you shall count them from thirty years old and upward until fifty years old: all who enter in to wait on the service, to do the work in the Tent of Meeting.
“This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, in serving and in bearing burdens: they shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle and the Tent of Meeting, its covering, the covering of sealskin that is on it, the screen for the door of the Tent of Meeting, the hangings of the court, the screen for the door of the gate of the court which is by the tabernacle and around the altar, their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and whatever shall be done with them. They shall serve in there. At the commandment of Aaron and his sons shall be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burden and in all their service; and you shall appoint their duty to them in all their responsibilities. This is the service of the families of the sons of the Gershonites in the Tent of Meeting. Their duty shall be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
“As for the sons of Merari, you shall count them by their families, by their fathers’ houses; you shall count them from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old—everyone who enters on the service, to do the work of the Tent of Meeting. This is the duty of their burden, according to all their service in the Tent of Meeting: the tabernacle’s boards, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, the pillars of the court around it, their sockets, their pins, their cords, with all their instruments, and with all their service. You shall appoint the instruments of the duty of their burden to them by name. This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service in the Tent of Meeting, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.”
Moses and Aaron and the princes of the congregation counted the sons of the Kohathites by their families, and by their fathers’ houses, from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered into the service for work in the Tent of Meeting. Those who were counted of them by their families were two thousand seven hundred fifty. These are those who were counted of the families of the Kohathites, all who served in the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron counted according to the commandment of Yahweh by Moses.
Those who were counted of the sons of Gershon, by their families, and by their fathers’ houses, from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old—everyone who entered into the service for work in the Tent of Meeting, even those who were counted of them, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, were two thousand six hundred thirty. These are those who were counted of the families of the sons of Gershon, all who served in the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron counted according to the commandment of Yahweh.
Those who were counted of the families of the sons of Merari, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old—everyone who entered into the service for work in the Tent of Meeting, even those who were counted of them by their families, were three thousand two hundred. These are those who were counted of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron counted according to the commandment of Yahweh by Moses.
All those who were counted of the Levites whom Moses and Aaron and the princes of Israel counted, by their families and by their fathers’ houses, from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered in to do the work of service and the work of bearing burdens in the Tent of Meeting, even those who were counted of them, were eight thousand five hundred eighty. According to the commandment of Yahweh they were counted by Moses, everyone according to his service and according to his burden. Thus they were counted by him, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv23, 25, 26, 28, 32, 36, 37, 41, 47, 49 Which were received into the company of them that…
Which were received into the company of them that ministered in the Tabernacle of the Congregation.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv30, 32, 44, 48 Num 4:30 From thirty years old and upward even…
Num 4:30 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.
Ver. 30. From thirty years.] The Greek hath it, from twenty-five years: for then they began to be learners and probationers; and at thirty, they set upon the service. See Num 8:24. In their old age they had leave to retire.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv25, 26, 28, 31, 32, 44, 48 The curtains of the tabernacle, i.e. the curtains or…
The curtains of the tabernacle, i.e. the curtains or covering of goats’ hair.
The tabernacle of the congregation, i.e. the ten curious curtains which covered the boards of the tabernacle; for the boards themselves were carried by the Merarites.
