Numbers 4
McGeeCHAPTER 4THEME: Who is to serve; the order of serviceThe three families of the tribe of Levi had service to perform about the tabernacle. This chapter tells us who is to serve, what was the order of their service, and how many there were in the tribe who served.
Numbers 4:1
WHO IS TO SERVEThe prime of life for the Levites was from thirty to fifty years. Those were the years they were to serve.
Numbers 4:4
THE ORDER OF SERVICEThe only ones who ever saw the articles that belonged in the Holy of Holiesthe ark and the mercy seatwere Aaron and his sons. Those articles were carefully covered by Aaron and his sons before the Kohathites came to carry them.
Numbers 4:15
The only ones who ever saw the articles that belonged in the Holy of Holiesthe ark and the mercy seatwere Aaron and his sons. Those articles were carefully covered by Aaron and his sons before the Kohathites came to carry them.
Numbers 4:24
It goes on to list some of the other hangings and cords which were the responsibility of the families of Gershon.
Numbers 4:29
Merari carried the heavy articles, the pillars and the boards and the bars; the Kohathites carried the articles of furniture; Gershon, it would seem, had the easiest job carrying the curtains and coverings and cords. I’d like for you to get a picture of what happened when they moved. When Moses and Aaron would come out of the tabernacle in the morning, they didn’t need to talk things over. Moses didn’t say, “Well, let’s have a meeting of the board of elders or the board of deacons, and let’s find out whether or not we should march today.” They didn’t depend on that type of thing. They watched to see if the pillar of cloud lifted from off the tabernacle. If it lifted, it meant that they were to march. If it did not lift, it meant that they were to stay in camp that day. Moses and Aaron simply had to watch and follow the leading that the Spirit of God gave them, for that pillar of cloud represented the Spirit of God. The child of God should be led like that today. Not that we see a visible pillar of cloud, but we should be led by the same Spirit of God. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Rom_8:14). The Spirit of God wants to lead the sons of God. When the pillar of cloud lifted, immediately Aaron and his sons went into the Holy Place, and they went first to the veil. You will remember that on the other side of the veil, in the Holy of Holies, was the ark and the mercy seat. I believe that the ark and the mercy seat were put up against the veil, not against the back wall. This means that when the high priest went into the Holy of Holies, he turned around and faced east as he sprinkled the blood on the mercy seat. The high priest did that on one day of the year only. On this day of moving they did not go inside the veil.
The veil was held up by rings and the high priest would let it down, and then drop the veil down over the mercy seat and the ark. Then they would put the linen cloth around it and its other coverings, and finally they would put around it the outside cover of the tabernacle. When that was concluded, and all the vessels were wrapped, the Kohathites were permitted to come in. There were staves that fit into the rings on all of these articles of furniture. The Kohathites would come in and pick up the furniture by these staves and carry it out. The priests who carried the ark would lead the way out to the front and would wait for the pillar of cloud to guide them. We will see their marching order in a later chapter. In the evening, it must have been a thrilling sight to see them set up a new camp. Every man knew what he was to do. Every man was carrying his particular part of the tabernacle and had been carrying it during the day’s march. When they set up camp, the very first thing that was put down was the ark. The whole camp was arranged according to that. The Kohathites carrying the other articles of furniture would put them down in their relation to the ark, and then the boards and the curtains were set up around them. In other words, the furniture was put in first. Now that’s not the way we build a house today, but remember this was designed for a march and it had to be mobile. Each man had his assignment. I’m of the opinion that the camp went up in a hurry, and I mean in a hurry. I think that within about thirty minutes of the time they came to rest and the ark was put down, the tabernacle was ready to be used. Let me illustrate this. In my first pastorate in Nashville, Tennessee, I was single and I spent a lot of time with the young people. When the circus would come to town, we would go out to the railroad yards to be there when the circus arrived at two o’clock in the morning. You could hear the animals cry, but there was no other sound. They would put the cars on the side track, and the minute those cars came to a standstill, a whole army of men would come out of those cars. The train would not have been stopped more than five minutes before the wagons were rolling off the flat cars; the circus was unloaded and moving out to the circus grounds. A cook tent would be erected and many of the roustabouts would have coffee and breakfast