Numbers 4:22–38

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!

They open with His commandment to Moses to take the number of the tribes, and Moses does this with great exactness and care. Chapters 1 and 2 set down the number of each tribe except Levi, again and again, and chapters 3 and 4 do the same for Levi. This was an expression of His rights as Lord of Israel. He had title to take their number, for they were all His own.

So we find the numbering of the Levites completed — not just of the children of Israel. Now the sons of Gershon are brought before us on their own, not mixed in with the fighting houses of Israel. But once their service has been clearly defined, they too are linked with the work and counted in together.

They were to carry the curtains of the tabernacle, the covering of badger skins, the hanging for the door of the tabernacle and the one 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 also 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)

Gershon and his sons had charge of the coverings and the fine linen. Gershon means exile, a stranger. The fine linen is a picture 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 us to this: we are separated ones and strangers in the world. Practical righteousness must bear witness to this separation.

Scripture insists on such a separation everywhere... And how we need to insist on it, when Satan and the world outside, joined with the flesh within us, unite to break through it and destroy it if they can! These linen curtains look frail enough for a wall! Unbelief constantly pours contempt on what is of God... Today the Church itself thinks little of separation; and yet he who holds by the Word of God will find the reckoning of eternity to be on his side.

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, for 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 decided to drop "the curtains" and take up "the pins." He would have left his own work undone, and he would have interfered with the work of the Merarite.

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, in its wilderness form, at fifty — or in the picture, only when the creature stands before his God in the day of account (5 x 10).