Sanctification also requires worship and guess what, giving is part of worship.

Numbers Chapter 7: Israel Gives Donations

Numbers 7:1-89

Day 43 of self-isolation. Raining all day. The grass needs it. But that means I can’t work in the backyard. Planning my personal “Independence Day” tomorrow. Sixteen-year-old grand-daughter fortunate to have a job in local Farmer’s Market butcher shop – saving her from going crazy – and it’s good for her. Life going on. Toronto leaders us pandemic to turn streets over to residents – they’ve wanted to do this for decades now as part of their long-term agenda. Eventually only the mayor will be able to drive in Toronto.  Okay, I’m exaggerating (or am I?). Anyway, you feel my frustration.  Meanwhile, I’m really enjoying my study of Numbers.  Thanks for joining me.  Read on and share.

The Passage

This is a long chapter (89 verses). It is all part of the Sanctification of Israel. We read about sanctification through various forms of separation and then sanctification through the Nazarite Vow. This chapter starts to talk about sanctification through worship. And making donations (what we call tithes and offerings) is part of worship. Putting it all into context helps us to remember that giving back to God is a form of worship which enables us to be ‘sanctified’ in order to be used for His purpose for the world.

Verses 1-83 give an account of all the leaders of the tribes bringing their offerings to the tabernacle that had been completed and set up to Moses, and Moses giving it to the Levites in accordance with God’s instructions. There is a detailed account of the offerings of each of the tribes.

Verses 84-89 talks about this being the “dedication offering of the tabernacle”.

And verse 89 ends the chapter and is, in my opinion, the most important.  It says,
“Now when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with Him, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim, so He spoke to him.”

Thoughts on the Passage

We remind ourselves again that to be used by God, we need to be sanctified by God. And that requires separation from certain things and behaviors. We are also sanctified through ‘worship’. And a very important form of worship, is returning a portion of what is rightfully His.

I also note that giving back to God is something that is modelled and led by leaders – leaders of the twelve tribes in this case. But I can also see it applying to leaders of giant corporation – David Green, the CEO of Hobby Lobby comes to mind, but there are many others. And of course, modelled by the leaders of a family – the father, or the mother. Are we teaching our children to ‘give back to God’?

So, the tabernacle was built as God wanted it. The mercy seat, the ark of the testimony, the two cherubim, and everything else that we had read about in Leviticus where the blueprints were shared with us were all in their proper places. And then the dedication offering, the giving to God step, took place.

David Guzik has some interesting perspectives on this passage. First, he reminds us that in the first “giving” (verses 1-11), the leaders of each tribe bring a total of six carts (a cart for every two of the leaders) and twelve oxen (each one an ox), given to transport the tabernacle through the wilderness. Carts were a great luxury and no doubt, a significant offering from the tribes.

Moses distributes these carts to the three segments of the Levite priestly tribe. Gershon’s family got two with four oxen to transport the fabrics of the tabernacle (circle back to Numbers 4:25-26). Merari’s family got the rest, double that of Gershon’s family, as they had to transport the heavier and more awkward boards and pillars of the tabernacle. That left none for Kohath’s family. Why? Well Guzik suggests that while the others had a responsibility to transport the things they were responsible for, the family of Kohath had to actually “carry” the very holy things they were responsible for, perhaps on their shoulders using the “carrying poles” referred to in scripture and Moses did not want them to be tempted by the availability of carts and oxen to attempt other means of movement of these objects.

The second round of giving by the twelve leaders was also composed of identical offerings. This was so that humility would be the order of the day and no one tribe was to outdo the other. And Guzik reminds us that while we may all give the same offering, God still notices and appreciates our offerings just as much, if they are given in the right heart. Otherwise adds Matthew Henry why would God through Moses list them all in detail in this chapter. Interesting.

Then in verses 84-89, we have an account of the sum total of all the gifts to the Lord. From whom much is given, much is required. And certainly God had blessed the Israelites greatly in not only freeing them from slavery in the land of Egypt, but also in the manner in which He freed them – with Egyptians fighting to give them gifts as they departed.

