Levi’s sons, Kohath, Gershon, and Merari had families who were given jobs concerning the tabernacle. In Numbers 4, a lengthy chapter describes the transport of the tabernacle. The sons of Kohath must carry the Ark of the Covenant and the instruments of the tabernacle. The sons of Gershon must carry the curtains for the tabernacle. The sons of Merari must carry the boards for the rooms of the tabernacle.
A Christian might learn at least 6 lessons from this.
- Everyone has a job.
All believers have been divinely placed in some place of service. They must be entirely devoted to that religious end, or else their lives are being wasted. The jobs are given by God, and so they must be taken very seriously. - All the jobs make the worship and sacrifice possible.
The jobs in this chapter include wrapping up candlesticks and carrying them while they are bundled in badgers’ skins. But without the successful execution of this task, they would not be able to worship God according to His pleasure at their next camp. Many practical actions are necessary to sing as a group or to remember the Lord’s death or to study the Bible verse by verse. - Each man must stay in his family role–there is no place for ambition.
No good Levite could anticipate “moving up.” He should have no other controlling motive than faithfulness to his calling. While there is a place for ambition in godly manhood and missions, there is also a vital place for quiet, day-by-day, contented, repetitive, unnoticed obedience. To reach the unreached of the world a great many people must throw away all worldly ambitions, being happy without an increase in salary, living in relatively poorer conditions, and staying in such unglamorous and even uncomfortable situations for the sake of bringing the sheep to the fold by faithful obedience. - Some jobs are more dangerous, and some are more demanding.
To Kohath God said twice, “Lest they die” (vs. 15 and 20). The other two families did not have such danger because they did not deal with such sacred instruments as the Ark of the Covenant. Merari’s sons must carry the heaviest burdens as they transport the planks and boards. The works were unequal in their responsibilities, stress, and physical demands, but no one could complain about his calling, or change callings. - All the jobs were given to men.
At least 25 times, God specifically designated that sons and fathers do this work. Thus, the men did the jobs in civil and religious life while the women were devoted to the home. - Men served in their mental and physical prime.
From 30 years old to 50 years old was the age requirements that God gave seven times (vs. 3, 23, 30, 35, 39, 43, 47). Before 30, he might not have experience or good judgment, but after 50 it might be too difficult on his body to carry the loads. From this believers learn to improve their judgment, patiently waiting until their maturity is evident, and then to serve God with all their might since their window of time is very small in light of eternity.
