Numbers 4:2–37

Kohath is one more example — and there have been many — where the firstborn naturally loses his place to another. Kohath is not the firstborn of Levi, but Gershon is. Grace, not nature, rules.

When we studied Numbers 3 and 4, we noticed that the sons of Kohath had the privilege of carrying the most precious instruments and furniture of the sanctuary. So they did not receive any of the princes' offering. It was their high and holy service to bear these things on their shoulders, and not to make use of wagons or oxen. The more closely we look at what was put into the care and charge of the Kohathites, the more we will see that these things picture the deeper and fuller ways God has made Himself known in Christ. The Gershonites and Merarites, by contrast, had to do with things that were more external.

In the first part of this section God puts each family of the tribe in its own place. He is sovereign in what He appoints — Kohath with his precious vessels, Gershon with his fine linen, Merari with his boards and pillars. Service is gift, and therefore gift is the appointment to service, since the Giver can make no mistake.

There were three main houses — Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. They and their sons each have a line of service given into their hands in Numbers 4, where they are numbered afresh from thirty years old and upward. Nothing is more important in practice than this: each servant of God should know the work He has given him to do, and stick to it once he knows it. It also matters greatly never to interfere with another's service. The Lord is sovereign in this. He divides according to His own will. On the one hand, we must respect this. On the other, nothing is more lovely than submitting to one another according to the grace and in the fear of God.

Numbers 4 lists the various services of the Levites. The sons of Kohath were given a distinct honour and a solemn responsibility: they carried the ark of the testimony and the other golden vessels. Of their service alone it is said, "it is most holy." It is worth noting, however, that Aaron and his sons, the priestly family, had to prepare the vessels by covering them before the Levites could take up the service given to them. This strengthens the thought already expressed. Only as we take up priestly service — worship, learning more and more of the glories and perfections of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary — can we as true Levites show these excellencies as we pass through this desert scene.

Who can speak rightly of that rich, abounding, distinguishing mercy? Men whose hands had been stained with blood were allowed to handle the vessels of the sanctuary. Men into whose assembly God's Spirit could not enter were brought into the very heart of the congregation of God, to be occupied there with what was so precious to Him.

The men of the other tribes were counted for war from twenty years old. But the Levites had to be thirty before they could begin their service. They had at least to be past the age when the rashness and impulsiveness of youth might sway them.

Now comes the numbering of the Levites who are of age for service. Every such man finds his place in this reckoning. He enters it at thirty, the age of realised capacity; he leaves it, in its wilderness form, at fifty — and in the picture it gives, only when the creature stands before his God in the day of account.

Here God numbers them from infancy — apart from Israel, but still numbered — and marks them out for service long before it could begin. God gives strength before He claims service. Yet from their earliest days He reckons them apart according to His grace and purpose. There were three main houses — Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. In Numbers 4 each house, with its sons, is given its own line of service, and there they are counted again from thirty years old and upward. This matters greatly too. Nothing is more important in practice than this: each servant of God should know the work He has given him to do, and once he knows it, he should stick to it.

This was not for military service, but for service to God. They did not take up sanctuary service until the ages of 30 to 50, yet they were evidently trained with that service in view. This reminds us that the Lord Jesus Himself did not begin His public service until He was about 30 years of age (Luke 3:23). His earlier years were an important preparation for it.

According to Numbers 4:3 and the verses after it, the Levites seem to have begun their tabernacle service at the age of thirty. But Numbers 8:24-26 gives the age as twenty-five. It may be that they spent the first five years on probation, learning their duties. Once Israel had settled in Canaan, the work of carrying the tabernacle was over, and they began their service at the age of twenty. They worked until they were fifty years of age.

Their service was to carry the holy things of the Lord through the wilderness. The wilderness is for us a picture of the world through which we pass, and our business as Christians is to show Christ. We must guard the holy things of our faith as carefully as the Levites guarded the tabernacle and its sacred contents. We must do this by the testimony of our lips and the testimony of our lives.

After fifty their heavy work ended, but they still ministered and kept the charge. Old age did not end their privilege of service; it only altered its character.

To bear burdens required strength. Now God would not overtax the strength of anyone called to work for Him. So no Levite was called to carry these burdens until he had reached thirty years of age. And no one was asked to continue that service after fifty... What a thing it was, and is, to be the servants of God. He, the Almighty, thinks of them, and considers them.

Here we see what precious mysteries were committed to the charge of the Kohathites. The ark, the golden table, the golden lampstand, the golden altar, and the altar of burnt offering — all these were shadows of good things to come. They are types of Christ, in His Person, His work, and His offices. Here they are shown in the wilderness, in their travelling dress. Apart from the ark of the covenant, all of them looked the same to the human eye: the rough covering of badgers' skins. With the ark it was different. Above the badgers' skins lay a cloth entirely of blue. This showed the fully heavenly character of the Lord Jesus Christ, in His own divine Person.

In the previous chapter Gershon stands first, as he is the firstborn. Here the firstborn has to take a secondary place and Kohath is put first. The lesson is that God's appointment for service is not a matter of natural relation and gift, but of grace. The sons of Kohath had to carry the most holy things. All of them are pictures of Christ in His humanity as our Redeemer and Lord. This stands first. It is occupation with Christ, and therefore fellowship with God.

Nothing in practice matters more than this: each servant of God should know the work He has given him to do. And once he knows it, he should stick to it. Be assured also that it is no small matter never to interfere with another's service. The Lord is sovereign in this. He divides according to His own will.

It was the highest form; it was what brought the service closest to Christ. Outwardly it did not look so good, as we shall find later. It does not at all follow that the service which makes the greatest show or noise among men has the most honourable character in the eyes of God. This is the one sure test of value; it is always Christ. Whatever brings a person nearest to Christ, and brings out Christ most, is always the best.

The sons of Kohath had the privilege of carrying all that was most precious of the instruments and furniture of the sanctuary. So they did not receive any of the princes' offering. It was their high and holy service to bear it on their shoulders, and not to use wagons or oxen. The Gershonites and Merarites, by contrast, handled things that were more external. Their work was rougher and more exposed, so the princes' gifts supplied the help they needed.

Numbers 4 lists the various services of the Levites. The sons of Kohath received the distinct honour, yet solemn responsibility, of carrying the ark of the testimony and the other golden vessels. Of their service alone it is said, "it is most holy." It is worth noticing, however, that it was Aaron and his sons, the priestly family, who had to prepare the vessels by covering them before the Levites could take up the service given to them. This strengthens the earlier point. In priestly service we worship, and we learn more and more of the glories and perfections of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary. Only so can we, as true Levites, show these excellencies as we pass through this desert scene.

There was danger for them that did not exist in the same way for others, because they were in the place of greatest nearness to God. God will not allow in His presence what is not worthy of Himself... The nearer we are to God, the more careful we must be to do everything according to God's order. Only after the holy things were covered were they to come and take them. God set them apart for this special service, but they were not allowed to go beyond it or to look at the holy things.

The veil was to be made of the same materials as the curtains which formed the tabernacle. It was to be hung upon four pillars of acacia wood overlaid with gold. Though the pillars were very different from the ark in form, they were made of the same materials. When the camp moved, the veil was to be taken down and used as a covering for the ark. By the veil therefore the ark was to be hidden from every eye, except that of the high priest once a year.

When a move was to take place, Aaron and his sons must first take down the veil. It hung between the outer sanctuary and the holiest of all. They must use it to cover the ark. For only the priests were allowed even to look at the ark. So, when the Lord Jesus lived on earth as a stranger among His people, a veil hid His great Godhead glory. That veil speaks of His heavenly character (blue), His royal dignity (purple), His attractive beauty (scarlet) and His human moral perfection (fine linen). These were the components of the veil (Ex. 26:31).

Of all the vessels of the sanctuary, this was the fullest and highest representation of God Himself, as displayed in Christ. The ark, as we know, was for the holiest of all. It set forth Christ — and Christ not as He met the need of man in the world, but as He is seen in the presence of God — Christ in the highest display of His glory and of divine righteousness on high. In this case the veil was that which covered it. So it is not simply a type of the Son of God as such. It is a type of Him as having taken humanity into union with His own person.

The veil is an emblem of the humanity of Christ — His flesh (Heb. 10:20). We have then, first, the ark, that is, Christ, covered with the veil of His humanity. Next came the badgers' skins. They express that holy watchfulness by which He fully protected Himself from evil. We see it in the words, "By the word of your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent" (Ps. 17:4). Then came the cloth all of blue — the symbol of what is heavenly... It is Christ therefore in the wilderness, and while passing through it He was always marked by what is heavenly. And, let it be remembered, as such He is our example.

All these things presented one unvarying appearance to the human eye: the rough covering of the badgers' skins. The ark of the covenant was the exception. Above its badgers' skins there was "a cloth all of blue." Without doubt this sets forth the entirely heavenly character of the Lord Jesus Christ in His own divine Person. What was essentially heavenly in Him lay on the very surface of His blessed life here below.

We have seen in these skins that practical and watchful holiness down here which keeps itself from the evil we are open to as we pass through the wilderness... Hence, outside even the badgers' skins, there was a covering wholly of blue. This is what appeared in the wilderness. This is what took place with Christ: the ark, by the way, finds no perfect antitype in the wilderness but Himself, considered in His personal walk down here. Nevertheless, the walk of the believer, so far as it reaches this height, also has its expression in this type.

It was exclusively the work of the priests to prepare the contents of the tabernacle for transit. No eyes but theirs were to look on the ark and the other holy objects and vessels there. No hands but theirs were to place the suitable coverings on them. Only when covered by the priests were the Kohathites to lift them... we may take to heart the lesson that the far holier Reality, now revealed to us, is only grasped as we take up our priestly privileges in the power of the Spirit. Without this we may try to examine holy things, but only to our own ruin.

The veil is an emblem of the humanity of Christ — His flesh. (Heb. 10:20.) So we have, first, the ark; that is, Christ, covered with the veil of His humanity. Next came the badgers' skins. They express that holy watchfulness by which He kept Himself completely free from evil. We see it, for example, in the words, "By the word of Your lips I have kept myself from the paths of the destroyer." (Ps. 17:4.) Then came the cloth all of blue — symbol of what is heavenly. The badger's skin was inside in this case, because Christ kept His perfection completely free of all evil, and so the heavenly came out plainly.

