Numbers 4: Age of Levites' Service
and Duties of the Sons of Kohath
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: 2 “Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the children of Levi, by their families, by their fathers’ house, 3 from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, all who enter the service to do the work in the tabernacle of meeting.
Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the children of Levi.. "and the reason why they began with Kohath, and not Gershon, the eldest son, as in the former numbering, was; ... as Chaskuni and others, because the Kohathites carried the ark and other holy things; though the true reason seems to be, because of the order observed in taking down the tabernacle, and removing the parts of it, and the things in it; and it was most proper and reasonable, when they were about to take it down, first to take out the ark, table, &c. which was the business of the Kohathites to carry; next to take down the curtains, coverings, and hangings for the tabernacle and court, and the doors thereof,...” (John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible)
"The Levites were counted at three times, first at a month old when they were consecrated to the Lord, next at 25 years old when they were appointed to serve in the tabernacle, and 30 years old to bear the burdens of the tabernacle.” (The Geneva Study Bible)
“From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old,.... This is the full time of the Levites service, and the prime season of man's life for business; at thirty years of age he is at his full strength, and when fifty it begins to decline: it is said in the Misnah {x}, ‘a son of thirty years for strength,’ upon which one of the commentators {y} makes this remark, that the Levites set up the tabernacle and took it down, and loaded the wagons, and carried on their shoulders from thirty years and upwards: thus both John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, and Christ himself, entered into their ministry at this age: all that enter into the host; army or warfare; for though the Levites were exempted from going forth to war, yet their service was a sort of warfare; they were a camp of themselves about the tabernacle, and part of their work was to watch and guard it, that it was neither defiled nor robbed; in allusion to this, the ministry of the word is called a warfare, and ministers of the Gospel good soldiers of Christ, and their doctrines weapons of warfare, 1 Timothy 1:18; some interpret this of the troop, company, or congregation of the Levites, which a man of thirty years of age was admitted into for business... {x} Pirke Abot, c. 5. sect. 21. {y} Bartenora in Pirke Abot, c. 5. sect. 21.” (Gill’s Exposition) Moreover: "This would not only be a great comfort to a worn-out servant of God, but also of great use to the work of the ministry, which, to be faithfully and effectually performed, requires all the powers of the body and mind of man. Old faithful ministers are to be highly respected for their work's sake, and to be supplied with all the necessaries and comforts of life; but how little can they do in the public ministry of the word, however willing to work, when their eye waxes dim and their bodily strength fails! See Numbers 8:25. Both for their own sakes, and for the good of the Church, they should be excused from a labor to which they must be almost every way inadequate. But notwithstanding this comparative inactivity, their counsels, advice, and experience will always be considered as a treasure to the Church of Christ.” (Adam Clarke)
"The middle-aged men of the tribe of Levi, all from thirty years old to fifty, were to be employed in the service of the tabernacle. The service of God requires the best of our strength, and the prime portion of our time, which cannot be better spent than to the honour of Him who is the First and Best. And the service of God should be done when we are most lively and active. Those do not consider this who put off repentance to old age, and so leave the best work to be done in the worst time.” (Matthew Henry)
4 “This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of meeting, relating to the most holy things: 5 When the camp prepares to journey, Aaron and his sons shall come, and they shall take down the covering veil and cover the ark of the Testimony with it. 6 Then they shall put on it a covering of badger skins, and spread over that a cloth entirely of blue; and they shall insert its poles.
7 “On the table of showbread they shall spread a blue cloth, and put on it the dishes, the pans, the bowls, and the pitchers for pouring; and the showbread shall be on it. 8 They shall spread over them a scarlet cloth, and cover the same with a covering of badger skins; and they shall insert its poles. 9 And they shall take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand of the light, with its lamps, its wick-trimmers, its trays, and all its oil vessels, with which they service it. 10 Then they shall put it with all its utensils in a covering of badger skins, and put it on a carrying beam.
