Levite Administration-part 4

Levite Administration-part 4

            From verses six and seven of chapter twenty-five we see that the various members of the 288 musicians were instructed in the following:  Songs of the Lord, cymbals, psalteries, and harps.  Furthermore, verse seven tells us that all 288 were cunning (995) or could teach or perceive concerning music.  Verse eight refers to the 288 musicians as teachers and scholars.  As we can see from the explicitness of the scripture, the Levite musicians were organized.  I Chronicles fifteen gives the specific job of each of the musicians:  verse nineteen names three leaders (chiefs), vocalists, and cymbal sounders; verse twenty names eight psaltery (lyre) players; verse twenty-one names six harp players.  The words alamoth and sheminith give specific instructions as to how the instruments were to be played.  Finally, verse twenty-two mentions another leader "And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was for song:  he instructed about the song, because he was skillful."  Various writers have made conjecture that he was a voice teacher or a choral director.

            The significance of this ancient Temple Levite administration is that it shows a very high level of development and organization.  Over the years I have been surprised at the number of Christian musicians who were so independent that they could not, or would not, work with others in a Christian organization.  As one of my former music professors used to say, “Some musicians have to be the bell sheep or they refused to be a sheep at all”.  It is a shame that so many Christian musicians have failed to understand that there is strength in numbers and there is great strength in organization and community of musicians.