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His covering, i.e. the covering of rams’ skins which was put next over those ten curtains.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain On v34 We have here a particular account of the numbers…
We have here a particular account of the numbers of the three families of the Levites respectively, that is, of the effective men, between thirty years old and fifty. Observe, 1. The Kohathites were, in all, 8600 from a month old and upwards; but of these there were but 2750 serviceable men, not a third part. The Gershonites, in all, 7500, and of them but 2630 serviceable men, little more than a third part. Note, Of the many that add to the numbers of the church, there are comparatively but few that contribute to the service of it. So it has been, and so it is; many have a place in the tabernacle that do but little of the work of the tabernacle, Phi 2:20, Phi 2:21. 2. That the Merarites were but 6200 in all, and yet of these there were 3200 serviceable men, that is, more than half. The greatest burden lay upon that family, the boards, and pillars, and sockets; and God so ordered it that, though they were the fewest in number, yet they should have the most able men among them; for whatever service God calls men to he will furnish them for it, and give strength in proportion to the work, grace sufficient. 3. The whole number of the able men of the tribe of Levi who entered into God's host to war his warfare was but 8580, whereas the able men of the other tribes that entered into the host of Israel to war their warfare were many more. The least of the tribes had almost four times as many able men as the Levites, and some of them more than eight times as many; for those that are engaged in the service of this world, and war after the flesh, are many more than those that are devoted to the service of God, and fight the good fight of faith.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv23–39 And the hangings of the court,.... Which made the…
And the hangings of the court,.... Which made the great court that surrounded the tabernacle, Exo 27:9,
and the hanging for the door of the gate of the court; the eastern gate that led into the court, an hanging of twenty cubits, Exo 27:16,
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which is by the tabernacle, and by the altar round about; that is, which hangings that formed the court, and were round about the tabernacle, and the altar of burnt offering; See Gill on Exo 26:36,
and their cords; which fastened the hangings to pins or stakes fixed in the ground to keep them tight, that they might not be moved to and fro with the wind:
and all the instruments of their service; in the court, as the tables on which the sacrifices were laid, and the hooks, and cords, and pins, on which they were hung and fastened, as Aben Ezra; see Eze 40:39,
and all that is made for them; for the vessels of service, or for the tabernacle, or the altar, as the same writer intimates:
so shall they serve; by bearing them and carrying them.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv25, 26, 28, 31, 32, 44 The curtains - The curtains or covering of goats-hair.…
The curtains - The curtains or covering of goats-hair. The tabernacle - The ten curtains which covered the boards of the tabernacle; for the boards themselves were carried by the Merarites. His covering - The covering of rams-skins which was put next over those ten curtains.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On v36 Verse 36. Those that were numbered] In Nu 3:27,…
Verse 36. Those that were numbered] In Nu 3:27, c., we have an account of the whole number of the Levites, and here of those only who were able to serve the Lord in the sanctuary. By comparing the two places we find the numbers to stand thus: -
KOHATHITES
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Able men
Unable
Total
2,750
5,850
-----
8,600
GERSHONITES
Able men
Unable
Total
2,630
4,870
-----
7,500
MERARITES
Able men
Unable
Total
3,200
3,000
-----
6,200
Thus we find that the whole number of the Levites amounted to 22,300, of whom 3,580 were fit for service, and 13.720 unfit, being either too old or too young. What an astonishing number of men, all properly eccleslastics all performing some service by which God was glorified, and the congregation at large benefited! See Ainsworth.
FROM this and the preceding chapter we see the very severe labour which the Levites were obliged to perform while the journeyings of the Israelites lasted. When we consider that there was not less than 10 tons 13 cwt. 24 lb. 14 oz., i. e., almost ten tons and fourteen hundred pounds' weight of metal employed in the tabernacle, (see the notes on Exod. xxxviii.,) besides the immense weight of the skins, hangings, cords, boards, and posts, we shall find it was no very easy matter to transport this movable temple from place to place.
The Gershonites, who were 7,500 men in the service, had to carry the tent, coverings, veils, hangings of the court, c., c., Nu 3:25-26.
The Kohathites, who were 8,600 men, had to carry the ark, table, candlestick, altars, and instruments of the sanctuary, Nu 3:31.
The Merarites, who were 6,200 men, had to carry the boards, bars, pillars, sockets, and all matters connected with these belonging to the tabernacle, with the pillars of the court, their sockets, pins, and cords, Nu 3:36-37.
The tabernacle was an epitome of the temple: the temple and tabernacle were representatives of the Church of the living God, and of the humanity of our blessed Lord. As God dwelt in the tabernacle and temple, so his fulness dwelt in the man Christ Jesus. These again were types of the Christian Church, which is termed the body of Christ, Eph 1:23, where he dwells in the plenitude of the graces of his Spirit.
Mr. Ainsworth has a very useful note on the 20th verse of this chapter, the most edifying part of which I shall here lay before the reader. He considers the tabernacle and temple, not only as pointing out the old dispensation, the annulling of which was typified by their destruction, but he considers also the former as emblematical of the body of man.
"The apostle," says he, "treating of the death of the saints, uses this similitude: 'If our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For we that are in THIS TABERNACLE do groan, being burdened, not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life' 2Co 5:1-4. So Peter calls his death the putting off of his TABERNACLE, 2Pe 1:14. And this similitude is very fit; for, as here, in the tabernacle of Moses,
1. The holy things were first covered and taken away, (see Nu 4:20), so the soul and its powers are first withdrawn from the body by death.
