2BC BIBLE STUDY NOTES
Wednesday in the Word
Second Baptist Church
August 21, 2019
Numbers 4
Verses 1-3. This chapter details the way God organized the work of the three families of the Levites. The first part of the chapter reveals what had to be done before the moving process was initiated, the preparatory work to be done by Aaron and his sons. Among the males of the family of Kohath, only those between thirty and fifty were allowed to actually do the work of the sanctuary. In some ways, this was thought to be the “prime” of a man’s life (combining both wisdom and physical strength) and God wanted the best from the family of Kohath. The first clan of the Levites to be counted in this new census is the Kohathites. This is different from the 1st census because in the prior census the clan of Gershon was counted first because Gershon was the firstborn. The probable reason that the Kohathites are given priority status in this census is because this clan transported the most sacred, and therefore most dangerous, object. Further Aaron and Moses (as the leaders not only of Levi but of all Israel) belonged to the clan of Kohath so this lent significant tribal status to the Kohathites.
Verses 4-14. On the way to the Promised Land, the tabernacle furniture would have to travel and be carried great distances. But first, it must be packed properly to ensure its safe travel. Since the furniture itself was holy, it had to be covered and packed by Aaron and the priests before the sons of Kohath could get to it. The sacred objects and furnishings of the Tabernacle were too holy to be directly handled by the Levites. So they had to be wrapped and packed up BY THE PRIESTS...and then transferred to the care of the Kohathites for transport...so that the hands of those who were not of a high enough holy status would not accidentally touch a holy object. The inner veil of the Sanctuary had to be taken down by the priests, and then it was used to wrap the Ark of the Covenant. Then over that, a waterproof layer of skins was added. The final layer of the package was a special pure blue cloth, and then poles were inserted to carry the precious cargo. The Priests accomplished all this preparation before giving it over to the Kohathites, who were allowed ONLY to handle the sacred object by means of touching the carrying poles. In fact later in the Bible we’ll read of a couple of different incidents when the Ark was being transported and it appeared about to fall over; so an unauthorized person reached out to steady it... and they were instantly struck dead. Next, the Table of Shewbread was also to have a blue cloth laid over it upon which the various utensils that were used in ritual services were to be laid upon the table, PLUS a fresh group of the 12 loaves of bread that it was designed to hold. Then a covering of crimson (red) cloth wrapped up the whole thing, and then over that went a waterproof layer of skins. The Table had rings built onto it, as did the Ark of the Covenant, so poles were then inserted through the rings for carrying; now it was ready to transfer to the care of the Kohathites. The next most important item was the Menorah/lampstand and the various implements used to tend it; those were wrapped up in a blue cloth, and over that, some Porpoise skins were placed to keep it dry, and then it was laid on a special wooden frame for transport. The Golden Altar of Incense that stood in front of the Parokhet (the inner veil between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies) had a blue cloth spread over it, and then it was covered yet again in a more waterproof covering. Next, the remaining service vessels that were used INSIDE the Tabernacle were wrapped in blue cloth and waterproof (some think dolphin) skins for maximum protection. Now that the Priests packed up all the items used INSIDE of the Tent of Meeting, the texts turn their attention to things outside of the Tent that resided in the courtyard; and it begins with the Altar of Burnt Offering. After the ashes are removed from the Altar, a purple cloth is place over it. Upon that, all the items used to service and care for the Altar like fire tongs and blood basins and so forth are placed. Over the top of that, more dolphin skins were laid. All the sacred items having been covered and prepared by the Priests are now turned over to the clan of Kohath for transport.
Verses 15-20. NONE of these items...not even their coverings...will be touched by the Kohathites; the penalty for that infraction is instant death. Rather most of the larger objects had iron rings through which poles were inserted, and the smaller objects were carried atop some kind of wooden frame. The Kohathites were forbidden to touch any of the tabernacle furniture. Verse 16 tells us that the priest, Eleazar, is the supervisor OVER the Levites as regards the transporting of all the sacred objects. Further, the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, telling them that the supervision over the Kohathites must be total because their job is so dangerous that nothing can be left to chance. One glance at an uncovered piece of holy furniture could prove fatal to an unauthorized onlooker. We begin to see, now, why God insisted that only men from age 30 to 50 could do this task; younger men might be too cavalier in their duties and find themselves dead,
Verses 21-28. Now the clans of Gershon are to be recounted and the count included only those males between 30 and 50 years of age. It's this particular age group that is to deal with the items that have been called out once already: primarily, the various coverings (outside) of the sacred tent. These men are to be under the direct supervision of another son of Aaron, Ithamar. They had oversight of the coverings of the tabernacle; the skins and artistically woven designs that made up the walls and the roof of the tent.
Verses 29-33. Levi was the third son of Jacob (Israel) and Merari the third son of Levi. The youngest son of Levi, Merari, was the smallest clan and seemed to be responsible for transport and caring for less central portions of the Tabernacle. Nonetheless, their work was just as key as both the Kohathites and Gershonites. The sons of Merari were in two clans: Mahli and Mushi. The chief of the father’s house of the clans of Merari was Zuriel, the son of Abihail. When the Israelites camped, the Merari were located next to the Tent of Meeting on the north side. These Levites buffered the Tent of Meeting from the three tribes (Asher, Dan, and Naphtali) camped on the north side. Just like all the other Levites, this clan made sure no one got too close. It was imperative that playing children and other individuals from Asher, Dan, and Naphtali not touch the Tabernacle. Also, the Merari were the last line of defense if foreign invaders attack the Israelites from the north. When the Tabernacle moved, Merari guarded and carried the frames of the Tabernacle, the bars, the pillars, the bases and all their accessories. They were responsible for all services related to these items. In addition, Merari carried the pillars around the courtyard with their bases, pegs, and cords. Remember all Tabernacle items were carried on the shoulder of Levites rather than transported in wagons. In addition, the Merari clan provided all services needed to these Tabernacle and courtyard frames, that is, they made sure they were in good working order. This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, as all their service for the tabernacle of meeting, under the authority of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
Verses 34-48. A census was taken of the three groups with a total of 8580 between the ages of 30-50. Each man was assigned his responsibility and task.
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