Follow the Leader

11 In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud lifted from over the tabernacle of the testimony, 12 and the people of Israel set out by stages from the wilderness of Sinai. And the cloud settled down in the wilderness of Paran. 13 They set out for the first time at the command of the Lord by Moses. 14 The standard of the camp of the people of Judah set out first by their companies, and over their company was Nahshon the son of Amminadab. 15 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Issachar was Nethanel the son of Zuar. 16 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon.

17 And when the tabernacle was taken down, the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who carried the tabernacle, set out. 18 And the standard of the camp of Reuben set out by their companies, and over their company was Elizur the son of Shedeur. 19 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. 20 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel.

21 Then the Kohathites set out, carrying the holy things, and the tabernacle was set up before their arrival. 22 And the standard of the camp of the people of Ephraim set out by their companies, and over their company was Elishama the son of Ammihud. 23 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. 24 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gideoni.

25 Then the standard of the camp of the people of Dan, acting as the rear guard of all the camps, set out by their companies, and over their company was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. 26 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Asher was Pagiel the son of Ochran. 27 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan. 28 This was the order of march of the people of Israel by their companies, when they set out.

29 And Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place of which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will do good to you, for the Lord has promised good to Israel.” 30 But he said to him, “I will not go. I will depart to my own land and to my kindred.” 31 And he said, “Please do not leave us, for you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you will serve as eyes for us. 32 And if you do go with us, whatever good the Lord will do to us, the same will we do to you.”

33 So they set out from the mount of the Lord three days’ journey. And the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them three days’ journey, to seek out a resting place for them. 34 And the cloud of the Lord was over them by day, whenever they set out from the camp.

35 And whenever the ark set out, Moses said, “Arise, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you.” 36 And when it rested, he said, “Return, O Lord, to the ten thousand thousands of Israel.” – Numbers 10:11-36 ESV

The orders had been given. Detailed instructions had been carefully communicated to the people of Israel. They knew exactly what they would need to do when God decided it was time for them to leave Mount Sinai and, now, that time had come. Their encampment at the base of the mountain had been their home for almost a year, but God had never intended this spot in the wilderness to be their final destination. According to Exodus 19:1, they had arrived there two months after leaving Egypt.

Exactly two months after the Israelites left Egypt, they arrived in the wilderness of Sinai. After breaking camp at Rephidim, they came to the wilderness of Sinai and set up camp there at the base of Mount Sinai. – Exodus 19:1-2 NLT

Now, just ten days short of the first anniversary of their arrival in Sinai, they were instructed to pack up and leave.

In the second year after Israel’s departure from Egypt—on the twentieth day of the second month—the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle of the Covenant. So the Israelites set out from the wilderness of Sinai and traveled on from place to place until the cloud stopped in the wilderness of Paran. – Numbers 10:11-12 NLT

In Numbers 10, Moses indicates that the day came when the cloud of God’s presence departed from its place above the Tabernacle and made its way into the wilderness. Following the instructions given to them by God, the Levites began the careful disassembly and packing of the Tabernacle while the people of broke camp. When all was ready, they moved out in an orderly, prearranged manner.

…the people of Israel set out by stages from the wilderness of Sinai. – Numbers 10:12 ESV

Due to the large number of Israelites involved in this mass migration, God provided them with strict instructions regarding their movements. It was not to be a free-for-all, with everyone departing at once and according to their own timeline and agenda. With 12 tribes involved consisting of what has been estimated as more than two million people, this was a major undertaking that required precision and careful planning. Tents must be taken down, herds and flocks must be rounded up, and the Tabernacle must be dismantled and prepared for transport to the next destination. According to Numbers 10, the people went about their duties obediently. Everyone did their part and carefully followed the instructions of the Lord.

When the cloud made its way into the wilderness, the people knew it was time to move. At the sound of the two silver trumpets (Numbers 10:1), they gathered together and saw the sight of the cloud making its way into the wilderness. God had made the decision to relocate their camp and move them closer to their final destination: The land of Canaan.

Under normal circumstances, the trip to Kadesh-Barnea should have taken 11 days (Deuteronomy 1:2), but with the large number of Israelites and livestock involved and the need for an orderly and well-regimented evacuation process, it took them three days to arrive at the wilderness of Paran. The cloud had come to rest in that region, signifying that this was the spot where they were to set up camp. God chose this particular location for a reason.

“The Desert of Paran is a large plateau in the northeastern Sinai, south of what later would be called the Negev of Judah, and west of the Arabah. This forms the southernmost portion of the Promised Land, the presumed staging area for the assault on the land itself. The principal lines of assault on the land of Canaan are from the southwest, following the Way of the Sea from Egypt, and from the northwest, following the Way of the Sea from Phoenicia. Israel’s staging for attack in the Desert of Paran was a brilliant strategy. In this way they would avoid the fortified routes to the west, presumably under the control of Egypt. This unusual line of attack from the south would stun the inhabitants of the land. They would come like a sirocco blast from the desert, and the land would be theirs, under the hand of God.” – Ronald B. Allen, “Numbers.” In Genesis—Numbers. Vol. 2 of The Expositor’s Bible Commentary

Verses 13-28 provide the details concerning the departure of Israel from Mount Sinai. The tribe of Judah led the way, with each of the other tribes moving out according to a prearranged plan. Some of the tribes would have started the process long before the Tabernacle was completely dismantled and ready for transport. The lengthy procession would have stretched out for miles as the Israelites made their way into the wilderness, following the cloud of the Lord.

They marched for three days after leaving the mountain of the Lord, with the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant moving ahead of them to show them where to stop and rest. As they moved on each day, the cloud of the Lord hovered over them. – Numbers 10:33-34 NLT

God was guiding them, just as He had promised to do. He was leading them further away from Egypt and ever closer to their new home in Canaan. The land He had promised to Abraham as an inheritance would soon be theirs. But they would have to continue to follow His leading and trust Him for their provisions along the way. The journey would not be easy but Moses knew that as long as they followed God’s will, they would be blessed. He even tried to convince his wife’s brother to join them.

“We are on our way to the place the Lord promised us, for he said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised wonderful blessings for Israel!” – Numbers 10:29 NLT

It’s interesting to note that Moses asked his brother-in-law to serve as a scout or guide for the people of Israel.

“You know the places in the wilderness where we should camp. Come, be our guide. If you do, we’ll share with you all the blessings the Lord gives us.” – Numbers 10:31-32 NLT

Perhaps Moses knew that Hobab was familiar with the wilderness terrain and could help them choose the best places to camp. But this seems to contradict the idea that the cloud of God was to serve as their guide. It is unclear whether Moses’ request was out of step with the will of God. But he evidently convinced Hobab to join them. Judges 1:16 indicates that the descendants of Moses’ father-in-law were still traveling with the Israelites long after they made it into the land of Canaan.

When the tribe of Judah left Jericho—the city of palms—the Kenites, who were descendants of Moses’ father-in-law, traveled with them into the wilderness of Judah. They settled among the people there, near the town of Arad in the Negev. – Judges 1:16 NLT

Hobab and his family may have ended up traveling with the Israelites, but his services were not required. God was going to lead His people and He did so through the cloud that rested over the Ark of the Covenant.

They marched for three days after leaving the mountain of the Lord, with the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant moving ahead of them to show them where to stop and rest. As they moved on each day, the cloud of the Lord hovered over them. – Numbers 10:33-34 NLT

The Kohathites set out, carrying the articles for the sanctuary carrying the Ark of the Covenant at the head of the procession and the cloud of the Lord hovered above it as they walked. All the Israelites could see the cloud rising up into the sky and know that they were headed in the right direction, and when the Ark came to rest, the people knew it was time to stop for the night. Each time the Ark and the cloud set out, Moses would utter a prayer or blessing.

“Arise, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered! Let them flee before you!” – Numbers 10:35 NLT

And when the cloud ceased to move and the priests set down the Ark of the Covenant, Moses would pronounce another blessing.

“Return, O Lord, to the countless thousands of Israel!” – Numbers 10:36 NLT

Moses knew that the people of Israel were completely dependent upon God. Without Him, this entire journey would be a disaster and any hope of conquering the land of Canaan would be lost. Little did he know what awaited them in the wilderness. In his mind, they were on their way to the land of promise and preparing to occupy the inheritance promised to them by God. But this chapter, marked by its description of the peoples’ orderly procession from Mount Sinai, is setting up an unexpected disaster awaiting them in the days ahead.

They left Mount Sinai with confidence and in eager anticipation of the future God had in store for them. After a year’s delay, they were on their way to Canaan, their future home and the rich inheritance God had promised to them, But their enthusiasm would soon be dampened by a series of unfortunate events that would keep them from entering the promised land. God would successfully lead them to the border of their new home but their entrance would be denied. Chapters 11-25 chronicles the almost 40-year hiatus that would come as a result of their disobedience to God’s commands. He would get them to the land but they would fail to do their part and, as a result, they would suffer the consequences.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Where He Leads Me, I Will Follow

1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Make two silver trumpets. Of hammered work you shall make them, and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for breaking camp. 3 And when both are blown, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 4 But if they blow only one, then the chiefs, the heads of the tribes of Israel, shall gather themselves to you. 5 When you blow an alarm, the camps that are on the east side shall set out. 6 And when you blow an alarm the second time, the camps that are on the south side shall set out. An alarm is to be blown whenever they are to set out. 7 But when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow a long blast, but you shall not sound an alarm. 8 And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets. The trumpets shall be to you for a perpetual statute throughout your generations. 9 And when you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be remembered before the Lord your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies. 10 On the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts and at the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings. They shall be a reminder of you before your God: I am the Lord your God.” – Numbers 10:1-10 ESV

God was leading His people. In chapter nine, Moses recorded how God had chosen to manifest His glory and presence in the form of a pillar of cloud that would rest over the Tabernacle. It was to serve as a visual reminder of God’s presence among them and as a means by which God directed their journey through the wilderness.

…when the cloud lifted in the morning, they set out, or if it continued for a day and a night, when the cloud lifted they set out. – Numbers 9:21 ESV

But in the opening verses of chapter 10, Moses records a secondary source of divinely ordained directional aid: Two silver trumpets.

Now the Lord said to Moses, “Make two trumpets of hammered silver for calling the community to assemble and for signaling the breaking of camp.” – Numbers 10:1-2 NLT

“The last directions given at Sinai deal with the manufacture and use of two silver trumpets to coordinate the movements of the tribes on their march through the wilderness. Though they were to be guided by the cloud, more precise means of control were necessary if the people were to march in the tight-knit formations envisaged in chapters 2-3.” – Gordon J. Wenham, Numbers, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries

From the moment God delivered the Israelites from their captivity in Egypt, He had directed their path. He had gone before them, guiding their every step along the way, and providing for their every need. But they had to follow. They couldn’t veer to the right or the left or go off in another direction. If they did, they would suffer the consequences.

God’s leadership required faithful followers. It reminds me of the chorus of the classic old hymn, Where He Leads Me I Will Follow. It simply states, “Where He leads me I will follow; I’ll go with Him, with Him, all the way.”

The people of Israel had spent nearly a year camped at the base of Mount Sinai. During that time, God had given them His law and provided them with the construction plans for the Tabernacle. He had also given them the sacrificial system as a means of atoning for sin and receiving forgiveness. There at Mount Sinai, they enjoyed God’s presence and provision, but Mount Sinai was not their final destination. They were not where God wanted them to be. So, “In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud lifted from over the tabernacle of the testimony, and the people of Israel set out by stages from the wilderness of Sinai. And the cloud settled down in the wilderness of Paran” (Numbers 10:11-12 ESV).

God led and the people followed. The trumpets blew and the people gathered to receive their marching orders. As the cloud lifted from above the Tabernacle, it signaled that it was time to break camp and follow God’s leading.

God had a purpose behind everything He did. To get the people of Israel all the way through the wilderness, He knew it was going to require much more than good directions. He could lead them and they could follow but they would have to do so according to His terms. Their following would have to include faithful obedience to His righteous rules and divine requirements. They would have to follow obediently.

God could have miraculously transported them straight to the promised land and eliminated the need for a journey altogether but, instead, He took His time. He gave them rules of conduct. He painstakingly provided them with commands designed to regulate their conduct as they followed Him. The wilderness wanderings were going to be a time of testing; to see if they would live set-apart lives, faithfully following God’s prescribed plan for His people. God didn’t just expect the people to follow, He wanted them to do so faithfully. In other words, they were to follow according to His terms. They had to keep His laws. They had to celebrate His festivals. They had to keep the Sabbath. They had to regularly sacrifice for their sins. They had to deal with impurity in their midst.

Their journey from Mount Sinai to the land of Canaan was to be marked by obedience. When the silver trumpets sounded, they were to heed the call and follow God’s lead. Following God requires faithful adherence to His commands. From our vantage point on this side of the cross, it’s sometimes easy to look back at the Israelites and wonder how they could have failed to realize just how good they had it. They seem to have been slow to comprehend how blessed they were to have God’s actual presence living among them. They got to witness incredible miracles and experience amazing acts of provision, such as manna that fell from the sky and fresh water that flowed from a rock. They wore sandals and clothes that never wore out. Yet despite all this, they continued to disobey Him by disregarding His commands. Yes, when the trumpets sounded, the Israelites followed the cloud but their actions along the way revealed that they were simply going through the motions.

The psalmist writes, “How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, and insulted him in the desert! They again challenged God, and offended the Holy One of Israel” (Psalm 78:40-41 ESV).

But before we point our fingers in accusation and derision, we need to realize that their story is far too often our story. We too are on a journey. We’re walking through this life on our way to another “land” that God has promised to give us. He has chosen us as His own and He has given us the indwelling presence of His Spirit who leads and directs us. God speaks to us through His Word and He calls us to live lives that reflect our unique standing as His children. He has commanded us to live holy lives and provided us with everything we need to make it possible.

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. – 2 Peter 1:3 NLT

And yet, Peter also revealed that God’s Spirit-empowered children will have to constantly fight the urge to replace godliness with worldliness.

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” – 1 Peter 1:14-16 ESV

For the Israelites, Mount Sinai held special meaning; it was there that they received God’s law. At the base of the mountain, they had received God’s plan for the sacrificial system and the hope of atonement for sin. But they were not meant to remain in Sinai’s shadow. God had other plans for them. As life-altering as Sinai had been, it was not their final destination. While they could have grown comfortable living beneath the mountain peak where God’s glory was displayed in smoke, fire, thunder, and lightning, their future lay elsewhere. When the cloud moved, the trumpets would sound, and the people of God would leave Sinai in their rear-view mirror. The place where God appeared in glory, declared His law, gave instructions for the Tabernacle, and established the sacrificial system would soon become a distant memory. But the God of Sinai had not abandoned them; He was going before them, guiding them to the land of promise.

For many of us as Christians, we bask in the glory of our salvation story. We focus on the day that we placed our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and remain content to dwell on that occasion as the most significant moment of our lives. But our salvation experience was just the beginning of the journey. God expects us to move on, following His leading and relying on His Spirit to continue His sanctifying work in our lives. We must recognize the fact that our salvation was the beginning, not the end. There is life to be lived – in Christ. He is to be followed, not just believed in.

Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24 ESV). There is a cost and a commitment to following Christ. It is a daily event that requires faithful obedience to His will and His way.

Jesus had many followers when He walked this earth. But when things got tough and they discovered that His journey was going to include suffering and even death, the majority of his followers fled. Believing in Jesus was easy; following Him would prove to be a difficult and sometimes risky proposition. A fact His 12 disciples would soon learn

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were thought to be faithful followers of God but Jesus repeatedly condemned them for their hypocrisy and self-righteousness. He compared them to their ancient ancestors who had killed God’s prophets because they despised God’s message. Like their predecessors, the Pharisees were followers of God in name only. They lived by their own set of standards and put on a facade of faithfulness but were actually blind to the will of God for their lives. Highly knowledgeable of God’s Scriptures, they were unable to recognize the Word of God standing in their midst. They refused to acknowledge Jesus as their Messiah and Savior.

Following is not easy, especially when we’re prone to go our own way. Even after salvation, we are constantly tempted to take our lives into our own hands and determine our own destiny. But God has a plan for our lives and a path for each of us to take. We are on a journey from salvation to our ultimate glorification. The future Kingdom is to be our final home. But for the present, we are wandering through this earthly wilderness, led by God’s Spirit and buoyed by the promise of our eternal inheritance.

The apostle Peter encourages us to live with our eyes on the prize so that we might endure the pitfalls and perils of the journey.

It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. – 1 Peter 1:3-6 NLT

We are living in what Paul Tripp calls “the gospel gap.” Our salvation is in our past; the eternal Kingdom is in our future. For now, we live in that in-between time where our sanctification is taking place. We are in the process of being transformed into the image of Christ as we faithfully follow His example of love, obedience, humility, and service. It is during our time on this planet that we are to live out our salvation in tangible and practical ways that emulate the nature of Christ. We do so by allowing the indwelling Spirit of God to powerfully flow through us, producing a lifestyle that is radically different than the world around us. As we faithfully follow Christ it results in our reflection of His nature to the world around us. It is as we walk with Him, living in obedience to Him, that we become increasingly more like Him.

The silver trumpets were to be used to call the people to action. Whether they were a signal for gathering, celebrating, traveling, or going to war, the trumpets were to be obeyed. God was leading and He expected His people to follow. He was declaring His will and they were to submit to it – willingly and faithfully.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Waiting on the Will of God

15 On the day that the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony. And at evening it was over the tabernacle like the appearance of fire until morning. 16 So it was always: the cloud covered it by day and the appearance of fire by night. 17 And whenever the cloud lifted from over the tent, after that the people of Israel set out, and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the people of Israel camped. 18 At the command of the Lord the people of Israel set out, and at the command of the Lord they camped. As long as the cloud rested over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. 19 Even when the cloud continued over the tabernacle many days, the people of Israel kept the charge of the Lord and did not set out. 20 Sometimes the cloud was a few days over the tabernacle, and according to the command of the Lord they remained in camp; then according to the command of the Lord they set out. 21 And sometimes the cloud remained from evening until morning. And when the cloud lifted in the morning, they set out, or if it continued for a day and a night, when the cloud lifted they set out. 22 Whether it was two days, or a month, or a longer time, that the cloud continued over the tabernacle, abiding there, the people of Israel remained in camp and did not set out, but when it lifted they set out. 23 At the command of the Lord they camped, and at the command of the Lord they set out. They kept the charge of the Lord, at the command of the Lord by Moses. – Numbers 9:15-23 ESV

When the people of Israel were released from their captivity in Egypt, they began their journey to the land of Canaan under the leadership of Moses. But they had also been blessed by the visible manifestation of God’s presence.

But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea.… And they moved on from Succoth and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people. – Exodus 13:18, 20-21 ESV

This miraculous demonstration of God’s presence and power was intended to bring the Israelites comfort and security. It was visible proof that He was not only among them but was guiding and directing their every step. Just before God parted the Red Sea so that His people could cross over on dry ground, He had placed Himself between the camps of the Israelites and the Egyptians.

The pillar of cloud also moved from the front and stood behind them. The cloud settled between the Egyptian and Israelite camps. As darkness fell, the cloud turned to fire, lighting up the night. But the Egyptians and Israelites did not approach each other all night. – Exodus 14:19-20 NLT

God protected His people. He illuminated their lives with His glory and assured them that He would always go before them, no matter what they faced along the way.

Years later, Moses would set up a tent on the outskirts of the Israelite camp, where he would meet with God. This “tent of meeting” was a place of communion and communication between God and His chosen leader. This simple tent, secluded from the rest of the encampment, was used by Moses before he received God’s plans for the Tabernacle.

When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses. And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door. Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. – Exodus 33:9-11 ESV

Once the people had finished fabricating all the pieces that would form the new Tabernacle, they dedicated it to God. This new facility would become the new tent of meeting and God confirmed His approval of this “house” by consecrating it by the manifestation of His divine glory.

On the day that the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony. And at evening it was over the tabernacle like the appearance of fire until morning. So it was always: the cloud covered it by day and the appearance of fire by night. – Numbers 9:15-16 ESV

Each time the people of Israel stopped for an extended time, they set up their camp with the Tabernacle strategically located in the center. The 12 tribes would then pitch their own tents around the circumference of God’s dwelling place. And as long as the pillar of cloud or fire remained above the Tabernacle, the people remained in that location until further notice. Their marching orders were tied to God’s visible presence over the Tabernacle.

Whenever the cloud lifted from over the sacred tent, the people of Israel would break camp and follow it. And wherever the cloud settled, the people of Israel would set up camp. In this way, they traveled and camped at the Lord’s command wherever he told them to go. Then they remained in their camp as long as the cloud stayed over the Tabernacle. – Numbers 9:17-18 NLT

Here in chapter 9, God reveals how He chose to lead the people of Israel. He appeared to them in the form of a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. God’s presence would hover over His dwelling, signifying that He was with them. As long as the cloud or pillar of fire was there, they were to remain encamped around the Tabernacle. But as soon as the cloud or fire moved, they were to pack up and head out. It didn’t matter if the cloud was there for two days, a month, or a solid year. As long as God’s presence remained positioned over the Tabernacle, they were forbidden to move. It was a simple system, or so it would seem.