Apart from the ark of the covenant, all these things showed one unchanging appearance to the human eye: the rough covering of the badgers' skins. With the ark there was this difference. Above the badgers' skins there was "a cloth all of blue," setting out beyond doubt the entirely heavenly character of the Lord Jesus Christ in His own divine Person. What was heavenly in Him by His very nature lay upon the very surface of His blessed life here below.

This is what happened in the case of Christ. In the wilderness the ark finds its perfect answer in Him alone, seen in His own walk down here. Still, the walk of the believer, so far as it rises towards this height, also has its expression in this picture.

Then there is the covering of badgers' skins — the figure, it seems, of that which completely shut out all that was offensive. Badger's skin was fitly chosen whenever the point was to picture a power that sets evil aside and forbids its smallest contact with the object covered. A figure could only show such repellent power in this way, not in the way it belongs to Christ in Himself. Over this picture of His separation from sinners came a cloth all of blue, because, whatever the power that refused evil, there was another side of Him held out above all to the believer: He was "the heavenly" One. (1 Cor. 15)

As for us, we have within ourselves what is heavenly. But we must guard it with a watchfulness as firm as the evil we are passing through. It matters much that we keep ourselves clear of that evil.

They had to make poles to carry the ark by. These poles were symbols of travel. They show us how our Lord goes with His people in all their wanderings through the wilderness: "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Until they crossed the Jordan they had to leave the poles in their rings. But when they reach their goal in the promised land they take the poles out (1 Kings 8:8), for now they were to wander no more.

No one could tell from the outside what these vessels were, though each Kohathite knew what his own charge was. There was nothing in the service itself, or in what people could see of it, to bring glory to those doing it.

Preparing the contents of the tabernacle for the journey was the work of the priests, and of no one else. No eyes but theirs were to look at the ark and the other holy objects and vessels there. No hands but theirs were to put the right coverings on them. The Kohathites could lift them only once the priests had covered them. These objects were only shadows of the good things to come in Christ Himself and the Holy Spirit. If even they were shown to priestly eyes alone, we may take the lesson to heart. The far holier Reality, now revealed to us, is grasped only as we take up our priestly privileges in the power of the Spirit. Apart from this we may try to examine it, but only to our own ruin.

They could not choose their burden. They were not even allowed to touch the holy vessels. Only after the priests had covered them in the ordered way and set them on the carrying poles did the Kohathites come forward, each to receive his appointed service and learn what his duty was. They were not to look at the holy things uncovered, on pain of death.

The table speaks of Christ as the One who sustains communion. The blue cloth reminds us that communion with Him now is on a heavenly level. The badger skins tell us that communion is not attractive to the outside world, though it stays strong and lasting.

Then came the table of showbread. First a cloth of blue went on it, then the dishes, the bread and the rest, all covered with a scarlet cloth, with badger skins outside. The table itself — the gold, the divine part — was covered with the blue, the heavenly colour. Then the scarlet cloth covers the twelve loaves. Scarlet is royalty, and twelve, as we have seen, is connected with administration on earth. The badger skins are outside, because this is a display in a human instrument.

God's purpose is that Israel's twelve tribes shall hold the first place on earth. In them the very highest kind of human splendour will be on display. So the "scarlet" covering on the table of showbread fits. The twelve loaves clearly point to the twelve tribes. As for the scarlet colour, you only have to look through Scripture to see that it stands for what people count as splendid.

Here — and here only — we have the blue (which speaks of heaven and of God) and the scarlet (which speaks of earth and of man) without the purple in between. Purple is the colour that speaks so plainly of the "one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus". In this one place where blue and scarlet are named together without the purple, we read of something that came between them, taking the usual connecting place of the purple — and that something was "the continual bread". For this once the mediating purple was replaced, and what replaced it was the showbread. It pictured so plainly Him Who said, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." ... Here we have, in picture language, the gracious God having fellowship with redeemed man through Him Whom the bread represented.

It was called showbread, or "bread of face," suggesting that it stood before the face of God, perfectly acceptable to Him. It was also called "the continual bread" (Num. 4:7), which reminds us that it was always before God. It was called the "hallowed bread" too, and that speaks of the holiness attached to this presentation.

"The table of showbread" was a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ in His connection with the twelve tribes of Israel. First came "a cloth of blue," then "a cloth of scarlet," and over all, the badgers' skins. In other words, first came what is heavenly by its very nature; then what expresses human splendour; and above all, what protects from evil. It is God's purpose that Israel's twelve tribes shall hold the first place on earth, and show the very highest human splendour. So the "scarlet" covering suits the table of showbread. The twelve loaves clearly point to the twelve tribes, and you only have to look through Scripture to see that scarlet stands for what people count splendid.

Why did the Spirit of God direct a covering of scarlet between the blue and the badgers' skins on the table of showbread? Why not on the candlestick? The reason, I take it, is that scarlet is the well-known sign of His glory. It marks Him not so much as Son of Man, but as the true Messiah — the one who takes the kingdom of David, His forefather by human descent.

Here — and here only — we have the blue, which speaks of heaven and of God, and the scarlet, which speaks of earth and of man, without the purple in between… But this is very telling. In the one place where blue and scarlet appear together without the purple, we read of something that came between them. It took the usual connecting place of the purple, and that something was "the continual bread"… It pictured Him who said, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever."… In picture language, the gracious God has fellowship with redeemed man through the One the bread stood for.

The scarlet came next — royalty, or human glory — because in the wilderness the time for showing it had not yet come. That will be connected with the kingdom at His appearing. The badgers' skins are therefore outside, hiding His human or royal glory…

Over all were the badgers' skins to preserve the whole from evil. Everyone needs this outward protection except the Person of Christ. Christ was truly sheltered from evil, but in an inward and deeper way. Those who had eyes to see saw the heavenly in Him at first glance: "the second man is from heaven."

So it teaches that keeping the heavenly character takes tireless watchfulness. We must guard ourselves with constant diligence — through the use of the Word — from the corruption and filth that press on us from every side.

The children of Israel were pilgrims in the wilderness. So the tabernacle and all its furniture were made to suit that character, and went with them in all their wanderings. Christ is always with His people. The very rings and staves, like the table itself, are made of gold and acacia wood, and they point to Him as the God-man.

When the camp moved… their duty was to carry the holy vessels. They could not choose their burden. They were not even allowed to touch the holy vessels. But after the priests had covered them in the ordered way and put them on bars or staves, the Kohathites came forward, each to receive his appointed service.

Next to the table of showbread came the candlestick, covered with a cloth of blue and badgers' skins. It was the spiritual perfection of the light of the Spirit. What covered it was simply heavenly. The badgers' skins were the guard against the harm that the entrusted grace might suffer in the wilderness. All its utensils bore the same character.

Next comes the lampstand, covered like the table with a cloth of blue, because Christ, the maintainer of spiritual light, has passed into the heavens. For the world it is hidden: it is night, and the sun is down; but on us who are in the sanctuary it shines still through the night. Outside, the sealskin covering wraps the lamp again. What shows most is the holiness of the truth.

In the case of the candlestick of light there is altogether a different thing. Nothing else but blue appears. There is neither scarlet nor purple; nor was there, you will notice, the covering veil. Why is this? Because here we have brought into close connection the light of divine testimony. It does not refer to the tribes of Israel. It belongs to the heavenly calling. It is exactly when Israel disappears that God gives the power of His Spirit, and that power is the real means of showing this heavenly light. So it all comes down to two ideas: one is the heavenly link, and the other is the power that rejects all impurity.

With the other vessels the blue was inside and the badgers' skins on the surface, to keep them from defilement. This was so even with the candlestick. It stands for the sevenfold light of the Spirit. He is essentially holy, just as Christ is. He has never become incarnate, yet He now lives in redeemed men. There was a further difference. The table of showbread had a cloth of scarlet spread over it as well as one of blue... Scarlet is generally held to stand for human glory, and purple for imperial dominion. The showbread loaves spoke of God's perfect administration for the earth, which is yet to be realised through the twelve tribes of Israel, and there human glory will shine most brightly.

The priests were to cover the lampstand with blue cloth, together with its lamps, wick trimmers, trays and oil vessels, and then put it on carrying bars or poles. For the lampstand symbolises Christ as the Sustainer of testimony. The blue insists that true testimony for God comes from heaven. The badger skins again show that this testimony is not attractive or popular in the world, though it is durable.

The priests alone had the work of preparing the tabernacle's contents for the journey. No eyes but theirs were to look on the ark and the other holy objects and vessels that were there. No hands but theirs were to place the suitable coverings on them. Only when the priests had covered them were the Kohathites to lift them... we may take to heart the lesson that we grasp the far holier Reality now shown to us only as we take up our priestly privileges in the power of the Spirit.

The candlestick alone is before us. It is not in its covering of blue and badgers' skins, as in chapter 4, where it, like all the rest, wears its travelling dress. Here it is lit, not covered... No one can do without light in the wilderness. So the golden candlestick must be stripped of its covering and left to shine in testimony for God.

When the camp moved on — and journeying was the mark of the wilderness — their duty was to bear the holy vessels. They could not choose their burden; they were not even allowed to touch the holy vessels. But first the priests covered them in the ordered way and put them on bars or poles. Then the Kohathites came forward. Each one received his appointed service and learned what his duty was.

Next, the lampstand gets the same covering as the table, a cloth of blue. This is because Christ, who maintains spiritual light, has passed into the heavens. For the world it is hidden: it is night, and the sun is down. But it still shines on us who are in the sanctuary, right through the night. Outside, the sealskin covering wraps the lamp again: what shows most is the holiness of the truth.

Next the candlestick was to be covered entirely with a cloth of blue, then with badgers' skins, and put on a bar. Here there is no scarlet, because it showed forth the Spirit, and there is no royalty or glory of man to come out in this.

It is a good protection from the weather. The tachash skin covered the outside of the tabernacle, and it covered the ark on the journey… As a picture, the badgers' skins stand for the holy, separate walk of the Lord Jesus, kept wholly safe from every contamination of the world. He was always morally "separate from sinners."

