Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20010822.htm

NUMBERS: ON SPIRITUAL CASUALTIES AND VICTORS
Part II - Triumph In Faithfully Doing Our INDIVIDUAL, GOD ASSIGNED Tasks
(Numbers 3:1-4:49)
  1. Introduction
    1. For God's people as a body to advance in spiritual triumph, not only must there be order, but each individual in the body must do his God assigned tasks. Paul mentioned how every member is part of the whole, that he neither consitutes the whole nor is he worthless to the body, 1 Cor. 12:12, 15, 21, 24-31.
    2. However, there is a challenge to be content with our role even if it was not as seemingly important as another's. The lesson of Numbers 3:1-4:49 addresses this concern as follows:
  2. Triumph In Faithfully Doing Our INDIVIDUAL, GOD ASSIGNED Tasks, Numbers 3:1-4:49.
    1. Israel had know tragedy when Aaron's own sons, Nadab and Abihu, usurped Aaron's role in offering unsanctioned sacrifices in an apparent desire to be as important as their father, Num. 3:4a (Lev. 10:1-2).
    2. Consequently, God gave specific instructions to the Levites to avoid future similar tragedy, 3:5-4:49:
      1. As an entire tribe, the Levites were allocated the important task of caring for the Tabernacle furnishings, 3:5-9. God announced any party besides the Levites who tried to function in this role would be guilty of a capital offense as had Nadab and Abihu in usurping Aaron's role, Num. 3:10.
      2. Now, these various assignments among the Levites did not signal favoritism within the tribe itself, for God revealed the Levites uniquely belonged to HIMSELF as an ENTIRE TRIBE:
        1. At the Passover in Egypt, the Passover lamb slain in a given Hebrew household had actually died in the place of the household's firstborn, so all of Israel's firstborn sons belonged to God. Thus, God chose to take the Levites' firstborn by proxy as His own firstborn sons in place of all the firstborn in the other tribes of Israel, 3:11-13. The same went for the firstborn of the animals -- the animals of the Levites by proxy were the Lord's animals in place of the firstborn animals of all the tribes, 3:41.
        2. Since there were more firstborn in the other tribes than were there Levites, God levied a price for the other tribes to pay for the redemption of their firstborn to be given to the Levites, Num. 3:46-48.
        3. Hence, God signaled the Levites were a special tribe unto Himself as an entire group of people.
      3. Yet, though ALL the Levites were special, each person had a special TASK to do at God's bidding, and he would be blessed only as he fit within that assignment as follows (Numbers 4:1-47):
        1. There were several major family units within the tribe of Levi, the families of Gershon, Kohath and Merari, Num. 3:14-17. Each of these major family units was given special assignments by the Lord regarding the upkeep and moving of various parts of the tabernacle, Number 4:1-2, 22, 41-42.
        2. However, only adult males ages 30 to 50 in each of these major family units could personally actually handle the various articles of the tabernacle. In a patristic society, this indicated God wanted only men in their prime actually ministering to reveal the glory due to God, 4:3, 23, 43.
        3. This left the Levitical women and children along with the men over 50 years old working as supports to these 30-to-50 year old servants of God in the tribe. They were not directly handling the tabernacle portions although they were all very special as a support system to these other men!
        4. Now, since the Kohathite family of the tribe, ages 30 to 50 years of age were responsible to handle the furnishings in the Holy Place and the Holiest of Holies, a place where only Aaron or Aaron and his sons respectively could go when the tabernacle was set up, God made a special provision for practical purposes: the Kohathites would be directed by the authority of Aaron and his sons what specific things to touch and carry only after these items had first been covered by Aaron and his sons respectively so these Kohathites could not look upon the holy articles directly, Num. 4:18-20. This enabled the tabernacle to be moved, but in a way giving honor to God and God's service order!
Lesson: Though EACH of the LEVITES were SPECIAL to God, EACH had to FIT in his DIVINELY ASSIGNED MINISTRY to receive God's BLESSING in his life. Otherwise, he would suffer judgment.

Application: (1) In the Church as it was with the Levites, it is not so much the ASSIGNMENT one has of God that is important, but how well one DOES his God-assignment task. (2) Besides, our ETERNAL assignments will be based upon our service NOW, so we should excel in our current jobs AS assigned without lusting after an assignment beyond God's will as did Nadab and Abihu, cf. Luke 19:11-27.