“And with them Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest that were chosen, who were expressed by name, to give thanks to the LORD, because His mercy endureth for ever” (I Chronicles 16:41).

Children today seem to be quite taken with He-Man, the self-proclaimed “master of the universe.” He is a human, possessing supernatural powers and tools. He is portrayed as everything a man should be or could be.

Of course, the Christian parent today finds many unbiblical themes in this cartoon, for this is humanism in its extreme, with a liberal touch of the occult thrown in. Strongly expressed is a self reliance on human abilities and plans, with extra-natural powers coming from non-godly sources. This stands in stark contrast to submissive worship of and service to the true master of the universe.

In our text, we find another He-Man named Heman. In contrast to the cartoon hero, Heman is involved in work which is truly great, and no doubt deserved eternal rewards. When King David returned to Jerusalem with the Ark of the Covenant, “he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, and to record, and to thank and praise the LORD God of Israel” (v.4). Heman was one of those chosen to serve the Lord in this fashion. He was “to offer burnt offerings unto the LORD upon the altar of the burnt offering continually morning and evening, and to do according to all that is written in the law of the LORD” (v.40). He was further equipped with “trumpets and cymbals for those that should make a sound, and with musical instruments of God” (v.42). He even wrote one of the psalms (Psalm 88).

May God grant us children, like Heman, who are occupied with things that truly count, devoting themselves to acts of true greatness in service of the one and only master, as well as Creator and Redeemer of the universe. JDM