But think about it. They were at the complete mercy of God. Sure, there was comfort in the fact that they could look up at any moment, day or night, and see the manifested presence of God, but they also had to be prepared at any moment, day or night, to pack up and head out. It didn’t matter how comfortable they may have become in their new surroundings. When God moved, they were obligated to follow – at a moment’s notice.

And setting up camp would not have been an easy or enviable task. The Tabernacle alone would have been a chore to reconstruct every time they relocated. They never knew how long they would stay in one spot. If they got to a site and spent all night getting everything arranged and then, the next morning, God’s presence moved, they were expected to pack up everything and follow. Their entire lives were centered around the Tabernacle, which was meant to be the dwelling place of God. The reason God had designed the Tabernacle to be portable was so that it could travel with them on their way to the Promised Land. This elaborate structure was to be a constant reminder of God’s presence among them.

“I will consecrate the Tabernacle and the altar, and I will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. Then I will live among the people of Israel and be their God, and they will know that I am the Lord their God. I am the one who brought them out of the land of Egypt so that I could live among them. I am the Lord their God.” – Exodus 29:44-46 NLT

Each time the Levites set up the Tabernacle, the cloud would come to dwell over the Holy of Holies, indicating that God’s glory had taken up residence over the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 40:34-35). When the cloud lifted up and moved, it was a clear sign that God wanted His people to break camp and follow Him to the next destination on their journey. This system was designed to test their obedience. God was less interested in their comfort and convenience than He was in their willingness to follow His leadership. The Israelites didn’t need to determine what God’s will might be; they simply had to keep their eyes on the cloud and follow it wherever it led.

The truth is that most of us already know God’s will for our lives but we choose to ignore or avoid it. The real issue is that we don’t want to obey it because we find it inconvenient or impractical. There had to be times when the people of Israel became impatient with God, wondering why the cloud hovered over one spot for so long. They were anxious to get to the Promised Land but for some reason, God kept stopping in these obscure and sometimes unpleasant spots in the wilderness, and as long as He stayed, they were stymied. They couldn’t move without Him.

There were probably other times when the cloud remained over the Tabernacle for longer periods and they grew comfortable and complacent. They became set in their ways and perfectly happy to stay right where they were. Then, one morning they woke up to find that the cloud had moved, and they had to begin the whole process of disassembling the Tabernacle and the entire camp once again. They must have wondered why God kept disrupting their comfort with His constant wanderings. But when God moved, they were obligated to follow – obediently.

As chapter 10 reveals, God provided Israel with an early warning system to inform them when the cloud had moved and it was time for them to pack up.

“Make two silver trumpets. Of hammered work you shall make them, and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for breaking camp. And when both are blown, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the entrance of the tent of meeting. But if they blow only one, then the chiefs, the heads of the tribes of Israel, shall gather themselves to you. When you blow an alarm, the camps that are on the east side shall set out. And when you blow an alarm the second time, the camps that are on the south side shall set out. An alarm is to be blown whenever they are to set out.” – Numbers 10:2-6 ESV

While the Bible doesn’t make it clear, there were probably sentinels assigned to watch the sky over the Tabernacle 24/7. Someone had to warn the people when the cloud moved, so they could react. Once their camp had been set up, each person would have gone about their daily responsibilities. Life would have gone on as usual. There were chores to do, livestock to care for, firewood to gather, and meals to prepare. The people were kept in a constant state of uncertainty, never knowing from one day to the next what their next move might be or when it might occur. They were obliged to remain in a constant state of readiness to march at a moment’s notice.

But isn’t that how every child of God should live; constantly waiting on God and ready to respond to His leading at any moment? God wants to direct our paths but that requires that we be ready to hear and answer when He speaks. Like the Israelites, we must recognize His constant presence in our lives and seek to know when He is moving and where He might be leading us.

It is God’s will that we seek Him, live for Him, and obey Him. We are to eagerly watch for when He is moving in our lives. But, if we are not careful, we can become distracted by the cares of this world and miss when He has other plans for us. We are to seek His direction by watching Him. An Israelite could have easily taken his flocks to a nearby stream to water them and never noticed that the cloud had lifted up from the Tabernacle. That’s why God provided the trumpets as a call to action. Today, rather than silver trumpets, we have the Word of God and the indwelling Spirit of God. That is how He communicates His will to us. But we must spend time in His Word, seeking to meet with Him and waiting for Him to direct our paths. Yet, too often, we get comfortable in our surroundings and, even when God speaks, we find His will for our lives to be inconvenient, so we ignore it.

The Scriptures speak to us, but we tend to rationalize away what they have to say, deeming their content as impractical or impossible. But God calls His people to obedience. He doesn’t ask us to obey only when it's convenient or comfortable. He expects us to move when He moves – day or night – willingly, obediently, and faithfully.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Never Forget

1 And the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “Let the people of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time. 3 On the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, you shall keep it at its appointed time; according to all its statutes and all its rules you shall keep it.” 4 So Moses told the people of Israel that they should keep the Passover. 5 And they kept the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, in the wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the people of Israel did. 6 And there were certain men who were unclean through touching a dead body, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day, and they came before Moses and Aaron on that day. 7 And those men said to him, “We are unclean through touching a dead body. Why are we kept from bringing the Lord’s offering at its appointed time among the people of Israel?” 8 And Moses said to them, “Wait, that I may hear what the Lord will command concerning you.”

9 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If any one of you or of your descendants is unclean through touching a dead body, or is on a long journey, he shall still keep the Passover to the Lord. 11 In the second month on the fourteenth day at twilight they shall keep it. They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 12 They shall leave none of it until the morning, nor break any of its bones; according to all the statute for the Passover they shall keep it. 13 But if anyone who is clean and is not on a journey fails to keep the Passover, that person shall be cut off from his people because he did not bring the Lord’s offering at its appointed time; that man shall bear his sin. 14 And if a stranger sojourns among you and would keep the Passover to the Lord, according to the statute of the Passover and according to its rule, so shall he do. You shall have one statute, both for the sojourner and for the native.” – Numbers 9:1-14 ESV

The first 14 verses of chapter 9 record God’s call for Israel to celebrate the second annual Passover. A year had passed since He had instituted the original Passover meal that had resulted in the deliverance of the people of Israel from the divine judgment meted out by the Death Angel. Any home where the blood of an unblemished lamb had been spread on the doorpost and lintel had been spared the death of the firstborn (Exodus 12). The sacrifice of the innocent lambs provided protection from the wrath of God. Their lives were offered up in place of the firstborn sons of the Israelites.

God graciously reminded His people to keep this annual festival, knowing that they would naturally tend to forget. Much had transpired since they left Egypt a year earlier and the celebration of that long-forgotten night would have been the last thing on their minds. Yet, God had commanded them to commemorate the Passover every year on the same day from generation to generation.

“This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.” – Exodus 12:14 ESV

The second-annual Passover was to occur in the first month of the second year after the Exodus. This means it took place a month earlier than the census recorded in chapter 1, which God had instituted “on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt” (Numbers 1:1 ESV). This tells us that the events recorded in Numbers are not necessarily in chronological order.

As per God’s command, the Passover was to be kept “at its appointed time; according to all its statutes and all its rules” (Numbers 9:3 ESV). Nothing was left to chance. They couldn’t skip it or make any changes to it. Everything had to be done in keeping with the requirements spelled out by God on the evening of the first Passover.

“Every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers' houses, a lamb for a household. …Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.” – Exodus 12:3, 5-6 ESV

As part of the celebration, the people of Israel were required to reenact all the requirements that  God had handed down regarding the Passover, including the sacrifice of the lamb.

“…take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it.” – Exodus 12:7 ESV

While they were living in Egypt, the Israelites had been shepherds (Exodus 9:1-7), so they had ready access to the lambs necessary for obeying God’s commands. Even when they departed Egypt, they did so with “great flocks and herds of livestock” (Exodus 12:38 NLT).  So, they had plenty of resources to obey God’s command and commemorate this annual festival.

Once again, they were not free to twist the rules or skimp on the requirements. The lambs must be without blemish. They couldn’t cut corners by offering a flawed or disfigured animal. That would have made the sacrifice unacceptable to God. Every detail concerning the celebration of the original Passover had been critical and non-negotiable. If they wanted to experience God’s deliverance, the people would have to do everything according to His exacting standards. As the years passed and each successive generation asked, “What does this ceremony mean?,” their parents were to answer, “It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, for he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt. And though he struck the Egyptians, he spared our families” (Exodus 12:25-27 NLT).

God had graciously spared the Israelites, but they had been required to do everything according to plan. Their obedience was non-optional and non-negotiable and, a year later, that fact remained unchanged.

The Passover was all about God’s mercy and grace. When the Death Angel passed through the land of Canaan, all the firstborns of the flocks and herds were to die, as well as the firstborns of all the households in Egypt. That would have included the Israelites – unless they obeyed God’s command and purified their homes with the blood of the unblemished lamb.

The Passover meal had been ordained for the Israelites alone. God had made it perfectly clear that “no uncircumcised male may ever eat the Passover meal” (Exodus 12:48 NLT). Any foreigner wishing to celebrate that Passover and escape the wrath of God was required to undergo the right of circumcision. 

“If there are foreigners living among you who want to celebrate the Lord’s Passover, let all their males be circumcised. Only then may they celebrate the Passover with you like any native-born Israelite.” – Exodus 12:48 NLT

And a year later, another provision was made for those who were ceremonially unclean.

…some of the men had been ceremonially defiled by touching a dead body, so they could not celebrate the Passover that day. – Numbers 9:6 NLT

Having come into contact with a corpse, they had become defiled and ceremonially impure. As a result, they were unable to celebrate the Passover meal or take part in the rest of the events associated with the festival. So, they made an appeal to Moses.

“We have become ceremonially unclean by touching a dead body. But why should we be prevented from presenting the Lord’s offering at the proper time with the rest of the Israelites?” – Numbers 9:7 NLT

Unsure as to what to do about this unexpected conundrum, Moses sought direction from God, and He responded.

“They must offer the Passover sacrifice one month later, at twilight on the fourteenth day of the second month.” – Numbers 9:11 NLT

This act of leniency would not have been possible a year earlier. Passover took place the very night on which the Death Angel passed through the land. A month’s delay would have resulted in death. But God had already delivered His people and they had escaped His judgment. Now, a year later, He could extend them grace by allowing them to delay their eating of the meal for 30 days; just enough time for them to undergo ceremonial purification and restoration. Once the month-long delay was complete, they were to keep every aspect of God’s command down to the last detail.

“They must follow all the normal regulations concerning the Passover.” – Numbers 9:12 NLT

God was gracious and came up with a provision for their defilement. But anyone who simply neglected to keep the Passover could not expect to enjoy the mercy of God.

“But those who neglect to celebrate the Passover at the regular time, even though they are ceremonially clean and not away on a trip, will be cut off from the community of Israel. If they fail to present the Lord’s offering at the proper time, they will suffer the consequences of their guilt.” – Numbers 9:13 NLT

These individuals were to be treated as ceremonially unclean and cut off from the faith community. Their failure to obey God’s commands concerning the Passover would result in their banishment. There would be no Death Angel passing through the midst of the camp, but they would suffer relational death – a painful removal from their family and friends and, worse yet, from the presence of God.

And God held everyone within the Israelite community to the same exacting standards, whether they were Jews or Gentile converts to Judaism.

“…if foreigners living among you want to celebrate the Passover to the Lord, they must follow these same decrees and regulations. The same laws apply both to native-born Israelites and to the foreigners living among you.” – Numbers 9:14 NLT

Some biblical scholars believe the reference to being “cut off” from the faith community is really a reference to physical death. One of the verses they use to support this interpretation is found in the book of Leviticus.

“All who do not deny themselves that day will be cut off from God’s people. And I will destroy anyone among you who does any work on that day.” – Leviticus 23:29-30 NLT

God commanded that the annual Day of Atonement be treated as a Sabbath day of rest. The people of Israel were prohibited from doing any work from sundown of one day to sundown of the next. If they did, they were to be cut off or destroyed. And those who failed to keep the Passover were also to be “cut off” so that they might “suffer the consequences of their guilt” (Numbers 9:13 NLT).

Whether the separation was merely physical, in terms of removal from the fellowship, or of a more permanent nature, due to death, it is clear that God considered obedience to His commands to be mandatory. His people were to keep His word or face the consequences. God had established the Passover as a memorial, an annual event designed to remind each successive generation of His gracious deliverance. He had protected His chosen people from certain death by providing them with a sacrificial substitute, an unblemished lamb whose life and blood served as a means of atonement. And the annual commemoration of this event was meant to remind them of God’s deliverance. When their children asked for an explanation for this bizarre ritual, the parents were to respond: “It is the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.” (Exodus 12:27 ESV).

For us, the Passover serves as a reminder of the greater sacrifice that God offered on our behalf. He sent His Son to serve as the ultimate Passover Lamb whose blood would deliver from death and provide eternal life. The apostle Paul would remind the believers in Corinth, “Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7 NLT). John the Baptist would describe Jesus as “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 NLT). According to the apostle Peter, this spotless Lamb of God served as God’s gracious ransom for mankind’s sin debt.

For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. – 1 Peter 1:18-19 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Need for Light and Leadership

1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to Aaron and say to him, When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand.” 3 And Aaron did so: he set up its lamps in front of the lampstand, as the Lord commanded Moses. 4 And this was the workmanship of the lampstand, hammered work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was hammered work; according to the pattern that the Lord had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.

5 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 6 “Take the Levites from among the people of Israel and cleanse them. 7 Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of purification upon them, and let them go with a razor over all their body, and wash their clothes and cleanse themselves. 8 Then let them take a bull from the herd and its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you shall take another bull from the herd for a sin offering. 9 And you shall bring the Levites before the tent of meeting and assemble the whole congregation of the people of Israel. 10 When you bring the Levites before the Lord, the people of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites, 11 and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering from the people of Israel, that they may do the service of the Lord. 12 Then the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to the Lord to make atonement for the Levites. 13 And you shall set the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and shall offer them as a wave offering to the Lord.

14 “Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the people of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine. 15 And after that the Levites shall go in to serve at the tent of meeting, when you have cleansed them and offered them as a wave offering. 16 For they are wholly given to me from among the people of Israel. Instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the people of Israel, I have taken them for myself. 17 For all the firstborn among the people of Israel are mine, both of man and of beast. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I consecrated them for myself, 18 and I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel. 19 And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the people of Israel, to do the service for the people of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement for the people of Israel, that there may be no plague among the people of Israel when the people of Israel come near the sanctuary.”

20 Thus did Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the people of Israel to the Levites. According to all that the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites, the people of Israel did to them. 21 And the Levites purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes, and Aaron offered them as a wave offering before the Lord, and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them. 22 And after that the Levites went in to do their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron and his sons; as the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.

23 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “This applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall come to do duty in the service of the tent of meeting. 25 And from the age of fifty years they shall withdraw from the duty of the service and serve no more. 26 They minister to their brothers in the tent of meeting by keeping guard, but they shall do no service. Thus shall you do to the Levites in assigning their duties.” – Numbers 8:1-26 ESV

Chapter seven recorded the joy and generosity of the people of Israel at the dedication of the Tabernacle. The entire chapter is a list of all the gifts the various tribes brought to the dedication, and Moses painstakingly records the exact nature of each tribe’s contribution, revealing that they all gave equally. This occasion was spread out over 12 days, with the various sacrifices for each tribe taking up the better part of the day on which they made their presentation. So, for almost two solid weeks, there was the giving of gifts, the burning of sacrifices, and the atonement for the sins of the people. This would have been a remarkable celebration and it ended with Moses going into the Tabernacle to meet with God, where "he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim" (Numbers 7:59 ESV).

This was a joyful celebration because God had accepted their gifts and had come to dwell among them, just as He had promised.  This momentous occasion was followed by the dedication of the Levites. These men were the literal "stand-ins" for the people. God had chosen them to serve Him in place of the firstborn males of the people. At one point, God had commanded that all the firstborn males were to be dedicated to His service. This was because He had spared all the firstborn Hebrew sons on the night the Death Angel passed through the land of Egypt.

But later, God chose to use the Levites as substitutes for the firstborns of Israel. The male descendants of Levi would serve in their place. So on this day, the people were commanded by God to lay their hands on the heads of the Levites, transferring the sole responsibility of serving God onto the members of this one tribe. In essence, the Levites became living sacrifices, dedicated to God’s service.

But this chapter opens with a brief, yet important command from God concerning the golden lampstand. At first glance, these verses appear out of place. They don’t seem to fit the context. But upon closer examination, they begin to make sense.

God commands Moses to have Aaron light the golden lampstand within the Tabernacle. The design for this vital tabernacle fixture was given much earlier and provides important details that will help explain the inclusion of verses 1-4. God had been very specific about the lampstand’s construction.

“Make a lampstand of pure, hammered gold. Make the entire lampstand and its decorations of one piece—the base, center stem, lamp cups, buds, and petals. Make it with six branches going out from the center stem, three on each side. Each of the six branches will have three lamp cups shaped like almond blossoms, complete with buds and petals.  Craft the center stem of the lampstand with four lamp cups shaped like almond blossoms, complete with buds and petals. There will also be an almond bud beneath each pair of branches where the six branches extend from the center stem. 36 The almond buds and branches must all be of one piece with the center stem, and they must be hammered from pure gold. Then make the seven lamps for the lampstand, and set them so they reflect their light forward.” – Exodus 25:31-37 NLT

Notice the emphasis on the almond buds, blossoms, and petals. There are four separate references to this particular flower. The lampstand was to resemble a budding almond tree, which was the first tree to blossom and bear fruit in the spring. So, the lampstand was to be a visual symbol of life and fruitfulness, but it was also intended to bring light.

With the seven lamps of the Golden Lampstand having been lit, God then instructed Moses to set apart the Levites. An elaborate ceremony was conducted to consecrate the Levites and to remind the Israelites that this one tribe had been chosen by God to serve as their substitutes.

“Of all the people of Israel, the Levites are reserved for me. I have claimed them for myself in place of all the firstborn sons of the Israelites; I have taken the Levites as their substitutes.” – Numbers 8:16 NLT

God wanted to make it perfectly clear that the Levites had been given the sole responsibility of mediating before Him on behalf of the people of Israel.

“I have claimed the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons of Israel. And of all the Israelites, I have assigned the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They will serve in the Tabernacle on behalf of the Israelites and make sacrifices to purify the people so no plague will strike them when they approach the sanctuary.” – Numbers 8:18-19 NLT

As part of the ceremony of consecration, the Levites “purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes” (Numbers 8:21 NLT).

After that the Levites went into the Tabernacle to perform their duties, assisting Aaron and his sons. So they carried out all the commands that the Lord gave Moses concerning the Levites. – Numbers 8:22 NLT

The lampstand was lit, the Levites were cleansed, and their ministry in the Tabernacle on behalf of the people officially began. But fast-forward to chapter 16 and there you will find recorded a rather dark moment in Israel’s history. It took place as they continued their journey from Egypt to Canaan and it involved a significant rebellion against the leadership of Moses and Aaron. A small group of individuals, jealous of the power wielded by Moses and his brother, decided to stage a coup. Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and On “incited a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 other leaders of the community, all prominent members of the assembly” (Numbers 16:3 NLT).

Their argument was that Moses and Aaron were nothing special because the whole nation had been set apart by God.

“You have gone too far! The whole community of Israel has been set apart by the Lord, and he is with all of us. What right do you have to act as though you are greater than the rest of the Lord’s people?” – Numbers 16:3 NLT

Moses responded to their demand for equality and equity with a challenge.

“Tomorrow morning the Lord will show us who belongs to him and who is holy. The Lord will allow only those whom he selects to enter his own presence.” – Numbers 16:5 NLT

Korah and his companions were declaring themselves to be on equal standing with Moses and Aaron. They felt like they were being slighted and treated like second-class citizens but their complaints were ill-founded and unwise. They were actually questioning the will of God, and what makes this scene so fascinating is that Korah was a Levite. In fact, Moses points out this very fact when he states, “Korah, you and all your followers must prepare your incense burners. Light fires in them tomorrow, and burn incense before the Lord. Then we will see whom the Lord chooses as his holy one. You Levites are the ones who have gone too far!” (Numbers 16:6-7 NLT).

It seems that Korah and his cohorts were dissatisfied with their God-ordained role as servants in the Tabernacle; they wanted power. They were looking for a more prestigious role that was worthy of greater honor. In fact, they wanted to be priests, just like Aaron and his sons. So, Moses confronted them about the insubordination that had led them to stage an attempted insurrection.