It was the spiritual perfection of the light of the Spirit. What covered it was simply heavenly. The badgers' skins were the guard against any harm this entrusted grace might suffer in the wilderness. All its utensils bore the same character.

It seems strange at first that these lamps should need snuffers and snuff-dishes. But it becomes simple when we remember this: here, as elsewhere, we see the Spirit of God in connection with the human instruments He is pleased to use. And they need — how often! — the service this implies. The snuffers are therefore "golden," for the glory of God, though only a priestly hand can use them rightly.

On no account could these vessels go into wagons, as everything else belonging to the tabernacle did. The Levites had to carry them on their shoulders alone. At the dedication of the altar, the twelve leaders of the tribes offered wagons for the service of the Lord. God then told Moses to give them to the Gershonites and the Merarites… but to the Kohathites He gave none, "because the service of the sanctuary belonging to them was that they should bear upon their shoulders."

We admit we are very afraid of imagination. We do not think we have ever sat down to write on Scripture with a deeper sense of this: only the Holy Spirit can really explain it.

The coverings of the golden lampstand and of the golden altar were identical. First came the heavenly covering, then the outer badgers' skin. The golden altar shows us Christ and the preciousness of His intercession — the fragrance and value of what He is before God.

Our prayers and our praises come up before God in all the sweet fragrance of the ascending incense. When the holy fire of God tested the sweet incense "beaten small," it found nothing there but the rich fragrance of the preciousness of Christ.

This altar represents Christ as the Sustainer of worship, and worship too is of heavenly character (the blue), but has no attraction for the outside world.

The blue was hidden. It is the emblem of what is heavenly — the heavenly character that flows from priestly intercession, and that is indeed tied to the priestly position. It was for the eye of God alone. Then come the badgers' skins. They stand for the holy watchfulness by which Christ guarded Himself from evil. This covering is outside, because here it is a question of passing through the wilderness, where evil abounds. So it teaches that if the heavenly character is to be kept, there must be tireless watchfulness. There must be constant diligence to guard ourselves, through the use of the Word, from the contamination and pollution that surround us on every side.

Second, there was the rough outer covering of badgers' skins. This protected everything underneath from any defilement. There was in our Lord that which was wholly repellent of all evil. But this stirred up the hostility of the world, and it explains why the prophet had to announce that "when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him" (Isaiah 53:2).

They were commanded to make poles to carry the ark by. These were symbols of travel. They show us the way our Lord goes with His people in all their wanderings through the wilderness: "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Until they crossed the Jordan they were commanded to leave the poles in their rings. But when they reach their goal in the promised land they take the poles out (1 Kings 8:8), for now they were to wander no more.

It was exclusively the work of the priests to prepare the contents of the tabernacle for transit. No eyes but theirs were to look on the ark and the other holy objects and vessels that were there. No hands but theirs were to place the suitable coverings on them. Only when the priests had covered them were the Kohathites to lift them. These objects were only shadows of the good things to come in Christ Himself and the Holy Spirit. If even they were open to priestly eyes alone, then the far holier Reality, now revealed to us, is grasped only as we take up our priestly privileges in the power of the Spirit.

It was the highest form of service; it was what brought the service closest to Christ. Outwardly it did not look so fine. It does not at all follow that the loudest or showiest service among men is the most honourable in the eyes of God. This is the one sure test of value; it is always Christ. Whatever brings one nearest to Christ, and brings out Christ most, is always the best.

The utensils of service were all covered together in the same way: a blue cloth, then a covering of badger skins on top, and then they were placed on carrying bars (v.12). So the same truths apply to every detail of the furniture of the outer sanctuary.

With these other vessels the blue was inside and the badgers' skins were on the outside, to keep off defilement. This was true even of the lampstand, which pictures the seven-fold light of the Spirit. He is holy in His very nature, just as Christ is; but He has never taken a human body, and He now lives in redeemed people.

It gives good protection from the weather, and we find this skin was used for the outer covering of the tabernacle, and to cover the ark while it was carried… The badgers' skins picture the holy, separate walk of the Lord Jesus, fully protected from all the defilement of the world: in His character He was always "separated from sinners."

Only the priests could prepare the contents of the tabernacle for the journey. No eyes but theirs were to look on the ark and the other holy objects and vessels there. No hands but theirs were to put the right coverings on them. The Kohathites were to lift them only after the priests had covered them.

From the outside no one could tell what these vessels were, though each Kohathite knew the charge given to him. But there was nothing in the service itself, or in what people could see of it, to bring glory to the men doing it. Someone watching from outside could only think that the Kohathites had been picked out for the hardest work… The Kohathites were subject to what they carried, and their hearts were taken up with the worth of what they bore… And best of all, they could know in their hearts that the eye of Israel's God was on them: they were set apart for the service of His house.

They had no choice in the matter. Their service was simple obedience, yet it kept them very near to God; and if their heart was in it, it was a rare delight. Notice too that they had to walk together. No vessel of the sanctuary could be carried without a bar, and a bar means at least two bearers. Every personal preference had to be set aside. One man might be stronger than another, or able to walk faster. But neither the strong nor the weak set the pace or the time. That depended on the cloud alone, which directed every move of the camp.

This service is the carrying of the holy things through the wilderness. For us it pictures how we present Christ and the heavenly truths of Christianity in the world as we pass through it. True, they are in their travelling dress, and faith alone can know them as they really are in themselves. Yet this testimony has the highest possible value, and God counts it so. If it is His good pleasure to go through the world this way, He trusts Himself to the loving obedience of His people to carry Him through.

There are two words for "ashes": one is the general term, largely used in the language of mourning... The other word is only used in connection with the sacrifices, and literally means "fat."... Ashes are the witness that the fire has done its work, the witness of an accomplished and accepted sacrifice. So an older translation's margin at Psalm 20:3 reads, "The Lord turn to ashes your burnt sacrifice." The text there says "accept," and the margin explains what that means. This witness of an accepted sacrifice is not a sign of sorrow — the other word is used for that — nor a sign of worthlessness. There is nothing worthless in the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ.

With the bronze altar we see a clear difference. It was covered with "purple" instead of "blue" or "scarlet." Why was this? No doubt it is because the bronze altar pictured Christ in advance as the One who "suffered for sins," and who will therefore hold the royal sceptre. "Purple" is the royal colour. The One who suffered in this world shall reign. The One who wore the crown of thorns shall wear the crown of glory. So we can see how fitting the "purple" covering is on the bronze altar — for on that altar the victim was offered.

The bronze altar was different. Its covering was a purple cloth, the royal colour. If we suffer, we shall reign. There is a connection between the cross and the crown upon the earth and in heaven. So it was with Christ, the King of the Jews, as the inscription written on the cross said. And the very throne of God was the answer to His sufferings. He was the burnt offering, offered by the power of the eternal Spirit acting in man, and meeting the demand of the divine majesty.

The ark speaks of Him whom death could not hold... the table tells of the law of the Lord going out to the nations while Israel stands before Him for His pleasure. But the altar of burnt offering, where sin was dealt with, is above all the Cross... Here we see the universal reach of the Cross. Like the three liftings up in John's Gospel, it rises from Israel and the earth to the whole creation.

The purple cloth went straight onto the altar. Purple is royalty, and this makes the meaning clear. It is the sufferings of Christ — as seen in the altar — and the glories that should follow, as shown by the purple. The cross first, and then the crown. But the altar was in the wilderness, and so the badgers' skins were outside, covering up the purple. The time for taking up the royal glory of Christ had not yet arrived. In the meantime only the badgers' skins were seen — the emblem of the holy watchfulness that guarded Him from evil as He passed through the wilderness in rejection, waiting for the time of His kingdom.

So all that related to the service was placed on purple; the altar was under this covering. The badgers' skins here, as always, were spread over all.

"If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him." Our reigning with Christ does not depend in any way on our present suffering. But suffering here is the appointed path for those who will be joined with Christ in His kingdom. Scripture pictured this in the instruction about the altar: the purple cloth was spread on it first, with its vessels, and badgers' skins covered it for the journey through the wilderness.

Finally, in reference to the bronze altar, we notice a marked distinction. It was covered with "purple" instead of "blue" or "scarlet." Why was this? No doubt because the bronze altar pictured Christ as the One who "suffered for sins." He will therefore hold the sceptre of royalty. "Purple" is the royal colour. The One who suffered in this world will reign. The One who wore the crown of thorns will wear the crown of glory. So the "purple" covering fits the bronze altar morally — for on that altar the victim was offered… Thousands could read Numbers 4 again and again and never notice that the ark alone, of all the tabernacle furniture, wore no badger skin. And how many have failed to notice that the bronze altar alone put on the "purple"?

The purple cloth was put directly on the altar. Purple is royalty, and this makes the meaning clear. It is the sufferings of Christ — seen in the altar — and the glories that would follow, shown by the purple. The cross first, and then the crown. But the altar was in the wilderness, and so the badgers' skins were outside, covering up the purple. The time for taking up the royal glory of Christ had not yet arrived. Meanwhile the badgers' skins were all that could be seen. They picture the holy watchfulness that guarded Him from evil as He passed through the wilderness in rejection, waiting for the time of His kingdom.

How fitting also that the altar, which spoke of the sufferings and death of the Saviour, should be covered with purple under the badger skins. All will acknowledge that His universal dominion rests for its foundation on His death, as Revelation 5 shows so clearly. The "beasts" of Revelation 13 grasp at power. The only One worthy to receive it is "the Lamb who was slain." To this we all add our worshipful "Amen" even today.

So everything connected with the service was placed on purple; the altar was under this covering. The badgers' skins here, as always, were spread over all.

God's judicial righteousness was at work in every act. The whole dealing, both in our Lord's death and in what followed, rested on that unbending, unyielding character. So the basins (mizrekoth, from a word meaning "to sprinkle") were of copper. They received the blood, and from them it was poured or sprinkled on the altar. The full measure of judgment had been poured out… The use of the flesh-hooks (mizlegoth, from a root meaning to "draw up") is not stated. It seems they were for handling the various parts of the sacrifice at different stages. All was in keeping with divine justice, to which the Holy One willingly submitted.