11 “Over the golden altar they shall spread a blue cloth, and cover it with a covering of badger skins; and they shall insert its poles. 12 Then they shall take all the utensils of service with which they minister in the sanctuary, put them in a blue cloth, cover them with a covering of badger skins, and put them on a carrying beam. 13 Also they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth over it. 14 They shall put on it all its implements with which they minister there—the firepans, the forks, the shovels, the basins, and all the utensils of the altar—and they shall spread on it a covering of badger skins, and insert its poles. 15 And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is set to go, then the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them; but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These are the things in the tabernacle of meeting which the sons of Kohath are to carry.
“The Kohathites were to carry the holy things of the tabernacle. All the holy things were to be covered; not only for security and respect, but to keep them from being seen. This not only marked the reverence due to holy things, but the mystery of the things signified by those types, and the darkness of the dispensation. But now, through Christ, the case is altered, and we are encouraged to come boldly to the throne of grace.” (Matthew Henry)
Numbers 4: The Oversight of Eleazer
16 “The appointed duty of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest is the oil for the light, the sweet incense, the daily grain offering, the anointing oil, the oversight of all the tabernacle, of all that is in it, with the sanctuary and its furnishings.”
17 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: 18 “Do not cut off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites; 19 but do this in regard to them, that they may live and not die when they approach the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint each of them to his service and his task. 20 But they shall not go in to watch while the holy things are being covered, lest they die.”
“Eleazar, now the eldest son of Aaron, is appointed overseer of the Kohathites in this service (Num. 4:16); he must take care that nothing was forgotten, left behind, or displaced. As a priest he had more honour than the Levites, but then he had more care; and that care was a heavier burden, no doubt, upon his heart, than all the burdens that were laid upon their shoulders. It is much easier to do the work of the tabernacle than to discharge the trusts of it, to obey than to rule.” (Matthew Henry)
Although the Koathites carried it, only a priest could touch the things of the Holy Place. Lay people are to know their place. The priests are "urged by the command of God to do all that has already been prescribed (Numbers 4:5-15), lest through any carelessness on their part they should cut off the tribes of the families of the Kohathites, cause their destruction through their approaching the holy things before they had been properly wrapped by Aaron's sons." (C. F. Keil) “Touching a holy piece of furniture, or even looking at one, would result in certain death (‘so that they will not touch the holy objects and die . . . they shall not go in to see the holy objects even for a moment, or they will die’; vv. 15, 20). This teaches us that even we in New Testament times should not regard the things most closely associated with God as common or ordinary, but give them special consideration, and deep respect. The oils (‘oil for the light”’and ‘anointing oil’), ‘fragrant incense,’ and the flour for the daily meal (‘continual grain’) ‘offering,’ were the special responsibility of Eleazar, the heir to the high priest's office (v. 16).”
(Dr. Thomas L. Constable Notes)
So, may we be ever mindful of Jesus our Eleazer— our High Priest, after the order of Melchezedik. Let us be careful to do things in order. Thus let us abide in Him and let His Word abide in us to give us light and food for our life as part of the Church. Jesus admonishes: “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46)
Morning Repost: Numbers 4:
Duties of the Sons of Gershon and the Sons of Merari
21 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 22 “Also take a census of the sons of Gershon, by their fathers’ house, by their families. 23 From thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, you shall number them, all who enter to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of meeting. 24 This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, in serving and carrying: 25 They shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle and the tabernacle of meeting with its covering, the covering of badger skins that is on it, the screen for the door of the tabernacle of meeting, 26 the screen for the door of the gate of the court, the hangings of the court which are around the tabernacle and altar, and their cords, all the furnishings for their service and all that is made for these things: so shall they serve.
27 “Aaron and his sons shall assign all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, all their tasks and all their service. And you shall appoint to them all their tasks as their duty. 28 This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of meeting. And their duties shall be under the authority of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
29 “As for the sons of Merari, you shall number them by their families and by their fathers’ house. 30 From thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, you shall number them, everyone who enters the service to do the work of the tabernacle of meeting. 31 And this is what they must carry as all their service for the tabernacle of meeting: the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, 32 and the pillars around the court with their sockets, pegs, and cords, with all their furnishings and all their service; and you shall assign to each man by name the items he must carry. 33 This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, as all their service for the tabernacle of meeting, under the authority of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.”