2. As the curtains and coverings were taken off and folded up, so the skin and flesh of our bodies are pulled off and consumed.
3. As the boards of the tabernacle were disjointed and pulled asunder, so shall our bones and sinews: compare Job's description of the formation of man, Nu 10:8-12; and Solomon's account of his dissolution, Ec 12:3-4.
4. As the disjointed and dissolved tabernacle was afterwards set up again, Nu 10:21, so shall our bodies in the day of the resurrection; see 1Co 15:51-54."
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv25, 26, 32, 44 Num 4:25. The curtains — Or covering of goats’…
Num 4:25. The curtains — Or covering of goats’ hair. The tabernacle — The ten curtains which covered the boards of the tabernacle; for the boards themselves were carried by the Merarites. His covering — The covering of rams’ skins which was put next over those ten curtains.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv23, 28 enter in to perform the service - literally, as…
enter in to perform the service - literally, as in the margin, “to war the warfare,” or, as the same phrase in part is rendered, Num 4:3, “enter into the host to do the work.” The language is military. The service of God is a sacred warfare (Num 8:24-25 marginal reading).
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv23, 26, 27, 46 Thirty. Septuagint, "25," as ver. 3. (Calmet) --- They…
Thirty. Septuagint, "25," as ver. 3. (Calmet) --- They began to be taught how to act, at 25; but did not officiate till 30. (Du Hamel)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv24, 28, 29, 34 This is the service of the families of the…
This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, &c.--They were appointed to carry "the curtains of the tabernacle"--that is, the goats' hair covering of the tent--the ten curious curtains and embroidered hangings at the entrance, with their red morocco covering, &c.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv32, 34 32. By name… the instruments — As there was…
32. By name… the instruments — As there was a great difference in the weight of these various parts, the burdens might be very unequally distributed if each was left free to choose his own. Hence this precaution prevented strife and injustice. The phrase “by name” implies that an inventory was kept, not only on account of the number and variety, but of the comparative commonness and smallness of those things which might have been easily lost through carelessness. There is nothing trivial in the service of God.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv26, 27, 28, 29, 32, 34, 49 26. whatsoever shall be done with them] all that…
26. whatsoever shall be done with them] all that may have to be done with regard to them; e.g. the undoing of the hooks and loops, the rolling up of the strips of curtain and so on.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv25, 26, 28, 31, 32, 48 (25) And the tabernacle of the congregation.—Better, And the…
(25) And the tabernacle of the congregation.—Better, And the tent of meeting. The mishkan or dwelling-place is distinguished in Num_3:25 from the ohel or tent which covered it. The curtains of the mishkan are represented in Exo_26:6 as constituting the mishkan itself, the woodwork being apparently regarded as subsidiary to the curtains. These curtains were of fine-twined linen, while the curtains of the ohel or tent were of goats’ hair (Exo_26:1; Exo_26:7).
His covering.—i.e., the covering of rams’ skins, which is here distinguished from the outer covering of badgers’ skins (Exo_26:14).
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And the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.—Better, the hanging (or covering) for the entrance of the tent of meeting (Exo_26:36).
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv25, 26, 28, 31, 32, 48 They shall bear the curtains, etc. For these four…
They shall bear the curtains, etc. For these four coverings, of tapestry, of goats" hair, of rams" skins, and of sea-cow skin respectively, see Exodus 26. In addition to these, the Gershonites carried all the hangings belonging to the tabernacle and to the outer court, with the single exception of the "veil" which was wrapped round the ark.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On v34 They were numbered . . . every one according…
Num_4:34-49
They were numbered . . . every one according to his service.
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Proportion between number and service
Looking at the relation of the numbers to the service required of them we discover illustrations of--
I. The wisdom of God. By this diversity of numbers among the Levite families, saith Trapp, God showeth His wisdom in fitting men for the work whereunto He hath appointed them, whether it requireth multitude or gifts (1Co_12:8-12). Every one hath his own share; all are not alike gifted.