“Now listen, you Levites! Does it seem insignificant to you that the God of Israel has chosen you from among all the community of Israel to be near him so you can serve in the Lord’s Tabernacle and stand before the people to minister to them? Korah, he has already given this special ministry to you and your fellow Levites. Are you now demanding the priesthood as well? The Lord is the one you and your followers are really revolting against! For who is Aaron that you are complaining about him?” – Numbers 16:8-11 NLT

But despite Moses’ words, Korah and his companions remained unrepentant. They “stirred up the entire community against Moses and Aaron, and they all gathered at the Tabernacle entrance” (Numbers 16:19 NLT).

At this point in the story, the glory of God appeared before the people and the Almighty declared His intent to destroy the entire nation for its rebellion.

“Get away from all these people so that I may instantly destroy them!” – Numbers 16:21 NLT

But Moses and Aaron interceded on behalf of the people and begged God to spare them.

“O God,” they pleaded, “you are the God who gives breath to all creatures. Must you be angry with all the people when only one man sins?” – Numbers 16:22 NLT

As a result, God determined to wipe out the families of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.

The earth opened its mouth and swallowed the men, along with their households and all their followers who were standing with them, and everything they owned. So they went down alive into the grave, along with all their belongings. The earth closed over them, and they all vanished from among the people of Israel. – Numbers 16:32-33 NLT

But the story doesn’t end there. Even after this tragic event, the people continued to rebel against the leadership of Moses and Aaron.

…the very next morning the whole community of Israel began muttering again against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the Lord’s people!” – Numbers 16:41 NLT

In response to their continued insolence and rebellion, God sent a plague that left 14,700 people dead. Had not Aaron interceded, purifying the people with incense, even more people would have died.

The next thing God commanded Moses to do was to have each tribe bring a staff with the name of their tribe inscribed on it. They were to place these staffs inside the tabernacle in front of the Ark of the Covenant. God ordained this to be a final affirmation of leadership.

“Buds will sprout on the staff belonging to the man I choose. Then I will finally put an end to the people’s murmuring and complaining against you.” – Numbers 17:5 NLT

The next day, when Moses entered the Tabernacle, “he found that Aaron’s staff, representing the tribe of Levi, had sprouted, budded, blossomed, and produced ripe almonds!” (Numbers 17:8 NLT).

God had settled the debate once and for all. He had reconfirmed the priestly role of Aaron and his sons. He had dramatically reminded the Levites of their status as His servants. And He had warned all the people of their need to submit to His divine will. Everyone had a part to play. No one was to covet the role of another. There was to be no disunity or jealousy. Every priest, Levite, Nazirite, and citizen of the nation of Israel was expected to live in submission to the will of God – no questions asked, no complaints registered.

Chapter eight ends with a divine decree that limited each Levite's length of service to 25 years. Theirs was not a lifelong commitment, but a temporary one that ended at the age of 50. Once the tenure of their service was complete, they were to relinquish their duties to another. Each man was to serve during the prime years of his life, ensuring that the service of the Tabernacle was of the highest quality.

This chapter began with the lighting of the seven lamps that sat upon the Golden Lampstand and lit the way into the Holy of Holies where God’s presence dwelt. It then detailed the cleansing and the consecration of the Levites who were to be the designated caretakers of God’s house, ensuring that it remained holy so that God’s presence would remain constant. In essence, this entire chapter is about light and leadership. God had ordained both as necessary for the well-being of His people, and it should not escape our notice that Jesus used both light and leadership to describe His God-ordained role as the Messiah.

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” – John 8:12 ESV

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” – John 10:11 ESV

Light and leadership are near and dear to the heart of God. Without light, darkness prevails, and “Without wise leadership, a nation falls” (Proverbs 11:14 NLT). Both light and leadership have to do with vision; the ability to see as well as the capacity to foresee what God has planned. The Levites were expected to protect the people of God by providing godly leadership and preserving the light of God’s presence.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Giving for God’s Glory

12 He who offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah. 13 And his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 14 one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 15 one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 16 one male goat for a sin offering; 17 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

18 On the second day Nethanel the son of Zuar, the chief of Issachar, made an offering. 19 He offered for his offering one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 20 one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 21 one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 22 one male goat for a sin offering; 23 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nethanel the son of Zuar.

24 On the third day Eliab the son of Helon, the chief of the people of Zebulun: 25 his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 26 one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 27 one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 28 one male goat for a sin offering; 29 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliab the son of Helon.

30 On the fourth day Elizur the son of Shedeur, the chief of the people of Reuben: 31 his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 32 one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 33 one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 34 one male goat for a sin offering; 35 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elizur the son of Shedeur.

36 On the fifth day Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, the chief of the people of Simeon: 37 his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 38 one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 39 one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 40 one male goat for a sin offering; 41 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.

42 On the sixth day Eliasaph the son of Deuel, the chief of the people of Gad: 43 his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 44 one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 45 one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 46 one male goat for a sin offering; 47 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliasaph the son of Deuel.

48 On the seventh day Elishama the son of Ammihud, the chief of the people of Ephraim: 49 his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 50 one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 51 one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 52 one male goat for a sin offering; 53 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elishama the son of Ammihud.

54 On the eighth day Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, the chief of the people of Manasseh: 55 his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 56 one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 57 one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 58 one male goat for a sin offering; 59 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.

60 On the ninth day Abidan the son of Gideoni, the chief of the people of Benjamin: 61 his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 62 one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 63 one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 64 one male goat for a sin offering; 65 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Abidan the son of Gideoni.

66 On the tenth day Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, the chief of the people of Dan: 67 his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 68 one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 69 one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 70 one male goat for a sin offering; 71 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

72 On the eleventh day Pagiel the son of Ochran, the chief of the people of Asher: 73 his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 74 one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 75 one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 76 one male goat for a sin offering; 77 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Pagiel the son of Ochran.

78 On the twelfth day Ahira the son of Enan, the chief of the people of Naphtali: 79 his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; 80 one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; 81 one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; 82 one male goat for a sin offering; 83 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahira the son of Enan.

84 This was the dedication offering for the altar on the day when it was anointed, from the chiefs of Israel: twelve silver plates, twelve silver basins, twelve golden dishes, 85 each silver plate weighing 130 shekels and each basin 70, all the silver of the vessels 2,400 shekels according to the shekel of the sanctuary, 86 the twelve golden dishes, full of incense, weighing 10 shekels apiece according to the shekel of the sanctuary, all the gold of the dishes being 120 shekels; 87 all the cattle for the burnt offering twelve bulls, twelve rams, twelve male lambs a year old, with their grain offering; and twelve male goats for a sin offering; 88 and all the cattle for the sacrifice of peace offerings twenty-four bulls, the rams sixty, the male goats sixty, the male lambs a year old sixty. This was the dedication offering for the altar after it was anointed.

89 And when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim; and it spoke to him. – Numbers 7:12-89 ESV

This chapter looks back at a month earlier in the lives of the Israelites when they had just finished the construction of the Tabernacle. At that point, the various tribal leaders brought to Moses what appears to have been an unsolicited, spontaneous gift of six wagons and 12 oxen. The twelve tribes gave these gifts to assist the Levites with the transport of the Tabernacle and all its contents from the wilderness to the Promised Land.

The six wagons and 12 oxen would prove highly beneficial when transporting the large quantities of material associated with the Tabernacle.  The gifts were distributed by Moses to the Levites, but none were given to the Kohathites because they were commanded by God to carry the sacred objects on their shoulders.

In addition to the oxen and carts, each of the tribes presented a variety of offerings that included silver dishes, rams, goats, lambs, and grain. Each tribe offered their gifts in sequential order over a 12-day period of time. The extent of the offerings seems to suggest that they were a collective gift given by the people of each tribe. In a sense, the entire community was joining together to offer their gifts to help in the dedication of God’s new dwelling place. Each tribe gave the same gifts, signifying that no one tribe was greater than any other. But the most significant gift was the very practical one of the oxen and carts that would prove essential in the transport of the Tabernacle from one location to another.

While care of the Tabernacle was to be the sole responsibility of the Levites, the other tribes showed their desire to honor God and His house through their contributions. Their gifts showed forethought and a commitment to solidarity; they were all in this together. As a community, they were all dependent upon the care of the Tabernacle because it served as a guarantee of God’s abiding presence.

In much the same way, we can help support those who have been called by God to serve as ministers or missionaries, by giving them the practical support that will make their task more tolerable. In the book of Ephesians, Paul reminds us that God, “is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-12 NLT).

There are those whom God has called to serve the body of Christ in specific roles that come with heavy responsibilities. It is up to the rest of the faith community to support them and stand beside them as they carry out their duties. Paul wrote to Timothy and gave him the following instructions regarding those men who were appointed as elders of the local church.

Elders who do their work well should be paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “Do not keep an ox from eating as it treads out the grain.’ And in another place, ‘Those who work deserve their pay!” – 1 Timothy 5:17-18 NLT

The unique nature of the gifts given by the 12 tribes provides a powerful lesson in the collective nature of the ministry. It reminds us that God’s people need to see to it that God’s work is always fully funded and supported – for the good of the ministry and the glory of God. The Israelites’ gift of the oxen and wagon was practical and highly utilitarian, but it was an offering to God as much as any other sacrifice associated with the Tabernacle. Sometimes our practical gifts get overlooked and overshadowed by the more impressive “spiritual” gifts of teaching and preaching. But just imagine how difficult it would have been for the Levites to transport all the contents of the Tabernacle had the tribes not been sensitive to God’s leading and given those six carts and 12 oxen.

The family of God is designed to work together in a unified effort to accomplish His divine will. The priests, Levites, Nazirites, and the individual members of each tribe were each to do their part in ensuring that God’s work was accomplished. God’s people should give and serve for the collective good and for God’s glory, and our giving should be practical, powerful, and life-transformational.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Gifts Worthy of a Great God

1 On the day when Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle and had anointed and consecrated it with all its furnishings and had anointed and consecrated the altar with all its utensils, 2 the chiefs of Israel, heads of their fathers' houses, who were the chiefs of the tribes, who were over those who were listed, approached 3 and brought their offerings before the Lord, six wagons and twelve oxen, a wagon for every two of the chiefs, and for each one an ox. They brought them before the tabernacle. 4 Then the Lord said to Moses, 5 “Accept these from them, that they may be used in the service of the tent of meeting, and give them to the Levites, to each man according to his service.” 6 So Moses took the wagons and the oxen and gave them to the Levites. 7 Two wagons and four oxen he gave to the sons of Gershon, according to their service. 8 And four wagons and eight oxen he gave to the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. 9 But to the sons of Kohath he gave none, because they were charged with the service of the holy things that had to be carried on the shoulder. 10 And the chiefs offered offerings for the dedication of the altar on the day it was anointed; and the chiefs offered their offering before the altar. 11 And the Lord said to Moses, “They shall offer their offerings, one chief each day, for the dedication of the altar.” – Numbers 7:1-11 ESV

Chapter seven is the second-longest chapter in the entire Bible and, upon closer examination, we will discover that much of its length is due to its repetitiveness. In this chapter, Moses records the offerings that each tribe made at the dedication of the newly built Tabernacle. The events recorded in chapters 7-9 actually precede those in covered in chapters 1-6. This chronological flash-back allows Moses to revert back to the previous month when the Israelites had completed the construction of the Tabernacle. At that point, the various tribal leaders brought to Moses what appears to have been an unsolicited, spontaneous gift of six wagons and 12 oxen. The twelve tribes gave these gifts to assist the Levites with the transport of the Tabernacle and all its contents from the wilderness to the Promised Land.

While it seems that God did not prescribe or demand these gifts, it was obviously prompted by God’s Spirit. The six wagons and 12 oxen would prove highly beneficial when transporting the large quantities of material associated with the Tabernacle.  The gifts were distributed by Moses to the Levites.

God had Moses distribute the wagons and oxen based on the needs of the Gershonites and Merarites. Because the Merarites were responsible for transporting the heavier and bulkier materials associated with the Tabernacle, they received four wagons and eight oxen.

“Their only duty at the Tabernacle will be to carry loads. They will carry the frames of the Tabernacle, the crossbars, the posts, and the bases; also the posts for the courtyard walls with their bases, pegs, and ropes; and all the accessories and everything else related to their use.” – Numbers 4:31-32 NLT

The Gershonites received the remainder of the wagons and oxen for carrying the lighter and less bulky construction materials. God had commanded the Kohathites to use poles to carry the holy objects located in the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies, so they received no wagons or oxen.

On the day of the Tabernacle’s dedication, the leaders of the 12 tribes of Israel brought additional gifts that were to be used as sacrificial offerings to properly consecrate God’s house. Each tribe was expected to participate and the list of gifts they brought was exactly the same as every other tribe. The size of the tribe did not determine the size of their gifts. The length of the chapter is due in part to the repetitive nature of the listing of sacrificial offerings.

Each tribe gave equally and generously, and their giving was reminiscent of their response to Moses’ original call to fund the construction of the Tabernacle. When Moses had first announced God’s plans for the Israelites to build Him a house, he had challenged them to underwrite its construction.

“This is what the Lord has commanded: Take a sacred offering for the Lord. Let those with generous hearts present the following gifts to the Lord:

gold, silver, and bronze;
blue, purple, and scarlet thread;
fine linen and goat hair for cloth;
tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather;
acacia wood;
olive oil for the lamps;
spices for the anointing oil and the fragrant incense;
onyx stones, and other gemstones to be set in the ephod and the priest’s chestpiece.” – Exodus 35:4-9 NLT

Moses also instructed the people to use whatever talents they had to help in the crafting of the various parts of the Tabernacle, and they responded to the call.

All whose hearts were stirred and whose spirits were moved came and brought their sacred offerings to the Lord. They brought all the materials needed for the Tabernacle, for the performance of its rituals, and for the sacred garments. Both men and women came, all whose hearts were willing. They brought to the Lord their offerings of gold—brooches, earrings, rings from their fingers, and necklaces. They presented gold objects of every kind as a special offering to the Lord. – Exodus 35:21-22 NLT

The people had given so graciously and abundantly that the craftsmen were inundated with donated material, far more than they needed to complete the project. This led them to ask Moses to put a hold on any further contributions.

“The people have given more than enough materials to complete the job the Lord has commanded us to do!”

So Moses gave the command, and this message was sent throughout the camp: “Men and women, don’t prepare any more gifts for the sanctuary. We have enough!” So the people stopped bringing their sacred offerings. Their contributions were more than enough to complete the whole project.  – Exodus 36:5-7 NLT

Now that the Tabernacle was completed and ready for God to take up residence within it, the entire complex needed to be properly consecrated. This entire process was done in an orderly fashion and took place over a 12-day period. Each day, the Levites would accept the offerings of a single tribe and sacrifice them on the bronze altar in the courtyard of the Tabernacle. It all began with the tribe of Judah, as their leader, Nahshon the son of Amminadab, placed their gifts before the altar.

Once again, the repetitive nature of the listing of the gifts makes the length of the chapter a bit excessive, but it is meant to accentuate the equality of each tribe and the shared need for proper atonement. Regardless of each tribe’s size, it was expected to bring the exact same offering.

A silver plate weighing 130 shekels filled with fine flour mixed with oil

A silver basin weighing 70 shekels filled with fine flour mixed with oil

A golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense

A bull for a burnt offering

A ram for a burnt offering

A one-year-old male lamb a year old for a burnt offering

A male goat for a sin offering

Two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old for the sacrifice of peace offerings

These were costly items that would have required sacrifice on the part of each tribe and each was required regardless of the number of families within the tribe. There were grain offerings, offerings of incense, burnt offerings, sin offerings, and peace offerings. Nothing could be left out. No corners could be cut. From the largest to the smallest tribe, each was expected to bring the same gifts to the altar of the Lord. This presentation of the offerings was designed to be an act of worship and celebration as they anticipated the glory of the Lord taking up residence within the newly completed Tabernacle. But these offerings were also expressions of gratitude for all that God had done for them over the last year. He had graciously and miraculously delivered them from captivity in Egypt. He had set them free and led them all the way to Mount Sinai, where He had given them His law and the plans for the Tabernacle. He had appeared to them in the form of a mighty storm on the top of Mount Sinai. He had punished them for their disobedience in worshiping the golden calf. He had led them, fed them, clothed them, and repeatedly forgiven them for the obstinance and grumbling.

Now, He was preparing to take up residence among them, just as He had promised.

“Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them. You must build this Tabernacle and its furnishings exactly according to the pattern I will show you.” – Exodus 25:8-9 NLT

The Tabernacle was finished. The Levites had been set apart. The priests had been consecrated. Now the people offered their gifts to God as an expression of their gratitude, reverence, and dependence. Day after day, the gifts were placed before the altar of God, the burnt offerings were sacrificed, and each tribe worshiped the one true God who had set them apart as His own. This 12-day ceremony was intended to accentuate the Israelites’ unique status as God’s chosen people.

God had kept His word. He had delivered them, led them, clothed them, and now was coming to dwell among them.

“I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord.” – Exodus 6:6-8 ESV

They could trust Him to finish what He had begun. He would lead them to the promised land but they would need to remain faithful and fully committed to Him alone. This 12-day ceremony was intended to drive home their need for consecration and dedication to Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He was with them and would go before them, but they would need to remain faithful to Him. Sacrifice was the key to their future. He had set them apart as His own but they would need to dedicate themselves to remaining wholeheartedly committed to His will and prepared to offer Him the reverence He deserved.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Blessed to Be a Blessing

22 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them,

24 The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

27 “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.” – Numbers 6:22-27 ESV

At this point, God switches His focus back to Aaron and his sons, whom He had appointed to serve as priests. Aaron was the older brother of Moses (Exodus 7:7) who had served at his sibling’s side ever since the days when God commissioned them to deliver the people of Israel from their captivity in Egypt. Moses was the God-appointed deliverer but Aaron was to serve as his brother’s mouthpiece.

“Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him.” – Exodus 4:14-16 ESV

In those days, Moses had been living in the land of Midian, having left Egypt out of fear for his life. In an attempt to protect a Jewish slave from mistreatment by an Egyptian, Moses killed the oppressor and was forced to run for his life when news reached the ears of Pharaoh. It was during his stay in Midian that Moses received God’s call to deliver the people of Israel, and, at the same time, Aaron, who was still living in Egypt, received his own divine commission to come to his brother’s aid.

The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him. And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord with which he had sent him to speak, and all the signs that he had commanded him to do. Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel. Aaron spoke all the words that the Lord had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people. And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped. – Exodus 4:27-31 ESV

Later in the book of Genesis, Moses records the point at which God set apart Aaron and his sons to serve as priests. This was long after the people of Israel had made their miraculous escape from slavery in Egypt.

“Call for your brother, Aaron, and his sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. Set them apart from the rest of the people of Israel so they may minister to me and be my priests.” – Exodus 28:1 NLT

These men were given the privilege and responsibility of serving as God’s mediators and ministers. Their role was defined by God and could not be performed by anyone else in the Israelite community. As members of the tribe of Levi, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar were doubly set apart. They were part of the Levitical caste whom God had chosen to serve in the place of all the firstborn males of Israel, but they were also the clan that would serve as priests within the Tabernacle of God. God ordered Moses to perform an elaborate ceremony that would consecrate them for their new role as His servants.

“Present Aaron and his sons at the entrance of the Tabernacle, and wash them with water. Dress Aaron in his priestly garments—the tunic, the robe worn with the ephod, the ephod itself, and the chestpiece. Then wrap the decorative sash of the ephod around him. Place the turban on his head, and fasten the sacred medallion to the turban. Then anoint him by pouring the anointing oil over his head. Next present his sons, and dress them in their tunics. Wrap the sashes around the waists of Aaron and his sons, and put their special head coverings on them. Then the right to the priesthood will be theirs by law forever. In this way, you will ordain Aaron and his sons.” – Exodus 29:4-9 NLT

God went on to tell Moses that Aaron and his sons would serve as priests for perpetuity. Unlike a Nazirite, whose service to God was voluntary and temporary, the Aaronic priesthood came with a lifelong commitment.

“Yes, I will consecrate the Tabernacle and the altar, and I will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. Then I will live among the people of Israel and be their God, and they will know that I am the Lord their God. I am the one who brought them out of the land of Egypt so that I could live among them. I am the Lord their God.” – Exodus 29:44-46 NLT

As priests, their role was essential in maintaining the holiness of God’s people. One of their primary responsibilities was to offer sacrifices to God in the Tabernacle, ensuring that the sins of the people were atoned for so that God’s presence would remain within their midst.

After providing the requirements concerning the Nazirite vow of service, God ordered Aaron and his sons to pronounce a blessing on the people of Israel. This three-fold blessing was not intended to be a one-and-done event.

“Whereas Nazirites generally undertook their vows for a short period, the priests were always there pronouncing this blessing at the close of the daily morning service in the temple and later in the synagogues.” – Gordon J. Wenham, “Aaron’s Rod (Numbers 17:16-28).” Zeitschrift für die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 93:2 (1981):280-81.

