Numbers 4

It is a beautiful day today in Sunriver, OR.  I cooked a seafood feast for our High School Seniors last night with King Crab, Fried Shrimp, Lobster, and Barbecue Oysters.  I burnt the Oysters.  They were to be cooked until they opened up, and since they never opened up, I kept cooking them.  Well, it was all we could do to eat the rest of it.  One by one they stopped as they could eat no more, but it was a great time for all.  Today, I started in Numbers chapter 4, and so I want to draw my thoughts from the first chapter in my reading today as I'm doing this time through the Bible.  Here in chapter four, we have the numbering of the Levites and groups of Levites that help with the tabernacle service. Here is the one thought for today:  IT TAKES A LOT OF WORKERS!  The tabernacle was a special place, and God gave a lot of workers to make it that and keep it that.  There was one group that only covered the furniture in the tabernacle.  They alone could do that, and they did it in such a way that God prescribed.  Here is how they did it: They took down the veil that closed off the holy of holies, and they carried it until it covered the ark and mercy seat.  Then they wrapped the veil around it, and then covered it again with badgers' skins, and then wrapped it entirely with a cloth of blue and then put the staves through the corners and it was now wrapped and ready to carry.  The table of shewbread, they covered with a blue cloth, but all of the dishes, spoons, bowls, with covers between them, and then covered it again with a scarlet cloth, and then with badgers' skins and finally put the staves through the corners to carry everything.  Then the candlestick with all of it's supplies were covered in blue cloth and then wrapped in badgers' skins and then staves were used to carry it. The golden altar was wrapped in blue cloth, then badgers' skins, and then ready to carry with staves. All of the instruments for ministry, and sacrifice were covered in blue cloth and then badgers' skins and then had staves through it to carry it all. Notice this:  The ashes from off the altar, were wrapped in a purple cloth then added to the top of this was all the instruments used for the sacrifice, and then it was covered with badgers' skins and staves to carry it.   NOW... all of this was done by Aaron's sons.   Then the Kohath's came in to carry everything, but they could not touched the wrapped furniture lest they die!  They only used the staves. (Also, it they unwrapped and looked... they would die!)  Then the Gershonites carried the tabernacle tent, the coverings, the doors, the wall around the court of the tabernacle, everything else they wrapped and carried.  Each of these operations were under the direction of one of Aaron's sons as well. Then, the Merari carried the boards, the pins, the sockets, (the hardware) of the tent and wall around the court.  NOW... GET THIS.... The Kohathites... numbered 2,750 men between 30 and 50.  The Gershonites numbered 2,630 men between 30 and 50; the Merari were 3,200.  Now these came to 8,580 men between 30 and 50 to move and set up the tabernacle.  These were not men who ministered in the tabernacle, only men who moved it and set it back up.  It takes a lot of men!  And so it does in a local Church that is doing something special for God!  It takes a lot of men!!  GET INVOLVED.... IT TAKES A LOT OF PEOPLE!   Pastor Mike Mutchler