The duties of Kohath’s clan – Numbers 4:1-20
Verses 1-3 There were three groups of families in Levi’s tribe. Gershon’s clan, Kohath’s clan and Merari’s clan. Each clan had different duties. The priests told them what to do.
Moses counted all the men in Levi’s tribe who were between 30 and 50 years old. These men had to work in God’s Tent and in the yard that surrounded it. They had to take all the parts down and to carry them whenever the camp moved. It was heavy manual work and no doubt that’s why they had to be no more than 50 years old.
v4-6 Moses counted Kohath’s clan first. They were responsible for the most sacred objects in the tabernacle. But the priests had to cover these sacred objects before Kohath’s clan saw them. Only the priests could look at the sacred objects. Anyone else would die if they looked at the sacred objects.
The most sacred object was the Ark. There were two rooms in the tabernacle The Ark was in the smaller room called the Most Holy Place or Holy of Holies.
A curtain divided the smaller room from the larger room. The larger room was called the Holy Place. The priests wrapped the Ark in this curtain. They put a cover of leather over this. The Hebrew word that we translate as ‘leather’ means ‘the skin of an animal’.
Lastly, the priests wrapped the Ark in a blue cloth. Probably, the colour blue reminded the people of heaven (see Exodus 24:10).
There were rings on the Ark and poles were to be put through these rings for carrying. When the camp travelled, four men lifted these poles onto their shoulders. They carried the Ark in front of all the Israelites as they marched. This showed that God was leading them. We read more of this later, especially when Joshua led them across the River Jordan and they were to stand in the river which would stop flowing as they did so, to enable the people to cross on dry ground; and then sometime later in the books of Samuel when it was captured and David was attempting to return it after the Philistines had captured it.
Next, the priests wrapped all the sacred objects that were in the Holy Place (v7-15).
There was a special table in the Holy Place. There were 12 loaves of bread on it (Leviticus 24:5-9). This was the number of the tribes of Israel. The loaves showed that God was with all the Israelites. On every Sabbath, the High Priest took away the old loaves. He put new loaves on the table. There was bread on the table always. This showed that God was with his people always.
The priests covered the special table first. Next, they covered the stand for the lamps. This stand was very important. Also, they covered the altar of gold. The priests did not sacrifice animals to burn on this altar. Instead, they burned special incense.
Then, they covered the altar on which the priests’ burned sacrifices of animals, and they wrapped all the things that they used with the table, the stand for the lamps and the altars.
The priests had to prepare everything so that it was ready for Kohath’s clan. The men from that clan had to carry these objects on their shoulders. The poles made it easier for the men to move all the objects. They carried the sacred objects on poles so that they did not touch them.
Aaron’s older son, Eleazar (v16), had a very important job. He had to make sure that everyone obeyed these instructions. He told everyone what to do in God’s Tent. Also, he carried the different oils, the incense and the grain for the sacrifices.
God repeats the warning to Moses and Aaron (v17-20). Only the priests could look at these sacred objects. If anyone from Kohath’s clans saw the sacred objects, they would die.
God is holy and when we worship Him, we must remember this. We can come near to God only by means of Jesus, God’s Son. Jesus became the only sacrifice for our sins that God accepts. When we believe in Jesus, God allows us to come near to Him. In fact, He invites us to come near to Him!
The duties of Gershon’s clan – Numbers 4:21-28
Gershon’s clan (v21-28) was responsible for all the curtains and ropes in the tabernacle. This included the curtains that surrounded the Most Holy Place and the Holy Place. Also, it included the outer covers of leather.
Gershon’s clan was responsible for the curtains and equipment of the yard, too. God allowed the men from Gershon’s clan to touch these things under the supervision of the priests, especially Ithamar, who watched them and gave them instructions.
The duties of Merari’s clan – Numbers 4:29-33
Merari’s clan (v29-33) was the smallest clan in Levi’s tribe. Their duties may not seem as important as the duties of their brothers. Merari’s clans were responsible for the equipment that supported the tabernacle. This included the pegs which were like thick nails. People hammered the pegs in to the ground. They tied rope round each peg (just like tents today). They attached the other end of the rope to the corner of the tent. This held the tent’s cover in place over the frame.
If any of this equipment broke, the tabernacle would fall down. The Israelites needed all of it, even the smallest parts. So, the tasks that God gave to Merari’s clan were just as important as the other clans’ tasks. The clans worked together to serve God. A lesson that we as Christians must work together to serve God, too.
Every task that we do for God is necessary. God has important work for every Christian to do however small and insignificant it may appear. He expects our faithfulness.
Moses counts Levi’s tribe again – Numbers 4:34-49.
In this second census of Levi’s tribe (v34-49), Moses and his helpers counted the men who could work in the tabernacle. The beginning and end of this passage emphasises again that Moses and the leaders obeyed God. However, later in the book, we shall read about how the Israelites did not obey God.