It was only then, that the event of verse 89 could take place. Moses goes into the tabernacle, into the tent of meeting to speak with God and he hears God’s voice from above the mercy seat. You see, when we’ve done our part, God meets with us and speaks with us. (In fact, He does so even when we don’t do our part – but we need to know that the blessings are better and greater when we do our part.)

Robert Jamieson provides us with some additional insight in what verse 89 meant for Moses, when he writes:

As a king gives private audience to his minister, so special license was granted to Moses, who, though not a priest, was admitted into the sanctuary to receive instructions from his heavenly King as occasion demanded. . . .Though standing on the outer side of the veil, he could distinctly hear [God’s voice], and the mention of this circumstance is important as the fulfilment, at the dedication of the tabernacle, of a special promise made by [God], commanding its erection (Exodus 25:22). It was the reward of Moses' zeal and obedience; and, in like manner, to all who love Him and keep His commandments, [the Lord Christ Himself, the Angel of the Covenant] will manifest Himself (John 14:21).

What a day that will be. How is your sanctification, and mine, coming along? How is your separation going? How about our worship? Most importantly how about giving to God?   

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Your Practice During Lent and the Nazarite Vow -- any connections?

Numbers Chapter 6: Sanctification Through the Nazarite Vow

Numbers 6:1-27

Day 42 of self-isolation. I can start counting all the things I have not been able to do in the last six weeks, the greatest of which are be able to hug my grandchildren or even to see some of them in person, and to attend a worship service live. On the other hand, I could also count the things I have been able to do: more bible study, more project work around the house, teaching my spouse how to attack Sudoku puzzles, and losing more games of Scrabble to her. The worse of it all is that our own provincial premier is still quiet about when things will start to open up. Meanwhile thousands, nay millions, of jobs are being lost worldwide. The debate is now not so much about whether the world will change or not after all this, but how much and how. We press on. 

The Passage

This chapter begins by setting up the Nazarite Vow. It is for men and women. It is voluntary. It is a dedication to the Lord for a set period of time. Verses 3-7 indicate what such a person cannot do during that period within in which he/she is deemed to be holy (vs. 8):

·      Have no wine or strong drink; no vinegar, no grape juice, no fresh or dried grapes, anything produced by the grape vine (from seeds to skin).

·      No razor shall touch their head; hair shall be allowed to grow freely.

·      Can’t go near a dead person, including his father, mother, brother, or sister.

If someone dies suddenly next to them and touches their hair, he (becomes unclean) and must shave their hair right off on the seventh day when they become clean again. On the eighth day they go to the priest with the appropriate offerings. On that same day their head is consecrated (vs. 11).

His/her days as a Nazarite are dedicated again (vs. 12) because the former days became void as he/she was defiled by the dead person touching them.

Verse 13 takes up to the end of the period of dedication. Various offerings are taken to the priest and presented to the Lord (to vs. 17).  The Nazarite’s dedicated head of hair is shaven and put on the fire of the sacrifice (vs. 18). The priest than puts the boiled ram’s shoulder, one unleavened cake, and one unleavened wafer into the hands of the Nazarite. This is followed by waving these along with the breast and thigh of the offered animal before the Lord. At that point the Nazarite may drink wine (vs. 20).

Verse 21 tells us that when such a Nazarite vow is made, it may be accompanied by a financial or tangible offering if one can afford it.

Verses 22-26 describes the blessing that God wanted Moses to tell the sons of Aaron (the Levite priests) to share with the sons of Israel:

²³ “Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘Thus you shall bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them:

²⁴ The Lord bless you, and keep you;

²⁵ The Lord make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;

²⁶ The Lord lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.’

^27 “So they shall invoke My name on the sons of Israel, and I then will bless them.” 

Thoughts on the Passage

To begin with I note that this Vow of the Nazarite appears to be for both men and women although the detailed description uses the male gender throughout the chapter. It appears to be voluntary and for a set period of time.  It requires discipline to refrain from certain drink and food as well as from touching or being in contact with a dead person.

