“And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation” (Numbers 4:15).
TEXT — Numbers 4:4-15
Message
The text discusses old covenant practices of redemption, where individuals brought five shekels to Moses for redemption. Initially, all firstborns were God’s, but later the Levites replaced them. This shift symbolises God’s ownership of all beings. It foreshadows Jesus redeeming sinful humanity before God, similar to how the Levites replaced the firstborn. The concept highlights divine ownership and God’s authority over creation. The text emphasises the importance of these practices in understanding God’s redemption plan through Jesus.
Our text reveals to us the portion of the Tabernacle work assigned to the Kohathites, one of the four divisions of the Levites to whom belongs the care of God’s sanctuary. While the Aaronites organise and place the vessels in proper order, the Kohathites carry the vessels, being very careful not to touch any holy thing. This division of labour orchestrated by the Almighty God made it easier for all the sons of the prophet to get involved in the service. Today, God calls all Kingdom citizens into His service.
However, carnality may make some persons look down on aspects of Kingdom service like cleaning and caring for the bathrooms; the physical cleaning of the church premises, the kitchen works and other labour-intensive aspects of God’s service. More people love to be on the pulpit than to labour and pray souls into the Kingdom. This is why there are more teachers than evangelists in the church today.
It should be emphasised here that all aspects of Kingdom work are important, whether it is physical labour or preaching the gospel. Activities such as praying, welfare duties, and follow-up with converts are vital for establishing Kingdom citizens. Everyone has a role to play, just like Aaron and his sons had to complete their tasks before others could carry the sanctuary vessels. Ecclesiastes 9:10 reminds us to do everything well and with diligence. Faithfulness is what God rewards, not just impressive feats. We must surrender ourselves as vessels for God to fill with His Spirit and love.
Thought for the day
In God’s economy, the only unemployed people are the unwilling and unprepared.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