II. The reasonableness of the divine requirements. Though the sum total of effective Levites, says Greenfield, was very small compared with that of the other tribes: yet they would be far more than could be employed at once in this service. But they might carry by turns and ease one another, and thus do the whole expeditiously and cheerfully. They would also have their own tents to remove, and their own families to take care of. There was an ample number for the performance of the work; and its distribution amongst so many would render it comparatively easy to every one. Gods claims upon us and our service are in the highest degree reasonable. He is a kind and gracious Master.
III. The exemplary obedience of the servants of the Lord. (W. Jones.)
Many in the Church who do not add to its service:
Observe--
1. That the Kohathites were in all eight thousand and six hundred, from a month old and upward: but of those there were but two thousand seven hundred and fifty serviceable men, not a third part. The Gershonites in all seven thousand and five hundred: and of them but two thousand six hundred and thirty serviceable men, little more than a third part. Note--Of the many that add to the numbers of the Church, there are comparatively but few that contribute to the service of it. So it has been, and so it is; many have a place in the tabernacle, that do but little of the work of the tabernacle (Php_2:20-21).
2. That the Merarites were but six thousand and two hundred in all; and yet of these there were three thousand and two hundred serviceable men, which were a good deal above half. The greatest burden lay upon that family, the boards, and pillars, and sockets. And God so ordered it, that though they were the fewest in number, yet they should have the most able men among them; for whatever service God calls men to, He will furnish them for it, and give strength in proportion to the work, grace sufficient.
3. The whole number of the able men of the tribe of Levi, which entered into Gods host to war His warfare, was but eight thousand five hundred and eighty; whereas the able men of the other tribes that entered into the host of Israel to war their warfare were many more. The least of the tribes had almost four times as many able men as the Levites, and some of them more than eight times as many. For those that are engaged in the service of this world, and war after the flesh, are many more than those that are devoted to the service of God, and fight the good fight of faith. (Matthew Henry, D. D.)
The numbered people:
I. Here is authority for the muster-roll--According to the commandment of the Lord they were numbered. It was not left to Moses to number the people without Divine sanction, else the deed might have been as evil in the sight of the Lord as that of David when he made a census of the nation: neither may any man at this day summon the saints of the Lord at his own discretion to enterprises for which they were never set apart. The armies of Israel are none of ours to lead whither we will, nor even to reckon up that the number may be told to our own honour.
1. Believers in Christ Jesus, you are now called forth to do suit and service, because like the tribe of Levi you are the Lords. He views you as the church of the firstborn, as the redeemed from among men, and as His peculiar inheritance, and therefore above all other men you are under His special rule and governance.
2. You are further called because this is a charge laid upon you of the Lord, to whom you specially belong. The Levites were not numbered with the rest of the nation, for their vocation was altogether different, and their whole business was about holy things. Ye see in this your calling, for hereunto are ye also ordained that ye may live unto the Lord alone.
3. The Lord may well call you to this service, seeing He has given you to His Son, even as He gave the Levites to Aaron, as it is written (Num_3:9), They are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel. Because ye belong to Christ, therefore hide not yourselves from His service, but come forward with alacrity.
4. The Lord has constituted you the servants of all His people, even as He said of the Levites that they were to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation. We are debtors to all our brethren, and we are their servants to the full extent of our power.
II. Notice the appointment of the individuals--Every one according to his service, and according to his burden. By our varied gifts, positions, offices, and opportunities, we are as much set apart to special services as were the sons of Kohath, &c. Great evils arise out of persons mistaking their calling, and undertaking things of which they are not capable; and, on the other hand, the success of Christian work in a large measure arises out of places of usefulness being filled by the right men.
III. Our text is the summary of the chapter in which we have an account of the actual fulfilment of the Lords command by Moses. He numbered each family, and cast up the total of the tribe, at the same time mentioning in detail the peculiar service of each. We would imitate him at this important moment, and take the census of those who are consecrated to the Lords own service.
1. Where are you, then, who can bear the heavier service of the sanctuary, carrying its pillars, and the boards, and the sockets thereof? You are now needed to speak in the meetings, to lead the people in prayer, to order the assemblies, and to take the heavier work of this holy business. The Lord Jesus should have able men to speak for Him; He deserves the best of the best. Now is the hour, where is the man? Let no diffidence or love of ease keep one back who might make known the gospel and win a soul for Jesus.
