And other of their brethren, of the sons of the Kohathites, were over the shewbread, to prepare it every sabbath.
Some of the Kohathite Levites were set over the shewbread to prepare it fresh every Sabbath as part of the weekly sanctuary service. Twelve loaves were set in order on the pure table before the Lord each Sabbath, remaining there through the week until hot new loaves replaced them and the old bread was eaten in the holy place by the priests alone. The mention is only incidental, yet it shows the weekly Sabbath was already known and observed in David's time after centuries without direct mention in the histories. That Sabbath work done for the worship of God did not break the Sabbath, and with David's eating of that hallowed bread it explains why Jesus joined the priests' temple service and David's act to justify the disciples satisfying hunger on the Sabbath. The bread of the presence represents Christ the living bread, and its renewal every Sabbath teaches that He gives Himself anew with fresh strength to Sabbath keepers for blessing through the following week.
History and Sabbath Continuity
The verse records part of the division of temple duties, assigning some of the Kohathite brethren to prepare the shewbread every Sabbath as part of the weekly sanctuary service, the bread being renewed weekly. Although it describes the order of service after the return from Babylon, that order had originally been established by David and Samuel, as indicated by 1 Chronicles 9:22. It belongs to the time of David and is the only mention of the Sabbath in 1 Chronicles.
It mentions the Sabbath only incidentally, treating Sabbath observance as an already existing practice rather than a newly introduced institution, recording that the Kohathites prepared the shewbread every Sabbath. It shows that the Sabbath was observed in David's time, and this incidental reference after a long period without recorded mention proves it had not been forgotten during the intervening centuries. It is the next direct mention of the Sabbath after Moses's final appeal in Deuteronomy, after about five hundred years from Moses to David during which six successive books give history in silence about the Sabbath, with the possible exception of the account of the coronation of King Joash in 889 B.C. as the first mention after Moses. The long gap without direct mention does not mean the Sabbath was unknown or disregarded then, just as the lack of direct mention after its institution in Eden until Moses does not mean it was unknown from creation to Moses, and just as the absence of further direct mention in Genesis after God set it up in paradise does not mean it was disregarded from Adam to Moses.
It refers to the weekly Sabbath, called the Sabbath of the Lord, and is one of 81 Old Testament references to the weekly Sabbath, distinct from 25 references to festival days and sabbaths of the land, alongside 59 New Testament references to the Sabbath of the Lord. Its weekly schedule of preparing the shewbread every Sabbath illustrates that one week is seven days, so that after seven days is one week while after eight days is one day more than a week.
Sanctuary Duty and Sabbath Law
The sons of the Kohathites among the Levites were set over the shewbread to make it fresh every Sabbath, and the whole round of duty belonging to it — preparing, setting in order, taking away, and eating — was done on the Sabbath day. The bread was prepared and arranged on the Sabbath, stood before the Lord through the week that followed, and was then removed and eaten by the priests on the next Sabbath. Twelve loaves were set forth each Sabbath upon the pure table before the Lord, the new hot loaves put in the place of those that had lain there during the week, and the loaves taken away given to the priests for their use. That old bread was eaten in the holy place by priests in a state of ritual purity, for priests alone might eat it.
Bread for household use on the Sabbath was to be baked on the sixth day, but the showbread was by the Lord's direction prepared on the Sabbath itself. Work of this kind, done for the worship of God in the temple, did not break the Sabbath, and it stands as precedent for the blamelessness of the disciples when they relieved their hunger on that day. Since the loaves were changed only on the Sabbath, only the hallowed bread taken from before the Lord was with the priest when David asked for bread, so David's eating of it fell on the Sabbath. That timing gives fitness to Jesus joining David's act with the priests' Sabbath service in the temple to justify the disciples in plucking and eating ears of corn on the Sabbath to satisfy hunger.
Through Israel's more than 800 years as a settled nation in the promised land the Sabbath was known, guarded, and kept under the strictest laws and regulations for its observance, the appointment of Kohathites to prepare the showbread every Sabbath being one instance. Frequent calls by the prophets kept God's holy Sabbath constantly before the people in that time. To lose count of the day under such continual reminder was impossible and absurd.
Symbolism and Sabbath Blessing
Peculiar and great emphasis was given to the Sabbath in the worship appointed for Israel, for the showbread on the holy table before the Lord was changed every Sabbath. New hot loaves were set forth to take the place of the loaves that had stood on the table during the week. The bread of the presence represented Christ, the living bread sent from heaven to give life to the world. It was the bread of life and the bread of God's presence.
Its weekly renewal teaches that on the Sabbath Christ gives Himself with all His new strength and warmth to His children. In the same way Sabbath keepers receive Christ's presence and blessing anew in a special manner on the Sabbath. The bread was renewed and set in order week by week, while the bread of the previous week remained until the next Sabbath. It was then removed and eaten by the priests in the holy place, for the arranging, removing, and eating were all part of the Sabbath service.
That weekly renewal and eating illustrate a Sabbath blessing that is both renewed and increasingly appropriated and that continues through the week. The Sabbath service is thus connected with the Sabbath blessing. The appointment of brethren over the shewbread to prepare it every Sabbath is one part of the thread running through the Book showing what the Bible teaches about the Sabbath.