The most famous case of the Nazarite Vow was that of Samson, although in his case it was not voluntary as it was promised by his parents to the angel who told them they would have a son, and it was implemented from Samson’s birth to the point that Delilah had her way and he let her cut his hair. Now Chuck Smith reminds us to be careful. Samson’s strength did not come from his long hair. His strength came from his consecration to the Lord. When his hair was cut, that was symbolic of his cut commitment to God. And while Samson was the best-known person who took this vow, we may also want to remember that our Lord and Savior was also known as a Nazarene. Two others who had taken this Vow were John the Baptist (Luke 1:15) and the Apostle Paul (Acts 18:18). The Vow was open to women, but the only record we have of one perhaps doing so, or the equivalent, was Samson’s mother during her pregnancy (Judges 13:4).

There is one other example as found in the Mishna. (The Mishnah or Mishna is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions known as the "Oral Torah". It is also the first major work of rabbinic literature.) It, according to David Guzik, “relates how Queen Helena had almost completed seven years of a Nazirite vow when she was defiled and therefore had to keep it for another seven years." (Wenham)

The whole thing reminds me of how many Christians approach Lent – giving up certain things like alcohol or desserts or whatever.

But God seems to look positively on such dedication as we read near the end of the chapter. God dictates a blessing for the sons of Israel.  What is not clear is whether this blessing was for all the sons of Israel, or those that had taken the Nazarite Vow and kept it.

At the end of the period of the consecrated life, there are offerings to be made and a ceremonial release to go through. Of course, this involves the ability to be able to pay for the what needed to be brought to the priest to undertake the ceremony. Thus, David Guzik writes:

No wonder when Paul visited Jerusalem, he was invited to pay the expenses of some Christians who had taken a Nazirite vow and were ready to conclude it with this sacrifice (Acts 21:23-24). The Nazirite vow was not something that could be entered into lightly.

What is clear is that will bless, and does bless, those who are sanctified and those who exercise discipline in living for Him.  Robert Jamieson writes this about these verses:

This passage records the solemn benediction which God appointed for dismissing the people at the close of the daily service. The repetition of the name "Lord" or "Jehovah" three times, expresses the great mystery of the Godhead--three persons, and yet one God. The expressions in the separate clauses correspond to the respective offices of the Father, to "bless and keep us"; of the Son, to be "gracious to us"; and of the Holy Ghost, to "give us peace." And because the benediction, though pronounced by the lips of a fellow man, derived its virtue, not from the priest but from God, the encouraging assurance was added, "I the Lord will bless them."

He keeps us; He makes His face shine on us; He is gracious to us; He lifts His countenance upon us; and He gives us peace.  I always get a kick out of pastors uttering this blessing as a form of benediction at the end of a service, using the introductory phrase, “May the Lord . . .”.  In my humble opinion, “the Lord does. . .”.   What an amazing “smile of approval” that is.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Suspicious Minds -- How and why God dealt with it then and now.

Numbers 5:11-31 Sanctification through Separation from Suspected Infidelity

Day 41 of self-isolation. Our premier just announced a re-opening plan but with all due respect, it is not worth the 13 pages it was written on, and basically says we will reopen when we reopen, but it will be very slow and very, very cautiously. I guess that after he called orderly protesters who wanted the province re-opened “yahoos”, we didn’t really expect much more. So, we all, like the famous weather groundhog, return to our cubby holes, because we haven’t seen our shadow yet. At least I have more time to get deeper into Numbers and that’s a blessing. Thank you to all those that checked us out recently – it must have been the title that did grabbed. Hopefully this one will do likewise. Read on. I am now, as I study this next passage, being reminded why you don’t hear any sermons on it and others like it.

The Passage

The last section of chapter 5 (verses 11-31) is about being separated (in order to be sanctified) from suspected infidelity. It is broken down into four sub-parts:

Verses 11-15 – describes the situation where a wife may or may not have committed adultery, and where if she had, there is no witness to it, and she is not found out. However, in either case, if the husband is overcome by a “spirit of jealousy” he is to take his wife to the priest along with an offering of jealousy, a grain offering, as a reminder of the iniquity.

Verses 16-22 – describes how the priest deals with the wife brought to her. He basically puts some dust into a portion of holy water which makes it “water of bitterness that [could bring] a curse”. The idea is that if she is innocent of adultery, she’ll be immune to the curse. If not, the Lord was to make her “thigh waste away and [her] abdomen swell”. And the woman is supposed to respond, “Amen. Amen.”