2. But where are you who can only carry the pins and the cords? Your burden is lighter, but probably your strength is also less, and lighter though your load may be, the matters which you carry are quite as essential as the pillars and the boards. Where are you? You who can say a few words to lonely inquiring ones; you who can do no more than pray, where are you? At your posts, or idling? Answer quickly, for time and need are pressing. If the load which you can carry be so very small, be all the more ready to bear it.
3. Are you a lover of the Lord Jesus and do you wish to be omitted from the roll-call? If so, let it be known to yourself, and stated plainly to your conscience. Do not pretend to be a labourer and remain a loiterer, but openly avow to your own soul that you stand all the day idle, and feel fully justified in so doing. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
All have a work to do for God:
There is a work for all of us. And there is special work for each, work which I cannot do in a crowd, or as one of a mass, but as one man, acting singly, according to my own gifts, and under a sense of my personal responsibility. There is, no doubt, associated work for me to do; I must do my work as part of the worlds great whole, or as a member of some body. But I have a special work to do, as one individual who, by Gods plan and appointment, has a separate position, separate responsibilities, and a separate work; if I do not do it, it must be left undone. No one of my fellows can do that special work for me which I have come into the world to do; he may do a higher work, a greater work, but he cannot do my work. I cannot hand my work over to him, any more than I can hand over my responsibilities or my gifts. Nor can I delegate my work to an association of men, however well-ordered and powerful. They have their own work to do, and it may be a very noble one. But they cannot do my work for me. I must do it with these hands or with these lips which God has given me. I may do little or I may do much. That matters not. It must be my own work, and by doing my own work, poor as it may seem to some, I shall better fulfil Gods end in making me what I am, and more truly glorify His name, than if I were either going out of my own sphere to do the work of another, or calling in another into my sphere to do my proper work for me. (John Ruskin.)
Happiness of working for God:
The Rev. Andrew Fuller, the eminent Baptist minister, was depressed at one time by his people living in a low state of mind; they did nothing but sigh and groan. All his endeavours were fruitless to raise them to a higher spiritual life. Much perplexed, he made inquiry into their actions, and found that they were doing nothing for Christ. He at once set them to work, and a marked change took place; instead of sighs, groans, and gloomy faces, there were cheerfulness and faces glowing with happiness. If your state of heart and mind is low and depressed, carry the story of the life, death, and resurrection of the Saviour to some perishing soul; do something for the Master, and soon your heart will leap with joy and gratitude.
Unfaithful helpers are a burden
An overworked minister, whilst lamenting the lack of workers in his church, dozed, and, as the story goes, dreamed. He thought he was between the shafts of a four-wheeled coach, and four of his helpers were each pushing a wheel, and up the hill they all toiled together. Soon he felt the coach drag heavily, and at last he could pull no further so came to a standstill. On looking behind he discovered that his four helpers had quietly got inside to ride. How much happier and easier Christian work would be if all would do their best. (Young Mens Review.)
Power running to waste:
We are told sometimes of the vast power unutilised as the waters leap over the Falls of Niagara; in fact, statisticians have given us calculations of the marvellous saving of steam, which means coal, which means money, that might thus be saved. We are not sure but that it has been proved that there is power enough, if it could be communicated, to give electric light to the whole continent, and no one who has walked along the banks of the Niagara River for two or three miles above the Falls, and studied the tremendous force of the current, will hesitate to doubt such statements. Is there not in this a parable? There is a whole Niagara of Christian power running to waste in our land--power that if utilised would flash the light of salvation over the world, and bring in the perfect day of Christs kingdom on earth. Take any of our churches, what are a large portion of the members doing? Absolutely nothing--they are in their places on the Sabbath, and just possibly at the weekly prayer-meeting; beyond that what? But, I can do so little. Oh, my friend, pug your little and a thousand littles of your brethren together, and it would make a power that by the grace of God would be irresistible. Niagara is but the united power of a thousand streams far, far away. (Canadian Independent.)
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The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Alexander MacLaren 1905 · Public Domain On v23
Numbers
THE WARFARE OF CHRISTIAN SERVICE
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Num 4:23.
These words occur in the series of regulations as to the functions of the Levites in the Tabernacle worship. The words ‘to perform the service’ are, as the margin tells us, literally, to ‘war the warfare.’ Although it may be difficult to say why such very prosaic and homely work as carrying the materials of the Tabernacle and the sacrificial vessels was designated by such a term, the underlying suggestion is what I desire to fix upon now-viz., that work for God, of whatever kind it be, which Christian people are bound to do, and which is mainly service for men for God’s sake, will never be rightly done until we understand that it is a warfare, as well as a work.
