The charge of the Kohathites. 1 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 2 Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, after their families, by the house of their fathers, 3 From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation. 4 This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, about the most holy things: 5 And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering vail, and cover the ark of testimony with it: 6 And shall put thereon the covering of badgers' skins, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in the staves thereof. 7 And upon the table of shewbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls, and covers to cover withal: and the continual bread shall be thereon: 8 And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put in the staves thereof. 9 And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the candlestick of the light, and his lamps, and his tongs, and his snuffdishes, and all the oil vessels thereof, wherewith they minister unto it: 10 And they shall put it and all the vessels thereof within a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put it upon a bar. 11 And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put to the staves thereof: 12 And they shall take all the instruments of ministry, wherewith they minister in the sanetuary, and put them in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put them on a bar: 13 And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon: 14 And they shall put upon it all the vessels thereof, wherewith they minister about it, even the censers, the fleshhooks, and the shovels, and the basons, all the vessels of the altar; and they shall spread upon it a covering of badgers' skins, and put to the staves of it. 15 And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation. 16 And to the office of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest pertaineth the oil for the light, and the sweet incense, and the daily meat offering, and the anointing oil, and the oversight of all the tabernacle, and of all that therein is, in the sanctuary, and in the vessels thereof. 17 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 18 Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites: 19 But thus do unto them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach unto the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in, and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden: 20 But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die. LECTURE 242. Against prying into forbidden knowledge. Though the whole tribe of Levi was now consecrated to the services of the tabernacle, only those of a certain age, namely from thirty years to fifty, were "to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation." A chief part of their labour, whilst the Israelites were on their journey, was the removal of the sacred tent, and all its furniture. And besides the burdens they had to bear, the Kohathites in particular had no small risk of instant death; which was to befal them if they presumed to touch or to set eyes on the holy things, that were especially committed to their charge. And therefore Aaron and his sons, the priests, were to go in, before the camp set forward, and cover carefully "the ark of testimony," and "the table of shewbread," and its furniture, and "the candlestick," and things pertaining thereto; and to make all ready to be carried decently and in order. And in like manner they were to cover with cloth of blue" the golden altar," and its ashes, and all its vessels of every kind. And Moses and Aaron were exhorted to take the utmost care, to prevent the risk to which the Kohathites were exposed; and were warned that any neglect of these precautions would amount to cutting off the family from Israel. A profitable caution may hence be derived by us, against prying with presumptuous curiosity into those things which God has not thought good to reveal to us. Much indeed He has told us, and free is the access to Himself, which He has given us in the Gospel; as compared with that which He gave and that which He told in the Law. But even the Gospel leaves much for us to learn in heaven. At present we know only in part. Let us be content with not knowing, till hereafter, that which God has at present hidden from our eyes. And let us be assured, that the truth actually revealed is enough to occupy our whole life long, and more, before we shall either know it thoroughly, or practise it entirely. Grant, heavenly Father, that we thy children may neither press to know that which Thou hast hidden, nor be ignorant of that which Thou hast revealed. Make us teachable, and teach us by thy Spirit; make us humble, and contented with thy teaching; through Jesus Christ, our Lord! The charge of the Gershonites and of the Merarites. 21 And the LORD spake unto their burdens. Moses, saying, 22 Take also the sum of the sons of Gershon, throughout the houses of their fathers, by their families; 23 From thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shalt thou number them; all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation. 24 This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, to serve, and for burdens: 25 And they shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tabernacle of the congregation, his covering, and the covering of the badgers' skins that is above upon it, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, 26 And the hangings of the court, and the hanging for the door of the gate of the court, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and all that is made for them: so shall they serve. 27 At the appointment of Aaron and his sons shall be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burdens, and in all their service: and ye shall appoint unto them in charge all 28 This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation: and their charge shall be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. 