DETAILED PREPARATIONS BEFORE TRANSITION

PROCLAMATION

“When David was old and full of years, he … gathered together all the leaders of Israel, as well as the priests and Levites.”  1 Chronicles 23:1-2 (NIV)

“David summoned all the officials of Israel to assemble at Jerusalem …”  1 Chronicles 28:1 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

Chapters twenty-three through twenty-nine of The Bible Book of First Chronicles records the details of the preparation which King David made to get his affairs, his house, the temple, the army, and all of Israel in order before he died.  In preparation for his death, before he made his son Solomon king of Israel, David organized the Levites and separated them into divisions and assigned each division duties and responsibilities within the temple. (1 Chronicles 23:6-32)  Then he divided the descendants of Aaron into divisions.  There were so many of them that they had to draw lots to see which ones would serve in the temple. (1 Chronicles 24:1-31)  David also set apart the sons of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun for the ministry of prophesying and music. (1 Chronicles 25:1-31)  Then he made divisions within the sons of Kore who he assigned to be the gatekeepers. (1 Chronicles 26:1-19)  David then charged the remaining Levites with the responsibilities of the treasuries and other officer positions within and outside of the temple. (1 Chronicles 26:20-32)  In the twenty-seventh chapter of First Chronicles, David organizes the army into divisions and assigns commanders. (1 Chronicles 27:1-24)  He also organized the overseers of the royal storehouse. (1 Chronicles 27:25-34)  In chapter twenty-eight of First Chronicles, King David assembled all of the leaders of Israel, the elders, the heads of the tribes, the officers and the officials, the commanders, the overseers of the temple and the palace, and the warriors and his fighting men for his final message to the people. (1 Chronicles 28:1)

APPLICATION

David went to great lengths to get his affairs in order before his transition from labor to reward.  However, most of us do very little preparation, if we prepare at all.  All too often there is no will, revocable living trust, insurance policy, or burial plan to explain our wishes to those that we leave behind.  Our families don’t know what we want, and our church knows even less.  We have taken care of our soul by our belief in Christ Jesus, but we have done very little to point our family towards Christ and their salvation.  Don’t put off until tomorrow what we should do today, for tomorrow is not promised to us.  “Let’s get right church and let’s go home.”  I know, everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.  We need to face the fact that dying is a part of living, and each of us has an appointment with death.  So, let us make preparations for our transition from labor to reward and make things easier for those that we leave behind.