It was no question of choice for them. Their service was simple obedience, yet very near to God — and, if their heart was in it, a rare delight. And notice too, they had to walk together. No vessel of the sanctuary could be carried without a bar, which means at least two bearers. Every personal consideration had to be set aside. One might be stronger than another, or able to walk faster. But neither the strong nor the weak could decide the pace or the time. That depended only on the cloud, which directed every movement of the camp.

As we survey the whole of Numbers 4, we cannot help being struck by the way God ordered everything connected with His wilderness house, leaving nothing to man's preference or choice… We are only right as we serve under the direction of the Spirit of God. It is not for us to pick and choose.

Preparing the contents of the tabernacle for the journey was the work of the priests alone. No eyes but theirs were to gaze upon the ark and the other holy objects and vessels that were there. No hands but theirs were to put the right coverings on them. The Kohathites could lift them only after the priests had covered them. These objects were only shadows of the good things to come in Christ Himself and the Holy Spirit. If only priests' eyes ever saw them, we should take the lesson to heart. We grasp the far holier Reality, now revealed to us, only as we take up our priestly privileges in the power of the Spirit. Without that we may try to examine it, but only to our own ruin.

The Kohathites could begin carrying this furniture on its poles only after Aaron and his sons had finished preparing it (v.15). But they were not to touch any of these furnishings at all, on pain of death. This teaches us something. The Lord's servants have the privilege of bearing witness to the truth about the Lord Jesus in all His wonderful relationships. Yet they are to hold the glory of His person in such healthy respect that they never forget this: no one knows the Father except the Son, and no one knows the Son but the Father. "Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness" (1 Tim. 3:16). We cannot, and must not dare to, try to explain the great mystery of the person of Christ. His glory is far above our understanding.

They faced a danger that others did not face in the same way, because they stood in the place nearest to God. God will not allow anything in His presence that is unworthy of Himself. He does not interfere with the world in its sin. He lets it go on its way until the judgment. But He will be sanctified in those who draw near to Him. For them in particular there is the danger of being cut off, if they do not submit to the order of the sanctuary… The nearer we are to God, the more careful we must be to do everything according to God's order.

Their high and holy service was to carry on their own shoulders, and not to use wagons or oxen. The more closely we look at the things given into the care and charge of the Kohathites, the more we see that they picture the deeper and fuller ways God has shown Himself in Christ… The Kohathite did not need the help of a wagon or an ox in his high service. His own shoulder was to carry that precious, mysterious load.

There was nothing in the service itself, or in what could be seen of it, to bring glory to the men doing it. Someone watching from outside could only think that the Kohathites had been picked out for the hardest work… The Kohathites were subject to what they carried, and their hearts weighed the worth of what they bore. Each one had to keep his proper place and carry the load given to him, plain and unattractive as it looked.

In practice nothing is more important than this: each servant of God should know the work He has given him to do, and once he knows it, he should stick to it. It also matters greatly never to interfere with another's service. The Lord is sovereign in this. He divides the work as He wills.

God had said that the sons of Kohath, that is, the Levites, should carry the ark (Num. 4:15). If David had asked the Lord, he would have learned this, and no one would have put the ark on a cart or let Uzza and Ahio lead it… Uzza was not a man who felt his own weakness and let the Lord rule and guide him. So he put out his hand and touched the ark. Every child of God who takes up the Lord's work, assuming he can act in his own strength, is like Uzza.

Aaron the high priest was anointed to approach the LORD as the people's representative. But his other two sons also had an active part in the priesthood. Eleazar is mentioned about thirty-two times in the book of Numbers. That shows he had a very active part to play while the tabernacle stood in the wilderness. His special charge seems to be this: to keep the oil, incense and so on at hand, so the tabernacle could keep working (verse 16). Under Aaron's hand he made sure every need was met, so the light kept burning, the holy incense kept rising and the daily offerings kept going up. What we may call the daily needs of the house, so that the service of God would go on without interruption.

Bishops, or overseers — episkopoi — is a term every reader of the New Testament knows. Students of the Septuagint, the old Greek translation of the Old Testament, knew it too. That translation uses it for civil matters (Isaiah 60:17; Nehemiah 11:9, 14, 22), for military ones (Numbers 31:14; 2 Kings 11:15), and for the oversight of priestly service (Numbers 4:16). In each case we meet people called overseers, or bishops.

Eleazar was responsible to see that these things were in supply: the oil for the light, the incense for the golden altar, and the continual offering. That offering burned on the altar of burnt offering the whole time Aaron was in the tabernacle, both morning and evening. These three things were all in function together. The fragrance of the evening offering. The sweet incense rising from the golden altar. The light shining. One of these was in the court; the other two were in the holy place. These things picture for us the daily service of the house of God, and the daily need connected with that service, if we are to be found today exercising our holy priesthood together with our Lord Jesus Christ, the great Priest over the house of God.

The priest did have a nearer place than the servant (the Levite), a place of enjoyment of the Lord's presence... Eleazar's name means "God is Helper," and he succeeded Aaron in the high priesthood when Aaron died (Numbers 20:23-28). He is therefore a picture of Christ as High Priest in resurrection.

Chapter 4 gives details of the Levites' service at the sanctuary. It also gives details of the priests' work, especially when the camp was on the move. The Levites fell into three groups, led by Kohath, Gershon and Merari. Aaron's son Eleazar controlled the first group, and his son Ithamar controlled the second and third.

The service of Merari suggests what we may call a practical ministry. The service of Gershon suggests a doctrinal ministry. Both of these came under the hand of Ithamar. But the service of Kohath, under the hand of Eleazar, suggests a devotional ministry about the greatness and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then all of it would come under the hand of Aaron the high priest. The responsibility lay on his shoulders to see that everything was done according to the mind of God, given through Moses.

They faced a danger that others did not face in the same way, because they stood in the place of greatest nearness to God. God will not allow in His presence what is not worthy of Himself. He does not interfere with the world in its sin. He lets that go on its way until the judgment. But He will be sanctified in those who draw near to Him. They above all are in danger of being cut off if they do not submit to the order of the sanctuary. The nearer we are to God, the more careful we must be to do everything according to God's order.

Only the priests were to get the contents of the tabernacle ready to move. No eyes but theirs were to gaze upon the ark and the other holy objects and vessels that were there. No hands but theirs were to place upon them the suitable coverings. Only when covered by the priests were the Kohathites to lift them. These objects were only shadows of the good things to come in Christ Himself and the Holy Spirit. If even they were shown to priestly eyes alone, take this lesson to heart: the far holier Reality, now revealed to us, is grasped only as we take up our priestly privileges in the power of the Spirit. Without this we may try to examine it, but only to our own ruin.

What instruction is there for us in this? Is it not this? We must not let the natural man, the curiosity of an unsanctified heart, satisfy itself with what God has put in His house to show the glory of Christ. The natural man must not be allowed to trespass here, even to admire. God has given us His truth so that it may command us, rule our hearts and shape our ways. It is not for the natural man to admire or to criticise it. And those who were in the greatest danger of doing this were those who were brought the nearest.

They carried the sacred vessels, and the bronze altar was one of them, yet they could never serve at it. They were allowed to cross the threshold of the sanctuary, but they could not enter that holy room until the priests had wrapped up every vessel. Each time the camp moved, it was a reminder: the priest had a place and a service at the tabernacle that no mere Levite could ever reach. A great gulf lay between the two, and nothing could ever bridge it. When some of the Kohathites, led by Korah, presumed to put themselves on a level with the priests, God dealt with them in striking judgment… Yet the priests were not independent of Levite service. For God's work to be done properly, the Levites' service was essential. God's arrangement balanced everything: the work could only be done well as each filled his post and did his part.

Verses 17-20 insist that the Kohathites were not to be cut off from Israel, but to avoid this they must fully obey instructions from the priests to do only the work assigned to them, and not even to watch while the priests covered the holy things in preparation for moving. Thus it is emphasised that service must not infringe on the privileges of priesthood.

The Lord's servants have the privilege of bearing witness to the truth about the Lord Jesus in all of His wonderful relationships. Yet they are to hold the glory of His person in such healthy regard that they never forget this: no one knows the Father except the Son, and no one knows the Son but the Father… We cannot and must not dare to try to explain the great mystery of the person of Christ. His glory is infinitely above our understanding.

The Kohathites had one special service: the vessels of the tabernacle, God's dwelling-place among His people. Each of those vessels showed a different aspect of Christ's glory. When the camp moved, their duty was to carry the holy vessels. They could not choose their burden; they were not even allowed to touch the holy vessels. First the priests covered them in the appointed way and put them on bars or poles. Then each Kohathite came forward to receive his appointed service and learn his duty.

There was danger for them that others did not face in the same way. They were in the place of greatest nearness to God. God will not allow in His presence anything unworthy of Himself. He does not interfere with the world in its sin. He lets it go on its way until the judgment. But He will be sanctified in those who draw near to Him. They above all are in danger of being cut off if they do not submit to the order of the sanctuary. The nearer we are to God, the more careful we must be to do everything according to God's order.

Only the priests prepared the contents of the tabernacle for transport. No eyes but theirs were to look on the ark and the other holy objects and vessels that were there. No hands but theirs were to place the suitable coverings on them. Only when the priests had covered them were the Kohathites to lift them. These objects were only shadows of the good things to come in Christ Himself and the Holy Spirit. If even they were shown to priestly eyes alone, we may take this lesson to heart. The far holier Reality is now revealed to us. We grasp it only as we take up our priestly privileges in the power of the Spirit. Apart from this we may try to examine it, but only to our own ruin.

There was no ground for the Kohathites to lift themselves up as equal to the priests. They carried the sacred vessels, including the bronze altar, but they could never serve at it. Each time the camp moved, it was a reminder. The priest had a place and a service at the tabernacle that no mere Levite could ever reach. A great gulf lay between the two, and nothing could ever bridge it. When some of the Kohathites, led by Korah, presumed to put themselves on a level with priests, God dealt with them openly in judgment... Yet the priests were not independent of Levite service. God's work needed the Levites' ministry.