Verses 23-28 – describes how the priest writes curses on a scroll and then washes them off with the water of bitterness, which the woman then drinks. After that he takes the grain offering from her hands and waves it before the Lord and brings it to the altar. He offers a part of it up in smoke. The woman then drinks the water. If she’s guilty it will cause bitterness, a swollen abdomen, and thighs that waste away. But more importantly, she’ll become a “curse among her people”. If she’s not guilty, she will clean, free, and conceive children,

Verses 29-31—summarizes the law of jealousy which is brought into play when a wife commits adultery or when a husband suspects she does, whether she does or not. In either case, he is free from guilt, and she bears her guilt.

Thoughts on the Passage

As you can see, not a great passage to try to explain in today’s ‘gender- equality’ world. Also, not so sure who is supposed to be in the process of being sanctified here – is it the wife, or is it the husband?

Chuck Smith makes two observations worth repeating here. First, he says it really would be awful for a woman if her husband was a naturally jealous person and she had to prove her innocence weekly, having to go through all this. Secondly, he notes that woman have come a long way since those days. I would prefer to say that while God’s expressed view of how women were to be have made sense to the men of Israel in those days and the only way they would have accepted, it was in no way indicative of His own views with respect to females when He created Adam and Eve – Genesis 2:25 says both were naked and both were not ashamed. And then of course, Jesus in the New Testament has an entirely favourable view of women. For a great article on that check out Christ's View of Women. 

The whole circumstance is based on suspicion. Surely the wife would not (usually) admit to her husband that she committed adultery. It is more likely the husband senses that something is wrong and based on that hunch, wants things cleared – of course, at his wife’s expense.

On the other hand, David Guzik takes a different, more positive, approach to this whole thing when he writes:

This unique passage deals with the problem of a spirit of jealousy in a marriage. Obviously, unfounded jealousy has spoiled many a marriage, and justified jealousy has forced attention on confronting the sin of adultery - in this passage, God gives Israel a way to deal with it.

He goes on to quote Poole:

"This law was given partly to deter wives from adulterous practices, and partly to secure wives against the rage of their hard-hearted husbands, who otherwise might upon mere suspicions destroy them, or at least put them away." (Poole)

However, what the wife goes through and what the consequences are make the penalty that the adulterous woman in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1850 novel, The Scarlet Letter, seem like a piece of cake in comparison. While one can believe she would feel a great sense of relief if she is innocent, I would not want to guess what the relationship between she and her husband would be going forward. And as Matthew Henry reminds us that it was even worse if the husband could prove the wife’s adultery. In that case, the penalty was being put to death.

Guzik, quoting Wenham relates the unbinding or loosening of a woman’s hair in the process as being another “hint that she was viewed as unclean. ‘Lepers’ had to let their hair had to let their hair hang loose as a mark of their uncleanness.

“Your thigh waste” Guzik says is a euphemism for “your womb rot” so that you are not be able to have children. Also, we note, that the woman had to agree to the terms set out by the priest, by saying “Amen, so be it.” This was to be repeated twice implying she agreed to both the outcomes – the one if she is guilty and the other if she is not. She could not as Guzik points out:

"Well, I did it, but it was really all right in the sight of God. After all, we loved each other, or my husband neglected me, and …" At the very least, this ceremony demanded that sin be called sin - guilty or innocent!

The law of jealousy does in fact favor the husband. The question is why and what happened to this law, even for the Jews. Guzik, aided by Clarke, helps us out again:

"The rabbis say that the trial by the waters of jealousy was omitted after the Babylonish captivity, because adulteries were so frequent amongst them, that they were afraid of having the name of the Lord profaned by being so frequently appealed to!" (Clarke)

The rabbis also said that if the woman was guilty, the same disease would come upon the man she had committed adultery with; but they also said that even if the wife had been guilty, but her husband had been guilty of adultery also, the bitter water would have no effect on her.

Some more interesting facts about this passage. The “rabbin” (either an old dated form of the word ‘rabbi’ or to imply the rabbis collectively) also say that if the woman was guilty of adultery, the adulterous man would also die at the same time. Interesting.  Matthew Henry says that Jewish doctors had stated that if the husband himself had also committed adultery; the bitter water would not have the same negative impact on the woman. Fair is fair. Perhaps that was God’s way of delivery His word in Hosea 4:14 where it says, “I will not punish your spouses [or daughters; daughters-in-law] when they commit adultery, for you yourselves are separated (from Me) with whores.”