The phrase on which I am commenting occurs again and again in the regulations as to the Levitical service, and is applied, not only as in my text to those who were told off to bear the burdens on the march, but also to the whole body of Levites, who did the inferior services in connection with the ritual worship. They were not, as it would appear, sacrificing priests, but they belonged to the same tribe as these, and they had sacred functions to discharge. So we come to this principle, that Christian service is to be looked at as warfare.
Now, that is a principle which ought to be applied to all Christians. For there is no such thing as designating a portion of Christ’s Church to service which others have not to perform. The distinction of ‘priest’ and ‘layman’ existed in the Old Testament; it does not exist under the New Covenant, and there is no obligation upon any one Christian man to devote himself for Christ’s sake to Christ’s service and man’s help {which is Christ’s service}, that does not lie equally upon all Christian people. The function is the same for all; the methods of discharging it may be widely different. Within the limits of the priestly tribe there may still be those whose office it is to carry the vessels, and those whose office it is to act more especially as ministering priests; but they are all ‘of the tribe of Levi.’ We, if we are Christian people at all, are all bound to do this work of ‘the tabernacle,’ and war this warfare.
It is important that we Christian people should elevate our thoughts of our duties in the world to the height of this great metaphor. The metaphor of the Christian life as being a ‘warfare’ is familiar enough, but that is not exactly the point which I wish to dwell upon now. When we speak about ‘fighting the good fight of faith,’ we generally mean our wrestle and struggle with our own evils and with the things that hinder us from developing a Christlike character, and ‘growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.’ But it is another sort of warfare about which I am now speaking, the warfare which every Christian man has to wage who flings himself into the work of diminishing the world’s miseries and sins, and tries to make people better, and happier because they are better. That is a fight, and will always be so, if it is rightly done.
I. Think of the foes.
Speaking generally, society is constituted upon a non-Christian basis. We talk about ‘Christian’ nations. There is not one on the face of the earth. There is not a nation whose institutions and maxims and politics and the practices of its individual members are ruled and moulded predominantly by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So every man that has come into personal touch with that Lord, and has felt that His commandments are the supreme authority in his own individual life, when he goes out into society, comes full tilt against a whole host of things that are in pronounced antagonism, or in real though unacknowledged contradiction, to the principles by which a Christian has to live for himself, and to commend to his brethren. So we have to fight. There are two things to be done-the imparting of good which will increase the sum of the world’s happiness, and the destruction of evil, which will subtract some of the world’s sorrows. The latter is always a conflict, for there are arrayed in defence of the evil vested interests, and the influence of habit, and the lowered vitality and sensitiveness of conscience which has come from breathing the polluted atmosphere which evil has vitiated. So that if we set ourselves, in humble, quiet, out-and-out dependence on Jesus Christ and submission to His will, to lead other people to submit to His will, there is nothing in the world more certain than that we shall find against us, starting up, as it were, out of the mist and taking form suddenly, a whole host of enemies. So we Christian men, as individuals, as members of a community and able to bring some influence to bear upon the conscience of society, have to fight against popular social evils, and to war for righteousness’ sake.
There is another foe. There is nothing that men dislike more than being lifted up into a clearer atmosphere and made to see truths which they do not see or care for. When we first become Christians we are all hot to go and teach and preach; and we fancy that we have only to stand up, with a Bible in our hand, and read two or three texts, and our fellows will grasp them as gladly as we have done. But soon we find out that it is not so easy to draw men to Christ as we thought it would be. We have to fight against gravitation and unwillingness, when we would lift a poor brother into the liberty and the light that we are in. We have to struggle with the men that we are trying to help. We have to war, in order to bring ‘the peace of God which passes understanding’ into their hearts.