In prescribing the exact wording of the blessing, God gave Aaron and his sons an outline for determining all future blessings. God was revealing His heart for the people of Israel and delegating to His priests the authority to speak on His behalf.

“Whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my name, I myself will bless them.” – Numbers 6:27 NLT

These men were to love the people under their care in the same way that God did. They were to be servant-shepherds, calling down the blessings of God upon the flock over which He had given them responsibility. They were to view their commission as a gift from God and a high and holy calling.

“But only you and your sons shall attend to your priesthood for everything concerning the altar and what is inside the veil, and you are to perform that service. I am giving you the work of the priesthood as a gift…” – Numbers 18:7 BSB

The apostle Peter shared similar words with the elders who served the congregation to whom he wrote.

Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor.– 1 Peter 5:2-4 NLT

God gave His priests the authority to “bless” His sheep. They were ordered to pronounce a divinely inspired promise of future blessing upon the people of God who were preparing to enter the land of Canaan.

“May the Lord bless you
    and protect you.
May the Lord smile on you
    and be gracious to you.
May the Lord show you his favor
    and give you his peace.” – Numbers 6:24-26 NLT

“This blessing, like the preceding Nazirite legislation, deals with the purification of Israel. As the nation prepared to move out toward the Promised Land, God gave this benediction to the priests to offer for the sanctification of the people. God’s will was to bless all His people, not just the Nazirites. The priests were the mediators of this blessing from God to the Israelites.” – Thomas L. Constable, Notes on Numbers

For the people of Israel to enjoy God’s protection, grace, favor, and peace, they would need to remain holy and pure. That could only happen if the priests carried out their God-ordained assignment to shepherd the people well. By dictating the content of the blessing, God provided His undershepherds with a glimpse into His own heart. The prophet Isaiah painted a vivid picture of the Great Shepherd’s gentle and caring demeanor.

He tends His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart. He gently leads the nursing ewes. – Isaiah 40:11 BSB

Aaron and his sons were to “bless” the people in the same way; words alone would not be enough. The blessing, without commensurate actions, would be insufficient. In a way, God was demanding that His priests be the conduits through which His protection, grace, favor, and peace flowed. If they did their job faithfully and effectively, the presence of God would remain within the camp of Israel and the people of God would be blessed. But if they failed, the people would suffer.

Years later, long after the people of Israel had conquered and populated the land of Canaan, the priests of Israel would fail to do their jobs and bring down God’s wrath rather than His blessing. Their dereliction of duty would end up indicting them.

“The shepherds of my people have lost their senses. They no longer seek wisdom from the LORD. Therefore, they fail completely, and their flocks are scattered.” – Jeremiah 10:21 NLT

“What sorrow awaits the leaders of my people—the shepherds of my sheep—for they have destroyed and scattered the very ones they were expected to care for…” – Jeremiah 23:1 NLT

The prophet Ezekiel provides a stinging rebuke from God against the neglectful shepherds of Israel.

“Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.” – Ezekiel 34:2-6 ESV

Rather than providing protection, grace, favor, and peace, God’s shepherds had fleeced the flock of God. They had abused, used, and abandoned God’s people, bringing down curses rather than blessings, and God held them responsible.

So, when God ordered Aaron and his sons to bless the people, He was expecting far more than just lip service; He was demanding actions in keeping with their words. Talk is cheap and words of blessing are meaningless if they aren’t accompanied by tangible expressions of love and care. God would not bless a disobedient people. He would not protect and pour out His favor on those who refused to keep His commands. So, it was up to the priests to teach the law to the people and to see that it was obeyed. But, more importantly, it was their own obedience that was to serve as a model for those under their care.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A Vow of Separation and Service

1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When either a man or a woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the Lord, 3 he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink. He shall drink no vinegar made from wine or strong drink and shall not drink any juice of grapes or eat grapes, fresh or dried. 4 All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, not even the seeds or the skins.

5 “All the days of his vow of separation, no razor shall touch his head. Until the time is completed for which he separates himself to the Lord, he shall be holy. He shall let the locks of hair of his head grow long.

6 “All the days that he separates himself to the Lord he shall not go near a dead body. 7 Not even for his father or for his mother, for brother or sister, if they die, shall he make himself unclean, because his separation to God is on his head. 8 All the days of his separation he is holy to the Lord.

9 “And if any man dies very suddenly beside him and he defiles his consecrated head, then he shall shave his head on the day of his cleansing; on the seventh day he shall shave it. 10 On the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves or two pigeons to the priest to the entrance of the tent of meeting, 11 and the priest shall offer one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, and make atonement for him, because he sinned by reason of the dead body. And he shall consecrate his head that same day 12 and separate himself to the Lord for the days of his separation and bring a male lamb a year old for a guilt offering. But the previous period shall be void, because his separation was defiled.

13 “And this is the law for the Nazirite, when the time of his separation has been completed: he shall be brought to the entrance of the tent of meeting, 14 and he shall bring his gift to the Lord, one male lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb a year old without blemish as a sin offering, and one ram without blemish as a peace offering, 15 and a basket of unleavened bread, loaves of fine flour mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers smeared with oil, and their grain offering and their drink offerings. 16 And the priest shall bring them before the Lord and offer his sin offering and his burnt offering, 17 and he shall offer the ram as a sacrifice of peace offering to the Lord, with the basket of unleavened bread. The priest shall offer also its grain offering and its drink offering. 18 And the Nazirite shall shave his consecrated head at the entrance of the tent of meeting and shall take the hair from his consecrated head and put it on the fire that is under the sacrifice of the peace offering. 19 And the priest shall take the shoulder of the ram, when it is boiled, and one unleavened loaf out of the basket and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them on the hands of the Nazirite, after he has shaved the hair of his consecration, 20 and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the Lord. They are a holy portion for the priest, together with the breast that is waved and the thigh that is contributed. And after that the Nazirite may drink wine.

21 “This is the law of the Nazirite. But if he vows an offering to the Lord above his Nazirite vow, as he can afford, in exact accordance with the vow that he takes, then he shall do in addition to the law of the Nazirite.” – Numbers 6:1-21 ESV

God had set apart Aaron and his sons to serve as priests. The male members of the tribe of Levi had also been chosen by God to serve as assistants to the priests and as caretakers of the Tabernacle. But in Numbers 6, we read of God’s provision for individual volunteerism. Any member of the faith community could choose to offer themselves in service to God by taking what was called the Nazirite Vow.

The Hebrew word nāzîr simply means “consecrated or devoted one.” These individuals took an oath of fealty to God, setting themselves apart as His servants. This period of consecrated service was usually for a specific length of time but, in some cases, it could last a lifetime. This commitment was not to be entered into lightly because those who took it were “setting themselves apart to the Lord in a special way” (Numbers 6:2 NLT). God took their vow seriously and expected them to keep their oath at all costs.

To emphasize the gravity of taking the Nazirite vow, God attached strict requirements that were intended to discourage the uncommitted. To dedicate oneself to God was a serious matter and it required sober introspection. While a certain amount of prestige could come from committing to dedicate yourself to the service of God, it was not about improving one’s social standing. Taking the vow was easy; fulfilling it was another matter altogether. So God outlined the cost of commitment associated with becoming a Nazirite. He wanted everyone to carefully consider whether they were willing to accept the severe standards that came with the vow.

God prescribed clear requirements for anyone wishing to dedicate themselves to His service. This consecration came with outward commitments that were designed to differentiate a Nazirite from the rest of the faith community. Not only were they set apart as God’s servants, but they were also to stand out from the crowd. First of all, they were prohibited from drinking wine.

“…they must give up wine and other alcoholic drinks. They must not use vinegar made from wine or from other alcoholic drinks, they must not drink fresh grape juice, and they must not eat grapes or raisins.” – Numbers 6:3 NLT

In a society where wine was a staple at every meal and a ubiquitous part of daily life, this would have proven to be a difficult concession to make. This requirement of abstinence was not because God considered the consumption of wine to be sinful, but because it always came with the risk of drunkenness. The Scriptures are filled with stories of individuals who allowed alcohol to blur their decision-making and cause them to violate God’s will. The book of Genesis describes how Noah “drank some wine he had made, and he became drunk and lay naked inside his tent” (Genesis 9:21 NLT). God considered Noah to be “a righteous man, blameless in his generation” (Genesis 6:9 ESV), but this godly man allowed alcohol to dull his senses and that decision had serious and long-lasting consequences (Genesis 9:18-25).

The apostle Peter referred to Lot as “a righteous man” (2 Peter 2:7), yet the book of Genesis describes how Lot’s daughters got him drunk with wine and then proceeded to commit incest with him.

“There are no men left anywhere in this entire area, so we can’t get married like everyone else. And our father will soon be too old to have children. Come, let’s get him drunk with wine, and then we will have sex with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father.” – Genesis 19:31-32 NLT

The end result of these two immoral encounters was the birth of two sons who would later become the fathers of the Moabites and Ammonites, two nations that would become the sworn enemies of Israel.

The fruit of the vine was intended to be a sign of God’s blessing but, like all of God’s blessings, it could be abused and misused. So, the Nazirites were strictly prohibited from consuming alcohol for as long as they remained in service to God.

Secondly, all Nazirites were prohibited from cutting their hair.

“They must never cut their hair throughout the time of their vow, for they are holy and set apart to the Lord. Until the time of their vow has been fulfilled, they must let their hair grow long.” – Numbers 6:5 NLT

The length of their hair was intended to act as a sign or symbol of their set-apart status. There is no explanation given for this particular prohibition. Both men and women were required to allow their hair to grow for as long as they remained in service to God. Perhaps it was intended as a demonstration of their willingness to place their personal preferences on hold while they were in God’s service. Any concern they had for their outward appearance was to take a back seat to their commitment to God’s will. It’s interesting to note that Samson, one of the judges of Israel and a Nazirite, had concluded that his long hair was the source of his superhuman strength.

“A razor has never come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother's womb. If my head is shaved, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak and be like any other man.” – Judges 16:17 ESV

Samson’s long hair had been intended to serve as a sign of his commitment to God, yet he had come to view it as a source of his strength. He had been set apart for God’s service but lived his life according to his own selfish standards. He was driven by his passions and given to living a life of excess. When Samson’s hair was cut by Delilah, he lost his strength, not because he had lost his hair but because he had been abandoned by God.

…he didn’t realize the Lord had left him. So the Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes. They took him to Gaza, where he was bound with bronze chains and forced to grind grain in the prison. – Judges 16:20-21 NLT

Samson lost his strength because he had long ago abandoned his commitment to God. He had repeatedly violated his vow to God and his shaved head was a sign that God no longer considered Samson to be set apart for His service. As the text clearly states, “the hair on their head is the symbol of their separation to God” (Numbers 6:7 NLT).

The third requirement had to do with defilement from personal contact with the dead. As a servant of God, the Nazirite was expected to remain ceremonially pure. Any physical contact with a human corpse would result in immediate defilement and require purification. What is interesting to note is how God highlights the role of the hair in the defilement process.

“If someone falls dead beside them, the hair they have dedicated will be defiled. They must wait for seven days and then shave their heads. Then they will be cleansed from their defilement.” – Numbers 6:9 NLT

The longer length of the hair would present a problem if someone came close to a dead body. While they might refrain from touching the corpse with their hands, their hair could easily come into contact with the deceased, rendering the Nazirite ceremonially unclean. The only remedy was to shave their heads and then offer a sacrifice at the Tabernacle. Once purified, he or she would be free to complete their vow to God. The whole point was that God expected each Nazirite to maintain their holiness as long as they were in His service.

“All the days of his separation he is holy to the Lord.” – Numbers 6:8 ESV

When each individual had completed the terms of their vow, a ceremony was conducted that officially released them from their commitment to God. It was called “the law of the Nazirite” and required each individual to shave their head and then burn the hair on the brazen altar as part of a sacrifice to God. This elaborate ritual brought the Nazirite’s service commitment to a close and allowed them to return to their former life.

But as long as their Nazirite vow was in place, they were expected to keep their commitment to God without fail.

“And they must be careful to do whatever they vowed when they set themselves apart as Nazirites.” – Numbers 6:21 NLT

While the Nazirite vow no longer exists or applies, there is a similar calling issued to every child of God today. The apostle Paul outlines this non-negotiable commitment in his letter to the believers in Rome and it still calls God’s people to maintain their commitment to moral purity and holiness – at all times and at all costs.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. – Romans 12:1-2 NLT

In a way, every believer has made a voluntary commitment to set themselves apart for God’s service. In placing their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior, they have chosen to live a set-apart life, relying upon the power of the Holy Spirit and in keeping with the will of God. The apostle Paul reminds us that God “saved us and called us to a holy calling” (2 Timothy 1:9 ESV). And Peter echoes that same sentiment when he writes, “you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy” (1 Peter 1:14-15 NLT).

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

God’s Hatred for Hidden Sin

11 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 12 “Speak to the people of Israel, If any man’s wife goes astray and breaks faith with him, 13 if a man lies with her sexually, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband, and she is undetected though she has defiled herself, and there is no witness against her, since she was not taken in the act, 14 and if the spirit of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous of his wife who has defiled herself, or if the spirit of jealousy comes over him and he is jealous of his wife, though she has not defiled herself, 15 then the man shall bring his wife to the priest and bring the offering required of her, a tenth of an ephah of barley flour. He shall pour no oil on it and put no frankincense on it, for it is a grain offering of jealousy, a grain offering of remembrance, bringing iniquity to remembrance.

16 “And the priest shall bring her near and set her before the Lord. 17 And the priest shall take holy water in an earthenware vessel and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water. 18 And the priest shall set the woman before the Lord and unbind the hair of the woman’s head and place in her hands the grain offering of remembrance, which is the grain offering of jealousy. And in his hand the priest shall have the water of bitterness that brings the curse. 19 Then the priest shall make her take an oath, saying, ‘If no man has lain with you, and if you have not turned aside to uncleanness while you were under your husband’s authority, be free from this water of bitterness that brings the curse. 20 But if you have gone astray, though you are under your husband’s authority, and if you have defiled yourself, and some man other than your husband has lain with you, 21 then’ (let the priest make the woman take the oath of the curse, and say to the woman) ‘the Lord make you a curse and an oath among your people, when the Lord makes your thigh fall away and your body swell. 22 May this water that brings the curse pass into your bowels and make your womb swell and your thigh fall away.’ And the woman shall say, ‘Amen, Amen.’

23 “Then the priest shall write these curses in a book and wash them off into the water of bitterness. 24 And he shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that brings the curse, and the water that brings the curse shall enter into her and cause bitter pain. 25 And the priest shall take the grain offering of jealousy out of the woman’s hand and shall wave the grain offering before the Lord and bring it to the altar. 26 And the priest shall take a handful of the grain offering, as its memorial portion, and burn it on the altar, and afterward shall make the woman drink the water. 27 And when he has made her drink the water, then, if she has defiled herself and has broken faith with her husband, the water that brings the curse shall enter into her and cause bitter pain, and her womb shall swell, and her thigh shall fall away, and the woman shall become a curse among her people. 28 But if the woman has not defiled herself and is clean, then she shall be free and shall conceive children.

29 “This is the law in cases of jealousy, when a wife, though under her husband’s authority, goes astray and defiles herself, 30 or when the spirit of jealousy comes over a man and he is jealous of his wife. Then he shall set the woman before the Lord, and the priest shall carry out for her all this law. 31 The man shall be free from iniquity, but the woman shall bear her iniquity.” – Numbers 5:11-31 ESV

It was literally impossible for the Israelites to maintain their holiness and purity before God. Sin and sickness, both inevitable outcomes of living in a fallen world, were going to be a constant part of their lives. And because God dwelt in their midst, the ramifications of their sinfulness and sickness were serious. Disease and disobedience both separated the people from God. The very existence of disease was a direct result of sin’s entrance into the world.

Ultimately, disease and disobedience both lead to death. God gave Moses strict instructions about what to do with those who found themselves suffering from potentially contagious diseases; they were to be removed from the camp. This was not an indication that their illness was due to a specific sin they had committed, but a recognition that sickness was the inevitable byproduct of sin’s presence in the world. God expected His people to remain pure, both spiritually and physically, if they wanted to enter into His presence. But as always, God provided a means by which they could be restored to a right relationship with Him, despite sickness or sin.

In today’s passage, we see that God even expected the marriages of His people to be pure and above reproach. To our modern sensibilities, these verses contain some rather bizarre and somewhat disturbing counsel concerning marital unfaithfulness. But while it may be easy to fixate on the almost cultic nature of God’s instructions, it’s important that we not miss the motivation behind them.

God provided Moses with detailed instructions for determining whether a man’s wife was guilty of adultery. It’s interesting to note that in the “test” God provided, the hidden sin of the woman when revealed, would result in sickness. In this case, her sickness would be proof of her sin. It’s no coincidence that the resulting sickness attacked the very organs that had been used to commit the sin in the first place. There is much about this passage that is difficult to understand, but it is clear that God was dealing with sin among His chosen people in a powerful and pronounced way. This “test,” when witnessed by others, would prove to be an effective deterrent to further adultery in the camp.

In the closing part of chapter 6, God gave Moses a blessing to pronounce over the people.

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. – Numbers 6:24-26 ESV

This simple, yet profound blessing reminds us that it was God’s ultimate desire to bless His people and one of the greatest blessings He could bestow on them was the guarantee of His abiding presence. But for God to remain within their midst, He had to deal justly and firmly with the sins committed by them. It was up to God to provide them with peace when their repeated sins and inevitable exposures to disease would leave them alienated from Him.

God alone is the instigator, arbiter, and maintainer of the relationship He has with mankind. It is He who seeks us and not the other way around. Left to our own devices, we will always seek a god of our own choosing, and we will tend to measure our relationship with that god based on our own performance and acts of self-righteousness.

Humanity has always lived under the delusion that life can be lived apart from the one true God. Even those who long for God, believe that He is little more than an objective to be pursued; a giver of gifts whose favor must be earned. They make God the means rather than the end. He becomes little more than a resource to get what they really want: peace, prosperity, contentment, happiness, fulfillment, and significance. This is why men tend to make gods out of anything that might offer them the hope of happiness or a better life.

But we can’t earn favor with God, and we can’t turn Him into some kind of divine lottery ticket that we hope will grant us our heart’s wildest desires. It was impossible for the people of Israel to live up to God’s exacting standards. They would and did continually fail. But God had provided a means of atoning for their inevitable sins and dealing with the inescapable reality of sickness. Sickness is difficult to hide. Skin disorders and diseases would inevitably reveal themselves to the rest of the faith community and, as soon as the sickness became apparent, it had to be dealt with. But sin can remain hidden for a long time, where it is unobserved and invisible to everyone around us. Sin is like cancer that can go undetected among the people of God, slowly spreading and infecting the body over time.

The passage in Numbers 6 contains some rather disturbing and difficult-to-understand directives for dealing with marital unfaithfulness. What God commands almost sounds like a form of witchcraft. It involves the mixing of strange potions and the incantation of curses. There are offerings made and mystical symptoms to be observed.

The whole thing comes across as something the pagan nations might practice. But this was the will of God for His people. It was a divinely ordained process for exposing sin in a marriage that could easily infect the entire faith community.

“Marital deceit is a matter of such seriousness that the truth must be discovered. It is harmful to the sanctity of the community at large, and destructive of one of the bases of community life.” – Philip J. Budd, Numbers

God takes sin seriously and He expected His children to do the same. There was no place for sinful activity among the people of God and yet He knew it would inevitably take place. That is why He established strict guidelines for exposing sin so that the people might continue to enjoy His abiding presence and power in their midst.

“. . . this particular case law is included here because it gives another illustration of God’s personal involvement in the restitution for the sin of the nation. Within God’s covenant with Israel, there could be no hidden sin among God’s people nor any hidden suspicion of sin.

“The law of jealousy shows that through the role of the priest, God was actively at work in the nation and that no sin of any sort could be tolerated among God’s holy people.” – John H. Sailhamer, “The Mosaic Law and the Theology of the Pentateuch.” Westminster Theological Journal 53 (Fall 1991):241-61.

Sin carries a cost. It promises joy and fulfillment but rarely delivers, and hidden sin is the most egregious and dangerous of all. It may lie undetected but its influence continues to spread throughout the body of Christ. We may fool all those around us, but our all-knowing, all-seeing God cannot be deceived or duped. And because He cares for His people, He will see that sin is exposed and expunged. Out of His deep desire to bless His children, God lovingly purifies their lives from the damaging effects of sin.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Price of God’s Presence

1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the people of Israel that they put out of the camp everyone who is leprous or has a discharge and everyone who is unclean through contact with the dead. 3 You shall put out both male and female, putting them outside the camp, that they may not defile their camp, in the midst of which I dwell.” 4 And the people of Israel did so, and put them outside the camp; as the Lord said to Moses, so the people of Israel did.