What else can we learn from this passage that we can apply to our lives today? Here are some thoughts:

1.     Guzik says clearly this is evidence that God does not want couples to live in a state of jealously. This was a ceremony intended to resolve the issue that arouse or was believed. We need to resolve our marital issues, especially those of jealousy.

2.     Clearly, God had to be involved as water with some dust in it does not cause those kinds of physical outcomes. Perhaps the mental stress of the guilt if one were indeed guilty would be more of a link to the physical conditions predicted.

3.     Knowing the whole community would learn about it was an incentive to faithfulness in marriage, and thus good for the whole nation.

4.     And the bottom line for Guzik in this resolve to be pure (as well as the former one in verses 5-10) was a desire “to make Israel a pure, Promised Land people in their personal relationships. You can't be a Promised Land person if your relationships with others stink! You must make restitution and get things resolved.”

5.     Secret sins are known to God, and Henry says, “sometimes are strangely brought to light in this life; however, there is a day coming when God will, by Jesus Christ, as here by the priest, judge the secrets of men according to the gospel, Romans 2:16.

6.     That God will find out some way or other says Henry, “to clear the innocence of the innocent, and to bring forth their righteousness as the light.”

May we be mindful of how God dealt with Israel and how He will deal with us.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

Sanctification requires Separation as the Israelites were finding out.

Numbers Chapter 5: Sanctification of Israel through 3 Forms of Separation

Numbers 5:1-10 Separation of Unclean Persons and Separation in Restitution for Sin

Day 39 of self-isolation. Checked the Covid-19 worldwide stats today. Deaths to settled cases is at 19.5%; Recoveries to all cases is at 28.6%; and Deaths to all cases is at 6.9%. Still high in the first and third stat; and still low in the second stat. The good news is they seem to be going in the right direction, but that can change tomorrow. In the meantime, we press on, taking every opportunity to work on deciphering the book of Numbers for us non-theological types.  Thanks for joining me.

The Passage

In verses 1-4 God tells Moses to have the sons of Israel send away from the camp every leper and everyone having a discharge or is unclean because of a dead person. Males and females were treated alike. They weren’t allowed to defile the camp where God dwelled.

In verses 5-10 God tells Moses that when a man or woman commits any sin of mankind, against the Lord, the guilty person must confess their sin and make restitution in full, and add 20%, giving it to the person that was wronged, or if they are dead to one of their kin, or if there is no kin, to the Lord for the priest. And in there, the last two verses talk about every Israelite’s right to partake of the offerings that he has brought to the tabernacle (for whatever reason).

Thoughts on the Passage

This chapter is the first of six that deals with Israel’s sanctification. Sanctification is very well explained here by BibleStudyTools. It is worth looking up as some excellent background to what we are about to learn. The bottom line is that one is sanctified, by being used for what its creator intended it to be used for.  God had a purpose for Israel, and she needed to be set aside for that purpose. In order to do so, God had to make sure she was ‘sanctified’ and separated from certain things. Chapter 5 covers three of them. Here we discuss the first two leaving the third one for next time.

As tough as sending defiled people outside of the camp sounds, we need to keep in mind that God wanted a totally ‘clean’ camp for Him to dwell and for His people to live in. And also remember that God made provisions for how those put outside the camp because of their uncleanliness could possibly be restored. But the key idea here that needed to be understood by the Israelites then and by us today is that God wants a “clean house”.  [At the risk of being political, it reminds me a little of what America has been experiencing the last few years as those in charge are trying (not always succeeding) to clean the political “swamp”.]

Let us also remember that with respect to our passage, God is God and we need to understand that He has the right to do things or want things done His way. On the other hand, David Guzik quotes Clarke as suggesting that this action may have been the original idea giving rise to the concept of a hospital.

