Concerning Rehabiah: of the sons of Rehabiah, the first was Isshiah.
The verse belongs to the account of the organization of worship under David during the preparation for building the temple. It identifies Isshiah as the first son of Rehabiah. It forms part of the genealogical records that established hereditary descent, supporting the claims of the returnees to land and to their hereditary duties in temple service. The chapter records the division of the priestly families into courses for sanctuary service, organized as twenty-four courses.
The rotation of those courses sent laborers out from Jerusalem to serve among the people throughout the kingdom. The chapter gives instruction and example for casting lots, in which stones or marks bearing names were thrown together into the lap or fold of a garment or into an urn or vase and shaken violently to mingle them perfectly so that the drawer had no advantage. The faithful cast lots with reference to God and His interpretation, trusting Him to control the outcome though the lot is thrown by human hands. The eighth course was Abijah, called Abia in the New Testament, the course to which Zacharias belonged.
These twenty-four courses of priests provide the pattern to which the twenty-four elders in Revelation 4 correspond, as assistants to Christ in His ministration.
The verse belongs to the account of the organization of worship under David during the preparation for building the temple. It identifies Isshiah as the first son of Rehabiah. It forms part of the genealogical records that established hereditary descent, supporting the claims of the returnees to land and to their hereditary duties in temple service. The chapter records the division of the priestly families into courses for sanctuary service, organized as twenty-four courses.
The rotation of those courses sent laborers out from Jerusalem to serve among the people throughout the kingdom. The chapter gives instruction and example for casting lots, in which stones or marks bearing names were thrown together into the lap or fold of a garment or into an urn or vase and shaken violently to mingle them perfectly so that the drawer had no advantage. The faithful cast lots with reference to God and His interpretation, trusting Him to control the outcome though the lot is thrown by human hands. The eighth course was Abijah, called Abia in the New Testament, the course to which Zacharias belonged.
These twenty-four courses of priests provide the pattern to which the twenty-four elders in Revelation 4 correspond, as assistants to Christ in His ministration.