while another crew would put up the big tent, the big top; then this crew would come in for breakfast while the other workers would go out to put in the seats and circus rings and hang the trapezes. I tell you, every man knew his job and it was interesting to watch. By ten o’clock in the morning everything was in order and ready for business. By noon the big circus parade would be on the street. This was most interesting to me. We would spend the whole night watching the circus when it came to town. I would tell my young folk, “I’m of the opinion that this is the way it was done when the children of Israel came into camp.” When Israel came into camp, the Kohathites would put down the articles of furniture. Then Merari would come in with the boards and the bars and put up his part. Then Gershon would put on the coverings. Finally, the high priest would remove the veil and hang that. What a thrill it must have been to watch Israel come into camp. After forty years of practice they must have been pretty good at it. As each Levite had his assignment, just so, every Christian has a gift and a job God wants him to do. I believe God will reward you for doing what He wants you to do. We are not to do what we choose to do, but we are to exercise the gifts that He has given us. Suppose there was a fellow who carried that tent pin for the northwest corner of the tabernacle, and he got weary of his job. One day as he was driving in his pin, he said, “I’m tired of this. For twenty years now I’ve been carrying that tent pin. I come here in the morning, and loosen it and pull it out of the ground, put it on my shoulder, and take it over on the wagon with my family. Nobody seems to recognize how hard I work. Nobody rewards me for what I do.
Moses never has called me up and given me a medal. I’m tired of this job and I’m going to quit carrying this pin.” One morning when they were taking down the tabernacle, his pin was hard to loosen from the ground and he got disgusted and left it there. He thought, “Nobody will pay any attention anyway. My job is not very important. All I do is carry a tent pin; so I think I’ll just leave it today.” Can you imagine the problem that next evening? They would try to set up the tabernacle, but the northwest corner pin would not be there. The men would report it to Moses, and they would look up this man who was to carry that pin. Moses would ask, “Where is the tent pin?” and the man would answer, “I left it back there where we camped last night.” Then Moses would ask him why he left it, and the man would answer, “I don’t think that my job is really important.” Moses would say, “Not important! We can’t put up the tabernacle without it. You will have to sit there all night holding that cord yourself because you are responsible for that tent pin!” My friend, who is to determine who does the most important thing in God’s service today? That man had been faithful for twenty years; then all of a sudden he just went haywire, and notice what it did to the setting up of the tabernacle. How many children of God today think their service is unimportant? God is not going to reward you for the amount of work you have done, but for your faithfulness in doing that which He has called you to do. If you are carrying that tent pin from the northwest corner, don’t forget to carry it today. The job the Lord has given you to do is very important to Him.
Numbers 4:31
Merari carried the heavy articles, the pillars and the boards and the bars; the Kohathites carried the articles of furniture; Gershon, it would seem, had the easiest job carrying the curtains and coverings and cords. I’d like for you to get a picture of what happened when they moved. When Moses and Aaron would come out of the tabernacle in the morning, they didn’t need to talk things over. Moses didn’t say, “Well, let’s have a meeting of the board of elders or the board of deacons, and let’s find out whether or not we should march today.” They didn’t depend on that type of thing. They watched to see if the pillar of cloud lifted from off the tabernacle. If it lifted, it meant that they were to march. If it did not lift, it meant that they were to stay in camp that day. Moses and Aaron simply had to watch and follow the leading that the Spirit of God gave them, for that pillar of cloud represented the Spirit of God. The child of God should be led like that today. Not that we see a visible pillar of cloud, but we should be led by the same Spirit of God. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Rom_8:14). The Spirit of God wants to lead the sons of God. When the pillar of cloud lifted, immediately Aaron and his sons went into the Holy Place, and they went first to the veil. You will remember that on the other side of the veil, in the Holy of Holies, was the ark and the mercy seat. I believe that the ark and the mercy seat were put up against the veil, not against the back wall. This means that when the high priest went into the Holy of Holies, he turned around and faced east as he sprinkled the blood on the mercy seat. The high priest did that on one day of the year only. On this day of moving they did not go inside the veil.