But the worst of all our foes, in doing Christian service, is our own miserable selves, with our laziness, and our vanity, and our wondering what A, B, and C will think about us, and the mingling of impure motives with nobler ones, and our being angry with people because they are so insensible, not so much to Christ’s love as to our words and pleadings. Unless we can purge all that devil’s leaven out of ourselves, we have little chance of working ‘the work of the tabernacle,’ or warring the warfare of God. Ah! brethren, to do anything for this world of unbelief and sin, of which we ourselves are part, is a struggle. And I know of no work that needs more continual putting a firm heel upon self, in all its subtle manifestations, than the various forms of Christian service. Not only we preachers, but Sunday-school teachers, mothers in their nurseries, teaching their children, and all of us, if we are trying to do anything for men, for Christ’s sake, must feel, if we are honest with ourselves and about our work, that the first condition of success in it is to fight down self, and that only then, being emptied of ourselves, are we ready to be filled with the Spirit, by which we are made mighty to pull down the strongholds of sin.
II. The weapons of this warfare.
There are two great passages in the New Testament, both of which deal with the Christian life under this metaphor of warfare. One of these is the detailed description of the Christian armour in the Epistle to the Ephesians. There we have described the equipment for that phase of the fight of the Christian life which has to do mainly with the perfecting of the individual character. But somewhat different is the armour which is to be worn, when the Christian man goes out into the world to labour and to wage war there for Jesus Christ. We may turn, then, rather to the other of the two passages in question for the descriptions of the equipment, armour, and weapons of the Christian in his warfare for the spread of truth and goodness in the world. The passage to which I refer is in 2Co 6:1 What are the weapons that Paul specifies in that place? I venture to alter their order, because he seems to have put them down just as they came into his mind, and we can put some kind of logical sequence into them. ‘By the Word of God’-that is the first one. ‘By the Holy Ghost,’ which is otherwise given as ‘by the power of God,’ is the next. Get your minds and hearts filled with the truth of the Gospel, and dwell in fellowship with God, baptized with His Holy Spirit; and then you will be clothed ‘as with a vesture down to your heels’ with the power of God. These are the divine side, the weapons given us from above-’the Word of God’ which is ‘the sword of the Spirit,’ and the indwelling Holy Ghost manifesting Himself in power. Then follow a series of human qualities which, though they are ‘the fruit of the Spirit,’ are yet not produced in us without our own co-operation. We have to forge and sharpen these weapons, though the fire in which they are forged is from above, and the metal of which they are made is given from heaven, like meteoric iron. These are ‘kindness, long-suffering, love unfeigned.’ We have to dismiss from our minds the ordinary characteristics of warfare in thinking of that which Christians are to wage. Like the old Knights Templars, we must carry a sword which has a cross for its hilt, and must be clad in gentleness, and long-suffering, and unfeigned love. ‘The wrath of men worketh not the righteousness of God.’ You cannot bully people into Christianity, you cannot scold them into goodness. There must be sweetness in order to attract, and he imperfectly echoes the music of the voice that came from ‘the lips into which grace was poured,’ whose words are harsh and rough, and who preaches the Gospel as if he were thundering damnation into people’s ears.
Brethren, whatever be our warfare against sin, we must never lose our tempers. Harsh words break no bones indeed, but neither do they break hearts. A character like Jesus Christ-that is the victorious weapon. Let a man go and live in the world with these weapons that I have been naming, the truth of God in his heart, the Holy Spirit in his spirit, the power that comes therefrom animating his deadness and strengthening his weakness, and himself an emblem and an embodiment of the redeeming love of Christ-and though he spoke no word he would be sure to preach Christ; and though he struck no blow he would be a formidable antagonist to the hosts of evil, and the icebergs of sin and godlessness would run down into water before his silent and omnipotent shining. These are the weapons.
III. Note the temper, or disposition, of the Christian warrior-servant.
Courage goes without saying. If a man expects to be beaten, and to do nothing by his Christian witness but clear his conscience, he deserves nothing else than what he will get-viz. that his expectation will be fulfilled and he will do nothing else but clear his conscience, and that imperfectly. That is why so many preachers and Sunday-school teachers never see any conversions in their congregation or classes-because they do not expect any; because they go to their work without the enthusiastic boldness which would give power to their utterances.
I suppose concentration, too, goes without saying. When a man is on the battlefield with the swords whirling about his head, and the bayonets an inch from his breast, he does not go dreaming of scenes a hundred miles off, or think anything else than the one thing, how to keep a whole skin and wound an enemy. If Christian men will do their work in the dawdling, half-interested, and half-indifferent way in which so many of us promenade through our Christian service as if it was a review and not a fight, they are not likely to bring back many trophies of victory. You must put your whole selves into the battle. I said we must subdue ourselves ere we begin to fight. That is no contradiction to what I am saying now, for, as we all know, there is a distinction between the two selves in us-the self-centred self, which is to be crucified, and the God-centred self, which is to be nourished. You must put your whole selves into the battle.