Look at the whole of Numbers 4. The way God ordered everything in His wilderness house is striking. He left nothing to man's preference or choice... in God's present house, "the church of the living God" (1 Tim. 3:15), the Spirit of God is sovereign. He acts under the lordship of Christ, and He divides "to each one individually as he wills." We are only right as we serve under the direction of the Spirit of God. It is not for us to pick and choose.

What is the instruction for us in this? It is this: do not let the natural man, the curiosity of an unsanctified heart, satisfy itself with what God has put in His house to show the glory of Christ. ... God has given us His truth so that the truth may command us, rule our hearts and shape our ways. It is not for the natural man to admire or to criticise it. And those in the greatest danger of doing this were those brought nearest.

There was danger for them that did not exist in the same way for others, because they were in the place of greatest nearness to God. God will not allow in His presence anything that is not worthy of Himself. He does not interfere with the world in its sin. He lets it go on its way until the judgment. But He will be sanctified in those who draw near to Him. For them especially there is the danger of being cut off if they do not submit to the order of the sanctuary. The nearer we are to God, the more careful we must be to do everything according to God's order.

In Numbers 4 we come to another important point — the carrying of the vessels of the sanctuary through the wilderness. It was the highest form of service; it was what brought the service closest to Christ. Outwardly it did not look so well. Some service makes a great show or noise among men. It does not at all follow that such service has the most honourable character in the eyes of God.

So not every Levite had the same sphere of activity – and none of them could choose his own service. If you were born a Merarite, you could not take care of the vessels of the sanctuary. That charge belonged to the Kohathites. So it is with Christian service: God gives different types of service to different believers.

God settled it all, and this was a remarkable mercy to everyone whose heart was in a right condition. To someone whose will was unbroken it might seem a hardship. It might feel a very tiresome task to stay in the same position, or to work at exactly the same line of work. Such a person might long for something fresh — some variety in his work. But when a man's will was subdued and his heart adjusted, he would say, "My path is perfectly plain; I have only to obey."

Numbers 4 lists the various services of the Levites. The sons of Kohath had the distinct honour, yet solemn responsibility, of carrying the ark of the testimony and the other golden vessels. Of their service alone it is said that it is most holy. Notice, however, that Aaron and his sons, the priestly family, had to prepare the vessels by covering them first. Only then could the Levites take up the service given to them.

No one could tell from the outward appearance what these vessels were, though each Kohathite might know what his appointed charge was. But there was nothing in the service itself, or in what was visible of it, to bring glory to those occupied in it. Someone looking on from outside could only get the impression that the Kohathites were set apart for the hardest labour. On no account could they have the relief of a wagon for carrying their charge. They were always to carry on their shoulders. But if anyone asked them what they did, their answer would be that they carried the vessels of the sanctuary. Best of all, they could know in their souls that the eye of Israel's God was upon them. They were set apart for the service of His house.

Preparing the contents of the tabernacle for travel was the work of the priests alone. No eyes but theirs were to gaze upon the ark and the other holy objects and vessels that were there. No hands but theirs were to put the right coverings on them. The Kohathites were to lift them only after the priests had covered them. These objects were only shadows of the good things to come in Christ Himself and the Holy Spirit, and only priests were allowed to look at them. So take this lesson to heart. The far holier Reality is now revealed to us. We grasp it only as we take up our priestly privileges in the power of the Spirit. Without that, we may try to examine it closely, but only to our own ruin.

They carried the sacred vessels, and the bronze altar was among them, yet they could never serve at that altar. They could cross the threshold of the Sanctuary. Even so, they could not enter that holy room until the priests had wrapped up all the vessels. "They shall not go in to see the Sanctuary even for a moment, lest they die" — so reads the Revised Version of Numbers 4:20. Each time the camp moved, it was a reminder. The priest had a place and a service at the Tabernacle that no mere Levite could ever reach. A great gulf lay between the two, and nothing could ever bridge it. When some of the Kohathites, led by Korah, dared to make themselves equal with the priests, God dealt with them in judgment.

They faced a danger that others did not face in the same way. They were in the place of greatest nearness to God. God will not allow in His presence what is not worthy of Himself. He does not interfere with the world in its sin. He lets it go on its way until the judgment. But He will be sanctified in those who draw near to Him. They above all are in danger of being cut off if they do not submit to the order of the sanctuary… The nearer we are to God, the more careful we must be to do everything according to God's order. They were to come and take the holy things only after the priests had covered them.

What is the lesson for us here? God has put things in His house to display the glory of Christ. We must not let the natural man, the curiosity of an unsanctified heart, satisfy itself with them. The natural man must not trespass here, even to admire. God gave us His truth so that the truth may command us, rule our hearts and shape our ways. It is not for the natural man to admire it or criticise it. And those in the greatest danger of doing this were the ones brought nearest to God.

But even when God had His sanctuary here on earth, how little of its beauty the ordinary worshipper saw! He never saw the golden sanctuary, nor the cherubim and vessels of gold. Those things were kept carefully out of his sight. The priests had orders to cover up the vessels of ministry, even from the eyes of the Levites who carried them (Num. 4:15, 20). The eyes of the priests alone were to rest on these holy things. Now we deal with the realities that those veiled and precious pictures stood for. All believers are now priests to God, and so all now is open to faith; but open to faith alone.

We are not only God's own people. He Himself counts each of us, one by one, as those He relies on. That holds whatever the march may be, and whoever we may have to fight as we pass through the wilderness. But we also have to do with serving Him, and above all in what concerns the sanctuary. Seen this way, counting us as an army would be out of place. The object is to stamp service with a character that is not of this earth. The Levites stand quite apart, outside all this reckoning. God sets them apart for His own service, and they need no such reminder of His care.

They were to carry the curtains of the tabernacle, the covering of skins, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle. They also carried the hanging for the gate of the court, all the hangings of the court, their cords and the other furnishings that went with them. These speak, first, of the moral perfection in the life of the Lord Jesus. They speak, second, of the moral righteousness of the saints of God — the linen hangings of the court. So the ministry seen in Gershon insists on the unique perfection of the Manhood of Christ, and on the fitting responsibility of saints to represent Him in their measure in their daily lives. "For the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints" (Rev. 19:8).

Gershon and his sons had charge of the coverings and the fine linen. Gershon means exile, a stranger. The fine linen is typical of righteousness. The coverings and hangings divided off and separated the different parts of the tabernacle. So they must carry the meaning of separation. His service points to this: we are separated ones and strangers in the world. Practical righteousness must bear witness to that separation.

How we need to hold to the very separation that Satan and the world outside, joined with the flesh within us, unite to break through and, if possible, destroy! These linen curtains look frail enough for a wall! Unbelief never stops pouring contempt on what is of God.

Gershon had nothing to do with the boards and pins, and Merari had nothing to do with the curtains or the coverings. And yet they were very closely connected, and they depended on each other. The boards and sockets would not do without the curtains, and the curtains would not do without the boards and sockets… Suppose a Gershonite had decided to leave the curtains and take up the pins. He would have left his own work undone and interfered with the work of the Merarite.

Moses gave two wagons and four oxen to the Gershonites, and four wagons and eight oxen to the Merarites. The family with the heaviest burden had the greatest help… Bearing burdens required strength. God would not overtax the strength of anyone He called to labour for Him. So no one took part in Levitical burden-bearing before he had reached thirty years of age, and no one was asked to continue such service after fifty. What a thing it was, and is, to be the servants of God. He, the Almighty, thinks of them, and considers them.

Our work may look rough and unattractive to human eyes, mean and insignificant. It is enough for us that our Lord has assigned us our post and given us our work. Our work has direct reference to the Person and glory of Him who is the chief among ten thousand, and altogether lovely… God measures everything by Christ. Whatever has even the very smallest reference to Christ is interesting and important in God's account.

Keeping proper order in everything that belongs to His worship and service is very important — no less in the church than with Israel. From twenty years old the men of the other tribes were numbered for war, but the Levites had to be thirty before they could begin their service. They had to be at least past the age when the rashness and impulsiveness of youth might sway them.

Thirty years was the God-appointed age for the Levites to enter their service (Num. 4:3); it was at that age that our Lord was presented to Israel and entered His ministry (Luke 3:23).

On the surface there does seem to be a discrepancy between these passages about the age at which the Levites began their service. But there cannot possibly be a mistake on such a simple matter. A suggestion often made and generally accepted removes the difficulty at once: they were tested from twenty-five to thirty before they finally entered on their appointed work. If so, the first five years were a probationary period before their formal installation.

It was a gracious provision that at 50 the Levite could retire from the harder work. There is no clash here with what chapter 4 says. From 25 to 30 they could do the lighter work of the tabernacle, just as the Levites over 50 were exempt from the harder tasks.

Each one was at his post, and each moved in his divinely appointed sphere. So the moment the cloud was lifted and the order came to strike camp, every man knew what he had to do, and he gave himself to that and to nothing else. No man had any right to think for himself. The Lord thought for all… Looked at in this light, it was a matter of complete indifference whether a man carried a pin, a curtain, or a golden lampstand. The great question for each and for all was simply, "Is this my work? Is this what the Lord has given me to do?"

They were to carry the curtains of the tabernacle, the covering of badger skins, and the hangings for the door of the tabernacle and the gate of the court. They also carried all the hangings of the court, with their cords and other furnishings. These speak first of the moral perfection in the life of the Lord Jesus. They speak second of the moral righteousness of the saints of God — the linen hangings of the court.

This is what makes the believer "a stranger" — which is what the name Gershon means — in the world. Suppose we walk in a way that shows the character of the Lord Jesus, and in doing so realise that our place is the wilderness. Then we may be sure of the result: it will clearly mark our character out as that of a stranger in the world.

Carrying burdens required strength. Now God would not overtax the strength of anyone called to labour for Him. So He called no one to the Levitical work of bearing burdens until they had reached thirty years of age. And He did not ask them to continue that service after fifty. What a thing it was, and is, to be one of God's servants. He, the Almighty, thinks of them and considers them.

Then, at the age of fifty, they were to stop waiting on the service of the tabernacle, and to serve no more. Still, they were to keep the charge of the Lord, even if they did no service. At His word we are to labour, and at His word we are to rest.