5 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 6 “Speak to the people of Israel, When a man or woman commits any of the sins that people commit by breaking faith with the Lord, and that person realizes his guilt, 7 he shall confess his sin that he has committed. And he shall make full restitution for his wrong, adding a fifth to it and giving it to him to whom he did the wrong. 8 But if the man has no next of kin to whom restitution may be made for the wrong, the restitution for wrong shall go to the Lord for the priest, in addition to the ram of atonement with which atonement is made for him. 9 And every contribution, all the holy donations of the people of Israel, which they bring to the priest, shall be his. 10 Each one shall keep his holy donations: whatever anyone gives to the priest shall be his.” – Numbers 5:1-10 ESV

The Kohathites, Gershonites, and Merarites were responsible for transporting and assembling the Tabernacle. Each time the Israelites arrived at their next destination and the Levites erected the house of God, the entire encampment became holy because of the presence of God. This led God to give Moses instructions regarding the sanctity of the camp. God puts a high priority on holiness and because He set apart the people of Israel as His own possession, He expected them to live up to His exacting standards.

For you are a holy people, who belong to the LORD your God. Of all the people on earth, the LORD your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure. – Deuteronomy 7:6 NLT

Having dealt with the Levitical responsibility for the care of the Tabernacle, God now turns His attention to the rest of the tribes of Israel. In the next two chapters, He provides Moses with some rather strange instructions that deal with a wide range of topics – from the seemingly harsh treatment of lepers and those individuals suffering from potentially contagious diseases to the trial of a wife accused of adultery and the strange regulations concerning the Nazirite vow.

But the underlying point seems to be fairly simple: God is highly concerned about the moral purity of His people. He takes the vows of His people seriously. He expects them to maintain moral and ethical standards that are superior to those of other nations.

It’s interesting to note that these two chapters talk a lot about moral failure, uncleanliness, and defilement. Yet in the end, there is a beautiful statement regarding God’s desire to bless and protect His people; He wanted to show His people favor and grace. He wanted to shine the light of His glory on them but He couldn’t do it if there was sin in the camp. He couldn’t dwell amid uncleanness and defilement and He would not make His home in a place surrounded by sin.

So God takes special care to maintain external cleanliness in His people. In verses 1-4 of chapter 5, God commands that those carrying potentially deadly diseases be removed from the camp. This seems like harsh and unloving treatment of the disadvantaged, but its intent was protective and not punitive. They were placed outside the camp to prevent further contagion and to ensure that the health of the community was protected.

This rather startling command was meant to provide a not-so-subtle picture of how God’s people were to deal with sin found in their midst. They were to treat sin like a communicable disease, viewing it as infectious, dangerous, and potentially deadly. God is not suggesting that leprosy is the result of sin but is accentuating its potential to harm the health of the entire population if not dealt with quickly and effectively.

Like an infectious disease, sin posed a real threat, threatening to spread throughout the camp if left unchecked. The risk of contamination was real and needed to be dealt with decisively. But God’s people always find it much easier to allow sin to exist. We are reluctant to judge, lest we be judged. Yet God seems to be reminding us that the regulations made for ensuring cleanliness in the camp of Israel suggest the adoption of similar means for maintaining purity in the church.

“And although, in large communities of Christians, it may be often difficult or delicate to do this, the suspension or, in flagrant cases of sin, the total excommunication of the offender from the privileges and communion of the church is an imperative duty, as necessary to the moral purity of the Christian as the exclusion of the leper from the camp was to physical health and ceremonial purity in the Jewish church.” – Matthew Henry, The Matthew Henry Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible

God wanted to bless His people. He wanted to shower them with His favor, but He expected them to take seriously those things that might defile them and diminish their holiness. He had already given Moses very detailed instructions regarding those physical conditions that would render a person impure and, therefore, unholy.

“If anyone has a swelling or a rash or discolored skin that might develop into a serious skin disease, that person must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons. The priest will examine the affected area of the skin. If the hair in the affected area has turned white and the problem appears to be more than skin-deep, it is a serious skin disease, and the priest who examines it must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean.” – Leviticus 13:2-3 NLT

“If anyone has suffered a burn on the skin and the burned area changes color, becoming either reddish white or shiny white, the priest must examine it. If he finds that the hair in the affected area has turned white and the problem appears to be more than skin-deep, a skin disease has broken out in the burn. The priest must then pronounce the person ceremonially unclean, for it is clearly a serious skin disease.” – Leviticus 13:24-25 NLT

These instructions go on for several chapters and make for a far-from-pleasant read. But the point behind them is clear; God viewed these skin conditions as potentially contagious and, therefore, dangerous to the well-being of the nation. The one inflicted with them was to be declared ceremonially unclean and separated from the rest of the camp until healed.

Anyone who had come into contact with a dead body was also to be considered ceremonially unclean and placed in isolation for seven days (Numbers 19:11). God provides the reasoning behind this command and the others that demanded removal from the camp.

“Remove them so they will not defile the camp in which I live among them…” – Numbers 5:3 NLT

God’s presence demanded the purity of His people, both physically and spiritually. The Levites had been charged with keeping the Tabernacle holy and consecrated to the Lord. Now, God was letting the rest of the tribes know that His tabernacle must dwell among a holy people.

These chapters reveal that the purity of God’s people was a high priority to Him. Why? Because He wanted to bless them and dwell among them. He desired to show them His favor but sin separates and brings God’s anger instead of His favor. Sin destroys, and God made sure the people made the connection between physical defilement and moral uncleanness by declaring the danger of sinful behavior among His people.

“Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: If any of the people—men or women—betray the Lord by doing wrong to another person, they are guilty. They must confess their sin and make full restitution for what they have done, adding an additional 20 percent and returning it to the person who was wronged.” – Numbers 5:6-7 NLT

Sin was not to be tolerated or treated lightly. It was to be dealt with decisively and immediately because it is ultimately an affront to God. It is a betrayal of the Lord. The Hebrew word is מַעַל (maʿal), and it refers to an act of treachery or betrayal. In committing any sin, the guilty party has displayed their unfaithfulness to the Lord. While their sin may have been committed against another human being, it was a violation of the will of God. So, God required that restitution be made. Their sin came at a cost. Restoration to God was not possible until payment was made to the innocent party. But even if restitution was not possible, the guilty party was still obligated to make things right with God.

“But if the person who was wronged is dead, and there are no near relatives to whom restitution can be made, the payment belongs to the Lord and must be given to the priest. Those who are guilty must also bring a ram as a sacrifice, and they will be purified and made right with the Lord.” – Numbers 5:8 NLT

While God was concerned about the interpersonal relationships between His people, He was even more concerned about their status with Him. Sins committed against others were ultimately an affront to God because He had provided strict laws concerning the interactions between His people. They were prohibited from committing murder, practicing adultery, lying, stealing, dishonoring their parents, coveting, and speaking falsely about one another.

But God knew that they would have a hard time adhering to these commands. That’s why He provided them with the sacrificial system that provided a means of atonement. Even when they committed unintentional sins, they would need a means of restoring their broken relationship with God.

“Suppose you sin by violating one of the Lord’s commands. Even if you are unaware of what you have done, you are guilty and will be punished for your sin. For a guilt offering, you must bring to the priest your own ram with no defects, or you may buy one of equal value. Through this process the priest will purify you from your unintentional sin, making you right with the Lord, and you will be forgiven. This is a guilt offering, for you have been guilty of an offense against the Lord.” – Leviticus 5:17-19 NLT

God made provision for sin and, for the people of Israel, it involved the sacrificial system. But the author of Hebrews reminds us that the sacrificial system was never intended to be a permanent solution to man’s sin problem.

The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared.

But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. That is why, when Christ came into the world… – Hebrews 10:1-5 NLT

God has given His Son as payment for our sins – past, present, and future. We no longer have to pay the penalty that sin requires, which is death and separation from God. But we must still take sin seriously. Paul asks this powerful and probing question: “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning, so that grace may increase?” (Romans 6:1 NIV). Then he provides the answer: “By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Romans 6:2 NIV).

Paul goes on to tell us: “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.” (Romans 6:6-7 NIV). We no longer have to sin. We have been set free from its power and its penalty. Yet because of our sinful natures, we find that we still have a strong propensity to sin. So, God expects us to treat sin with the same soberness and seriousness that He demanded of the people of Israel. So He can bless us with His favor.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

No More Than Necessary

34 And Moses and Aaron and the chiefs of the congregation listed the sons of the Kohathites, by their clans and their fathers’ houses, 35 from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who could come on duty, for service in the tent of meeting; 36 and those listed by clans were 2,750. 37 This was the list of the clans of the Kohathites, all who served in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron listed according to the commandment of the Lord by Moses.

38 Those listed of the sons of Gershon, by their clans and their fathers’ houses, 39 from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who could come on duty for service in the tent of meeting— 40 those listed by their clans and their fathers’ houses were 2,630. 41 This was the list of the clans of the sons of Gershon, all who served in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron listed according to the commandment of the Lord.

42 Those listed of the clans of the sons of Merari, by their clans and their fathers’ houses, 43 from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who could come on duty, for service in the tent of meeting— 44 those listed by clans were 3,200. 45 This was the list of the clans of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron listed according to the commandment of the Lord by Moses.

46 All those who were listed of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the chiefs of Israel listed, by their clans and their fathers’ houses, 47 from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who could come to do the service of ministry and the service of bearing burdens in the tent of meeting, 48 those listed were 8,580. 49 According to the commandment of the Lord through Moses they were listed, each one with his task of serving or carrying. Thus they were listed by him, as the Lord commanded Moses. – Numbers 4:34-49 ESV

This final section of chapter four provides a summary of the number of men among the Levites who qualified to serve in the transport of the Tabernacle. What stands out is the sheer volume of individuals required to accomplish this crucial ministry. When Moses had completed his census of the Kohathites, Gershonites, and Merarites, he arrived at a figure of 8,580 men. This number seems high when you consider that the Tabernacle proper was no more than 15 feet wide and 45 feet long. Why would it require that many men to transport a structure so small? Would it really take 2,750 Kohathites to carry the Ark of the Covenant, Golden Lampstand, Altar of Incense, Table of Shewbread, and the Bronze Basin? Even when you add in “All the altar utensils—the firepans, meat forks, shovels, basins, and all the containers” (Numbers 4:14 NLT), it is unlikely that it required all 2,750 men to carry the contents of the Tabernacle.

Perhaps these men were assigned on a rotational basis, where they took turns carrying the items as Israel made its way to its next destination. God placed a high priority on order, so it could be that various clans or families among the Kohathites were assigned specific tasks to ensure that the disassembly process was as seamless as possible. While Moses provides no other details in this passage, it seems only natural that there would have been further instructions regarding who carried each item, and because the travel times between encampments could take days or weeks, the Kohathites probably used a tag-team approach when carrying the items under their care.

The question is whether the Levites were required to erect the Tabernacle each time they stopped for the night as they made their way from Mount Sinai to the land of Canaan. Numbers chapter 9 gives the impression that the Tabernacle was set up each time the cloud ceased moving and settled over a particular spot.

This was the regular pattern—at night the cloud that covered the Tabernacle had the appearance of fire. Whenever the cloud lifted from over the sacred tent, the people of Israel would break camp and follow it. And wherever the cloud settled, the people of Israel would set up camp. In this way, they traveled and camped at the Lord’s command wherever he told them to go. Then they remained in their camp as long as the cloud stayed over the Tabernacle. If the cloud remained over the Tabernacle for a long time, the Israelites stayed and performed their duty to the Lord. Sometimes the cloud would stay over the Tabernacle for only a few days, so the people would stay for only a few days, as the Lord commanded. Then at the Lord’s command they would break camp and move on. Sometimes the cloud stayed only overnight and lifted the next morning. But day or night, when the cloud lifted, the people broke camp and moved on. Whether the cloud stayed above the Tabernacle for two days, a month, or a year, the people of Israel stayed in camp and did not move on. But as soon as it lifted, they broke camp and moved on. So they camped or traveled at the Lord’s command, and they did whatever the Lord told them through Moses.  Numbers 9:17-23 NLT

This could help explain why God required so many Levites to serve as the carriers and construction crews for His Tabernacle. In Numbers 33, verses 16-49, Moses records 29 separate occasions when the Israelites made camp and the Levites were required to go through the elaborate and painstaking process of erecting the Tabernacle. He provides no details concerning the distance between these various locations or the time it would have taken to travel from one place to the other. But each time they made camp, the Kohathites, Gershonites, and Merarites would have sprung into action, setting up the Tabernacle and preparing that place for the presence of God.

In his study guide on Numbers 4, David Guzik stresses the need for every one of the Levites to do their part. He states, “Each man from these three family divisions eligible to serve had a role to play in doing the work of the tabernacle. No one family could do all the work. God made them dependent on each other to do the work” (David Guzik, Study Guide on Numbers 4). He also provides the following quote from the great 19th-century English pastor, C. H. Spurgeon.

“It is worthy of note that these Levites, although they were all equally consecrated to God, had not all exactly the same work to perform. God is not the God of all uniformity. There is a wondrous unity of plan and design in all that he does, but there is also an equally marvelous variety.”

While the number of Levites assigned to transport the Tabernacle may seem high, God had a plan in place that was designed to ensure that His house was adequately cared for and that there was never a lack of manpower to get it from one place to another. Even the methodology of carrying the Tabernacle had been carefully prescribed by God so that no Levite would touch the sacred objects and risk death. Nothing had been left to chance because the Tabernacle was God’s holy dwelling place.

Since the Tabernacle sat at the center of the Israelite encampment and all the tribes arranged their tents according to its location, the Kohathites, Gershonites, and Merarites needed to complete the Tabernacle’s construction before any other tents could be erected. God’s house took priority and these men shared the responsibility of providing a holy place fit for His glory. From Mount Sinai to the Jordan River, they carried the disassembled pieces that formed the sanctuary of the Almighty, and for more than 40 years these members of the tribe of Levi would perform their God-assigned task. Day in and day, they would serve the needs of the people by ensuring the sanctity and security of God’s dwelling place.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

No Role Too Small

21 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 22 “Take a census of the sons of Gershon also, by their fathers' houses and by their clans. 23 From thirty years old up to fifty years old, you shall list them, all who can come to do duty, to do service in the tent of meeting. 24 This is the service of the clans of the Gershonites, in serving and bearing burdens: 25 they shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle and the tent of meeting with its covering and the covering of goatskin that is on top of it and the screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting 26 and the hangings of the court and the screen for the entrance of the gate of the court that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and their cords and all the equipment for their service. And they shall do all that needs to be done with regard to them. 27 All the service of the sons of the Gershonites shall be at the command of Aaron and his sons, in all that they are to carry and in all that they have to do. And you shall assign to their charge all that they are to carry. 28 This is the service of the clans of the sons of the Gershonites in the tent of meeting, and their guard duty is to be under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

29 “As for the sons of Merari, you shall list them by their clans and their fathers’ houses. 30 From thirty years old up to fifty years old, you shall list them, everyone who can come on duty, to do the service of the tent of meeting. 31 And this is what they are charged to carry, as the whole of their service in the tent of meeting: the frames of the tabernacle, with its bars, pillars, and bases, 32 and the pillars around the court with their bases, pegs, and cords, with all their equipment and all their accessories. And you shall list by name the objects that they are required to carry. 33 This is the service of the clans of the sons of Merari, the whole of their service in the tent of meeting, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.” – Numbers 4:21-33 ESV

The entire Tabernacle complex, including the courtyard and its surrounding fence, was only 75 feet wide and 150 feet long. The Tabernacle itself was roughly 15 feet in width and 45 feet in length. Yet this relatively small sanctuary compound was intricately designed and comprised of hundreds of interlocking pieces that allowed it to be disassembled and transported from one place to another. God had given Moses very detailed instructions as to how each facet of the Tabernacle proper and its surrounding courtyard was to be manufactured and then pieced together to form the whole.

Because the Tabernacle was to serve as God’s earthly dwelling place, the entire complex was considered to be holy and set apart for His use alone. The Israelites were commanded to treat this structure with proper awe and reverence, and the tribe of Levi was given the specific task of caring for its contents. They were assigned the weighty responsibility of protecting the holiness of God’s house, whether it was in its assembled form or taken apart and being carried from one location to another. At no point did the Tabernacle cease to be a holy place, even when it was disassembled and being carted across the wilderness.

Since the Kohathites had been given responsibility for the holy objects that were located in the Tabernacle proper, it was up to the Gershonites and Merarites to deal with the rest of the structure. Under the direction of Aaron and his sons, these two groups of families and clans were to assist in the disassembly of the structure and then they were to carry the pieces to the next destination. For the Gershonites, their primary responsibility covered the structure of the Tabernacle itself.

“They must carry the curtains of the Tabernacle, the Tabernacle itself with its coverings, the outer covering of fine goatskin leather, and the curtain for the Tabernacle entrance. They are also to carry the curtains for the courtyard walls that surround the Tabernacle and altar, the curtain across the courtyard entrance, the ropes, and all the equipment related to their use. The Gershonites are responsible for all these items.” – Numbers 4:25-26 NLT

In a sense, the Gershonites were little more than professional movers, tasked with taking down the Tabernacle structure and carefully transporting the pieces. But what made their task more than a bit stressful was that the “owner” of this house was none other than God Almighty. While they were not responsible for the sacred objects, such as the ark of the covenant and the altar of incense, they could not take their role any less seriously. The various curtains, partitions, cords, and clasps that comprised the walls of the Tabernacle were to be treated with reverence and protected from contamination or damage. God had given Moses very specific details concerning the elaborate nature of these items.

“Make the Tabernacle from ten curtains of finely woven linen. Decorate the curtains with blue, purple, and scarlet thread and with skillfully embroidered cherubim. These ten curtains must all be exactly the same size—42 feet long and 6 feet wide. Join five of these curtains together to make one long curtain, then join the other five into a second long curtain. Put loops of blue yarn along the edge of the last curtain in each set. The fifty loops along the edge of one curtain are to match the fifty loops along the edge of the other curtain. Then make fifty gold clasps and fasten the long curtains together with the clasps. In this way, the Tabernacle will be made of one continuous piece.” – Exodus 26:1-6 NLT

In a sense, the Gershonites were responsible for the “guts” of the Tabernacle. It was their task to ensure that these massive woven curtains were carefully folded and protected from the hot desert sun and the grit and grime associated with travel through the wilderness terrain. Without these items, there would be no Tabernacle in which to place the holy objects and therefore, no place for the glory of God to dwell. The ark of the covenant and the mercy seat that sat on top of it could not be unpacked and uncovered until the walls of the Tabernacle were fully assembled and the Holy of Holies was properly prepared. Until then, the ark would remain hidden under its protective coverings, and the glory of God could not come to rest on the mercy seat.

So, the Gershonites could not afford to view their role as inferior or less important than that of their Kohathite brothers. Each group had its role to play and everyone needed to fulfill their particular part faithfully and in strict compliance with God’s will.

This included the Merarites, who were assigned what appears to be the lowest and least important task of all.

“Their only duty at the Tabernacle will be to carry loads. They will carry the frames of the Tabernacle, the crossbars, the posts, and the bases; also the posts for the courtyard walls with their bases, pegs, and ropes; and all the accessories and everything else related to their use. Assign the various loads to each man by name.” – Numbers 4:31-32 NLT

One might say that the Merarites were tasked with doing the “grunt work” of the project. To accomplish their part, all they needed was a strong back and a willing heart. But their role was essential because they were caring for the literal foundation of the Tabernacle. The intricate, interlocking timber framework of the Tabernacle served as the skeleton upon which the fabric “skin” that comprised the walls was placed. This entire design had been ordained by God and was intended to serve as the infrastructure of the Tabernacle. God had given Moses

“For the framework of the Tabernacle, construct frames of acacia wood. Each frame must be 15 feet high and 27 inches wide, with two pegs under each frame. Make all the frames identical. Make twenty of these frames to support the curtains on the south side of the Tabernacle. Also make forty silver bases—two bases under each frame, with the pegs fitting securely into the bases. For the north side of the Tabernacle, make another twenty frames, with their forty silver bases, two bases under each frame. Make six frames for the rear—the west side of the Tabernacle— along with two additional frames to reinforce the rear corners of the Tabernacle. These corner frames will be matched at the bottom and firmly attached at the top with a single ring, forming a single corner unit. Make both of these corner units the same way. So there will be eight frames at the rear of the Tabernacle, set in sixteen silver bases—two bases under each frame.

“Make crossbars of acacia wood to link the frames, five crossbars for the north side of the Tabernacle and five for the south side. Also make five crossbars for the rear of the Tabernacle, which will face west. The middle crossbar, attached halfway up the frames, will run all the way from one end of the Tabernacle to the other. Overlay the frames with gold, and make gold rings to hold the crossbars. Overlay the crossbars with gold as well.” – Exodus 26:15-29 NLT

These massive wooden beams were just as integral to the Tabernacle’s holiness as the sacred objects that would sit within the walls they formed. Without the beams, there would be no place to hang the curtains, and without the curtains, there would be no walls to form the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. That would result in no inner sanctum in which to place the ark of the covenant and, therefore, no mercy seat over which the glory of God could dwell.

