but in the glorious, daily grind. The men listed here were not famous prophets or mighty kings. They were the men who made sure the machinery of worship ran smoothly, faithfully, and according to the divine pattern. Their work was crucial because it taught Israel a fundamental lesson: the God who commands worship is a God of meticulous order, and our approach to Him must reflect His character. He cares about the details, and so must we.
The Text
Now some of them were over the utensils of service, for they counted them when they brought them in and when they took them out. Some of them also were appointed over the furniture and over all the utensils of the sanctuary and over the fine flour and the wine and the oil and the frankincense and the spices. Some of the sons of the priests prepared the mixing of the spices. And Mattithiah, one of the Levites, who was the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, had the office of trust over the things which were baked in pans. Some of their relatives of the sons of the Kohathites were over the showbread to prepare it every sabbath.
(1 Chronicles 9:28-32 LSB)
Accountability in the Sanctuary (v. 28)
We begin with the ministry of counting spoons.
"Now some of them were over the utensils of service, for they counted them when they brought them in and when they took them out." (1 Chronicles 9:28)
This seems almost comically bureaucratic to us. These Levites had the job of inventory management. They had a sacred checklist. When the utensils for the service were brought out, they were counted. When they were put away, they were counted again. Why? Because these were not just any pots and pans. They were holy vessels, set apart for the service of the living God. Their value was not in the gold or silver they were made of, but in their consecration. They belonged to God.
This careful accounting teaches us two things. First, it teaches us about the nature of stewardship. These men were stewards, not owners. They were entrusted with God's property, and a steward must be found faithful (1 Cor. 4:2). Faithfulness requires accountability. This wasn't a matter of mistrust, as though God thought the Levites were pilfering the silverware. It was a matter of objective order. It established a clear, unambiguous standard of care. There is no room for sloppiness in the house of God. This principle extends to all areas of the church's life. Church finances, for example, should be handled with this same meticulous care, not because we are suspicious of one another, but because we are handling God's money and we must be above reproach.
Second, this points to a deeper theological truth. God is a God who keeps accounts. He knows the number of hairs on your head (Matt. 10:30). Not one sparrow falls to the ground apart from His will. In the final judgment, every careless word will be brought into account (Matt. 12:36). This Levitical bookkeeping was a tangible picture of a spiritual reality. God is not a vague, sentimental deity. He is precise. He is just. He is orderly. Our worship and our lives must reflect that reality. We cannot approach a God of perfect order with a slapdash, "close enough" attitude.
The Sanctity of Supplies (v. 29)
The oversight extends from the durable goods to the consumable supplies.
"Some of them also were appointed over the furniture and over all the utensils of the sanctuary and over the fine flour and the wine and the oil and the frankincense and the spices." (1 Chronicles 9:29)
Here again, we see the marriage of the spiritual and the material. The Levites were not just guarding the ark and the altar, the "big ticket" items. They were also in charge of the pantry. The flour, the wine, the oil, the incense, the spices. These were the raw ingredients of worship. The grain offering, the drink offering, the anointing oil, the incense that represented the prayers of the saints ascending to God. Each item was specified by God in the law. The quality had to be the best, "fine flour." The quantities were prescribed.
This demolishes any notion that true spirituality is somehow detached from the material world. Our God became incarnate. He took on flesh. He gave us physical sacraments, water, bread, and wine. He is redeeming the material world, not escaping it. Therefore, the physical elements of our worship matter. The way we care for our church building matters. The quality of the bread and wine we use in communion matters. Not because these things have magical properties, but because God has appointed them, and our care for them reflects our reverence for the One who appointed them. To treat the elements of worship with contempt or carelessness is to treat God with contempt and carelessness.
These Levites, in managing the storerooms, were priests in their own right. Their faithful work enabled the priests at the altar to do theirs. This is a picture of the body of Christ. Not everyone is a preacher or an elder. Some are called to manage the supplies, to prepare the elements, to keep the books, to clean the building. But all of it is spiritual work when done in faith for the glory of God. There are no small jobs in the kingdom, only small men.
The Art of Holy Aromas (v. 30)
Now we move from oversight to skilled preparation.
