Numbers 4:4–20

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.