This picture of interdependence and cooperation is vital to understanding how God views His chosen people. He designed them to serve in a spirit of unity that accentuated their differences but enhanced their overall spiritual success as a nation. There were 12 tribes, but God viewed them as one people. Moses was the designated leader, but Aaron had his role to play. All of the Israelites were considered children of God, but the Levites had been set apart to serve in a special capacity as intermediaries between the people and God. Even within the tribe of Levi, various families and clans had been assigned different tasks to ensure that God’s house was protected so God’s presence could be preserved.

The apostle Paul picked up on this divine design for unity and interdependence when speaking of the body of Christ, the church.

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. – 1 Corinthians 12:12-20 NLT

The Merarites were not second-class citizens, and the Korathites were not the spiritual superstars of Israel. Each had their God-ordained role to play and they needed to cooperate and carry out their task according to God’s will so that His presence might remain among them. No task was too small. No role was insignificant. Because God was behind it all.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Preserving God’s Presence

1 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 “Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their clans and their fathers’ houses, 3 from thirty years old up to fifty years old, all who can come on duty, to do the work in the tent of meeting. 4 This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting: the most holy things. 5 When the camp is to set out, Aaron and his sons shall go in and take down the veil of the screen and cover the ark of the testimony with it. 6 Then they shall put on it a covering of goatskin and spread on top of that a cloth all of blue, and shall put in its poles. 7 And over the table of the bread of the Presence they shall spread a cloth of blue and put on it the plates, the dishes for incense, the bowls, and the flagons for the drink offering; the regular showbread also shall be on it. 8 Then they shall spread over them a cloth of scarlet and cover the same with a covering of goatskin, and shall put in its poles. 9 And they shall take a cloth of blue and cover the lampstand for the light, with its lamps, its tongs, its trays, and all the vessels for oil with which it is supplied. 10 And they shall put it with all its utensils in a covering of goatskin and put it on the carrying frame. 11 And over the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue and cover it with a covering of goatskin, and shall put in its poles. 12 And they shall take all the vessels of the service that are used in the sanctuary and put them in a cloth of blue and cover them with a covering of goatskin and put them on the carrying frame. 13 And they shall take away the ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth over it. 14 And they shall put on it all the utensils of the altar, which are used for the service there, the fire pans, the forks, the shovels, and the basins, all the utensils of the altar; and they shall spread on it a covering of goatskin, and shall put in its poles. 15 And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, as the camp sets out, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry these, but they must not touch the holy things, lest they die. These are the things of the tent of meeting that the sons of Kohath are to carry.

16 “And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall have charge of the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the regular grain offering, and the anointing oil, with the oversight of the whole tabernacle and all that is in it, of the sanctuary and its vessels.”

17 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 18 “Let not the tribe of the clans of the Kohathites be destroyed from among the Levites, 19 but deal thus with them, that they may live and not die when they come near to the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint them each to his task and to his burden, 20 but they shall not go in to look on the holy things even for a moment, lest they die.” – Numbers 4:1-20 ESV

Now God provides Moses with additional and more detailed instructions outlining each Levitical clan's responsibilities concerning the Tabernacle. This entails Moses taking yet another census of families and clans of Kohath, Gershon, and Merari, the three sons of Levi. This time, the census was to include only those men who were 30 to 50 years old. God provides Moses with an age range that qualifies the Levites for service in the Tabernacle.

“Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their clans and their fathers' houses, from thirty years old up to fifty years old, all who can come on duty, to do the work in the tent of meeting.” – Numbers 4:2-3 ESV

But later in chapter 8, God provides what appears to be contradictory standards for Levitical age qualifications.

“This is the rule the Levites must follow: They must begin serving in the Tabernacle at the age of twenty-five, and they must retire at the age of fifty. After retirement they may assist their fellow Levites by serving as guards at the Tabernacle, but they may not officiate in the service. This is how you must assign duties to the Levites.” – Numbers 8:24-26 NLT

Upon closer examination, it appears that there are two kinds of service being discussed in these two passages. In Numbers 4, God refers to “the work” to be conducted in the tent of meeting or Tabernacle. The Hebrew word is מְלָאכָה (mᵊlā'ḵâ), and it refers to the “business” or “occupation” of these men concerning the Tabernacle. God goes on to describe the actual duties they were instructed to carry out that would require them to enter the inner recesses of the Tabernacle and interface with the holy objects contained within. Their responsibilities would require them to touch “the most holy things” (Numbers 4:4 ESV) to prepare them for transport from one place to another when the Israelites were commanded by God to break camp. 

To qualify for this important task, a male Levite had to be at least 30 years of age, and no more than 50. But in the Numbers 8 passage, it appears that God lowers the entry level for service to 25 years of age. Yet, the context is this passage is slightly different. In this case, the men who are 25-29 years old are qualified “to do duty in the service of the tent of meeting” (Numbers 8:24 NLT). The phrase, “to do duty” could be translated “to go forth.” It is a military term that speaks of one’s responsibility to assemble for service. At age 25, young Levite males could begin to serve in a limited capacity. It might be best to view this as a kind of internship or period of apprenticeship. The kind of “service” they could perform appears to be different than that described in Numbers 4. The Hebrew word is עֲבֹדָה (ăḇōḏâ), and it refers to “labor” or “work.” The Numbers 8 passage provides four years of training for young men so that they might be properly prepared for future service within the Tabernacle. Up until the time when they turned 30, these young men would be relegated to performing manual labor and would not have been allowed to enter the Tabernacle itself.

All of the Kohathites from 30 to 50 years old were required to care for “the most holy things” within the Tabernacle. While Kohath was not the eldest son of Levi, he is mentioned first because the role assigned to his family and clan was the most important of all. They were responsible for all of the items located within the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle, and these sacred objects required special attention and handling.

Any time that the Israelites were ordered by God to break camp, the first order of business was to disassemble the Tabernacle, but this required careful planning and laser-focused attention to detail. Any failure to follow God’s instructions could be devastating, even deadly. It all began with the removal of the inner curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. This task was assigned to Aaron, the high priest, and his sons. Only the priests were allowed to enter the sacred spaces and prepare the holy furniture for transport.

The first order of business was to properly cover the ark of the covenant to prevent the Kohathites or any other Israelites from looking upon it. The very veil that served as an entrance into the Holy of Holies was used to cover the ark. Then they were to cover the veil with a goatskin tarp that would protect the ark from the elements. The final layer was a piece of blue-colored fabric. Once the ark was properly covered, Aaron and his sons were to insert the poles that would allow the Kohathites to transport the ark without having to touch it. All of the sacred objects were designed to be carried with poles so that no one would inadvertently touch them and die.

“…when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, as the camp sets out, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to carry these, but they must not touch the holy things, lest they die.” – Numbers 4:15 ESV

The Kohathites were also forbidden to look at the holy objects upon pain of death.

“…they shall not go in to look on the holy things even for a moment, lest they die.” – Numbers 4:20 ESV

These men had the privilege of entering the inner sanctuary of the Tabernacle and carrying the sacred furniture, but they were under strict orders to treat these objects with proper awe and reverence.

Every one of the sacred objects was to be treated in the same manner, including the Table of Shewbread, the Golden Lampstand, and the Altar of Incense. God’s instructions were very clear and He expected them to be followed down to the last detail.

“…they shall take all the vessels of the service that are used in the sanctuary and put them in a cloth of blue and cover them with a covering of goatskin and put them on the carrying frame.” – Numbers 4:12 ESV

Once Aaron and his sons had finished the preparatory phase of the operation, the Kohathites could enter the Tabernacle and begin the removal of the sacred objects. The only things they did not transport were the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the grain offering, and the anointing oil; these items were placed under the care of Eleazar, one of the sons of Aaron. This same young man was responsible for overseeing the entire process of preparing the Tabernacle for transport and ensuring that it made its way to the next destination without incident.

God had designed the Tabernacle to be portable because He knew that it would have to accompany the Israelites all the way from Mount Sinai to Canaan. Because of His omnipotence, He also knew that there would be a 40-year period in which the Israelites wandered through the wilderness because they refused to enter the land the first time they arrived at its borders. For four decades they would be required to transport God’s house from one location to another. His presence was directly tied to the Tabernacle and the maintenance of the Tabernacle’s holiness was essential if He was to remain among His people. So, God provided Moses and the Israelites with strict instructions for protecting the sacredness of His house and preserving the promise of His abiding presence, and the Kohathites would play an integral and irreplaceable role in the entire process.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Responsible for the Holiness of a Nation

40 And the Lord said to Moses, “List all the firstborn males of the people of Israel, from a month old and upward, taking the number of their names. 41 And you shall take the Levites for me—I am the Lord—instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the cattle of the people of Israel.” 42 So Moses listed all the firstborn among the people of Israel, as the Lord commanded him. 43 And all the firstborn males, according to the number of names, from a month old and upward as listed were 22,273.

44 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 45 “Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle. The Levites shall be mine: I am the Lord. 46 And as the redemption price for the 273 of the firstborn of the people of Israel, over and above the number of the male Levites, 47 you shall take five shekels per head; you shall take them according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel of twenty gerahs), 48 and give the money to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for those who are over.” 49 So Moses took the redemption money from those who were over and above those redeemed by the Levites. 50 From the firstborn of the people of Israel he took the money, 1,365 shekels, by the shekel of the sanctuary. 51 And Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, according to the word of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses. – Numbers 3:40-51 ESV

The next thing God commanded Moses to do was to determine the exact number of firstborn males among the people of Israel. Moses was to include all one-month-old baby boys to adult males. He had already taken a census of the people, numbering all the adult males “twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go to war” (Numbers 1:3 ESV). When that list had been compiled, it revealed that there were 603,550 adult males among the Israelites who were of fighting age.

But this new list was to serve a different purpose. God wanted Moses to come up with the exact number of firstborn males among the Israelites, and it was to include even one-month-old infants, toddlers, adolescents, and boys as old as 19. This list was not to include the Levites because God had separated them to serve as the caretakers of His earthly house, the Tabernacle.

According to verse 39, Moses had already determined the exact number of Levites who were one month old and older.

All those listed among the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron listed at the commandment of the Lord, by clans, all the males from a month old and upward, were 22,000. – Numbers 3:39 ESV

When he had completed his list of firstborn Israelite males, the number was 22,273. According to the Book of Exodus, all the firstborn males of Israel were to be dedicated to God. They rightfully belonged to Him.

The firstborn of your sons you shall give to me. You shall do the same with your oxen and with your sheep: seven days it shall be with its mother; on the eighth day you shall give it to me. – Exodus 22:29-30 ESV

The Israelites had been ordered to dedicate all their firstborn males to God’s service because He had spared them from death on the night that the “destroyer” had passed through the land of Egypt. On that fateful night, God had ordered His people to sacrifice an unblemished lamb and sprinkle its blood on the doorpost and lintel of their homes. As the death angel passed through the land of Egypt, he passed over any home on which the blood was visible. As a result of their act of faith, their firstborn were spared. But the Egyptians were not so fortunate.

At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock. – Exodus 12:29 NLT

The next morning, Pharaoh, still mourning the loss of his own firstborn son, released the Israelites from their captivity, and “the people of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children” (Exodus 12:37 NLT). As a result of His gracious sparing of the firstborn among their sons, flocks, and herds, God placed a non-negotiable and permanent requirement upon the people of Israel.

“Dedicate to me every firstborn among the Israelites. The first offspring to be born, of both humans and animals, belongs to me.” – Exodus 13:1 NLT

God went on to explain the significance of this command.

“This is what you must do when the Lord fulfills the promise he swore to you and to your ancestors. When he gives you the land where the Canaanites now live, you must present all firstborn sons and firstborn male animals to the Lord, for they belong to him. A firstborn donkey may be bought back from the Lord by presenting a lamb or young goat in its place. But if you do not buy it back, you must break its neck. However, you must buy back every firstborn son.

“And in the future, your children will ask you, ‘What does all this mean?’ Then you will tell them, ‘With the power of his mighty hand, the Lord brought us out of Egypt, the place of our slavery. Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, so the Lord killed all the firstborn males throughout the land of Egypt, both people and animals. That is why I now sacrifice all the firstborn males to the Lord—except that the firstborn sons are always bought back.’ This ceremony will be like a mark branded on your hand or your forehead. It is a reminder that the power of the Lord’s mighty hand brought us out of Egypt.” – Exodus 13:11-16 NLT

When the Israelites arrived in the land of Canaan, they would be required to redeem their firstborn sons. This ceremony would entail each Israelite family paying a price to ransom their son from service to the Lord. But this ceremony was never enacted because, long before the Israelites arrived in Canaan, God ordered the Levites to serve as the payment for the firstborn sons of Israel.

Moses’ census revealed that there were 22,273 firstborn Israelites males. However, there were only 22,000 male Levites who were above the age of 20. So, what was Moses to do about the discrepancy of the 273 unredeemed Israelites? God had a plan.

“…for the redemption of the 273 firstborn males of the Israelites who exceed the number of the Levites,  collect five shekels for each one individually; you are to collect this amount in the currency of the sanctuary shekel (this shekel is twenty gerahs).  And give the money for the redemption of the excess number of them to Aaron and his sons.” – Numbers 3:46-48 NLT

Those 273 firstborn sons would need to be ransomed by the payment of a five-shekel fee that would be paid to the Levites. This entire process was designed to free the firstborn sons of Israel from their obligation to dedicate their lives to the service of God. Because God had spared the lives of all the firstborn sons of Israel on the night of Passover, all future firstborn sons were to be His personal possession. They were to serve at God’s behest and were no longer free to meet the needs of the families. But in Numbers 3, God alters this plan by allowing the Levites to serve as substitutes for the firstborn sons of Israel.

Up to this point, God had expected all Israelites to serve as His priests.

“…you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” – Exodus 19:5-6 ESV

But with His designation of the Levites as the priestly caste, God allowed them to serve on behalf of all the people. The Levites took on the responsibility of the firstborn, dedicating their lives to the service of God, the care of the Tabernacle, and the spiritual oversight of the people of Israel.

From this point forward, the Levites would be required to serve as substitutes for the rest of the Israelites. Unlike all the other tribes, they would receive no land allotment in Canaan. God would care for their needs by giving them cities located within the various tribal land grants. But their primary source of sustenance would be God Almighty.

“Remember that the Levitical priests—that is, the whole of the tribe of Levi—will receive no allotment of land among the other tribes in Israel. Instead, the priests and Levites will eat from the special gifts given to the Lord, for that is their share. They will have no land of their own among the Israelites. The Lord himself is their special possession, just as he promised them.” – Deuteronomy 19:1-2 NLT

This special relationship with God came with a price. Not only would they receive no land allotment in Canaan, but they would be required to protect the integrity of God’s name and preserve the holiness of His earthly sanctuary, the Tabernacle.

And the Lord said to Aaron, “You priests will receive no allotment of land or share of property among the people of Israel. I am your share and your allotment. As for the tribe of Levi, your relatives, I will compensate them for their service in the Tabernacle. Instead of an allotment of land, I will give them the tithes from the entire land of Israel.

“From now on, no Israelites except priests or Levites may approach the Tabernacle. If they come too near, they will be judged guilty and will die. Only the Levites may serve at the Tabernacle, and they will be held responsible for any offenses against it.” Numbers 18:20-23 NLT

This one tribe was set apart to serve as God’s priests, ministering in His house and offering their lives on behalf of the people of Israel. Their unique role as God’s servants would prove crucial to the spiritual well-being of the nation of Israel, for many years to come. During the 40 years Israel spent wandering in the wilderness, the Levites would care for and transport God’s dwelling place, ensuring that His presence remained among the people of Israel and that the means of atonement from sin was always available. Without them, the Tabernacle would have fallen into disarray. Without the Tabernacle, the sacrificial system would have been of no benefit. It was God’s presence above the mercy seat that made atonement possible. But it was the Levites who were responsible for maintaining the sanctity of the sanctuary so that God’s presence would remain.

Of all the tribes of Israel, the Levites would be held to a higher standard and required to live up to God’s righteous expectations.

“I am the LORD your God. You must consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.” – Leviticus 11:44 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A Weighty Responsibility

14 And the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying, 15 “List the sons of Levi, by fathers’ houses and by clans; every male from a month old and upward you shall list.” 16 So Moses listed them according to the word of the Lord, as he was commanded. 17 And these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon and Kohath and Merari. 18 And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their clans: Libni and Shimei. 19 And the sons of Kohath by their clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20 And the sons of Merari by their clans: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites, by their fathers’ houses.

21 To Gershon belonged the clan of the Libnites and the clan of the Shimeites; these were the clans of the Gershonites. 22 Their listing according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward was 7,500. 23 The clans of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle on the west, 24 with Eliasaph, the son of Lael as chief of the fathers’ house of the Gershonites. 25 And the guard duty of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting involved the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, the screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting, 26 the hangings of the court, the screen for the door of the court that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords—all the service connected with these.

27 To Kohath belonged the clan of the Amramites and the clan of the Izharites and the clan of the Hebronites and the clan of the Uzzielites; these are the clans of the Kohathites. 28 According to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, there were 8,600, keeping guard over the sanctuary. 29 The clans of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle, 30 with Elizaphan the son of Uzziel as chief of the fathers’ house of the clans of the Kohathites. 31 And their guard duty involved the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which the priests minister, and the screen; all the service connected with these. 32 And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was to be chief over the chiefs of the Levites, and to have oversight of those who kept guard over the sanctuary.

33 To Merari belonged the clan of the Mahlites and the clan of the Mushites: these are the clans of Merari. 34 Their listing according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward was 6,200. 35 And the chief of the fathers’ house of the clans of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle. 36 And the appointed guard duty of the sons of Merari involved the frames of the tabernacle, the bars, the pillars, the bases, and all their accessories; all the service connected with these; 37 also the pillars around the court, with their bases and pegs and cords.

38 Those who were to camp before the tabernacle on the east, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, were Moses and Aaron and his sons, guarding the sanctuary itself, to protect the people of Israel. And any outsider who came near was to be put to death. 39 All those listed among the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron listed at the commandment of the Lord, by clans, all the males from a month old and upward, were 22,000. – Numbers 3:14-39 ESV

God ordered Moses to take a census of the tribe of Levi, instructing him to number “every male from a month old and upward” (Numbers 3:15 ESV). Levi had three sons and eight grandsons who represented eight different clans which contained 22,000 descendants of Levi. The two Gershonite clans were represented by 7,500 males one-month-old or older. The four Kohathite clans were comprised of 8,600 males one-month-old or older. The two Merarite clans numbered just 6,200 males one-month-old or older.

This numerical assessment of each of the Levite clans was for the purpose of assigning their God-ordained responsibilities. Each of the clans was to carry out tasks related to the maintenance of the Tabernacle. They were also assigned a particular region within the Israelite camp to occupy and oversee. The Gershonites were to camp on the west side of the Tabernacle, while the Kohathites occupied the south side and the Merarites were assigned to the north side. The east side of the Tabernacle, located nearest the entrance to the holy compound, “was reserved for the tents of Moses and of Aaron and his sons, who had the final responsibility for the sanctuary on behalf of the people of Israel” (Numbers 3:38 NLT).

With the Levites strategically placed around the perimeter of the Tabernacle, the Israelites would enjoy the constant presence and influence of God’s ministers and servants. These various Levitical clans were assigned a specific set of responsibilities related to the Tabernacle. The Gershonites “were responsible to care for the Tabernacle, including the sacred tent with its layers of coverings, the curtain at its entrance, the curtains of the courtyard that surrounded the Tabernacle and altar, the curtain at the courtyard entrance, the ropes, and all the equipment related to their use” (Numbers 3:25-26 NLT).

The Kohathites “were responsible for the care of the Ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the various articles used in the sanctuary, the inner curtain, and all the equipment related to their use” (Numbers 3:31 NLT).

Finally, the Merarites “were responsible for the care of the frames supporting the Tabernacle, the crossbars, the pillars, the bases, and all the equipment related to their use. They were also responsible for the posts of the courtyard and all their bases, pegs, and ropes” (Numbers 3:36-37 NLT).

The Tabernacle was the house of God and was to be treated with reverence and respect. The various elements that comprised this one-of-a-kind structure had been designed by God and were painstakingly crafted by men who had been supernaturally endowed with the skills necessary to carry out God’s plan. This was no ordinary tent, and it was to be treated with great care because every part of it had been set apart by God for His use. Even the disassembly and transport of its various elements required careful attention to God’s instructions. The holy objects associated with the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies could not be touched by human hands. That is why God designed them with poles to assist in their transport from one place to another.

God had given Moses very specific orders concerning the care and maintenance of the Tabernacle. Only the priestly class of the Levites were allowed to interact with the Tabernacle when it was in its completed state. The rest of the clans were restricted from entering the Tabernacle until it was time to relocate it for transport to another location. And, on those occasions, the Gershonites, Kohathites, and Merarites had to wait until the holy furniture was properly prepared and covered before they could fulfill their duties. God had given Aaron strict instructions regarding this matter.

