Shallum son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and
his fellow gatekeepers from his family (the Korahites) were responsible for
guarding the thresholds of the tent just as their ancestors had been
responsible for guarding the entrance to the dwelling of the Lord. 1 Chronicles 9:19
Yes, but the importance of the job is determined by how
important you believe is the thing they are guarding. In this case it was the temple, where God
Himself dwelt. Is that important? They also protected the rooms where the
priests prepared the sacrifices to make sure nobody defiled them, counted the
items as they went in and out and protected the treasuries where the offerings
and priceless items were held. (Their job description found in 1 Chronicles
9:17-28)
While God could take care of Himself and nobody can
really “steal” God, the importance of the temple was shown by its security
force. The gatekeepers took tremendous
pride in the responsibility and it was obviously considered a high honor.