ORDER IN MOVING THE TABERNACLE. Numbers 4 From the historical record, I observe that the Israelites saw the pillar cloud rise from the Tabernacle as a sign of God's will, indicating it was time to move on. Aaron and his sons, the priestly family, entered the Tabernacle to perform their various tasks, covering the furniture as God had commanded. The veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies was taken down and moved to cover the ark. Then, a leather covering was placed over everything, followed by a third covering of blue. This was the only piece of furniture covered with a colored cloth so everyone would know where the ark was during transit. No one could approach that ark carelessly, risking their life.
Aaron and his sons carefully wrapped the furniture so that no unholy eyes would see it, as it was only for God and the priests. Eleazar, one of Aaron’s sons and a priest, was to supervise the transportation of the Tabernacle. He was also responsible for ensuring all the holy objects were covered according to God's commands and ready to be carried. If the priest didn’t do his job properly, no one else could step in to do it for him. The entire nation relied on him to do what was right, exactly as God had commanded.
Whenever we make changes in the service of God that we're involved in, we must be careful to ensure they align with God's will. There may be times when it is necessary to act to advance the Gospel and fulfill the commission that the Lord Jesus Christ gave before He ascended into heaven. As we reach out to new places, we must commit ourselves to doing that work in accordance with the Word of God. When making any additions or removals regarding assembly practices, we must be certain that God has His rightful place at the center of that work.
The table of showbread with the bread was covered with a blue cloth, and all the vessels used in relation to that table were placed on that cloth. Over them, a scarlet cloth was spread, and on top of that, the leather covering was wrapped around it. Each piece of furniture, including the golden altar, the lampstand, and the brazen altar, was covered in a specific way. The lampstand and golden altar were covered in blue, while the brazen altar was covered in purple. Over these, the leather covering was placed. Blue symbolizes the testimony of heavenly things here on Earth.
Such things provide us with spiritual light that helps us understand divine truth, the purpose and value of worship as sweet incense, and fellowship with God Himself. Scarlet symbolizes the cost of redemption by blood, and as a redeemed people, we can approach God's house without fear and find our spiritual nourishment in Him. Purple is the royal color that reminds us of God's satisfaction in His Son, the Lamb of God, who fulfilled all of God's righteous demands when He was sacrificed on the cross in our place.
There will be times in our lives and service to God when we are given tasks that seem minor. It is often in these small things that our faithfulness to our Lord Jesus Christ is tested, and we are shown whether we are ready for bigger responsibilities. Being prepared for work that greatly impacts all of the Lord’s people, and possibly even the unsaved, doesn't always happen quickly or in a short training period. “Whatsoever you do, do it heartily as unto the Lord and not unto man.”
When all the furniture was properly covered, the Kohathites, who were between thirty and fifty years old, stepped forward to carry those burdens out of the Tabernacle and transport them to the next destination as commanded by God. The Gershonites then came to remove the cloth fence around the courtyard, the roof coverings, and all the equipment needed to hold everything together and in place. Immediately behind them, the family of Merari from the west side of the Tabernacle took on removing the fence posts, the boards of the Tabernacle, the sockets that kept the wood off the ground, the pegs, and all the structural components of the Tabernacle. It’s estimated that there was around seven and a half tons of metal, not including the weight of the wood, which also had to be moved. An additional five hundred men from Merari's family helped make carrying these heavy loads possible.
Individuals were given a specific item to carry and were instructed on the order in which they should pick up and transport it, relative to all the other men doing the same with their designated pieces. Each man knew his responsibilities, and a sacred order was followed to dismantle the Tabernacle into movable parts so it could be relocated. Following this organized procedure prevented any confusion during the dismantling or reassembling of the Tabernacle. Ithamar, another of Aaron’s sons, was tasked with dismantling the Tabernacle and ensuring everything was done correctly.
Some of God's people are involved in and responsible for unseen activities in the work of the Lord. Others have specific tasks related to the Lord's people themselves, and some have more open and public work to do. When everyone understands their part in the work, the house of God's work runs smoothly. If one person is missing or refuses to do their responsibility, the entire work suffers.
The Tabernacle seemed to dissolve before the eyes of onlookers. Similarly, when the destination was reached, it would rise like a growing thing as it quickly took shape, and the cloud would settle down upon it again. Those who are strong in their lives need to be tested before God to see how they can fulfill their work in harmony with all those laboring in God's service.
Our service to God is not based on what is convenient for us or what we prefer to do, but on where God has placed us and what I am capable of doing. Whatever we do for the Lord, we should do it with all our might. We often have around twenty years when our strength is at its peak, and we can devote our best efforts to accomplish suitable goals for the Lord. Let us do what we do with an enthusiastic heart for God and in fellowship with those around us who have the work of God burning in their hearts.
Life can be viewed in different ways, either by the number of years or the number of days. However, when we consider our lives and their length from God's perspective, our view is often quite different. For God, a millennium is not long, nor is the span of a single day enough to fully describe how He perceives age. In God’s plan, “times of visitation” are special periods, like the “day of salvation,” when He has planned certain activities. These “times” may be brief or extended in our view but are timeless in His.
Yet God, in great wisdom, still knows we are men. He reveals His designs so we are prepared for the moment when His will is made clear to us. We step out in faith to take up the cross or the work He has given us. We are to do it with all our might, and if that is done in God’s timing and way, He ensures it turns out just right. Our lifespan now usually lasts about three score and ten years, and if we have strength, it may go farther, but there does come a time when the appointed moment arrives, and death’s day comes, just as God has said. So, life now is lived with the future in view, when each person will give an account of the things he or she knew were right – or wrong.
In ancient times, things were similar. The Lord’s people understood the work that was ahead, and training sessions were scheduled to prepare them. Years in advance, to prevent his calling from being ignored, a young man would know by his twenty-ninth year that all other demands on his time, talent, and energy had come to an end. He carried a much more important burden with much greater consequences. He was called to serve God in holy duty. All other claims on him were finished.
When he turned thirty, and for the next twenty years, his most serious obligations centered on the burdens he was to bear for the Lord and His chosen people. Others were free to do what they wanted for gain, but his duty was to be prepared whenever the cloud moved, and the people of God shifted once again at the call of His Word. Other people could perform the work he did before, but now his strong shoulders carried only what God designated as his responsibility, and no one else could fill his role. For twenty consecutive years, this man, in his strength, was part of a band of men ready to be called at a moment’s notice to take his designated part in moving the dwelling place of God Almighty, who was in the midst of His people. He was responsible and honored to be privileged to carry a portion of the Tabernacle, the house of worship, to the place God chose and to have it set up there.
The years between thirty and fifty of my life are the years when, if lived for self-interest, they are full of productivity. But out of the millions who live for themselves, only a small group is called out of obscurity to serve God with their strength, full hearts, and enthusiastic obedience. They give God their best, keeping their eyes on the “mark of the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus.” Others may prosper and get all they want, but those whom God calls receive from His gift of inward joy and blessing, looking forward to a hopeful “Well done, good and faithful servant” in the future. These men share the best they have for God: their strength, their yoke, their time, and their testimony before the surrounding nation. Their inheritance and blessings come from the burdens they bear. The same is true today; from “thirty to fifty years of age,” we will gladly give our strength to the Lord.