“You, your sons, and your relatives from the tribe of Levi will be held responsible for any offenses related to the sanctuary. But you and your sons alone will be held responsible for violations connected with the priesthood.

“Bring your relatives of the tribe of Levi—your ancestral tribe—to assist you and your sons as you perform the sacred duties in front of the Tabernacle of the Covenant. But as the Levites go about all their assigned duties at the Tabernacle, they must be careful not to go near any of the sacred objects or the altar. If they do, both you and they will die. The Levites must join you in fulfilling their responsibilities for the care and maintenance of the Tabernacle, but no unauthorized person may assist you.” – Numbers 18:1-4 NLT

The tribe of Levi had been set apart by God and given the responsibility of caring for His sacred house. “Anyone other than a priest or Levite who went too near the sanctuary was to be put to death” (Numbers 3:38 NLT). By placing the various clans of Levi around the perimeter of the Tabernacle, God created a buffer zone that was designed to protect the people of Israel from possible death for violating His ban on coming too close to the holy place. While God had moved His presence from the top of Mount Sinai to the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle, He was still to be treated with proper reverence and respect. He had come to dwell among them and was closer than ever before, but they were not to treat His divine presence with contempt or complacency. His nearness did not make Him any less holy. His immanence did not diminish His transcendence. Just because God had taken up residence among them and had placed His glory in the midst of their camp did not give them the right to treat Him with a disrespectful kind of over-familiarity.

The Levites were to act as mediators between God and the rest of the Israelites. The members of the priestly caste were to serve as God’s intercessors, offering sacrifices on behalf of the people and assisting them in maintaining a right standing with Him. The rest of the Levites were to care for the dwelling place of God, ensuring that it was properly maintained and its holiness was protected at all costs. If the house of God became defiled, it would no longer be an appropriate place for God’s presence, and without God’s presence, the Israelites would lose the one thing that set them apart from all the other nations on earth. Moses revealed his understanding of this vital relationship between God’s presence and the Israelites’ unique status among the nations when he said to God, “If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place. How will anyone know that you look favorably on me—on me and on your people—if you don’t go with us? For your presence among us sets your people and me apart from all other people on the earth” (Exodus 33:15-16 NLT).

Moses knew that the only thing that set the Israelites apart was the presence of God, and God made it clear that His presence was directly tied to the sanctity of the Tabernacle. That’s why He placed so much emphasis on the Levites and their role as the caretakers of His earthly house. The Tabernacle was the key to their survival and success as they made their way to the Promised Land. God had left Mount Sinai and taken up residence among them in the portable sanctuary He had designed and they had built. As long as they maintained the holiness of God’s house, He would remain among them, and He assigned the Levites with the weighty responsibility of protecting the sanctity of His sanctuary. 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Servants and Substitutes

1 These are the generations of Aaron and Moses at the time when the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. 2 These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he ordained to serve as priests. 4 But Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord when they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the lifetime of Aaron their father.

5 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 6 “Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. 7 They shall keep guard over him and over the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, as they minister at the tabernacle. 8 They shall guard all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, and keep guard over the people of Israel as they minister at the tabernacle. 9 And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the people of Israel. 10 And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall guard their priesthood. But if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death.”

11 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 12 “Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the people of Israel. The Levites shall be mine, 13 for all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for my own all the firstborn in Israel, both of man and of beast. They shall be mine: I am the Lord.” – Numbers 3:1-13 ESV

Having provided Moses with the logistical arrangements of the various tribes around the Tabernacle, God now deals with the one tribe that He seems to have overlooked. The tribe of Levi was not mentioned in chapter two but they would play a significant role in the life of the Israelites and would be distributed equally among the other tribes within the encampment. This one tribe had been chosen by God to serve as caretakers of the Tabernacle but also as instructors of the law, teaching the people to obey the commands of God. They had received this special designation because of the role they played during the golden calf incident at Mount Sinai.

Not long after they arrived at the mountain, Moses left them in the valley while he ascended the mountain to confer with God. He left his brother Aaron in charge, but when Moses failed to return, the people began to pressure Aaron to take over the leadership responsibilities. The first thing they demanded their new leader to do was to make a new version of the God of Mount Sinai. They were unhappy with the thunder-and-lightning-fear-inducing God who occupied the summit of Mount Sinai.

To the Israelites at the foot of the mountain, the glory of the Lord appeared at the summit like a consuming fire. – Exodus 24:17 NLT

The powerful manifestation of God’s presence on Mount Sinai left the people petrified and fearful to draw near. So, when Moses failed to return after 40 days, they demanded that Aaron make them gods that were more like the gods they had worshiped in Egypt.

“Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” – Exodus 32:1 ESV

Aaron gave in to their demands by gathering their gold jewelry and fashioning it into the image of a calf. Then he announced, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord” (Exodus 32:5 ESV). The Hebrew word for “Lord” is Yahweh. Aaron was proclaiming that this calf he had made with his own hands was actually the God who had rescued them from Egypt. He had made a new and improved version of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But Aaron’s actions did not go unnoticed by God.

“Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” – Exodus 32:7-8 ESV

When Moses descended the mountain with the Ten Commandments in his hands, he witnessed with his own eyes the extent of the people’s wickedness.

Moses saw that Aaron had let the people get completely out of control, much to the amusement of their enemies. So he stood at the entrance to the camp and shouted, “All of you who are on the Lord’s side, come here and join me.” And all the Levites gathered around him. – Exodus 32:25-26 NLT

Moses knew he had to deal with the rebellion in the camp so he called for volunteers to assist him in meting out judgment. His own tribe, the Levites, were the only ones who stepped up to the challenge. Surrounded by his fellow tribesmen, Moses gave them their grim marching orders.

“Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor.’” – Exodus 32:27 ESV

When the Levites had finished their work, more than 3,000 Israelites lay lifeless on the valley floor. Then Moses made the following announcement to his fellow Levites.

“Today you have been ordained for the service of the Lord, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother, so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day.” – Exodus 32:29 ESV

It’s interesting to note that God had already planned to have the Levites serve as priests. He had given Moses the following instructions during his 40-day absence.

“Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests—Aaron and Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.” – Exodus 28:1 ESV

Little did the Levites know that their actions during the Golden Calf incident simply confirmed the role to which God had already assigned them. As God’s chosen priesthood, the Levites would also serve as the designated substitutes for the firstborn.

Before the Israelites left Egypt, God ordained the final plague that would ensure their release. He warned the Israelites that on one fateful night, all the firstborn of both animals and men would die unless His instructions were closely followed. He ordered each Israelite to sacrifice a lamb and sprinkle its blood on the doorpost and lintel of their home. This act of faith would ensure that the firstborn living within the walls of that home would be spared. And, as a result of God’s gracious acts of salvation, He claimed all the firstborn males of the Israelites as His own.

"Dedicate to me all the firstborn sons of Israel and every firstborn male animal. They are mine.” – Exodus 13:2 NLT

God had spared the firstborn of the Israelites and, in return, the people were to set apart those individuals to His service. They belonged to God. But things were about to change. God had another plan. He appointed the tribe of Levi to serve as ministers and as priests within the Tabernacle. They were the smallest of the tribes and seemed to hold special favor with God because of their role in the aftermath of the Golden Calf debacle.

The Levites became God’s servants and they served as the peoples' substitute. God still claimed the firstborn as His own. They belonged to Him because He had spared their lives the night the death angel had passed over their homes in the land of Egypt. When Moses numbered all the firstborn males of the tribes of Israel they totaled 22,273. These were probably the number of firstborn males who had been born since they had left Egypt. The total number of Levite males from one month and older were 22,000. God was going to allow the Levites to become substitutes for the firstborn of all the Israelites.

"The Levites will be reserved for me as substitutes for the firstborn sons of Israel; I am the LORD. And the Levites’ livestock are mine as substitutes for the firstborn livestock of the whole nation of Israel.” – Number 3:41 NLT

God could have required all the firstborn males of Israel to maintain and move His Tabernacle. He could have demanded that they serve as His ministers and priests, but instead, He set aside the tribe of Levi for this important duty. And in doing so, He allowed the Levites to serve as surrogates and stand-ins for all the firstborn of Israel.

The Levites were not to be included in the census of fighting men but were to care for the Tabernacle. They were responsible for taking it down when they broke camp and for erecting it when they set up camp again. In doing so, they would be protecting the sons of Israel from death. No one but member of the tribe of Levi was allowed to come near the Tabernacle or touch any of its furnishings (Numbers 1:47-54).

The Levites had been given a heavy responsibility. They were to care for all the things related to the Tabernacle, maintaining them and moving them whenever the Israelites broke camp and relocated. It was a huge task and, because the Tabernacle was God's holy dwelling place, it was to be taken seriously. God seemed to know that if this responsibility had been left up to the people, they would have dropped the ball. The Tabernacle would have fallen into disrepair as they became distracted with their own cares and concerns. So He appointed this task to the Levites. They served as substitutes. They satisfied God's requirement that the firstborn were to belong to Him. They served in the place of those who were rightfully obligated to serve God. The firstborn had been graciously replaced by someone else.

This is a picture of Christ's substitutionary death for each of us. He became our sin substitute. He paid the debt we owed. He took our place. He served in our stead. He satisfied the demands of a holy God and did what none of us were able to do. He made the ultimate sacrifice, which is exactly what the Levites did. They became a sacrifice for the people of Israel. They served and satisfied the demands of God by maintaining and caring for His Tabernacle. They kept the people of Israel from experiencing death by keeping the Tabernacle holy and set apart for God. Their role was vital to the spiritual life of the people of God. They gave so that others might live. Just as Jesus has done for us.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Picture-Perfect Plan of God

1 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 “The people of Israel shall camp each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers' houses. They shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side. 3 Those to camp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah by their companies, the chief of the people of Judah being Nahshon the son of Amminadab, 4 his company as listed being 74,600. 5 Those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar, the chief of the people of Issachar being Nethanel the son of Zuar, 6 his company as listed being 54,400. 7 Then the tribe of Zebulun, the chief of the people of Zebulun being Eliab the son of Helon, 8 his company as listed being 57,400. 9 All those listed of the camp of Judah, by their companies, were 186,400. They shall set out first on the march.

10 “On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben by their companies, the chief of the people of Reuben being Elizur the son of Shedeur, 11 his company as listed being 46,500. 12 And those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon, the chief of the people of Simeon being Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, 13 his company as listed being 59,300. 14 Then the tribe of Gad, the chief of the people of Gad being Eliasaph the son of Reuel, 15 his company as listed being 45,650. 16 All those listed of the camp of Reuben, by their companies, were 151,450. They shall set out second.

17 “Then the tent of meeting shall set out, with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camps; as they camp, so shall they set out, each in position, standard by standard.

18 “On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim by their companies, the chief of the people of Ephraim being Elishama the son of Ammihud, 19 his company as listed being 40,500. 20 And next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh, the chief of the people of Manasseh being Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, 21 his company as listed being 32,200. 22 Then the tribe of Benjamin, the chief of the people of Benjamin being Abidan the son of Gideoni, 23 his company as listed being 35,400. 24 All those listed of the camp of Ephraim, by their companies, were 108,100. They shall set out third on the march.

25 “On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan by their companies, the chief of the people of Dan being Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, 26 his company as listed being 62,700. 27 And those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher, the chief of the people of Asher being Pagiel the son of Ochran, 28 his company as listed being 41,500. 29 Then the tribe of Naphtali, the chief of the people of Naphtali being Ahira the son of Enan, 30 his company as listed being 53,400. 31 All those listed of the camp of Dan were 157,600. They shall set out last, standard by standard.”

32 These are the people of Israel as listed by their fathers' houses. All those listed in the camps by their companies were 603,550. 33 But the Levites were not listed among the people of Israel, as the Lord commanded Moses.

34 Thus did the people of Israel. According to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so they camped by their standards, and so they set out, each one in his clan, according to his fathers’ house. – Numbers 2:1-34 ESV

Having successfully determined the exact number of fighting-age men among them, the Israelites were ready to begin the journey from Mount Sinai to Canaan, but God had one final instruction to give Moses before they could depart. It involved the arrangement of the camp around the completed Tabernacle. The closing verses of Exodus 40 describe the momentous day when Israel completed the construction of the elaborate tent that God commanded them to build as His dwelling place on earth.

Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. Moses could no longer enter the Tabernacle because the cloud had settled down over it, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.

Now whenever the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out on their journey, following it. But if the cloud did not rise, they remained where they were until it lifted. The cloud of the Lord hovered over the Tabernacle during the day, and at night fire glowed inside the cloud so the whole family of Israel could see it. This continued throughout all their journeys. – Exodus 40:34-38 NLT

This unique structure would become the central focus of the Israelite community as they made their way from Mount Sinai to Canaan. With its completion, God’s glory transferred from the peak of Mount Sinai to the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle. Now, rather than appearing as a storm on the mountaintop, God’s presence had moved into the inner recesses of the Tabernacle above the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant. No Israelite was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies and see the glory of God, including Moses. Only once a year, on the Day of Atonement, was the high priest allowed to enter into God’s presence to offer sacrifices for the sins of the people. But the Israelites could be assured that God was with them because the cloud that had led them since their departure from Egypt hovered over the Tabernacle, signifying that God was there.

But God’s permanent presence among them required further instructions and an ordered arrangement of their camp. Now that they were ready to depart Mount Sinai,  the Tabernacle would need to be disassembled and prepared for transport to the next place of encampment along their journey. When the cloud stopped, the people were to set up camp, with the reassembly of the Tabernacle being the first item on their agenda. Nothing else was to be done until God’s house was constructed and His glorious presence had taken up residence in the Holy of Holies. Once the Tabernacle was complete, the Israelites could begin the assembly of their own tents.

But gave specific instructions as to how their camp was to be ordered. No one was free to erect their tent wherever they saw fit. God demanded that their encampment be arranged by tribe and in a very detailed order, with the Tabernacle sitting at the very center of their midst.

“When the Israelites set up camp, each tribe will be assigned its own area. The tribal divisions will camp beneath their family banners on all four sides of the Tabernacle, but at some distance from it.” – Numbers 2:2 NLT

The Israelites would have understood the significance of the Tabernacle and its presence among them would have given them a sense of peace and confidence because it reassured them that God was with them. He was actually traveling alongside them as they made their way to the Promised Land. But God knew His people well and understood that the Tabernacle could also become a point of division if the people were allowed to set up their tents wherever they deemed best. If left to their own devices, the Israelites would turn the Tabernacle into a kind of idol, competing to see who could place their tent closest to it. Arguments would have erupted over where each tribe was allowed to pitch its tents, turning the blessing of God’s presence into a potential point of division.

So, God ordered that the tribes be arranged in a specific order around the Tabernacle. He didn’t leave this decision up to Moses and Aaron. The tribal leaders He set apart in chapter one were not consulted in this matter. This was a divine directive that wasn’t up for debate or discussion.

This is where the census becomes important. Now that Moses knew exactly how many troops each tribe could muster, those numbers would be used to allocate the arrangement of the tribes around the Tabernacle.

“Those to camp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah by their companies, the chief of the people of Judah being Nahshon the son of Amminadab, his company as listed being 74,600. Those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar, the chief of the people of Issachar being Nethanel the son of Zuar, his company as listed being 54,400. Then the tribe of Zebulun, the chief of the people of Zebulun being Eliab the son of Helon, his company as listed being 57,400. All those listed of the camp of Judah, by their companies, were 186,400. They shall set out first on the march.” – Numbers 2:3-9 ESV

God began with the arrangement of the tribes that would occupy the east side of the Tabernacle. This would have been the side where the gate into the Tabernacle compound was located. It is significant to point out that the tribe of Judah was given the privilege of encamping closest to the entrance into the Tabernacle. Though Rueben was the firstborn son of Jacob, God instructed that the tribe of Judah, the second-born son, would have the right to erect their tents just outside the entrance into God’s presence. This special treatment of the tribe of Judah is a partial fulfillment of the blessing that Jacob pronounced upon his second-born son.

“Judah, your brothers will praise you.
    You will grasp your enemies by the neck.
    All your relatives will bow before you.
Judah, my son, is a young lion
    that has finished eating its prey.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down;
    like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
The scepter will not depart from Judah,
    nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants,
until the coming of the one to whom it belongs,
    the one whom all nations will honor.” – Genesis 49:8-10 NLT

The tribe of Judah would play a vital role in the history of Israel. From this tribe would come King David and his son and future heir, King Solomon. It was to David that God promised to provide an everlasting kingdom. 

“‘…the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’” – 2 Samuel 7:11-16 ESV

God’s arrangement of the tribes was not arbitrary. This was an ordered arrangement that foreshadowed things to come. He placed the tribe of Judah closest to the entrance into His presence because, one day, from that very same tribe, would come the Messiah, a descendant of Jacob, who would provide all mankind with a means of gaining access into the presence of God. Ultimately, Jesus would be the fulfillment of the promise that God made to David, and the opening verse of Matthew’s gospel points out that Jesus was a descendant of David.

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. – Matthew 1:1 ESV

God arranged for His Son to be born a descendant of David so that the promise of an eternal kingdom might be fulfilled through Him. But just as importantly, Jesus would be the key to making entrance into God’s presence possible for sinful humanity. John described Jesus as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 ESV). The apostle John would later describe Jesus as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, who came to set up His Kingdom on earth and restore God’s righteous rule over His creation.

“Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.” – Revelation 5:5 NLT

This arrangement of the tribes, while somewhat tedious to read, is intended to provide a glimpse into the incredible nature of God’s grand plan of redemption. Nothing happens by chance. God leaves nothing up to fate, karma, or kismet. The Israelites were not free to debate and argue over which tribe got the best camping spot. They couldn’t jockey for position or fight their way into getting the prime real estate just outside the entrance to God’s house. There was a divine order to it all and God expected His plan to be followed down to the last detail.

He even dispersed the priestly tribe of Levi to all four sides of the camp, ensuring that they would have a constant influence over His chosen people. One of the primary responsibilities of these men was to teach the people of Israel the laws of God.

“You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean, and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the Lord has spoken to them by Moses.” – Leviticus 10:10-11 ESV

Not only were they responsible for the maintenance and transportation of the Tabernacle, but they were tasked with teaching the people of Israel the importance of living set-apart lives by keeping the holy standards that God had given them. God’s continued presence among them was tied directly to their adherence to His commands. That is why God strategically placed the Levites throughout the camp so that they might perform their priestly responsibilities among all the people. And because the Israelites were commanded to maintain this ordered sequence even when the marched, that meant that the Levites were always dispersed among the people even as they traveled.

Thus did the people of Israel. According to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so they camped by their standards, and so they set out, each one in his clan, according to his fathers' house. – Numbers 2:34 ESV

God had a well-ordered plan that, if followed, would ensure the Israelites’ survival and their ultimate arrival at the border of the land of Canaan. While they had not yet reached their destination, they could travel with a sense of peace and assurance that their arrival was assured and God’s plan would be fulfilled.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.1 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 “The people of Israel shall camp each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers' houses. They shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side. 3 Those to camp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah by their companies, the chief of the people of Judah being Nahshon the son of Amminadab, 4 his company as listed being 74,600. 5 Those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar, the chief of the people of Issachar being Nethanel the son of Zuar, 6 his company as listed being 54,400. 7 Then the tribe of Zebulun, the chief of the people of Zebulun being Eliab the son of Helon, 8 his company as listed being 57,400. 9 All those listed of the camp of Judah, by their companies, were 186,400. They shall set out first on the march.

10 “On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben by their companies, the chief of the people of Reuben being Elizur the son of Shedeur, 11 his company as listed being 46,500. 12 And those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon, the chief of the people of Simeon being Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, 13 his company as listed being 59,300. 14 Then the tribe of Gad, the chief of the people of Gad being Eliasaph the son of Reuel, 15 his company as listed being 45,650. 16 All those listed of the camp of Reuben, by their companies, were 151,450. They shall set out second.

17 “Then the tent of meeting shall set out, with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camps; as they camp, so shall they set out, each in position, standard by standard.

18 “On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim by their companies, the chief of the people of Ephraim being Elishama the son of Ammihud, 19 his company as listed being 40,500. 20 And next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh, the chief of the people of Manasseh being Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, 21 his company as listed being 32,200. 22 Then the tribe of Benjamin, the chief of the people of Benjamin being Abidan the son of Gideoni, 23 his company as listed being 35,400. 24 All those listed of the camp of Ephraim, by their companies, were 108,100. They shall set out third on the march.

25 “On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan by their companies, the chief of the people of Dan being Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, 26 his company as listed being 62,700. 27 And those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher, the chief of the people of Asher being Pagiel the son of Ochran, 28 his company as listed being 41,500. 29 Then the tribe of Naphtali, the chief of the people of Naphtali being Ahira the son of Enan, 30 his company as listed being 53,400. 31 All those listed of the camp of Dan were 157,600. They shall set out last, standard by standard.”