There must, too, be discipline. One difference between a mob and an army is that the mob has as many wills as there are heads in it, and the army has only one will, that of the commander. He says to one man ‘Go!’ and he goes, and gets shot; and to another one ‘Come!’ and he comes; and to a third one ‘Do this!’ and, no matter what it is, straightway he goes and does it. So if we are soldiers we have to take orders from headquarters, and to be sure that we pay no attention to any other commands. Suppose a man is set at a certain post by his captain, and a corporal comes and says, ‘You go and do this other thing; never mind your post, I will look after that,’ to obey that is mutiny. If Jesus Christ tells you to do anything, and any others say ‘Do not do it just yet!’ neglect them, and obey Him. If your own heart says, ‘Stop a little while and try something other and easier before you tackle that task,’ be sure of the Captain’s voice, and then, whatever happens, obey, and obey at once. Warfare is a diabolical thing, but there is a divine beauty in one aspect of it-
Their’s not to make reply, Their’s not to reason why, Their’s but to do-
even if it mean ‘to die.’ Thus let us wage warfare.
IV. The Relieving Guard.
This metaphor of warfare is used in the Book of Job, in a passage where our English Version does not show it. So I venture to substitute the right translation for the one in the Authorised Version, ‘All the days of my warfare will I wait till my change comes.’ The guard will be relieved some day, and the private that has been tramping up and down in the dark or the snow, perhaps within rifle’s length of the enemy, will shoulder his gun and go into the comfortable guardhouse, and hang up his knapsack, and fling off his dirty boots, and sit down by the fire, and make himself comfortable. There is a ‘heavenly manner of relieving guard.’ Soon it will be the end of the sentry’s time, and then, as one of those that had done a good day’s work, and a long one, said with a sigh of relief, ‘I have fought a good fight.’ Henceforth the helmet is put off, which is ‘the hope of salvation,’ and the crown is put on, which is salvation in its fullness. ‘All the days of my warfare will I wait’-till my Captain relieves the guard.
Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture (1904–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain On vv29, 34 The Work of the Merarites
The Work of the Merarites
v. 29. As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them after their families, muster them, take their census, by the house of their fathers;
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v. 30. from thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old shalt thou number them, every one that entereth into the service, as enrolled in the ranks of the Lord’s soldiers, to do the work of the Tabernacle of the Congregation.
v. 31. And this is the charge of their burden, the appointments whose carrying was placed upon them as their ministry, 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,
v. 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, count them off very carefully, lest one be overlooked. Cf Num 3:36-37.
v. 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, who was superintendent of this part of the work. The work of the Gospel ministry is also a good work, 1Ti 3:1, and those that are engaged in preaching should comport themselves as good soldiers of Jesus Christ, in the spiritual warfare against the enemies of their faith, 1Ti 1:18; Eph 6:10-18.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv24, 27, 29, 31, 33, 34, 37, 38, 41, 42, 45, 46, 49 This is the work of the clans ... when…
This is the work of the clans ... when they serve and what they carry
This sentence is a description that tells us what the following verses are about.
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Gershonites
This refers to the descendants of Gershon. See how you translated this in Numbers 3:21.
the covering of sea cow skin that is on it
This is an outer covering that is placed on top of the tent of meeting's covering. AT: "the covering of sea cow skin that is placed on top of that" or "the outer covering made of sea cow skin" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
Whatever should be done with these things
This can be stated in active form. AT: "Whatever work that these things require" (See: Active or Passive)
translationWords
curtain
tabernacle
tent of meeting
sea cow
court
gate
altar
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv29, 34 4:29-33 Even this assignment to the Merarite clan, which…
4:29-33 Even this assignment to the Merarite clan, which focused on items of lesser priority than those handled by the Kohathites and Gershonites, had to be done in a specific way, and the various loads were assigned to each man by name (4:32; cp. 1 Cor 14:40). While the Gershonites and Merarites lacked the status of Kohath’s family, each group contributed to the process of moving and erecting the Tabernacle.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.