“The Levites were generally subject to the official command of the priests in doing the ordinary work of the tabernacle. But during the journeyings Eleazar, who was next in succession to his father, took the special charge of the Kohathites [Numbers 4:16], while his brother Ithamar had the superintendence of the Gershonites and Merarites [Numbers 4:33].” (Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown) “We have here the charge of the other two families of the Levites, which, though not so honourable as the first, yet was necessary, and to be done regularly. All the things were delivered them by name. It intimates the care God takes of his church and every member of it.” (Matthew Henry) “It must have been perfectly beautiful to mark God's workers in the wilderness. Each one was at his post, and each moved in his divinely appointed sphere. Hence, the moment the cloud was lifted up, and the order issued to strike, every man knew what he had to do, and he addressed himself to that and to nothing else . No man had any right to think for himself. Jehovah thought for all. The Levites had declared themselves ‘on the Lord's side;’ they had yielded themselves to His authority; and this fact lay at the very base of all their wilderness work and service. Looked at in this light it would be deemed a matter of total indifference whether a man had to carry a pin, a curtain, or a golden candlestick. The grand question for each and for all was simply, ‘Is this my work? Is this what the Lord has given me to do?’
This settled everything. Had it been left to human thinking or human choosing, one man might like this; another might like that; and a third might like something else. How then could the tabernacle ever be borne along through the wilderness, or set up in its place? Impossible! There could be but one supreme authority, namely Jehovah Himself. He arranged for all, and all had to submit to Him. There was no room at all for the exercise of the human will. This was a signal mercy. It prevented a world of strife and confusion. There must be subjection — there must be a broken will — there must be a cordial yielding to divine authority, otherwise it will turn out to be like the book of Judges, ‘Every man doing that which is right in his own eyes.' A Merarite might say, or think if he did not say it, 'what! am I to spend the very best portion of my life upon earth — the days of my prime and vigour — in looking after a few pins? Was this the end for which I was born? Am I to have nothing higher before me as an object in life? Is this to be my occupation from the age of thirty to fifty?'
To such questions there was a twofold reply. In the first place, it was enough for the Merarite to know that Jehovah had assigned him his work. This was sufficient to impart dignity to what nature might esteem the smallest and meanest matter. It does not matter what we are doing, provided always we are doing our divinely appointed work. a man may pursue what his fellows would deem a most brilliant career he may spend his energies, his time, his talents, his fortune, in pursuits which the men of this world esteem grand and glorious, and, all the while, his life may prove to be but a splendid bubble. But, on the other hand, the man that simply does the will of God. whatever that may be — the man who executes his Lord's commands, whatever such commands may enjoin — that is the man whose path is illuminated by the beams of divine approbation, and whose work shall be remembered! when the most splendid schemes of the children of this world have sunk in eternal oblivion.
But, besides the moral worth attaching always to the act of doing what we are told to do, there was also a special dignity belonging to the work of a Merarite, even though that work was merely attending to a few 'pins' or 'sockets.'
…
This, we feel persuaded, is the grand desideratum — the crying want of the day in which our lot is cast. Man's will is everywhere gaining the ascendant. It is rising like a mighty tide and bearing away those ancient barriers which have, in some measure, kept it in check. Many an old and time-honoured institution is, at this moment, giving way before the rushing torrent. Many an edifice, whose foundations, as we supposed, were laid deep down in the fond and reverent affections of the people, is giving way beneath the battering ram of popular feeling. 'Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.'