"Some of the sons of the priests prepared the mixing of the spices." (1 Chronicles 9:30)
This was not just a matter of measuring out ingredients. This was a craft, a holy art. The recipe for the sacred incense was given by God in Exodus 30, and it was strictly forbidden to replicate it for common use. It was a unique, holy fragrance, reserved for the worship of God alone. It required skill to prepare it correctly. These priests were, in effect, holy perfumers.
This tells us that our worship should be characterized by both faithfulness to the divine recipe and the highest degree of skill we can offer. God does not want our sloppy seconds. He deserves our best. Whether it is in the preparation of a sermon, the leading of music, or the setting up of chairs, we are to bring our A-game. Excellence honors God. This is not about putting on a professional "show" to impress men. That is just another form of worldliness. This is about offering our best work, honed by discipline and practice, as an act of worship to the God who is worthy of nothing less.
The aroma of the incense filled the tabernacle and temple. It was a pleasing aroma to the Lord. This is a picture of how our worship ought to be. When we offer up true, biblical, skillful worship, it ascends to God as a sweet-smelling savor. It pleases Him. And this is the central goal of all our activity on the Lord's Day, to offer a sacrifice of praise that is pleasing in His sight.
Trustworthy Baking and Sabbath Bread (v. 31-32)
Finally, we come to the ministry of baking.
"And Mattithiah, one of the Levites, who was the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, had the office of trust over the things which were baked in pans. Some of their relatives of the sons of the Kohathites were over the showbread to prepare it every sabbath." (1 Chronicles 9:31-32)
Notice the language here. Mattithiah had the "office of trust." This was not just a job; it was a sacred trust. He was responsible for the grain offerings that were baked in pans. His faithfulness mattered. If he cut corners, if he used cheap ingredients, if he was lazy in his work, the offering would be corrupted.
Then we have the Kohathites, who were responsible for the showbread, also called the "bread of the Presence." Twelve loaves, representing the twelve tribes of Israel, were to be set out on the golden table in the Holy Place every Sabbath. They were a constant, visible reminder of God's covenant provision for His people. Israel lived by the bread that God provided. This task was relentless, "every sabbath." Week in, week out, the bread had to be fresh, it had to be prepared according to the pattern, and it had to be set in its place before the Lord.
This is a beautiful picture of the Christian life. It is a life of steady, rhythmic, week-by-week faithfulness. It is not a series of disconnected spiritual sprints, but a long-distance marathon. The men who baked this bread were not looking for applause. Their work was largely unseen by the people. But it was seen by God. And their consistent, reliable faithfulness was an act of worship in itself.
Of course, this bread of the Presence was a shadow, a type. Jesus Christ is the true bread from heaven (John 6:35). He is the bread of the Presence, God's provision for us, who sustains us in the presence of God. And just as that bread was prepared fresh every Sabbath, so we come to the Lord's Table every Lord's Day to be nourished by Christ. Our weekly communion is the fulfillment of this shadow. It is our weekly reminder that we live not by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, and supremely by the Word made flesh.
Conclusion: The God of the Checklist
So what do we take away from this Levitical duty roster? We learn that God is intensely interested in the mechanics of faithfulness. He is not a distant, abstract deity who is indifferent to the details of our lives and worship. He is the God of the checklist, the God of the recipe, the God of the weekly routine.
Our problem is that we want a relationship with God on our own terms, which usually means we want the feeling of intimacy without the structure of obedience. We want the romance without the covenant. But God has given us a covenant. He has given us a pattern for worship and life. And that pattern involves countless small, repetitive acts of faithfulness.
Counting the utensils, mixing the spices, and baking the bread were all part of the liturgy. They were acts of worship. And our lives are to be a liturgy. Every mundane task, when done in faith, becomes a holy act. Changing a diaper, filling out a spreadsheet, mowing the lawn, when done as unto the Lord, is as sacred as mixing the incense. This is what it means to be a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1). It means your whole life, in all its glorious, grinding detail, is laid on the altar.
The men in this passage were faithful in the small things of the Old Covenant. Because of their work, the worship of God went forward in an orderly and beautiful way. We who live in the New Covenant have been given a greater trust. We are not counting golden spoons, but stewarding the glorious gospel of a crucified and risen King. We are not baking the bread of the Presence, but we are proclaiming the true Bread of Life. Let us, therefore, learn from these faithful Levites. Let us embrace the glorious grind. Let us be people who are faithful in the small things, knowing that the God who sees and cares about the details will one day say to us, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master."