Walk and service are the characteristic features of the Book of Numbers; access and worship those of the Book of Leviticus. In the former the instructions are given “in the wilderness” (c. i. 1). In the latter “out of the tabernacle of the congregation” (c. 1. 1). The place is suited to the’ subject. Again, in Leviticus the Priests are especially in prominence; in Numbers the Levites take the lead.
Of these, the family of Kohath come first in order; but before drawing attention to their special line of service, it may be well to notice the peculiar place given to the family of Levi amongst the children of Israel.
When the other tribes were numbered they were omitted, but appointed “over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels thereof, and over all things that belong to it they shall bear the tabernacle and all the vessels thereof; and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle” (c. 1:50). And again— “Bring the tribe of Levi near and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him. And they shall keep his charge and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle. And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons: they shall be wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel.” And again— “I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the first-born that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine; because all the first-born are mine; for on the day that I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the first-born in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the Lord” (c. 3:6-13).
Thus the Levites had certain things in common with the children of Israel their brethren, and certain peculiar and especial privileges entrusted to them. With the children of Israel they had been redeemed by blood and by power—the blood of the paschal lamb had sheltered them—the “crystal walls” of the Red Sea had been their safeguard; but distinct from them they are especially the Lord’s, being taken instead of the first-born of Israel whom He had spared, and unlike them also they are wholly given to Aaron, the High Priest, to minister to him, and to exercise their service in dependence on him. In the accomplishment of their service they were nearest to the tabernacle, and the tabernacle and its contents were their peculiar charge. Are there not even now amongst the Lord’s people, all of whom have part in the death and resurrection of Jesus, those whom God has especially selected for Himself to be near Him, to be “wholly given” to Christ, and to exercise their service in dependence on Him alone!
To return to the family of Kohath: “Their charge shall be the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister, and the hanging, and all the service thereof” (c. 31). And again, “take the sum of the sons of Kohath... from thirty years old and upward, even until fifty years old;... this shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation about the most holy things” (c. 4:2, 3, 4). The Gershonites had the charge of the tent with its coverings and the hangings for the doors. To the Merarites were entrusted the boards, the bars, the pillars, and the sockets; the one bearing the framework, the other the covering of it; but to the sons of Kohath alone was it given to carry. “the most holy things” all the inner furniture of the tabernacle. And thus their trust, in all its beautiful detail, is mentioned first as of first importance. And we may here remark that when the princes make their offering in c. 7, whereas two wagons and their oxen are given to the sons of Gershon, and four wagons and their oxen are assigned to the sons of Merari, none at all are allotted to the Kohathites, “Because the service of the sanctuary belonging unto them was that that they should bear upon their shoulders” (v. 9). Too precious were “the most holy things” to be exposed to the rude shaking of the wagons. The gentle, steady shoulders of the sons of Kohath, from thirty to fifty years old, men of maturity, must bear them with all the delicacy of which they were masters. (See 1 Chron. 13.-15:2).
May we not say that even now, not only amongst the people of God, the whole company of the redeemed, but also amongst those whom He has drawn apart in special nearness to Himself, there is an inner circle to whom the Kohathite service has been entrusted—those of decision, those of maturity, those to whom the Lord can commit that which most concerns Himself—the glory of the person of His Son? Not that the sons of Gershon and Merari have not posts of honor too, and work that required activity and intelligence, as the one set up the framework and the other covered it over; but to the Kohathites alone belonged, as we have seen this inner line of service, the charge of these “most holy things.”
“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, 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” (c. iv. 5, 6).
It was on the journey that their services came into requisition, for we know from c. ix. 17, it was “When the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents.” And Aaron was the one at whose hands they received their charge. He took down the vail, he covered the ark therewith, be laid over it the badger’s skins and cloth wholly of blue, and he put in the staves thereof. It remained for them to carry through the wilderness what he entrusted to them. The same order is observable with the table, the candlestick, and all the other objects of their charge. This has all its precious and peculiar signification. God’s saints are on the journey now, laboring to enter into His rest the “rest that remaineth” (Heb. 4:1111Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. (Hebrews 4:11)). Jesus guides them in their pathway (Psa. 32:88I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. (Psalm 32:8)); and as they travel on, He who is their High Priest above commits to them what He would have them carry for Him through the wilderness. What this burden is, this precious Scripture tells us.