Such is, pre-eminently, the spirit of the age. What is the antidote? Subjection! Subjection to what? Is it to what is called the authority of the Church? Is it to the voice of tradition? Is it to the commandments and doctrines of men? No; blessed be God, it is not to any of these things, nor to all of them put together. To what then? To the voice of the living God — the voice of holy scripture. This is the grand remedy for self-will, on the one hand, and submission to human authority, on the other. ‘We must obey.’ This is the answer to self-will. ‘We must obey God.”’This is the answer to mere bowing down to human authority. We see these two elements all around us. The former, self-will, resolves itself into infidelity. The latter, subjection to man, resolves itself into superstition. These two will bear sway over the whole civilized world. They will carry away all save those who are divinely taught to say, and feel, and act upon, that immortal sentence, ‘We must obey God rather than man.’
It was this that enabled the Gershonite, in the wilderness, to look after those rough unattractive looking ‘badger skins;’ and that enabled the Merarite to look after these, apparently, insignificant ‘pins.’ Yes, and it is this which will enable the Christian, now, to address himself to that special line of service to which his Lord may see fit to call him. What, though, to human eyes, it seems rough and unattractive, mean and insignificant: it is enough for us that our Lord has assigned us our post, and given us our work; and that our work has direct reference to the Person and glory of Him who is the chiefest among ten thousand, and altogether lovely. We, too, may have to confine ourselves to the antitype of the rough unsightly badger skin, or the insignificant pin. But let us remember that whatever has reference to Christ — His name — His Person — His cause, in the world, is unspeakably precious to God. It may be very small, in man's account; but what of that? We must look at things from God's point of view, we must measure them by His standard, and that is Christ. God measures everything by Christ. Whatever has even the very smallest reference to Christ is interesting and important in God's account. Whereas the most splendid undertakings, the most gigantic schemes, the most astonishing enterprises of the men of this world, all pass away like the morning cloud and the early dew. Man makes self his centre, his object, his standard. He values things according to the measure in which they exalt himself, and further his interests. Even religion itself, so called, is taken up in the same way, and made a pedestal on which to display himself. Everything, in short, is marked up as capital for self, and used as a reflector to throw light upon, and call attention to, that one object. Thus there is a mighty gulf between God's thoughts: and man's thoughts; and the shores of that gulf are as far apart as Christ and self. All that belongs to Christ is of eternal interest and moment. All that belongs to self shall pass away and be forgotten. Hence, therefore, the most fatal mistake into which any man can fall is to make self his object. It must issue in everlasting disappointment. But, on the other hand, the very wisest, safest, best thing that any man can do, is to make Christ his one absorbing object. This must, infallibly, issue in everlasting blessedness and glory.”
(C. H. Mackintosh's Notes on the Pentateuch)
Numbers 4: Census of the Levites
34 And Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites by their families and by their fathers’ house, 35 from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the tabernacle of meeting; 36 and those who were numbered by their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty. 37 These were the ones who were numbered of the families of the Kohathites, all who might serve in the tabernacle of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses.
38 And those who were numbered of the sons of Gershon, by their families and by their fathers’ house, 39 from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the tabernacle of meeting— 40 those who were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ house, were two thousand six hundred and thirty. 41 These are the ones who were numbered of the families of the sons of Gershon, of all who might serve in the tabernacle of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the Lord.
42 Those of the families of the sons of Merari who were numbered, by their families, by their fathers’ house, 43 from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the tabernacle of meeting— 44 those who were numbered by their families were three thousand two hundred. 45 These are the ones who were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses.
46 All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel numbered, by their families and by their fathers’ houses, 47 from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, everyone who came to do the work of service and the work of bearing burdens in the tabernacle of meeting— 48 those who were numbered were eight thousand five hundred and eighty.
49 According to the commandment of the Lord they were numbered by the hand of Moses, each according to his service and according to his task; thus were they numbered by him, as the Lord commanded Moses.
“Here is authority for the muster-roll—‘According to the commandment of the Lord they were numbered.’ It was not left to Moses to number the people without Divine sanction, else the deed might have been as evil in the sight of the Lord as that of David when he made a census of the nation: neither may any man at this day summon the saints of the Lord at his own discretion to enterprises for which they were never set apart. The armies of Israel are none of ours to lead whither we will, nor even to reckon up that the number may be told to our own honour.