Look over the whole of Numbers 4, and one thing strikes you. God ordered everything in His wilderness house and left nothing to man's preference or choice. It reminds us at once of 1 Corinthians 12 and 14. There we learn that in God's present house, which is "the church of the living God" (1 Tim. 3:15), the Spirit of God is sovereign. He acts under the lordship of Christ, and He divides "to each one individually as He wills." We are only right as we serve under the direction of the Spirit of God. It is not for us to pick and choose.

They were to carry the curtains of the tabernacle and the covering of badger skins. They carried the screen for the door of the tabernacle and the one for the gate of the court. They also carried all the hangings of the court, their cords and the other furnishings that went with them (vv. 25-26). These speak first of the moral perfection in the life of the Lord Jesus. They speak second of the moral righteousness of the saints of God (the linen hangings of the court). So this ministry insists on Christ's perfection as man, and on the duty of the saints to show Him in daily life.

There are those whose blessed place it is to dwell on Christ Himself. They delight in His grace. They have the deepest admiration for His person, His divine glory, His perfect devotion to the Father... Others are more taken up with what displays the Lord to men. It is clear that the curtains, the tabernacle, all the outward part, do not so much set forth Christ before God as before man. The first of these does much to build a spirit of worship. The second answers more to the needs of man.

This is what makes the believer "a stranger" — which is what the name Gershon means — in the world. If we walk so that the character of the Lord Jesus shows in us, and so realise that our place is in the wilderness, we may be sure of the result. It will give a very decided tone of strangeness to our character in the world. The church has laid down the rams' skins and badgers' skins, and with them the Gershonite character. In other words, she has stopped walking in the footsteps of her rejected Lord and Master. She should be a tired and worn stranger, treading the dry and barren desert with the burden on her shoulders. Instead she has settled down in the pleasant places of the world and made herself at home.

That is what enabled the Gershonite in the wilderness to care for those rough, unattractive badger skins, and the Merarite to care for those small, unimportant-looking pins. And this is what will enable the Christian now to take up the special line of service his Lord may call him to... It is enough for us that our Lord has assigned our post and given us our work, and that our work points straight to the person and glory of Him who is the chief among ten thousand, and altogether lovely... Whatever has even the very smallest reference to Christ is interesting and important in God's account.

If God calls people to do His work, He will provide all they need to carry it on. The Gershonites and the Merarites had clear proof of this... Both of these great families were thought of, and the one with the heaviest burden had the greatest help. What consideration there was in this!... God would not overtax the strength of anyone He called to work for Him. So no one took part in the Levite work of bearing burdens before he was thirty, and no one was asked to keep on after fifty.

The curtains, the tabernacle, all the outward part, do not set forth Christ before God so much as before man… Clearly those who drove the tabernacle in their wagons, with its tent and coverings, had the Gershonite service, compared with those who carried the precious vessels of the sanctuary… All this may show how these different Levite services picture different kinds of ministry of God's word here on earth.

The "fine linen," we are clear from Rev. 19:8, is "righteousness" — practical righteousness. The curtains that make up the tabernacle itself represent this in Christ. The Divine Word "tabernacled" in His flesh, as John 1:14 puts it (the ESV reads "dwelt among us"). The hangings for the court represent the righteousness of God's people, shown outside the sanctuary in the world. The hangings for the "door" and "gate" again represent Christ, as the only way in. The skins, whether of goats or rams or seals (badgers), also give traits of personal character. That is, it is walk — the showing of personal character — that we find in everything Gershon has to do.

There could be little beauty in the rams' skins and badgers' skins. Yet, little as there was, it was still the high privilege of the Gershonite to take them all up and carry them gladly on his shoulders across the trackless sands. What, then, does the covering of the tabernacle mean? In a word, I believe it pictured the character of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was what met the eye.

Notice that the curtains, coverings, and hangings that Gershon handles are all lines of separation. They define the tabernacle itself. They mark off and separate the court from the wilderness around. So they speak naturally of the boundary lines of God's own enclosure — which is what the Church is in the world.

This is what makes the saint "a stranger" (as the name Gershon means) in the world… The Church has laid down the rams' skins and badgers' skins, and with them the Gershonite character. In other words, the Church has stopped walking in the footsteps of her rejected Lord and Master. She should be the tired and worn stranger, crossing the dry and barren desert with the burden on her shoulders. Instead she has settled down in the green places of the world and made herself at home… God dwelling in curtains showed plainly that neither God nor the ark of His strength had found a resting place. Instead they were journeying on towards "a rest that remained."

If God called people to do His work, He will provide all that is needed to carry it on. The Gershonites and the Merarites had clear proof of this. Moses gave the Gershonites two wagons and four oxen, and the Merarites four wagons and eight oxen. God thought of both of these great families, and the one with the heaviest burden got the greatest help.

Gershon had nothing to do with the boards and pins, and Merari had nothing to do with the curtains or the coverings… Suppose a Gershonite decided to leave "the curtains" and turn to "the pins." He would have left his own work undone and interfered with the work of the Merarite. This would never do. It would have thrown everything into hopeless confusion. Sticking to God's rule kept everything in the most beautiful order.

Notice too that the curtains, coverings, and hangings that Gershon has charge of are all lines of separation. They define the tabernacle itself, or they mark off and separate the court from the wilderness around it. So they speak naturally of the boundary lines of God's own enclosure — which is what the Church is in the world.

These linen curtains look frail enough for a wall! Unbelief is forever holding in contempt what is of God... Today the Church itself thinks little of separation. Yet anyone who holds to the Word of God will find that the reckoning of eternity is on his side.

The "fine linen," as Revelation 19:8 makes clear, is "righteousness" — righteousness worked out in practice. The curtains that make up the tabernacle itself picture this in Christ, in whose flesh the divine Word "tabernacled," which is the expression used in John 1:14 (the ESV reads "dwelt among us"). The hangings of the court picture the righteousness of God's people, on show outside the sanctuary in the world. The hangings of the "door" and the "gate" picture Christ again, as the only way in.

There the hanging for the gate hung in full view of everyone. Every colour told of Christ, and together, in their harmony and beauty, they all announced one thing: "If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved." Notice too that Christ is the way into the holy place, and into the holy of holies, as well as into the court.

Gershon had nothing to do with the boards and pegs, and Merari had nothing to do with the curtains or the coverings. Yet the two were closely connected, and each depended on the other. The boards and sockets were no use without the curtains, and the curtains were no use without the boards and sockets... If a Gershonite had decided to drop the curtains and turn to the pegs, he would have left his own work undone and got in the way of the Merarite's work.

Self-will had no more room in the service of the Levites than it had in the place given to the fighting men. God settled it all. That was a great mercy to everyone whose heart was right. A man whose will was unbroken might find it hard and tiresome to have to keep the same place, or to do exactly the same work... But where the will was bowed and the heart was set right, each one would say, "My path is perfectly plain; I have only to obey."

Walking in the character of the Lord Jesus is what makes the saint "a stranger" in the world — and "stranger" is what the name Gershon means... But the curtain pictured another side of that stranger character: looking ahead. This was a great blessing. God dwelling in curtains showed clearly that neither God nor the ark of His strength had yet found a resting place. Both were still travelling on toward "a rest that remained."

The priest's appointment was to regulate the service of the Levites. Self-will had no more room in their service than it had in the position of the men of war. God settled it all, and this was a great mercy to everyone whose heart was in a right condition. A man whose will was unbroken might find it hard. It might seem a very tiring task to have to stay in the same position, or to do exactly the same kind of work. Such a person might long for something fresh — some variety in his work. But where the will was subdued and the heart adjusted, each one would say, "My path is perfectly plain; I have only to obey."

We are to serve God under the direction of spiritual priestly communion in the sanctuary. No service is intelligent or reasonable unless it springs from priestly communion with the Lord. An intention to obey is not enough. It is communion which gives power and intelligence in service.

Nothing is more important in practice than this: each servant of God should know the work He has given him to do. Once he knows it, he should stick to it. And it matters greatly too that he never interferes with another's service. The Lord is sovereign in this. He divides according to His own will. We are bound to respect this. And nothing is more lovely than servants yielding to one another according to grace and in the fear of God.

Gershon had nothing to do with the boards and pins; and Merari had nothing to do with the curtains or the coverings. And yet the two were closely connected, and each depended on the other... Suppose a Gershonite had decided to leave the curtains and turn to the pins. He would have left his own work undone, and he would have got in the way of the Merarite's work. This would never do.

They were to carry the curtains of the tabernacle, the covering of badger skins, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle. They also carried the hanging for the gate of the court, all the hangings of the court, their cords, and other furnishings connected with these. These speak first of the moral perfection in the life of the Lord Jesus. They speak second of the moral righteousness of the saints of God — the linen hangings of the court... "for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints" (Rev. 19:8).

Each one was at his post, and each moved in the place God had appointed for him. So the moment the cloud lifted and the order came to move, every man knew what he had to do. He turned to that and to nothing else... Seen in this light, it made no difference at all whether a man carried a pin, a curtain, or a golden lampstand. The great question for each and for all was simply, "Is this my work? Is this what the Lord has given me to do?"

If God called people to do His work, He will provide all that is needed to carry it on. The Gershonites and the Merarites had clear proof of this... God thought of both of these great families, and the family with the heaviest burden got the greatest help... To bear burdens required strength. Now God would not overtax the strength of anyone called to labour for Him.

Here was Gershon's work: to carry the tabernacle and its coverings through the waste and howling wilderness. This was true Levite service, but it was most blessed service... There could be little that was attractive in the rams' skins and the badgers' skins. But little as there was, it was still the high privilege of the Gershonite to take them all up and carry them cheerfully on his shoulders across the trackless sands. What, then, are we to understand by the covering of the tabernacle? In a word, it pictured the character of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what makes the saint a stranger in the world — which is what the name Gershon means.

Then we may observe that the curtains, coverings, and hangings that Gershon has to do with are in fact all lines of separation. They define the tabernacle itself, or they mark off and separate the court from the wilderness around. So they speak, easily and naturally, of the boundary lines of God's special enclosure, such as the Church is in the world.

Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, with their sons, each have a line of service given into their hands in Numbers 4... Nothing matters more in practice than this. Each servant of God should know the work He has given him to do. Once he knows it, he should stick to it. Be sure also that it is no small matter never to interfere with another's service. The Lord is sovereign in this. He divides according to His own will.

Levite service was to be regulated by the appointment of the priest. There was no more room for self-will in the service of the Levites than there was in the position of the men of war. God settled everything, and this was a clear mercy to all whose hearts were right. To someone whose will was unbroken it might seem a hardship. It might feel like a tiresome duty to be tied to the same position, or to the same line of work... But where the will was subdued and the heart adjusted, each one would say, "My path is perfectly plain; I have only to obey."

We all need to remember one thing. Service is only intelligent and acceptable when we carry it out in subjection to priestly authority and guidance... This stamped its own character on the entire range of Levite service. The whole tribe of workers were associated with and subject to the great high priest. Everything was under his direct control and guidance. So it must be now with all God's workers.

In trying to give the New Testament answer to these things, we have thought that the service of Merari suggests what we may call a practical ministry, and the service of Gershon a doctrinal ministry. Both are under the hand of Ithamar. But the service of Kohath, under the hand of Eleazar, suggests a devotional ministry. It concerns the greatness and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then all would come under the hand of Aaron as the high priest.

The service of the Gershonites was under the authority of Ithamar rather than Eleazar (v. 28). Ithamar's name means "where the palm is." That reminds us of Psalm 92:12, "The righteous flourish like the palm tree." It stresses the fruitful walk of the saints of God.

God gives strength before He claims service. But from their earliest days He counts them apart according to His grace and His intentions. There were three main houses — Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. In Numbers 4 each of them, with their sons, has its own line of service, and there they are numbered again from thirty years old and upward. This matters greatly. Nothing is more important than this: each servant of God should know the work He has given him to do, and once he knows it, he should stick to it. It also matters greatly never to interfere with another's service. The Lord is sovereign in this. He divides according to His own will.

So not every Levite had the same area of work – and none of them could choose his own service. If you were born a Merarite you were not allowed to take care of the vessels of the sanctuary, which were the charge of the Kohathites. So it is with Christian service: God gives different types of service to different believers.

The boards of the tabernacle speak of the basic facts of what believers are "in Christ," and as united in one building, the Church of God. They were made of acacia wood overlaid with gold, standing upright on sockets of silver. That is, believers are held up on the basis of redemption, covered with Christ (the gold) and joined together with bars of the same materials... Merari therefore emphasises the ministry that unites believers to Christ and to one another as dependent on the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Here it is clear that Merari is taken up not so much with Christ Himself as with the people of the Lord... and who has done this work without finding the bitterness that Merari's name expresses? A man who could not feel it would be poorly fitted for ministry. We must believe this is the reason for a link that seems strange enough, and yet matches familiar experience. Think how Paul's letters bring this to us out of the full heart of a devotion that kept going, finding from men disappointment rather than reward — in his own words, "the more I love you, the less I am loved."

But Merari was not to shrink from all this. No, when he arrived at a spot in the desert where the cloud halted, his words were, "I have come to set up the patterns of things in heaven right in the middle of all the desolation and misery of the wilderness around." All this was very hard work. No doubt it gave Merari's character a tone of sadness or sorrow — the very thing his name expresses.

A special dignity belonged to the work of a Merarite, even though that work was only looking after a few "pins" or "sockets." Everything connected with the tabernacle was of the deepest interest and the highest value... To touch the smallest pin of that wonderful tabernacle in the wilderness was a holy dignity and privilege. It was far more glorious to be a Merarite looking after the pins of the tabernacle than to rule Egypt or Assyria as king.

They and their sons are each given a line of service in Numbers 4, where they are numbered again from thirty years old and upward. This matters greatly. Nothing is more important in practice than this: each servant of God should know the work He has given him to do. Once he knows it, he should stick to it. It is also no small thing never to interfere with another's service. The Lord is sovereign in this. He divides the work according to His own will.

He enters this service at thirty, the age of realized capacity (3 x 10). He leaves it, in its wilderness form, at fifty. In the picture, he leaves only when the creature stands before his God in the day of account (5 x 10).

They were not to serve in the sanctuary until the ages of 30 through 50, yet clearly they were trained with that service in view. This reminds us that the Lord Jesus Himself did not begin His public service until He was about 30 years of age (Luke 3:23). His earlier years were an important preparation for it.

Their work on the march was heavier than that of the Kohathites. From the offering of the tribal leaders, Moses gave the Gershonites two wagons and four oxen, and the Merarites four wagons and eight oxen. God considered both of these great families, and the one with the heaviest burden had the greatest help... Carrying burdens took strength. God would not overload the strength of anyone He called to work for Him. So no Levite was called to carry burdens before he was thirty, and none was asked to keep on after fifty.

Their work was to care for the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, pillars and sockets... The boards speak of the basic facts of what believers are "in Christ," and as joined in one building, the Church of God. They were acacia wood covered with gold, standing upright on sockets of silver. That is, believers are held up on the basis of redemption, covered with Christ (the gold), and joined together by bars of the same materials... So Merari stands for the ministry that unites believers to Christ and to one another.

Let anyone take a firm, clear stand in the world for Christ... and there let him begin to set up "the sockets of silver." Be sure of this: he will find such a course brings very much sorrow and bitterness of soul. In a word, he will find it a path where the cross has to be taken up "daily," and not only taken up, but carried... nothing will make us true Merarites but deep fellowship with Him who was "THE MAN OF SORROWS."

Everything connected with the tabernacle was of the deepest interest and the highest value... To touch the smallest pin of that wonderful tent in the wilderness was a holy dignity and privilege. It was far more glorious to be a Merarite looking after the pins of the tabernacle than to hold the royal sceptre of Egypt or Assyria. True, going by what his name means, that Merarite might seem a poor, sorrowful, hard-working man. But his work was tied to the dwelling place of the Most High God, the owner of heaven and earth.

The boards of the tabernacle speak of the basic facts of what believers are "in Christ," and of their being united in one building, the Church of God. They were made of acacia wood overlaid with gold, and they stood upright on sockets of silver. That is, believers are upheld on the basis of redemption, covered with Christ (the gold) and united together by bars of the same materials... So Merari stands for the ministry that unites believers to Christ and to one another, and that ministry depends on the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

There were forty-eight boards. They stood upright, joined to each other with "tenons" — in Hebrew, "hands." Each board rested on two silver sockets, made from the atonement money, and each was overlaid with gold, with golden rings for the bars that united them all. So the Church is made up of people who each rest on the testimony of redemption, and God fits them together as His own dwelling.

The bars were acacia wood, covered with the same gold, and they fitted into golden rings on the boards. They speak of special gifts that keep everything in place. But those gifts need a matching openness in each believer before they can be used: the "bar" was of no use without the "ring."

All this was clear and distinct. Gershon had nothing to do with the boards and pins; and Merari had nothing to do with the curtains or the coverings. Yet each depended on the other. "The boards and sockets" would not do without "the curtains," and the curtains would not do without the boards and sockets. And the "pins" seem so small — yet who could measure their importance in holding things together and keeping the whole thing visibly one? ... Suppose a Gershonite had decided to drop "the curtains" and turn to "the pins." He would have left his own work undone, and he would have interfered with the work of the Merarite.

God puts each family of the tribe in its own place. He is sovereign in that appointment, so everything stands in its place, perfectly ordered — Kohath with his precious vessels, Gershon with his fine linen, Merari with his boards and pillars. Service is gift, and therefore gift is the appointment to service, since the Giver can make no mistake.

Each had his specific work given. There could be no misunderstanding about it. How strange it would have been if these 22,000 Levites had formed committees and sub-committees to divide the work and direct it! All this would have brought in disorder. All they needed to do was the work the Lord had called them into.

Everything connected with the tabernacle was of the deepest interest and the highest value... It was a holy dignity and privilege to touch even the smallest pin that belonged to that wonderful tent in the wilderness. It was far more glorious to be a Merarite looking after the pins of the tabernacle than to rule as king over Egypt or Assyria.

Let anyone take a firm, clear stand in the world for Christ... and there let him begin to set up "the sockets of silver." Be sure of it, such a course will bring him much sorrow and bitterness of soul. In short, he will find it a path where the cross has to be taken up "daily," and not only taken up, but carried... nothing will make us true Merarites but deep communion with Him who was THE MAN OF SORROWS.

Merari had charge with his sons of the boards, the sockets, pins and cords. These held the building together. Christ and His people are pictured in the boards of acacia wood, resting in the sockets of silver. The bars of acacia wood unite the boards. So the framework of the tabernacle is a picture of the church, the building Ephesians describes as "joined together." The work of Merari suggests the thought of union.

The pillars of the court rest on bronze sockets, and silver tops crown them. The fine linen curtains hang from them by silver hooks. So grace enables us to hold up the character of Christ before the world. Divine strength is what we rest upon as we do it. The pins and cords brace everything against the opposing influences that are too strong for us on our own.

All this was clear and distinct. Gershon had nothing to do with the boards and pins; and Merari had nothing to do with the curtains or the coverings. And yet they were very closely connected, since they depended on each other. "The boards and sockets" would not do without "the curtains;" and the curtains would not do without the boards and sockets. And what about "the pins"? They seem so unimportant. Yet who could measure their value in keeping things together, and in maintaining the visible unity of the whole? So all worked together to one common end, and each one reached that end by attending to his own special line.

In Numbers 4 each of them, with their sons, receives a line of service. There they are counted again from thirty years old and upward. Nothing matters more in practice than this: each servant of God should know the work He has given him to do. And when he knows it, he should stick to it. Be sure of this too: it matters greatly never to interfere with another's service. The Lord is sovereign in this. He divides according to His own will.

Doing what we are told to do always has moral worth. But a special dignity also belonged to the work of a Merarite, even though that work was only attending to a few "pins" or "sockets." Everything connected with the tabernacle was of the very deepest interest and highest value… It was a holy dignity and privilege to be allowed to touch the smallest pin that formed part of that wonderful tabernacle in the wilderness. It was far more glorious to be a Merarite looking after the pins of the tabernacle than to hold the sceptre of Egypt or Assyria.