The Ark comes first in order, made, as we know from Ex. 25:10-2210And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. 11And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about. 12And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it. 13And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. 14And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them. 15The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it. 16And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee. 17And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. 18And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. 19And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. 20And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be. 21And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. 22And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel. (Exodus 25:10‑22), of shittim wood and gold, and covered over with the mercy seat and cherubims of glory. Here Jehovah dwelt: as He says Himself, “There I will meet with thee and I will commune with thee” (v. 22)—a fitting type of the One in whom God should yet draw nigh to man, and through whom He should reveal Himself (John 1:1414And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:14).-18). Jesus the Son of God is here before us, God manifest in the flesh; and thus the vail is next referred to as the covering that immediately enveloped the Ark. Of its materials Ex. 26:3131And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made: (Exodus 26:31), informs us, and Heb. 10:2020By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; (Hebrews 10:20), as to its signification. The human form of Jesus is by this unfolded in all its varied beauty—heavenly origin, kingly position, human glory, personal righteousness, and the One to whom all judgment has been committed—being depicted by the blue, the purple, the scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work, with cherubims. Next to this the badger’s skin is placed; and knowing, as we do, how often animals in Scripture are used to represent character (Matt. 10:1616Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. (Matthew 10:16)), we have no difficulty in seeing that the Spirit of God would bring before us here the watchfulness of Him who, by the word of Jehovah’s lips, ever kept Himself from the paths of the destroyer (Psa. 17:44Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer. (Psalm 17:4)). Although the Son of God in all the fullness of His glory, He was not unmindful that the prince of this world stalked abroad, and therefore was always on the watch to baffle his designs. But overall we find “a cloth wholly of blue,” and sweetly are we here reminded that although the utmost vigilance was necessary in the presence of the evil one, yet before the Father He was ever “the Son of Man which is in Heaven” (John 3:1313And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. (John 3:13)), the celestial color evidencing this more eloquently than words.
But this was not the only trust of the sons of Kohath. “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: 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” (vv. 6, 7). The structure of this table we learn from Ex. 25:23-3023Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof. 24And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about. 25And thou shalt make unto it a border of an hand breadth round about, and thou shalt make a golden crown to the border thereof round about. 26And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof. 27Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table. 28And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them. 29And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them. 30And thou shalt set upon the table showbread before me alway. (Exodus 25:23‑30); its freight from Lev. 24:55And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth deals shall be in one cake. (Leviticus 24:5).9. Formed of gold and shittim wood, before the Lord it ever bore the memorial of the chosen nation in all its primal order. They might fail and did, until “the name of God was blasphemed among the gentiles through them;” but still the twelve cakes of two tenth deals remained, with pure frankincense, before the Lord, the special portion, too, of Aaron and his sons.
What that table did for Israel, Jesus does on high for us and humbling as it is to contrast the so-called Church of the present day with that set up on earth at Pentecost, still we can rejoice to think that the Son of God ever maintains before His Father a memorial of that “one pearl of great price” for which He stripped Himself of His Messianic glory. Twelve was the symbolic number for Israel; “one loaf” expresses the unity of the Church of God (1 Cor. 10:1717For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. (1 Corinthians 10:17)). The heavenly covering enshrouds the table, fitly pointing to His personal glory; on this was placed the “continual bread,” with its accompanying utensils, and then the scarlet covering, to tell of glory in connection with man (2 Sam. 1:2424Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel. (2 Samuel 1:24)), the people of His choice, and over all the badgers’ skins, as suited to the character of him who knew so well the craft of Satan and the way to meet it (Luke 4:1-131And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. 3And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. 4And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. 5And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 7If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. 8And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 9And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: 10For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: 11And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 12And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 13And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. (Luke 4:1‑13)). The exceeding fitness of the cloth of blue between the table and its freight cannot fail to strike the reader, as well as the difference of the order of the coverings When the ark was in question; the special place occupied by the ark as the throne of God will at once account for the difference.
The Candlestick comes next. “And they shall take a cloth of blue and cover the candlestick of the light, and his lamps and his tongs and his snuff-dishes, and all the oil-vessels thereof wherewith they minister, unto it; and they shall put it and all the vessels thereof within a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put it upon a bar.” Of the form of this we read in Ex. 25:31-4031And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same. 32And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side: 33Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick. 34And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers. 35And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick. 36Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold. 37And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it. 38And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold. 39Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels. 40And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was showed thee in the mount. (Exodus 25:31‑40), of its use in Lev. 24:2-42Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually. 3Without the vail of the testimony, in the tabernacle of the congregation, shall Aaron order it from the evening unto the morning before the Lord continually: it shall be a statute for ever in your generations. 4He shall order the lamps upon the pure candlestick before the Lord continually. (Leviticus 24:2‑4). Of purest gold, and with branches perfect as to their number, from evening unto morning did Aaron order the light of it before the Lord continually—as if to tell us that from the evening of this world’s darkness to the morning of the day of. glory, a Priest after another order sustains in His own person a light for His people, the espoused ones of His choice, in the presence of His Father’s throne above. The Son of God, then, the light of His people, is before us, and the clothing is of blue and badger’s skin to spew that, heavenly to God and to faith, to than and to Satan He is vigilant and wary.
