Charles Spurgeon Commentary Numbers 4
Charles Spurgeon Commentary
Numbers 4
Charles Spurgeon Commentary
Numbers 4
"And Jehovah spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their fathers` houses," — Numbers 4:1-2 (ASV)
There were three families, those of Kohath, Gershon, and Merari, and to each of these families a different service was allotted.
- They were to be numbered. The Lord knoweth them that are his, and he takes count of all his people.
"from thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter upon the service, to do the work in the tent of meeting." — Numbers 4:3 (ASV)
They were to take up this work as a warfare; for, though it was a peaceful work, yet it is described as a warfare: and whoever serves the Lord, though that service is perfect peace, will not serve Him without finding it to be a warfare as well.
"This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tent of meeting, [about] the most holy things:" — Numbers 4:4 (ASV)
This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, about the most holy things:
They were to attend to the most holy place, to carry it and to carry its vessels, a very honorable position.
"when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall go in, and his sons, and they shall take down the veil of the screen, and cover the ark of the testimony with it, and shall put thereon a covering of sealskin, and shall spread over it a cloth all of blue, and shall put in the staves thereof." — Numbers 4:5-6 (ASV)
These Kohathites were not permitted to handle the ark directly when they transported it; much less were they ever to look at it. But the priests, the sons of Aaron, went in first, and after carefully covering the holy furnishings, they covered the sacred ark with a cloth of blue. Blue was the symbol of holiness—of separation. Therefore, every Israelite wore a border of blue on his garment; but this, which was the symbol of the divine presence, was all of blue. It is all holiness. We wear, alas!, only a border of blue; but this holy thing was all of blue.
"And upon the table of showbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls and the cups wherewith to pour out; and the continual bread shall be thereon:" — Numbers 4:7 (ASV)
When they moved the sacred table, the bread was always there; twelve cakes for the twelve tribes, for the bread of God's house is never lacking.
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