32 These are the people of Israel as listed by their fathers' houses. All those listed in the camps by their companies were 603,550. 33 But the Levites were not listed among the people of Israel, as the Lord commanded Moses.

34 Thus did the people of Israel. According to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so they camped by their standards, and so they set out, each one in his clan, according to his fathers’ house. – Numbers 2:1-34 ESV

Having successfully determined the exact number of fighting-age men among them, the Israelites were ready to begin the journey from Mount Sinai to Canaan, but God had one final instruction to give Moses before they could depart. It involved the arrangement of the camp around the completed Tabernacle. The closing verses of Exodus 40 describe the momentous day when Israel completed the construction of the elaborate tent that God commanded them to build as His dwelling place on earth.

Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. Moses could no longer enter the Tabernacle because the cloud had settled down over it, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.

Now whenever the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out on their journey, following it. But if the cloud did not rise, they remained where they were until it lifted. The cloud of the Lord hovered over the Tabernacle during the day, and at night fire glowed inside the cloud so the whole family of Israel could see it. This continued throughout all their journeys. – Exodus 40:34-38 NLT

This unique structure would become the central focus of the Israelite community as they made their way from Mount Sinai to Canaan. With its completion, God’s glory transferred from the peak of Mount Sinai to the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle. Now, rather than appearing as a storm on the mountaintop, God’s presence had moved into the inner recesses of the Tabernacle above the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant. No Israelite was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies and see the glory of God, including Moses. Only once a year, on the Day of Atonement, was the high priest allowed to enter into God’s presence to offer sacrifices for the sins of the people. But the Israelites could be assured that God was with them because the cloud that had led them since their departure from Egypt hovered over the Tabernacle, signifying that God was there.

But God’s permanent presence among them required further instructions and an ordered arrangement of their camp. Now that they were ready to depart Mount Sinai,  the Tabernacle would need to be disassembled and prepared for transport to the next place of encampment along their journey. When the cloud stopped, the people were to set up camp, with the reassembly of the Tabernacle being the first item on their agenda. Nothing else was to be done until God’s house was constructed and His glorious presence had taken up residence in the Holy of Holies. Once the Tabernacle was complete, the Israelites could begin the assembly of their own tents.

But gave specific instructions as to how their camp was to be ordered. No one was free to erect their tent wherever they saw fit. God demanded that their encampment be arranged by tribe and in a very detailed order, with the Tabernacle sitting at the very center of their midst.

“When the Israelites set up camp, each tribe will be assigned its own area. The tribal divisions will camp beneath their family banners on all four sides of the Tabernacle, but at some distance from it.” – Numbers 2:2 NLT

The Israelites would have understood the significance of the Tabernacle and its presence among them would have given them a sense of peace and confidence because it reassured them that God was with them. He was actually traveling alongside them as they made their way to the Promised Land. But God knew His people well and understood that the Tabernacle could also become a point of division if the people were allowed to set up their tents wherever they deemed best. If left to their own devices, the Israelites would turn the Tabernacle into a kind of idol, competing to see who could place their tent closest to it. Arguments would have erupted over where each tribe was allowed to pitch its tents, turning the blessing of God’s presence into a potential point of division.

So, God ordered that the tribes be arranged in a specific order around the Tabernacle. He didn’t leave this decision up to Moses and Aaron. The tribal leaders He set apart in chapter one were not consulted in this matter. This was a divine directive that wasn’t up for debate or discussion.

This is where the census becomes important. Now that Moses knew exactly how many troops each tribe could muster, those numbers would be used to allocate the arrangement of the tribes around the Tabernacle.

“Those to camp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah by their companies, the chief of the people of Judah being Nahshon the son of Amminadab, his company as listed being 74,600. Those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar, the chief of the people of Issachar being Nethanel the son of Zuar, his company as listed being 54,400. Then the tribe of Zebulun, the chief of the people of Zebulun being Eliab the son of Helon, his company as listed being 57,400. All those listed of the camp of Judah, by their companies, were 186,400. They shall set out first on the march.” – Numbers 2:3-9 ESV

God began with the arrangement of the tribes that would occupy the east side of the Tabernacle. This would have been the side where the gate into the Tabernacle compound was located. It is significant to point out that the tribe of Judah was given the privilege of encamping closest to the entrance into the Tabernacle. Though Rueben was the firstborn son of Jacob, God instructed that the tribe of Judah, the second-born son, would have the right to erect their tents just outside the entrance into God’s presence. This special treatment of the tribe of Judah is a partial fulfillment of the blessing that Jacob pronounced upon his second-born son.

“Judah, your brothers will praise you.
    You will grasp your enemies by the neck.
    All your relatives will bow before you.
Judah, my son, is a young lion
    that has finished eating its prey.
Like a lion he crouches and lies down;
    like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?
The scepter will not depart from Judah,
    nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants,
until the coming of the one to whom it belongs,
    the one whom all nations will honor.” – Genesis 49:8-10 NLT

The tribe of Judah would play a vital role in the history of Israel. From this tribe would come King David and his son and future heir, King Solomon. It was to David that God promised to provide an everlasting kingdom. 

“‘…the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’” – 2 Samuel 7:11-16 ESVnealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. – Matthew 1:1 ESV

God arranged for His Son to be born a descendant of David so that the promise of an eternal kingdom might be fulfilled through Him. But just as importantly, Jesus would be the key to making entrance into God’s presence possible for sinful humanity. John described Jesus as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 ESV). The apostle John would later describe Jesus as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, who came to set up His Kingdom on earth and restore God’s righteous rule over His creation.

“Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.” – Revelation 5:5 NLT

This arrangement of the tribes, while somewhat tedious to read, is intended to provide a glimpse into the incredible nature of God’s grand plan of redemption. Nothing happens by chance. God leaves nothing up to fate, karma, or kismet. The Israelites were not free to debate and argue over which tribe got the best camping spot. They couldn’t jockey for position or fight their way into getting the prime real estate just outside the entrance to God’s house. There was a divine order to it all and God expected His plan to be followed down to the last detail.

He even dispersed the priestly tribe of Levi to all four sides of the camp, ensuring that they would have a constant influence over His chosen people. One of the primary responsibilities of these men was to teach the people of Israel the laws of God.

“You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean, and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the Lord has spoken to them by Moses.” – Leviticus 10:10-11 ESV

Not only were they responsible for the maintenance and transportation of the Tabernacle, but they were tasked with teaching the people of Israel the importance of living set-apart lives by keeping the holy standards that God had given them. God’s continued presence among them was tied directly to their adherence to His commands. That is why God strategically placed the Levites throughout the camp so that they might perform their priestly responsibilities among all the people. And because the Israelites were commanded to maintain this ordered sequence even when the marched, that meant that the Levites were always dispersed among the people even as they traveled.

Thus did the people of Israel. According to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so they camped by their standards, and so they set out, each one in his clan, according to his fathers' house. – Numbers 2:34 ESV

God had a well-ordered plan that, if followed, would ensure the Israelites’ survival and their ultimate arrival at the border of the land of Canaan. While they had not yet reached their destination, they could travel with a sense of peace and assurance that their arrival was assured and God’s plan would be fulfilled.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A God of Order

1 The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head. 3 From twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go to war, you and Aaron shall list them, company by company. 4 And there shall be with you a man from each tribe, each man being the head of the house of his fathers. 5 And these are the names of the men who shall assist you. From Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur; 6 from Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai; 7 from Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab; 8 from Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar; 9 from Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon; 10 from the sons of Joseph, from Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud, and from Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur; 11 from Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni; 12 from Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai; 13 from Asher, Pagiel the son of Ochran; 14 from Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel; 15 from Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan.” 16 These were the ones chosen from the congregation, the chiefs of their ancestral tribes, the heads of the clans of Israel.

17 Moses and Aaron took these men who had been named, 18 and on the first day of the second month, they assembled the whole congregation together, who registered themselves by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names from twenty years old and upward, head by head, 19 as the Lord commanded Moses. So he listed them in the wilderness of Sinai.

20 The people of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war: 21 those listed of the tribe of Reuben were 46,500.

22 Of the people of Simeon, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, those of them who were listed, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war: 23 those listed of the tribe of Simeon were 59,300.

24 Of the people of Gad, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war: 25 those listed of the tribe of Gad were 45,650.

26 Of the people of Judah, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 27 those listed of the tribe of Judah were 74,600.

28 Of the people of Issachar, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 29 those listed of the tribe of Issachar were 54,400.

30 Of the people of Zebulun, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 31 those listed of the tribe of Zebulun were 57,400.

32 Of the people of Joseph, namely, of the people of Ephraim, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 33 those listed of the tribe of Ephraim were 40,500.

34 Of the people of Manasseh, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 35 those listed of the tribe of Manasseh were 32,200.

36 Of the people of Benjamin, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 37 those listed of the tribe of Benjamin were 35,400.

38 Of the people of Dan, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 39 those listed of the tribe of Dan were 62,700.

40 Of the people of Asher, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 41 those listed of the tribe of Asher were 41,500.

42 Of the people of Naphtali, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: 43 those listed of the tribe of Naphtali were 53,400.

44 These are those who were listed, whom Moses and Aaron listed with the help of the chiefs of Israel, twelve men, each representing his fathers’ house. 45 So all those listed of the people of Israel, by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war in Israel— 46 all those listed were 603,550.

47 But the Levites were not listed along with them by their ancestral tribe. 48 For the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 49 “Only the tribe of Levi you shall not list, and you shall not take a census of them among the people of Israel. 50 But appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall take care of it and shall camp around the tabernacle. 51 When the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down, and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up. And if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death. 52 The people of Israel shall pitch their tents by their companies, each man in his own camp and each man by his own standard. 53 But the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the people of Israel. And the Levites shall keep guard over the tabernacle of the testimony.” 54 Thus did the people of Israel; they did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses. – Numbers 1:1-54 ESV

Written by Moses, this book was originally part of a five-book known as the Pentateuch, which in Hebrew means “the five scrolls.” The opening chapter of this fourth book of the Pentateuch begins with God commanding Moses to take a census of the people of Israel, who are still encamped at the base of Mount Sinai. A year and a half has passed since God delivered them from their enslavement to the Egyptians and led them to Mount Sinai under the leadership of Moses.

During their stay at Mount Sinai, God revealed Himself to the people of Israel in the form of a storm cloud that encompassed the peak of the mountain and was accompanied by thunder and lightning.

On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. – Exodus 18:16-18 ESV

This theophany or visible manifestation of God’s presence was intended to illustrate the glory and greatness of God and instill in the Israelites a reverence for His holiness. 

Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. – Exodus 24:17 ESV

The theophany had its intended effect, creating in the Israelites a reverential awe and a reluctance to draw near the mountain out of fear of death. It was from His temporary abode on the mountaintop that God gave Moses the law and the design for the Tabernacle. A month after having completed the construction of the Tabernacle and the inauguration of the sacrificial system, Moses received a command from God to take a census or a numbering of the people. This divine decree was in preparation for the people to leave Mount Sinai and continue their journey to Canaan, the land God had promised to give them as their inheritance.

According to Moses, the census was taken “on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt” (Numbers 1:1 ESV). Twenty days later, the Israelites would break camp and begin the final stage of their journey to the land of Canaan.

In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud lifted from over the tabernacle of the testimony, and the people of Israel set out by stages from the wilderness of Sinai. – Numbers 10:11-12 ESV

But before they left, God instructed Moses to take a head count of all the males who were 20 years of age or older. He was not to include the mixed multitude that had left Egypt with them but was only to count those men were members of the twelve tribes of Israel. No one who was unfit for military service was to be counted. No women or children were to be included in the final number.

So, Moses had everyone arranged according to their tribe and when the counting was complete, they discovered that there were 603,550 able-bodied men among them. If you add in wives and kids, as well as an estimate of how many foreigners were traveling with them, it isn't hard to see that the number of people traveling under Moses' leadership was well over a million and a half. That's a staggering sum, and the book of Numbers is going to chronicle their nearly 40-year journey through the wilderness.

Their movement from Mount Sinai to Canaan was going to be a logistical miracle. To travel that long and far with that many people would prove to be a feat of epic proportions that would require divine empowerment to succeed.

So why did God have Moses number the people? What could have been His purpose? First of all, it was probably a not-so-subtle reminder that God was keeping the promise He had made to Abraham that He would multiply his seed exceedingly, which was the same promise He had renewed to Jacob.

“Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” – Genesis 28:14

When the descendants of Jacob first arrived in Egypt, their entire clan was just over 70 in number. But during their four-century-long stay in Egypt, they experienced a dramatic population increase that could only be explained as a miracle of God. The book of Exodus records that by the time they left Egypt, they were no longer a clan; they were a nation.

And the people of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds. – Exodus 12:37-38 ESV

Now, a year and a half later, the census would reveal that their number had not diminished. God had protected and preserved them along the way. And even though He had been forced to mete out judgment on those who had participated in the incident of the golden calf at Mount Sinai (Exodus 32), God had actually increased their number. By the time Moses completed the census, they would know that God had made good on His promise to transform them into a great nation, and they could trust Him to fulfill His promise to give them the land of Canaan as their inheritance.

A second part of God's command for the census was for Moses to select men from each of the various tribes and clans to assist him. Leadership was going to be critical for this journey, and order would need to be maintained. This divine enlistment of additional leadership was intended to display God’s care and concern for His people. He knew what they would need to survive the journey from Mount Sinai to Canaan, so He had Moses appoint these men as shepherds over the people so that they might care for them.

A good shepherd always knows the exact number of the sheep under his care. As the Shepherd of Israel (Psalms 80:1), God also numbers His flock so that He might properly care for each and every one of them.

Thirdly, God seems to go out of His way to differentiate the Israelites from the host of foreigners traveling with them. We don't know how many "mixed multitude" left Egypt with them, but it was probably not an insignificant number. So, when God commands the census to be taken, He orders that it not include anyone but the sons of Israel. This differentiation between the Israelites and the mixed multitude illustrates the special relationship between God and His chosen people. God had clearly told the Israelites that they would hold a special place in His heart.

“…you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” – Exodus 19:5-6 ESV

God cares for His own. He knows those that are His (2 Timothy 2:19), and He knows them by name (Philippians 4:3). Even the hairs of their head are numbered (Matthew 10:30).

Finally, God seems to be arranging the people in such a way as to facilitate and improve their orderly travel and the administration of justice. This was not going to be an unruly rabble traveling through the wilderness, but a well-ordered army. God only had Moses number the men who were fit for battle, and then Moses was ordered to arrange them in military rank and file. This was probably meant as a reminder that they were going to have to be prepared to fight when they arrived in the land of promise. Their promised inheritance would not just be handed over to them. So, God was letting them know that would have to learn to follow commands and march in an orderly manner.

Can you imagine what it would have been like for a million and a half people to travel through the wilderness without some kind of plan or orderly system of communication and administration? There would have been thousands of children, hundreds of thousands of animals, and plenty of excuses for chaos and disorder. So, God arranged them in troops and provided them with leaders. God is a god of order, not confusion. He has a plan. He has a purpose. He knows exactly what is needed and when it is needed. And He can always be trusted.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

It Always Comes Back to Grace

11 See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. 12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. 14 But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. 16 And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

17 From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen. – Galatians 6:11-18 ESV

The fear of man has always been a real-life, everyday problem for believers and non-believers alike. Everyone fears being rejected, disliked, misunderstood, or mistreated for their views. Our deep-seated desire for attention and affection sometimes drives us to do and say things that go against what we believe. We don’t want to be the odd man out so we tend to give in rather than stand up for our beliefs. Peer pressure is a powerful force in every person’s life, and Paul knew that. He was fully aware that following Christ put a target on the back of every believer. Bearing the cross of Christ was a costly endeavor that often brought His followers rejection and ridicule, including his brothers and sisters in Galatia.

Paul had first-hand experience with persecution and rejection. As a Jew and a former member of the sect of the Pharisees, he faced intense backlash when news of his conversion to Christianity became known. His entire public ministry as an apostle of Jesus Christ had been marked by conflict and the constant temptation to give in to the fear of men by compromising the gospel message and disobeying his divine calling.

Yet Paul had stood his ground, refusing to allow his fear of man to get the better of him. But he couldn’t say the same thing for the Judaizers, those individuals who were demanding that all Gentile converts undergo the Jewish rite of circumcision to validate their salvation. According to Paul, their zealous efforts to persuade the Galatian believers were motivated by the fear of man. The party of the circumcision, as Paul referred to them, were Jews who confessed to being followers of Christ, but Paul insists that they were promoting circumcision out of fear of rejection by their fellow Jews.

Those who are trying to force you to be circumcised want to look good to others. They don’t want to be persecuted for teaching that the cross of Christ alone can save. – Galatians 6:12 NLT

Paul insisted that these Jewish Christians feared being persecuted and ridiculed for putting all their hope and faith in the cross of Christ alone. To do so would require them to reject their dependence upon the law and their reliance upon their own self-effort to justify themselves before God. Their commitment to the doctrine of faith alone in Christ alone would make them social pariahs among their Jewish brethren, and they were not willing to endure that kind of rejection.

But Paul pointed out the absurdity of their logic.

…even those who advocate circumcision don’t keep the whole law themselves. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast about it and claim you as their disciples. – Galatians 6:13 NLT

They were more concerned with what their fellow Jews thought of them than they were with how God would perceive their actions. This was man-pleasing at its ugliest. Paul knew that their message had a deadly side-effect that would lead people away from the saving knowledge of faith in Christ alone. For Paul, the message of salvation had nothing to do with works or human effort. It could not be earned. It was a grace gift provided by God Almighty Himself. This is what led Paul to append the following line to the end of his letter: “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14 ESV).

Paul wasn’t going to boast about his Hebrew heritage, his resumé as a Pharisee, his education under Gamaliel, the great Hebrew rabbi, or his missionary exploits. At one point he confessed, “But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me – and not without results” (1 Corinthians 15:10 NLT).  Paul had been transformed by the saving work of Jesus Christ. His efforts on behalf of the gospel were the result of the Spirit within him, not his own efforts.

The primary issue threatening the Galatians believers was that of circumcision. But Paul said, “It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation by faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:15 NLT).

This rule or principle regarding the efficacy of the gospel would bring peace and mercy to all who lived by it. Giving in to the false message of the Judaizers would result in guilt, shame, and a never-ending attempt to win favor with God through self-effort. Paul found that choice appalling. He also wanted his readers to know that he was anything but a man-pleaser. He had suffered greatly in his effort to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the Gentile world, and he had the physical and emotional scars to prove it. He closed his letter with the words, “I bear on my body the scars that show I belong to Jesus” (Galatians 6:17 NLT).

The message of faith in Christ is a difficult one for people to understand and even harder to accept. It sounds absurd. The story of God taking on human flesh, dying on the cross, and being raised from the dead sounds crazy to most who hear it. Yet for Paul, it was the truth. Over the course of his ministry, he had seen it transform his life and the lives of thousands of others. The gospel was not just a message, but a powerful force for change in the world, and he believed in it wholeheartedly and preached it unapologetically.

He told the believers in Rome who were living under the persecution of the Roman government, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16 ESV).

Paul was not ashamed of the gospel because he believed in its life-transformative power. He was willing to suffer ridicule and rejection at the hands of men because he had placed his hope and trust in the promises of God. He wanted every believer in Christ to know the joy of living with their faith placed firmly in the saving work of Jesus Christ and the future redemption promised to them by God. Their hope was never to waver from the simple message of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. This is what led Paul to close out his letter with the following words of encouragement.

May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God. – Galatians 6:16 NLT

The Galatians were already the new people of God; they didn’t require a physical change to their bodies or a set of rules and regulations to obey. Their lives had been transformed by the power of the gospel and nothing else was needed to guarantee their membership in God’s family. In the end, all they needed was a reminder of the reality of grace.

…may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. – Galatians 6:18 NLT

With this closing line, Paul returned to the opening theme of his letter.

May God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen. – Galatians 1:3-5 NLT

All the glory belonged to God because He made salvation possible. It was His grace that made the incarnation possible; He willingly sent His Son as the payment for mankind’s sin debt. And Jesus, in full compliance with His Father’s will, fulfilled the divine plan by serving as the sacrificial substitute whose sinless life satisfied the just demands of His Heavenly Father. Jesus willingly gave His life in the place of sinful men and women, so that they might be justified before God and declared righteous in His sight. And it was all the result of grace, not human effort. It was a gift freely given, not a reward for good behavior.

Paul closed his letter with a reminder of God’s grace. Salvation wasn’t available for purchase or accessible through good works, and Paul wanted the believers in Galatia to refocus their attention on the irrefutable nature of God’s redeeming grace. This was the same message he conveyed to the believers in Ephesus.

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. – Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT

Their salvation was secure and nothing else, including circumcision, was required. As long as they continued to embrace grace, the Galatians could resist the fear of man and the false teaching of the Judaizers. They could live as the new people of God, empowered by His Spirit and fully confident in the promise of their future reward of eternal life. 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.