Matthew Henry suggests that this passage is a clear message to those who govern a church today. He writes: “They must separate between the precious and the vile, and purge out scandalous persons, as old leaven (1 Cor. 5:8,13), lest others should be infected and defiled, Heb. 12:15. It is for the glory of Christ and the edification of his church that those who are openly and incorrigibly profane and vicious should be put out and kept from Christian communion till they repent.”

Henry also says that this is indicative of what “God Himself will do in the great day: he will thoroughly purge His floor and gather out of his kingdom all things that offend. As here the unclean were shut out of the camp, so into the new Jerusalem no unclean thing shall enter, Rev. 21.:27.

I like the way Robert Jamieson puts it: “And this vigilant care to maintain external cleanliness in the people was typically designed to teach them the practice of moral purity, or cleansing themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit.”

In the second portion of the chapter we see that sin requires confession and restitution.  Confession of one’s sin may be sufficient for a young child caught by his mother or father in stealing from the cookie jar. But that is not the way society works.  You can confess you cheated from you employer, but you also have to either return the money, lose your job, or go to prison – and often, any two or three of the options. In the is passage, God says if you sin, you have to confess and make whole the person you sinned against, and then add 20% more.  (You will remember this is based on the value of things as determined in earlier passages.)

Finally, in verses 9 and 10, we see that God intended that every Israelite have he right to partake of the offerings he brought to the priest, regardless of reason.  This is parallel to what we studied in Leviticus 3 regarding certain offerings. Guzik suggests that this is symbolic of an open door for fellowship with the Lord, once restitution has been made – neither the priest could take that away, nor a king tax it away.

I thought it strange that God should stick these two verses in the midst of a chapter on separation, but herein says Guzik, “God therefore reminds Israel of the purpose of this separation – fellowship with God. This, ultimately, is the reason to pursue purity: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God (Matthew 5:8). I would add, since we’re discussing separation in the context of sanctification that we cannot be used by God as He originally intended for us to be used unless we are in fellowship with Him.

So today we ask ourselves if we have removed all uncleanliness from our camp, our lives? And have we confessed to God all our sins and made restitution for them as appropriate. There’s more to come before our own sanctification is completed – but we can’t get too far without these two steps being in order.

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.

How does our recruitment of pastors and ministers stack up against God's?

Numbers Chapter 4: The Organization of Priests – Part II

Numbers 4:1-49 The Ministry of the Levites and the Census of Working Levites

Day 37 of self-isolation. Life continues. We all have more time to reflect on what really matters – our relationship with God, our family, our health, and our service to others. Hope you are all painting a beautiful ‘landscape’ as to what your future will look like once this pandemic is over. There is no doubt that while the world would have evolved under normal circumstances, the human powers that be are taking advantage of the coronavirus to expedite changes – some of which we will not be too comfortable with, but nothing that God is not aware of and warned us about in His Word. And thus we continue to study it. Hang in there.

The Passage

Verses 1-20 are instructions to Moses to take a further census of the descendants of Kohath that are thirty years old and up to fifty years old and who “enter the service to do the work in the tent of meeting.” And then their work is described in detail.

Verses 21-28 do the same for the sons of Gershom. And the same is true for verses 29-33 for the sons of Merari.

The last section of the chapter (verses 34-49) provide the findings of each of the above counts and their total.

Thoughts on the Passage

Now I am sure many of you are saying, “Hey, can there be a more boring and repetitive chapter than Numbers 4?”  Well, I don’t know; I can’t remember. We’ll find out. But maybe, just maybe, there are some gems in this one too.

To begin with, we wonder how these sub-censuses were done in each case since Moses already had a census of those one month and up (chapter 3). Perhaps those under 30 years of age and over 50 were subtracted, or maybe they did recount. Afterall, what else was there to do in the wilderness?