1. Believers in Christ Jesus, you are now called forth to do suit and service, because like the tribe of Levi you are the Lord’s. He views you as the church of the firstborn, as the redeemed from among men, and as His peculiar inheritance, and therefore above all other men you are under His special rule and governance.
2. You are further called because this is a charge laid upon you of the Lord, to whom you specially belong. The Levites were not numbered with the rest of the nation, for their vocation was altogether different, and their whole business was ‘about holy things.’ Ye see in this your calling, for hereunto are ye also ordained that ye may live unto the Lord alone.
3. The Lord may well call you to this service, seeing He has given you to His Son, even as He gave the Levites to Aaron, as it is written (Numbers 3:9), ‘They are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel.’ Because ye belong to Christ, therefore hide not yourselves from His service, but come forward with alacrity.
4. The Lord has constituted you the servants of all His people, even as He said of the Levites that they were to ‘do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation.’ We are debtors to all our brethren, and we are their servants to the full extent of our power.
Notice the appointment of the individuals—‘Every one according to his service, and according to his burden.’ By our varied gifts, positions, offices, and opportunities, we are as much set apart to special services as were the sons of Kohath, etc. Great evils arise out of persons mistaking their calling, and undertaking things of which they are not capable; and, on the other hand, the success of Christian work in a large measure arises out of places of usefulness being filled by the right men.
Our text is the summary of the chapter in which we have an account of the actual fulfilment of the Lord’s command by Moses. He numbered each family, and cast up the total of the tribe, at the same time mentioning in detail the peculiar service of each. We would imitate him at this important moment, and take the census of those who are consecrated to the Lord’s own service.” (Young Men’s Review.)
“There were 8,580 Levites who were fit for service (Numbers 4:48). A Levite had to be at least 30 and not more than 50 years old to participate in these acts of ministry (cf. Numbers 8:23-26).” (Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable) “By this diversity of number among the Levite families, God showeth his wisdom, saith an interpreter, in fitting men for the work, whereunto he hath appointed them, whether it requireth multitude or gifts. ‘For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit, &c., dividing to every man severally as he will.’ [1 Corinthians 12:8; 1 Corinthians 12:12] It is reported, that in Luther’s house was found written, ‘Res et verba Philippus, res sine verbis Lutherus, verba sine re Erasmus’, Melancthon hath both matter and words; Luther hath matter, but lacks words; Erasmus hath words, but lacks matter. Every one hath his own share: all are not alike gifted.” (John Trapp Commentary)
“But how sweet is it to the true believer in JESUS, to observe, that he, and he alone, hath wrought the work, finished the labour, and hath the care of all his church and people. It is thine office, dearest JESUS, both to serve and to bear the burden, both to carry the weight of the curtains of the tabernacle of the true sanctuary, which the LORD hath pitched, and not man; and, as the prophet beautifully expresseth it to have hung upon thee, all the glory of thy FATHER'S house! Oh! thou precious GOD of all our mercies, be thou to us, as a nail fastened in a sure place, and thou wilt be for a glorious throne to all thy people. Isaiah 22:23.
… Thou art indeed the true tabernacle, dearest LORD, without a covering; for by thy precious undertaking, thou hast opened a new and living way for us in thy blood, and righteousness; thou hast opened, and none can shut: neither will the covering be anymore upon it, but on all the glory shall be a defense. And oh! what a glory, what an inconceivable weight of glory, will break in upon the soul, when this earthly tabernacle of our's shall be taken down, and the pins, and the sockets, with their silver cords and instruments, be broken at the cistern: and JESUS shall again raise it up, a glorified body, without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing! What rapture will break in upon the soul, when our vile bodies shall be made like unto his glorious body; and when those dear partners of affection, the soul and body shall again unite, never, never more to part; and never, never more to thwart each other, being both redeemed together by his great salvation! Dearest Saviour! be thou now by faith my joy, and then by sight, wilt thou be mine everlasting light, and my GOD, my glory.” (Hawker’s Poor Man's Commentary)