The veil was held up by rings and the high priest would let it down, and then drop the veil down over the mercy seat and the ark. Then they would put the linen cloth around it and its other coverings, and finally they would put around it the outside cover of the tabernacle. When that was concluded, and all the vessels were wrapped, the Kohathites were permitted to come in. There were staves that fit into the rings on all of these articles of furniture. The Kohathites would come in and pick up the furniture by these staves and carry it out. The priests who carried the ark would lead the way out to the front and would wait for the pillar of cloud to guide them. We will see their marching order in a later chapter. In the evening, it must have been a thrilling sight to see them set up a new camp. Every man knew what he was to do. Every man was carrying his particular part of the tabernacle and had been carrying it during the day’s march. When they set up camp, the very first thing that was put down was the ark. The whole camp was arranged according to that. The Kohathites carrying the other articles of furniture would put them down in their relation to the ark, and then the boards and the curtains were set up around them. In other words, the furniture was put in first. Now that’s not the way we build a house today, but remember this was designed for a march and it had to be mobile. Each man had his assignment. I’m of the opinion that the camp went up in a hurry, and I mean in a hurry. I think that within about thirty minutes of the time they came to rest and the ark was put down, the tabernacle was ready to be used. Let me illustrate this. In my first pastorate in Nashville, Tennessee, I was single and I spent a lot of time with the young people. When the circus would come to town, we would go out to the railroad yards to be there when the circus arrived at two o’clock in the morning. You could hear the animals cry, but there was no other sound. They would put the cars on the side track, and the minute those cars came to a standstill, a whole army of men would come out of those cars. The train would not have been stopped more than five minutes before the wagons were rolling off the flat cars; the circus was unloaded and moving out to the circus grounds. A cook tent would be erected and many of the roustabouts would have coffee and breakfast while another crew would put up the big tent, the big top; then this crew would come in for breakfast while the other workers would go out to put in the seats and circus rings and hang the trapezes. I tell you, every man knew his job and it was interesting to watch. By ten o’clock in the morning everything was in order and ready for business. By noon the big circus parade would be on the street. This was most interesting to me. We would spend the whole night watching the circus when it came to town. I would tell my young folk, “I’m of the opinion that this is the way it was done when the children of Israel came into camp.” When Israel came into camp, the Kohathites would put down the articles of furniture. Then Merari would come in with the boards and the bars and put up his part. Then Gershon would put on the coverings. Finally, the high priest would remove the veil and hang that. What a thrill it must have been to watch Israel come into camp. After forty years of practice they must have been pretty good at it. As each Levite had his assignment, just so, every Christian has a gift and a job God wants him to do. I believe God will reward you for doing what He wants you to do. We are not to do what we choose to do, but we are to exercise the gifts that He has given us. Suppose there was a fellow who carried that tent pin for the northwest corner of the tabernacle, and he got weary of his job. One day as he was driving in his pin, he said, “I’m tired of this. For twenty years now I’ve been carrying that tent pin. I come here in the morning, and loosen it and pull it out of the ground, put it on my shoulder, and take it over on the wagon with my family. Nobody seems to recognize how hard I work. Nobody rewards me for what I do.
Moses never has called me up and given me a medal. I’m tired of this job and I’m going to quit carrying this pin.” One morning when they were taking down the tabernacle, his pin was hard to loosen from the ground and he got disgusted and left it there. He thought, “Nobody will pay any attention anyway. My job is not very important. All I do is carry a tent pin; so I think I’ll just leave it today.” Can you imagine the problem that next evening? They would try to set up the tabernacle, but the northwest corner pin would not be there. The men would report it to Moses, and they would look up this man who was to carry that pin. Moses would ask, “Where is the tent pin?” and the man would answer, “I left it back there where we camped last night.” Then Moses would ask him why he left it, and the man would answer, “I don’t think that my job is really important.” Moses would say, “Not important! We can’t put up the tabernacle without it. You will have to sit there all night holding that cord yourself because you are responsible for that tent pin!” My friend, who is to determine who does the most important thing in God’s service today? That man had been faithful for twenty years; then all of a sudden he just went haywire, and notice what it did to the setting up of the tabernacle. How many children of God today think their service is unimportant? God is not going to reward you for the amount of work you have done, but for your faithfulness in doing that which He has called you to do. If you are carrying that tent pin from the northwest corner, don’t forget to carry it today. The job the Lord has given you to do is very important to Him.