It is common to hear Christian commentators warning against the “sacred/secular divide”. All of life belongs to God, we are told; Christian “ministry” can take place in any setting, whether in church or in the world. Today’s text has a similar vision.

1 Chronicles 23–26 describes in detail how different Levitical groups were allocated particular roles in Israel’s worship. 1 Chronicles 27 describes various administrative structures which governed Israel’s national life. But these apparently “secular” structures are just as God-given as the worship structures of chapters 23–26. “Secular” and “sacred” belong together in Israel’s life. For us, too, everyday activities and the structures which regulate them are part of our service for God.

1 Chronicles 27 contains four lists:

1. 12 military officers, each on duty for one month with his own division of 24,000 men (vv. 1–15);
2. tribal officers, who seem to have administered a form of local government as part of David’s rule (vv. 16–22);
3. officers responsible for storehouses in different parts of the land, and also for various kinds of agricultural produce (vv. 25–31);
4. royal counsellors and other officials (vv. 32–34).

The 12 military officers in verses 1–15 do not all come from different tribes: six are from Judah (vv. 3, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15); two from Ephraim (vv. 10, 14); one from Benjamin (v. 12); and one from Levi (vv. 5–6). The tribal affiliations of Dodai (v. 4) and Shamhuth (v. 8) are unknown. It is not stated on what basis they were chosen, but most of the names in this list also feature in the list of “the chiefs of David’s warriors” at 11:10–47. Perhaps the leadership skills of these 12 men were generally recognised in Israel.

Taken together, chapters 23–27 paint a picture of a nation united under David’s rule: how all sections of the population, properly organised, function together. In the next two chapters, these groups, or their representatives, will assemble to hear David’s last words as king, to present contributions for the temple building, and to acknowledge Solomon as David’s successor.

Note, however, the reference to David’s unwise census at 27:23–24 (see 21:1–7). God promised that Israel would be “as numerous as the stars in the sky” (27:23; Genesis 15:5), but human folly can do much damage. Ultimately, Israel is dependent on God’s mercy.

The references to storehouses, agricultural produce, flocks, and herds in 1 Chronicles 27:25–31 remind us that humans were created to be stewards of God’s creation and all the resources He provides for us. Just as part of Israel’s calling was to care for the land that God had given them, part of the church’s task today in bringing the good news of Jesus Christ to a needy humanity is to teach—and live out—an appropriate respect for the created order. The world around us, our environment, matters to God, and it should matter to us. There should be no sacred/secular divide.