Some of the Kohathite Levites were set over the shewbread to prepare it fresh every Sabbath as part of the weekly sanctuary service. Twelve loaves were set in order on the pure table before the Lord each Sabbath, remaining there through the week until hot new loaves replaced them and the old bread was eaten in the holy place by the priests alone. The mention is only incidental, yet it shows the weekly Sabbath was already known and observed in David's time after centuries without direct mention in the histories. That Sabbath work done for the worship of God did not break the Sabbath, and with David's eating of that hallowed bread it explains why Jesus joined the priests' temple service and David's act to justify the disciples satisfying hunger on the Sabbath. The bread of the presence represents Christ the living bread, and its renewal every Sabbath teaches that He gives Himself anew with fresh strength to Sabbath keepers for blessing through the following week.
History and Sabbath Continuity
The verse records part of the division of temple duties, assigning some of the Kohathite brethren to prepare the shewbread every Sabbath as part of the weekly sanctuary service, the bread being renewed weekly. Although it describes the order of service after the return from Babylon, that order had originally been established by David and Samuel, as indicated by 1 Chronicles 9:22. It belongs to the time of David and is the only mention of the Sabbath in 1 Chronicles.
It mentions the Sabbath only incidentally, treating Sabbath observance as an already existing practice rather than a newly introduced institution, recording that the Kohathites prepared the shewbread every Sabbath. It shows that the Sabbath was observed in David's time, and this incidental reference after a long period without recorded mention proves it had not been forgotten during the intervening centuries. It is the next direct mention of the Sabbath after Moses's final appeal in Deuteronomy, after about five hundred years from Moses to David during which six successive books give history in silence about the Sabbath, with the possible exception of the account of the coronation of King Joash in 889 B.C. as the first mention after Moses. The long gap without direct mention does not mean the Sabbath was unknown or disregarded then, just as the lack of direct mention after its institution in Eden until Moses does not mean it was unknown from creation to Moses, and just as the absence of further direct mention in Genesis after God set it up in paradise does not mean it was disregarded from Adam to Moses.
It refers to the weekly Sabbath, called the Sabbath of the Lord, and is one of 81 Old Testament references to the weekly Sabbath, distinct from 25 references to festival days and sabbaths of the land, alongside 59 New Testament references to the Sabbath of the Lord. Its weekly schedule of preparing the shewbread every Sabbath illustrates that one week is seven days, so that after seven days is one week while after eight days is one day more than a week.
Sanctuary Duty and Sabbath Law
The sons of the Kohathites among the Levites were set over the shewbread to make it fresh every Sabbath, and the whole round of duty belonging to it — preparing, setting in order, taking away, and eating — was done on the Sabbath day. The bread was prepared and arranged on the Sabbath, stood before the Lord through the week that followed, and was then removed and eaten by the priests on the next Sabbath. Twelve loaves were set forth each Sabbath upon the pure table before the Lord, the new hot loaves put in the place of those that had lain there during the week, and the loaves taken away given to the priests for their use. That old bread was eaten in the holy place by priests in a state of ritual purity, for priests alone might eat it.
Bread for household use on the Sabbath was to be baked on the sixth day, but the showbread was by the Lord's direction prepared on the Sabbath itself. Work of this kind, done for the worship of God in the temple, did not break the Sabbath, and it stands as precedent for the blamelessness of the disciples when they relieved their hunger on that day. Since the loaves were changed only on the Sabbath, only the hallowed bread taken from before the Lord was with the priest when David asked for bread, so David's eating of it fell on the Sabbath. That timing gives fitness to Jesus joining David's act with the priests' Sabbath service in the temple to justify the disciples in plucking and eating ears of corn on the Sabbath to satisfy hunger.
Through Israel's more than 800 years as a settled nation in the promised land the Sabbath was known, guarded, and kept under the strictest laws and regulations for its observance, the appointment of Kohathites to prepare the showbread every Sabbath being one instance. Frequent calls by the prophets kept God's holy Sabbath constantly before the people in that time. To lose count of the day under such continual reminder was impossible and absurd.
Symbolism and Sabbath Blessing
Peculiar and great emphasis was given to the Sabbath in the worship appointed for Israel, for the showbread on the holy table before the Lord was changed every Sabbath. New hot loaves were set forth to take the place of the loaves that had stood on the table during the week. The bread of the presence represented Christ, the living bread sent from heaven to give life to the world. It was the bread of life and the bread of God's presence.
Its weekly renewal teaches that on the Sabbath Christ gives Himself with all His new strength and warmth to His children. In the same way Sabbath keepers receive Christ's presence and blessing anew in a special manner on the Sabbath. The bread was renewed and set in order week by week, while the bread of the previous week remained until the next Sabbath. It was then removed and eaten by the priests in the holy place, for the arranging, removing, and eating were all part of the Sabbath service.
That weekly renewal and eating illustrate a Sabbath blessing that is both renewed and increasingly appropriated and that continues through the week. The Sabbath service is thus connected with the Sabbath blessing. The appointment of brethren over the shewbread to prepare it every Sabbath is one part of the thread running through the Book showing what the Bible teaches about the Sabbath.