Numbers 4 Commentary
Both Moses and Aaron come from the line of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of the patriarch Jacob. Chapter 4 zooms into Kohath’s family line and their role as caretakers of the most holy things.
We have seen different lists. The list in Chapter 2 is for military service. The considered age is 20 and above. The second list is for all the Levitical families and it starts from 1 month.
The list for Kohath starts from 30. The man Jesus started ministry aged 30; the connection is clear.
The required age ranges from 30 to 50. The age cap may help us appreciate the need for maturity in ministry, while at the same time, it tells us of the need to maximize output as the window for service is limited.
The LORD is to be served by man’s prime time. The very best of a man’s prowess is dedicated to the LORD.
We need reminding that we are still at the foot of Mount Sinai. The nation is being readied for a conquest. A lone chapter, Chapter 2, was dedicated to organizing the military machinery of the nation. The next several chapters deal with the care of the Sanctuary in transit. It is the very first time that the Sanctuary is going to be taken down as the nation moves to take possession of the land. Care is required during the disassembly, the packing, and the carrying.
A lone chapter for military organization and strategy compared to several chapters of Sanctuary Care is very instructive. How I organize my heart as the official residence of the Holy Spirit is very important.
While spiritual warfare is important, it is the cleanliness of the heart that should draw our best effort. The Sanctuary components were to be carried by human beings. It is so strange that the honor of taking care of the sanctuary in most churches today is given to paid, often unbelieving individuals. Members sit back complaining about offerings that are hardly good enough to buy a dustpan!
Aaron and his sons had to physically go in first to cover the most holy components before the rest of their brothers moved in to carry the items. The shepherd who wouldn’t come down to wash the feet of the saints isn’t good enough. Certain tasks cannot be delegated.
The Tabernacle is not equivalent to a church building today. The Tabernacle could equal a physical saint – being the temple of the Holy Spirit. The Tabernacle could also be compared to the Body of Christ, the Holy Spirit’s corporate residence.
The love for blue could be linked to what Israel saw – the pavement of blue as part of the physical manifestation of the Glory of God. You could also think of the blue sky to represent the thought of Heaven. Regardless, the LORD God decided the color scheme for Israel. We know it means more than we can guess.
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