What if Your Musician Son Was Chosen Last?

What if Your Musician Son Was Chosen Last?  

       I Chronicles 25:31 states, “The four and twentieth to Romamtiezer, he his sons, and his brethren, were twelve.”

       This is a  wonderful chapter which I have read over and over and over again. Although I have studied this passage of Scripture many times, I never thought about the significance of verse until I read it this morning.  David and his captains separated the sons of Asaph, Heman (Ethan) and Jeduthun to prophesy with singing and with instruments.

       I can see in my mind’s eye this great event in the life of the Levites who were music ministers in the Temple.  The Biblical record states, “Now the first lot came forth for Asaph to Joseph…” (verse 9a).  Wow, think of it, Asaph’s son Joseph was chosen first.  Think of how fast his father Asaph’s heart must have been beating when The first lot fell to Joseph.  Asaph had to have been justifiably proud that Jehovah had chosen his son first by the casting of lots.

       So, I wish that I could have been there as the choices were being made.  Number two went to Jeduthun’s son Gadaliah; the third to Zaccur who was also Asaph’s son.  The fourth lot fell to Jeduthan’s son Izri (who was also called Zeri) and so on down the line the sons of the chief musicians were chosen one by one by the casting of lots.

      I can’t help wonder what was going on in Heman’s mind as the casting of lots drew near to the end of the Levite sons.  When lot 23 fell to Mahazioth, Heman knew that his precious and faithful son Romamttiezer was destined to be LAST.

       No matter how dedicated you are as a Christian musician, it hurts like fire when your child is chosen last.  It hurts much worse for one of your children to be chosen last than if it was yourself.  Let me remind you that the Biblical record did not put any premium on Joseph being chosen first or any stigma placed on Romamtiezer being chosen last.  Romamtiezer’s name is just as much on the list of these famous Levite musicians as any of the others.  He was listed with the faithful and was given just as much of an opportunity to serve Jehovah with his musicing as any of the other musicians.  It would be well to remember that Jesus said in Matthew 19:30, “But many that are first shall be last, and the last shall be first.”

The Bible lesson here in First Chronicles is clear.  We have no record that Heman or his son were in any way disappointed or upset about “position”.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could say that of twenty-first century Christians in regards to their children?  It is the explicit stratagem of Satan to get parents upset over which chair is given to their child or who gets the solo in the Christmas production.  The thing that should matter to Christian parents is the fact that their children are giving their talents back to the God who gave them musical gifts and graces.