Numbers 3:5-16 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (6)
"Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the
priest, that they may minister to him. (7) They shall keep guard over him and over the
whole congregation before the tent of meeting, as they minister at the
tabernacle. (8) They shall guard all the furnishings of the
tent of meeting, and keep guard over the people of Israel as they minister at
the tabernacle. (9) And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and
his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the people of Israel. (10)
And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall guard their
priesthood. But if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to
death." (11) And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (12)
"Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel
instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the people of Israel. The Levites
shall be mine, (13) for all the firstborn are mine. On the day
that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for my
own all the firstborn in Israel, both of man and of beast. They shall be mine:
I am the LORD." (14) And the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness
of Sinai, saying, (15) "List the sons of Levi, by fathers'
houses and by clans; every male from a month old and upward you shall
list." (16) So Moses listed them according to the word of
the LORD, as he was commanded.
In the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy we are
clearly shown how important the worship of God is, the serious and reverent
nature in which we should worship and the centrality of it in our lives. We
also learn that the position of God and the worship of God is to always be
first and foremost, to which we are to give that which is first and best.
These truths are seen in this chapter of Numbers, as God calls on the
tribe of Levi to be consecrated to Him, for service in and around the
tabernacle.
Some might think that God is being a bit excessive here, surely the
tabernacle doesn’t need so many people, some 22 000 men, after all the
tabernacle was just a tent, a temporary structure? Not even in these times does
the most elaborate of church buildings employ such a vast number of people. Why
then does God command that an entire tribe be set apart to serve in the
tabernacle, would it not be better from them to be added to the army, or to be
workers and labourers who contributed to the national economy instead of
drawing out of the economy?
By thinking in such a manner, we show how materialistic and
man-focused we are. God is not a business man, nor is He about trying to
increase profit margins and managing the national workforce for maximum
efficiency. God is about God, God is about the preservation of His glory, and
that is what our lives were created to also be about. The tabernacle was the
means that God had given to the people of Israel so that they might learn to
put the glory, worship and service of God first, understanding that their lives
must be about God and His glory. God and His glory was to be their top priority.
In fact it was to be so important that an entire tribe was to be devoted to
helping and assisting the people of Israel to worship and glorify God. The
tribe of Levi was to be set aside and supported by the people of Israel, so
that they as a nation might keep the glory of God at the centre.
Essentially the truth that God is communicating to the Israelites is
that there is to be nothing more important in the life of their nation and in
their individual lives than His glory and the worship of Him. So much so, that
the tabernacle was to be the centre of the camp, and an entire tribe was to
help the people serve God.
How far this is from the state of many of our lives and Christian
churches! We neglect our own Christian lives and churches often are given the
scraps, it appears to be a case of trying to satisfy the minimum requirements,
rather than a pursuit after the glory of God. We view the glory of God, God’s
importance and God’s centrality to our lives, as being one of many priorities
and tasks. Although we may say that God is our top priority, this is not reflected
in our lives, or in our churches.
The truth is that in everything and at all times we should only ever
have one priority and that is to be the glory of God. It matters not what we
are doing, whether it is driving in our car, doing the shopping, talking to a
friend, using Facebook, doing our daily work, living with our family, or going
to church, we are to do it so as to glorify God and to cause others to glorify
God. Thus I may have gone to church on Sunday, but then later that day, I am
rude and unkind to my spouse. I may have glorified God at church, but now I am
no longer glorifying Him as I am failing to treat my spouse in a manner that
brings glory to God, or causes my wife to glorify God. If I tell a person about
their need for Christ, but then gossip about a friend on Facebook, I may have
glorified God by witnessing, but I am no longer glorifying Him as I am failing
to speak only the truth and glorify God with my words.
God wanted the Israelites and He wants us to understand that His glory
is to be at the absolute centre and it is to be our only priority in all things
and at all times. Setting the tabernacle in the centre of the camp and then
having the entire tribe of Levi consecrated and set apart to serve in the
tabernacle communicated this truth clearly. The challenge is will we learn this
important truth and put it into practise in our daily lives?
Lord God You are all-glorious, words
cannot suffice to speak of how great and awesome Your glory is. Forgive us for
reducing Your glory to something far less and thinking that it is of lesser
importance. Forgive us for thinking that Your glory is just one of our many
priorities and often neglecting it. May we grow in our understanding of Your
glory and of the immense joy and blessing we receive from You when we live for
Your glory in all things at all times. Help us to remember that in Your glory
we find life, love, hope, joy, peace and many other rich blessings. We pray
this in Your glorious name. Amen.
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