Chapter 4

One more chapter of procedures before we hit something different!

This time we are revisiting the clans of the Levites from before, and we’re going into some detail of what their duties are to be.

In truth, this was actually a part of Numbers that I always found interesting when I read it years ago. I am always into the “how it works” kind of deal, so the detailed instructions on how a portable temple is to be stripped down and transported are fascinating to me.

(Just think about that for a moment – a temple that could be carried through the desert! And we’re not just talking about a little shrine or a statue that one would normally consider portable; not even an inflatable church[1]. What we’re talking about is something so ambitious that it would be more akin to a CATHEDRAL being carried around with the Israelites. Did I mention that these people were organized? I mean SCARY organized!)

We have the three families mentioned previously – the Kohathites, the Gershonites and the Merarites. Each family is assigned a different role.

The Kohathites have a job which would be described as potentially dangerous. They are to be responsible for moving all the holy objects from the inside of the Tabernacle. The danger here is that if these things are moved incorrectly, death could be the result (see 2 Samuel 6). So before they can do their work, the Priests have a number of jobs to do, disassembling some things and covering others. Just about everything to be carried has a cover made from the hide of Sea Cows (aka Dugongs or Manatees, although the Message uses the term “dolphin skins”). More about this in a moment.

Strangely, whilst the Kohathites have the dangerous work, I tend to think it would suck worse to be one of the Gershonites – lifting the tent itself; or one of the Merarites – lifting the poles, cords and tools. This is perhaps due to my allergy to hard work. I would be quite happy to risk death if it meant I was lifting lighter loads than the other guys. Then again, the Kohathites had to carry a lot of stuff too (including the Ark of the Covenant), and a lot of it was gold plated; so maybe that’d suck just as much. Anyway, each person has their job to do and knows when and how to do it.

We round off the chapter by Moses counting the various clans.

To me there is a striking contrast between the way we view God and the way God is viewed here. Let me explain further – to me, as a Christian, God is seen as a close friend; someone who cares about every intimate detail of my life. This is as He intends, and as such it is a very good thing. It’s something God wants, in fact.

Yet there’s another side to this particular coin – in our closeness with God, sometimes we forget that this very God is Holy, powerful, righteous, and all those things we sing about (but rarely THINK about).

I encourage all Christians to have a look at the video “How great is our God” by Louie Giglio. In this video, Louie shows a number of stars and gives some neat comparisons of their sizes with the Earth in a starring role as a golf ball (you’ve GOT to see it!). He demonstrates just how HUGE these stars are, then reminds you that God was the one who created these things.

The Israelites had to handle each piece of Temple equipment EXACTLY AS DIRECTED, or else they could quite literally drop dead. I’m guessing that this is a discomforting idea to modern Christians, and perhaps it should be. We’re not used to treating God with the kind of respect we see here.

When I was a kid, Mum used to use a particular word – Reverence. Reverence is out of style in some circles. Where once Christians seldom would say God’s name in any disrespectful way, abbreviations like “OMG” are now commonplace. We tell jokes about God (Even I do at times), and doubtless we don’t give Him the respect He deserves. I think we might be emboldened by the fact that God chooses not to strike us down these days.

Yet it is important for us to recognize just what kind of a God we worship. He is great in power, in might and in Holiness. And He deserves all the respect and honour we are capable of giving to Him.

[1] Seriously – they really do exist!