But why between ages 30 and 50?  Remember, for all the other tribes it was 20 and over – those able to fight in a war. But here for the Levites, it’s between 30 and 50. Matthew Henry writes:

The service of God requires the best of our strength, and the prime of our time, which cannot be better spent than to the honour of him who is the first and best. And a man may make a good soldier much sooner than a good minister. Now, 

·       1. They were not to be employed till they were thirty years old, because till then they were in danger of retaining something childish and youthful and had not gravity enough to do the service, and wear the honour, of a Levite. They were entered as probationers at twenty-five years old, (chp. 8:24), and in David's time, when there was more work to be done, at twenty (1 Chr. 23:24), and so (Ezra 3:8); but they must be five years learning and waiting, and so fitting themselves for service; nay, in David's time they were ten years in preparation, from twenty to thirty. John Baptist began his public ministry, and Christ his, at thirty years old. This is not in the letter of it obligatory on gospel ministers now, as if they must either not begin their work till thirty years old or must leave off at fifty; but it gives us two good rules:

o   (1.) That ministers must not be novices, (1 Tim. 3:6). It is a work that requires ripeness of judgment and great steadiness, and therefore those are very unfit for it who are but babes in knowledge and have not put away childish things.

o   (2.) That they must learn before they teach, serve before they rule, and must first be proved (1 Tim. 3:10).

·       2. They were discharged at fifty years old from the toilsome part of the service, particularly that of carrying the tabernacle; for that is the special service to which they are here ordained, and which there was most occasion for while they were in the wilderness. When they began to enter upon old age, they were dismissed, 

o   (1.) In favour to them, that they might not be over-toiled when their strength began to decay. Twenty years' good service was thought pretty well for one man.

o   (2.) In honour to the work, that it might not be done by those who, through the infirmities of age, were slow and heavy. The service of God should be done when we are in the most lively active frame. Those do not consider this who put off their repentance to old age, and so leave the best work to be done in the worst time.

If only we followed these directions of God and thoughts of Henry as we lay hands on our youth to be our pastors.  Oftentimes, we act out of necessity for lack of workers, but we do so at our own peril. Many a young man has lost his way too early in ministry for one reason or another.

As you read the chapter you notice the detailed job descriptions in place for the different descendant groups. Not only what to do, but how to do it, with what to do it, and even what not to do.  For example, in verse 15 and 19, they were not to “touch the holy objects” or they would die. And in verse 20, they were not to even see the holy objects, “even for a moment, lest they die.”

Of interest to me also was verse 18 where Moses is told “Do not let the tribe of the families of the Kohathites be cut off from the among the Levites.” Matthew Henry explains this when he writes:

[This was] a solemn admonition to Moses and Aaron to beware, lest, by any negligence on their part, disorder and improprieties should creep in, and to take the greatest care that all the parts of this important service be apportioned to the proper parties, lest the Kohathites should be disqualified for their high and honorable duties. The guilt of their death would be incurred by the superintending priest, if he failed to give proper directions or allowed any irreverent familiarity with sacred things.

The family of Gershom was responsible for the curtains and their hangings (very elaborate as we remember from earlier descriptions of the tabernacle).  Finally, the family of Merari was responsible for the safe moving of all the pillars and the boards of, and around, the tabernacle.

Now I think of father Levite (or his tribe at least) having the world’s first specialized moving company. Maybe, based on this chapter, we could have called it “3 Families with No Vans”.  Instead, in total we are told, there were 8,580 men between the ages of 30 and 50 who, each time the cloud above them moved, took down the tabernacle and safely and properly, moved it to the new location where the cloud stopped.  Can you imagine the packing that needed to be done? Amazing.

David Guzik reminds us that this was not volunteer work. These men were each assigned their duties by Moses and Aaron, or those they had put in there as supervisors.

Guzik writes this:

Each of these had a role to play in doing the work of tabernacle, and God made them all dependent on each other to do that work.

i. "It is worthy of note that these Levites, although they were all equally consecrated to God, had not all exactly the same work to perform. God is not the God of all uniformity. There is a wondrous unity of plan and design in all that he does, but there is also an equally marvelous variety." (Spurgeon)

ii. Paul says the church is to work like a body - many parts, looking different, doing different jobs, meeting different needs, some more visible, some less, but all essential - and all with the same DNA code.

iii. Much trouble is caused in the service of the LORD by those who desire a different calling than they have, or who are jealous of those who have a different calling, or by those who exalt one calling and abase another. Everyone has a place and a job, and all can set themselves to do it.

Robert Jamieson says this about this chapter and its details: “It was a useful lesson, showing that God disregards nothing pertaining to His service, and that even in the least and most trivial matters, He requires the duty of faithful obedience.”

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.