Merari's service has to do with the house of God, the church of the living God. It has to do with holding up Christ as the way in to God, and with supporting, strengthening, and steadying His witness in the world. His name — Merari, "bitterness" — speaks of how painful such service is. Self-love will break down under it, or run off into some odd path that is less of a burden to flesh and blood. Indeed in our day the family of Merari has dwindled to a very small number, and they have done their work very poorly. Who cares for these boards and bars, and pillars and pins and cords? Who thinks of God's plan and pattern, and all the small details He has appointed?… It needs only plodding accuracy and diligent obedience.

The boards of the tabernacle speak of the basic facts of what believers are "in Christ," joined in one building, the Church of God. They were acacia wood overlaid with gold, standing upright on sockets of silver. That is, believers are held up on the basis of redemption, covered with Christ (the gold), and joined together by bars of the same materials... So Merari stands for the ministry that unites believers to Christ and to one another. This union rests on the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Such ministry is of great importance in our present day.

In looking for the New Testament answer to these things, we have thought that the service of Merari suggests what we may call a practical ministry. The service of Gershon suggests a doctrinal ministry. Both came under the hand of Ithamar. But the service of Kohath, under the hand of Eleazar, suggests a devotional ministry about the greatness and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then all would come under the hand of Aaron as the High Priest. The responsibility lay on his shoulders to see that everything followed the mind of God, as God gave it through Moses.

God gave the Levites to Aaron and to his sons, to do the service of the tabernacle. Does this not show that all true Levitical service aims at supporting priestly service in the presence of God? This is the real end in view of all true ministry: that worship to our God and Father and our Lord Jesus Christ may be the result.

All this was clear and distinct. Gershon had nothing to do with the boards and pegs. Merari had nothing to do with the curtains or the coverings. And yet the two were closely connected, for each family needed the other. "The boards and sockets" would not do without "the curtains;" and the curtains would not do without the boards and sockets. The pegs seem so small. Yet who could measure their importance in keeping things together and holding the whole in visible unity? ... If a Gershonite had decided to leave "the curtains" and turn to "the pegs," he would have left his own work undone. He would also have interfered with the work of the Merarite.

There was also a special dignity belonging to the work of a Merarite, even though that work was only looking after a few "pegs" or "sockets." Everything connected with the tabernacle was of the very deepest interest and highest value... To touch the smallest peg of that wonderful tabernacle in the wilderness was a holy dignity and privilege. It was far more glorious to be a Merarite looking after the pegs of the tabernacle than to rule as king over Egypt or Assyria.

Let anyone take his stand firmly in the world for Christ. Let him go into the places where "the world" is really seen at full strength. Let him set himself, firm as a rock, against the deep and rapid tide of worldliness. Let him begin there to set up "the sockets of silver." Be sure of it, he will find that such a course brings very much sorrow and bitterness of soul. He will find it a path in which the cross is taken up "daily" — and not only taken up, but carried.

If God calls people to do His work, He will provide everything they need to carry it on. The Gershonites and the Merarites had clear proof of this... Moses allotted two wagons and four oxen to the Gershonites, and four wagons and eight oxen to the Merarites. Thought went to both of these great families, and the one with the heaviest burden had the greatest help... God would not overtax the strength of anyone called to labour for Him.

Now comes the numbering of the Levites who are of age for service. Every one of them finds his place in this reckoning. He enters it at thirty, the age of full capacity. He leaves it at fifty, as far as its wilderness form goes. In the picture, that leaving comes only when the creature stands before his God in the day of account.

Carrying burdens took strength. And God would not overtax the strength of anyone He called to work for Him. So He called no one to share in the Levites' work of carrying burdens before the age of thirty, and He asked no one to continue that service after fifty... The Kohathites also shared in this same care not to overtax any Levite's strength. What a thing it was, and is, to be the servants of God. He, the Almighty, thinks of them, and considers them.

In Numbers 4 each of them, with his sons, is given a line of service, and there they are numbered again from thirty years old and upward. This too matters greatly. Nothing is more important in practice than this: each servant of God should know the work He has given him to do, and once he knows it, he should stick to it. Be sure of this as well — it matters greatly never to interfere with another's service. The Lord is sovereign in this. He divides according to His own will.

Seen in this light, it made no difference at all whether a man had to carry a pin, a curtain, or a golden lampstand. The grand question for each and for all was simply, "Is this my work? Is this what the Lord has given me to do?"

A suggestion often made, and widely accepted, removes the difficulty at once: they were tested from twenty-five to thirty before they entered their appointed work. If so, the first five years were a trial period before their formal installation. Then, at fifty, they were to stop attending to the service of the tabernacle... So they no longer carried the appointed burdens (chapter 4) on their journeys through the wilderness, though they might still share with their brothers in the tabernacle... They were still to keep the charge of the Lord, even if they did no service. We learn that the will of the Lord is to govern us the same way whether we are active or retired. At His word we are to work, and at His word we are to rest.

Christian service calls for a certain amount of maturity, no doubt different levels of it for different tasks. And a point in time comes when active service is over. This may not be at age 50, but it could be any time. When the Lord comes, our "window of opportunity" to serve Him "in the desert" will have gone!

Their service was to carry the holy things of Jehovah through the wilderness. For us the wilderness pictures the world we pass through, and our business as Christians is to show Christ. We must guard the holy things of our faith as carefully as the Levites guarded the tabernacle and its sacred contents, and we must do it by the testimony of our lips and the testimony of our lives.

Now comes the numbering of the Levites who are of age for service. Every one such finds his place in this reckoning. He enters it at thirty, the age of realised capacity (3 x 10). He leaves it at fifty, in its wilderness form. As a picture, he leaves only when the creature stands before his God in the day of account (5 x 10).

As to the numbers of the respective families, one can only confess that lack of proper diligence is the reason of being able to say nothing of them. Assuredly there is meaning in it all worthy of Him who has inspired it; and those who seek in faith and humility, here as elsewhere, shall find.

The Kohathites were then numbered, that is, the males from 30 to 50 years of age, and found to be 2,750 (v.36). It seems clear that not all of them were expected to serve at all times. They would likely take turns carrying the furniture of the tabernacle. So there would be no hard labour for anyone.

Gershon and Merari might need wagons and oxen to carry the boards, and so on, but not Kohath. His charge was too precious to trust to anyone or anything but himself. So it was his high and honoured place to carry it all upon his shoulders. What a privilege, for example, to be allowed to carry the ark, the table, or the golden lampstand! Suppose he had looked for the help of oxen in his holy service. Would that not have shown a complete failure to value his high calling?

To bear burdens required strength. Now God would not overtax the strength of anyone called to labour for Him. So God called no one to the Levite work of carrying burdens before the age of thirty. And He asked no one to continue that service after fifty. Only the Gershonites and the Merarites gained from the help of the wagons. But the Kohathites also shared in this care not to overtax any Levite's strength. What a thing it was, and is, to be the servants of God. He, the Almighty, thinks of them, and considers them.

Numbers 1 and Numbers 2 set down the number of each tribe except Levi, again and again. Numbers 3 and Numbers 4 set down Levi's number in the same way. This was an expression of His rights as Lord of Israel. He had title to take their number, for they were all His own. Had He not had a right to them, had He not prospects in them, He would not have counted their sum. Scripture says the same of His title in another part of His dominions: "He determines the number of the stars; He gives to all of them their names" (Psalm 147:4). That is His sovereignty among the heavenly hosts. In Malachi 3 the Lord says of His saints that they shall be His in the day when He makes up His treasured possession. He may number them, hide them and secure them, because they are His own.

A Levite had no difficulty about his work. It was all settled for him with divine precision. God laid down the burden each had to carry and the work each had to do. He made it so clear that it left no room for the questionings of the heart. Each man could know his own work and do it. And let us add: the work got done as each one carried out his own specific duties. It was not by running here and there, doing this or that. The service of the tabernacle went forward properly because each man stuck closely to his own particular calling.

In Numbers 4 we come to another important point — the carrying of the vessels of the sanctuary through the wilderness. The chapter now takes up in detail what the Kohathites had to do. It was the highest form; it was what brought the service closest to Christ. On the outside it did not look so impressive, as we shall see later. It does not follow that the service which makes the greatest show or noise among men is the most honourable in God's eyes. We often go wrong about what really carries the most weight. There is one sure test of value: it is always Christ. Whatever brings a person nearest to Christ, and brings out Christ most, is always the best.

The Kohathites were then numbered, that is, the males from 30 to 50 years of age, and found to be 2,750 (v.36). It seems clear that they would not all be expected to serve at all times. They would likely take turns carrying the furniture of the tabernacle. So there would be no hard labour for anyone.

When we looked at Numbers 3 and 4, we noticed that the sons of Kohath had the privilege of carrying all that was most precious in the instruments and furniture of the sanctuary. So they received none of the princes' offering. Their high and holy service was to carry these things on their own shoulders, and not to use wagons or oxen. The more closely we examine the things placed in the care of the Kohathites, the more we shall see what they picture. They stand for the deeper and fuller ways God has shown Himself in Christ.

The priest's appointment regulated Levite service. The Levites had no more room for self-will in their service than the men of war had in their position. God settled it all, and this was a clear mercy to everyone whose heart was right. A person with an unbroken will might find it a hardship, a tiresome duty, to hold the same place or do the same kind of work. He might long for something fresh — some variety in his work. But where the will was subdued and the heart adjusted, each one would say, "My path is perfectly plain; I have only to obey."

The Levites were divided into three groups under the leadership of Kohath, Gershon and Merari. But Aaron's son Eleazar controlled the first of these groups, and his son Ithamar controlled the second and third.

Now comes the numbering of the Levites who are old enough for service. Each one of them finds his place in this reckoning. He enters it at thirty, the age of realised capacity (3 x 10). He leaves it, in its wilderness form, at fifty. As a picture, that means he leaves only when the creature stands before his God in the day of account (5 x 10).

Christian service calls for a certain amount of maturity, no doubt different levels of it for different tasks. And a time comes when active service is over. This may not be at age 50, but it could be any time. When the Lord comes, our 'window of opportunity' to serve Him 'in the desert' will have gone!