“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.” As to the construction of this and its special use, Ex. 30:1-101And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it. 2A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of the same. 3And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about. 4And two golden rings shalt thou make to it under the crown of it, by the two corners thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make it; and they shall be for places for the staves to bear it withal. 5And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. 6And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee. 7And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. 8And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations. 9Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon. 10And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the Lord. (Exodus 30:1‑10) gives us ample information. Formed of gold and shittim wood, it stood before the wail, and morning and evening it sent up its cloud of incense in the presence of the Lord, attended to by the same one that dressed the lamps of the golden candlestick—a beautiful and simple figure (see Rev. 8:3-43And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. (Revelation 8:3‑4)) of Him who, lifting up His hands like the evening sacrifice (Psa. 141:22Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. (Psalm 141:2)), “ever liveth to make intercession for us.” The Lord Jesus is depicted to us here, and still heavenliness within and watchfulness without characterize Him.
“And they shall take all the instruments of ministry wherewith they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put them on a bar.” What these “instruments of ministry” were the Holy Ghost has not been pleased to particularize, but we, have sufficient before us to lead our thoughts to Him who “came not to be ministered unto but to minister.” As the eternal Word, His ear was opened ere He left the glory to do the will of God (Psa. 40:6-86Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. 7Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, 8I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. (Psalm 40:6‑8)). As Man He took a servant’s form (Phil. 2:77But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: (Philippians 2:7)). As a Servant, He spoke of Him who, wakeneth morning by morning, who wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned” (Isa. 1. 4). And when His time of earthly service was completed “they seemed unto him but a few days for the love he had to her” (Gen. 29:2020And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. (Genesis 29:20)). Like the slave of Ex. 21:5,65And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free: 6Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever. (Exodus 21:5‑6), He becomes our servant forever. He serves us now, according to John 13 He will serve us, according to Luke 12:3737Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. (Luke 12:37): The instruments of ministry give us then the thought of the Son of God in His servant character; and, again, the glory of the heavens and vigilance for earth in figure envelopes Him.
“And they shall take away the ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth thereon, and they shall put upon it all the vessels thereof, wherewith they minister about it, even the censers, the flesh-hooks, and the shovels and the basins, all the vessels of the altar, and they shall spread upon it a covering of badgers’ skins, and put to the staves of it.” The description of this we find in Ex. 27:1-81And thou shalt make an altar of shittim wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height thereof shall be three cubits. 2And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof: his horns shall be of the same: and thou shalt overlay it with brass. 3And thou shalt make his pans to receive his ashes, and his shovels, and his basons, and his fleshhooks, and his firepans: all the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass. 4And thou shalt make for it a grate of network of brass; and upon the net shalt thou make four brazen rings in the four corners thereof. 5And thou shalt put it under the compass of the altar beneath, that the net may be even to the midst of the altar. 6And thou shalt make staves for the altar, staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with brass. 7And the staves shall be put into the rings, and the staves shall be upon the two sides of the altar, to bear it. 8Hollow with boards shalt thou make it: as it was showed thee in the mount, so shall they make it. (Exodus 27:1‑8), the use of it the following chapter, vv. 38-43, with other passages, teaches us, Morning and evening throughout the year did the sweet savor of the lambs of the first year ascend before the Lord, a continual burnt offering—so evidently designating the lasting character of the sacrifice of the “Lamb without blemish and without spot,” “the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.” The Son of God, God’s Lamb, is here before us, and enshrouding that which points Him out to us a purple covering—as if to say that at the moment when He was most contemptible in the eyes of man, before God and to faith He shone out in all the brightness of His kingly glory. Well chosen, though done in unbelief, was the inscription of Pilate; blessed was the testimony of the dying thief— “Lord, remember me when thou comest in thy kingdom.” The offering, and yet the King is set before our gaze, but covered over to the eyes of man with that which tells of how, while rejoicing, he knew how to beware (Phil. 3:1,21Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. 2Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. (Philippians 3:1‑2)).
Such was “the burden of the sons of Kohath,” and we can well conceive with what solemn care they received their charge at the hands of Aaron, and the honor they felt was conferred upon them in their being allowed to act for him in the charge of the most holy of all the holy things. And what a strange sight must it have been, and one so incomprehensible, save to all that were in the secret, to behold this company of men, bearing through the wilderness what was so glorious within but so repulsive without, and yet withal of such deep significance.
May it be ours to seek to qualify ourselves for this Kohathite service. The mere fact that we are saved is not sufficient, for all Israel was redeemed, as we have seen; neither is it enough to be wholly the Lord’s, for the Gershonites and Merarites, as we have noticed, were this. Those only are represented by the Kohathites who “set the Lord always before” them, whose appreciation of the Lord in all His varied excellence is such that they desire none else but Him their hearts are satisfied with Him. He is the one delight of their souls. Their one thought is to please Him until they are with Him where He is, beholding His glory, and precisely as their joy in Him increases their representation of Him here will be manifest to all.
D. T. G.