Numbers 4

Israel's priests and Levites had duties like moving, assembling, protecting, and maintaining the Tent of Meeting. The way God organized the tribes highlighted his concern for these priestly tasks.

Moses and Aaron communicated God's will about the care and transport of the Tent of Meeting. This was the main duty of the three Levitical families.

• This section continues the discussion from 3:21–37 about the duties of the three Levite clans. The Levites carried and cared for the Tent of Meeting while traveling and camping. Other tribes always surrounded them to protect them and their valuable cargo (2:17). They placed the holy items of God in the center of the tribes. The priests and their Levitical assistants kept these items holy by separating them.

• God, in his holiness, deserves to have the details of his will given careful attention. The Tent of Meeting and its furnishings were holy. The tribe of Levi had to maintain the difference between holy and common, and between ceremonially clean and unclean. This is why there is so much information about the duties of the three Levite clans.

Out of the 22,000 Levites, only men aged thirty to fifty could serve in the sanctuary (3:39). This was because they were most capable at this time of their lives. 4:34–49 lists 8,580 qualified males. This is the summary of this registration, another "numbering."

The duties of the Kohathites come first because they handled the most holy objects (see 3:27–32). This might be because Aaron and the priests came from this clan (1 Chronicles 6:2–3). Their tasks included carrying, setting up, and folding up these holy and very important coverings and furnishings.

The items entrusted to Kohath's descendants were very valuable. These included:

• the ark of the Testimony,

• the table of the Bread of the Presence,

• the lampstand (Hebrew menorah),

• the gold incense altar, and

• the altar for sacrifices.

Exodus 25–30 first describes these objects. But Numbers shows how the Hebrews used them in daily life. The Kohathites carried these items on poles or in frames. They could not touch them or enter the sanctuary to look at them, or they would die.

Aaron and his sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, had to fully cover the sanctuary and all holy items before the camp could move. Non-Levitical tribes marched in front and behind the Levites, who carried the Tent of Meeting. The colors of the coverings showed the royalty of the objects.

They were so holy that even the Kohathites, whom God chose to handle them, could not touch the holy items, or they would die. This respect showed the holiness of Israel's Lord. Ignoring these rules was dangerous, as shown in 1 Samuel 6:19–20 and 2 Samuel 6:6–7.

The men of the Gershonite clan (see 3:21–26) were responsible for general service and carrying loads (4:24). They handled the curtains, coverings, ropes, and related equipment. These were less central to Israel's worship. The duties of the Gershonites focused on the Tent of Meeting in general. This was unlike the Kohathites, who were responsible for the holy objects of the inner place of worship.

This assignment to the Merarite clan involved items of lower priority than those of the Kohathites and Gershonites. It had to be done in a specific way, with each man's load assigned by name (4:32; see also 1 Corinthians 14:40). The Gershonites and Merarites did not have the status of Kohath’s family. Yet, each group helped move and set up the Tent of Meeting.

The numbering and recording the Levites' names and ensuring each man understood his task was crucial. This helped properly organize Israel for travel and camping and protected the Tent of Meeting.