29 As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them after their families, by the house of their fathers; 30 From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old shalt thou number them, every one that entereth into the service, to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation. 31 And this is the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the tabernacle of the congregation; the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and sockets thereof, 32 And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords, with all their instruments, and with all their service and by name ye shall reckon the instruments of the charge of their burden. 33 This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service, in the tabernacle of the congregation, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. LECTURE 243. The tabernacle of the body, dissolved by death, to be again set up. The Gershonites had the charge and burden of the various hangings, and curtains, and cords, of the tabernacle, and of the court; and of all the instruments of their service, and all that is made for them." The Merarites had to carry the boards, and bars, and pillars, and sockets, "with all their instruments, and with all their service;" every article being delivered in charge to them by name, and an exact account kept of the whole. The burdens of the Merarites and of the Gershonites were evidently more cumbersome than those allotted to the Kohathites. Nor was their charge so honourable as the care of the holy vessels and of the ark itself. But if their load was heavier, their responsibility and risk were less. They handled things which they might see, as well as carry; without being liable like the Kohathites to the penalty of death. And so it is with those classes of society which do the most laborious and servile work; having talents less in number entrusted to their charge, they have the less to account for to the Lord. Whilst the great, whom they are apt to envy, and the rich, whose wealth they are often tempted to covet, find their honours and enjoyments qualified by this fearful consideration, "unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required." Luke 12. 48. Happy are those, in either condition, who have learned in whatsoever state they are therewith to be content! See Phil. 4. 11. Happy are the poor when rich in faith, and the rich when poor in spirit! Happy are they, and they only, whether they be rich or poor, who in the day of reckoning shall be found to have been faithful, in all the service assigned them by their Lord! The taking down of the tabernacle, or removing the encampment, is referred to by St. Paul, and by St. Peter, as an image of the dissolution of the body, at the hour of death. "We know that if our house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 Cor. 5. 1. Thus St. Paul writes to the Corinthians. And St. Peter speaks thus of his departure, "knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle." 2 Pet. 1. 14. Both apostles appear to have had in view the unclothing of the sacred tent, by taking down its curtains, and by separating its solid bars and boards, as a figure of what takes place, when the body of man returns to dust, and the spirit to the God who gave it. See Eccles. 12. 7. Let us rejoice to observe, that the tabernacle of the Israelites when taken to pieces was most carefully removed, and every part watchfully preserved, in order to its being again set up. Let us be thankful to know, that death is but our removal towards the heavenly Jerusalem, where this our fleshly tabernacle will be again set up, and clothed with glory and immortality. Oh how deeply are we bound, in the meantime, to look upon every member thereof, as a charge for which we must give account hereafter! Oh how watchfully must we employ all the parts of our bodies, and all the faculties of our souls, as instruments of service unto God! May He help us so to live, that we may be able to account to Him for all that He has given us; and that He may then be pleased to give us life eternal! The sons of Kohath, Gershon, and Merari numbered. 34 And Moses and Aaron and the chief of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites after their families, and after the house of their fathers, 35 From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation: 36 And those that were numbered of them by their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty. 37 These were they that were numbered of the families of the Kohathites, all that might do service in the tabernacle of the congregation, which Moses and Aaron did number according to the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses. 38 And those that were numbered of the sons of Gershon, throughout their families, and by the house of their fathers, 39 From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation, 40 Even those that were numbered of them, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers, were two thousand and six hundred and thirty. 41 These are they that were numbered of the families of the sons of Gershon, of all that might do service in the tabernacle of the congregation, whom Moses and Aaron did number according to the commandment of the LORD. 43 From thirty years old and 45 These be those that were 46 All those that were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the chief of Israel numbered, after their families, and after the house of their fathers, 47 From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that came to do the service of the ministry, and the service of the burden in the tabernacle of the congregation, 48 Even those that were numbered of them, were eight thousand and five hundred and four score. 49 According to the commandment of the LORD they were numbered by the hand of Moses, every one according to his service, and according to his burden: thus were they numbered of him, as the LORD commanded Moses. LECTURE 244. Divers offices and orders in the Christian ministry. In the latter part of this chapter we have the fulfilment of a command given to Moses and Aaron in the former part; the sum |