S) "22 Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was in charge of the singing; he gave instruction in singing because he was skillful."
1 Chronicles 15:22 (NASB)
O) David was in the process of bringing the ark of the covenant back to Israel, and he was planning to bring it into Jerusalem. In that process, he was reestablishing the Levitical roles for service. In them, there are lists of men and their families, and their jobs according to families. In this case, we see a small but not insignificant thing. This man, Chenaniah, was a chief of his tribe. He was also a skillful singer. But, he was not the only singer. There were many. Obviously some would have had some amount of skill in it, but not all, which is why they needed teaching about the skill. This means it was a role that was given based on who they were, not what they could do.
A) There are many ways this is gotten wrong in today's world, including in the church. I remember being a teenager, and I had a desire to sing a song in our church (like a solo). Genuinely, I wanted to sing it because I thought it had a good message that the church needed to hear. I loved that song, and the points it made. So, I had a meeting with one of the worship leaders for, what amounted to, an audition. I was told in no uncertain terms that I was not going to be able to sing that song to the church. This was disappointing to me, because I felt like the message was minimized because I lacked a skill. In the grand scheme of things, this was a small thing. But, the implications can run deep. I never want to dismiss someone based on their lack of skills. If a brother has a desire to sing because he has something to say, I need to get him in touch with someone who can help him sing. If a brother has a desire to lead a small group, I need to get him in touch with someone who can train and equip him to lead it. I want to be someone who builds up, not tears down. If I have some teachable skill, then I will also commit to teaching that skill to anyone who wants to gain it. After all, we are all the same body. What is good for one of us is good for all of us.
P) Father, in Your grace You have given different gifts to different people. All by the same Holy Spirit, I know that I have gifts that another brother may lack, and vice versa. However, I know that there are also skills that are learned. Help me to learn skills I need, to serve You how I desire to serve. Also, help me to teach however I can, if I might be able to give someone a skill they desire. Even more importantly, more broadly, help me build up my brothers who desire to serve because of who they are. Let me be an encouragement to them. Open my eyes and ears to see this need, Lord. Help me to respond according to Your will, to Your glory. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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