DIVISION & SEPARATION (NUM.4)
DUTIES OF THE KOHATHITE CLAN
Then YAHUSHA said to Moses and Aaron, “When the camp of Yisharal moves on, the clans and families of Kohath must enter the Tabernacle first to take down the inner curtain and cover the Ark of the Blood-Covenant Witness with it. Then they must cover the inner curtain with fine goatskin leather and spread over that a single piece of blue cloth. Finally, they must put the carrying poles of the Ark in place. Next they must spread a blue cloth over the table where the Bread of My presence is displayed, and on the cloth they will place the bowls, ladles, jars, pitchers, and the special bread, before spreading a scarlet cloth over all of this, and finally a covering of fine goatskin leather on top of the scarlet cloth. Then they must insert the carrying poles into the table. Then they must cover the lampstand with a blue cloth, along with its lamps, lamp snuffers, trays, and special jars of olive oil, covering the lampstand and its accessories with fine goatskin leather and place the bundle on a carrying frame. Then they must spread a blue cloth over the gold incense altar and cover this cloth with fine goatskin leather too, before attaching the carrying poles to the altar. Then they must take all the remaining furnishings of the sanctuary and wrap them in a blue cloth, cover them with fine goatskin leather, and place them on the carrying frame. They must remove the ashes from the altar for sacrifices and cover the altar with a purple cloth. All the altar utensils must be placed on the cloth, and a covering of fine goatskin leather must be spread over all of them too. And finally, they must put the carrying poles in place for the camp will be ready to move when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the sacred articles. The Kohathites will come and carry these things to the next destination. BUT THEY MUST NOT TOUCH THE SACRED OBJECTS, OR THEY WILL DIE. So these are the things from the Tabernacle that the Kohathites must carry.
Eleazar (son of Aaron) will be responsible for the oil of the lampstand, the fragrant incense, the daily LOVE-GRAIN OFFERING, and the anointing oil. In fact, Eleazar will be responsible for overseeing the entire Tabernacle and everything in it.
Then YAHUSHA said to Moses and Aaron, “If you don’t want the Kohathites to be destroyed for touching or entering the Tabernacle, Aaron and his sons must always go in with them and assign a specific duty or load to each person. The Kohathites must never enter the set-apart place of the sanctuary to look at the set-apart objects for even a moment, or they will die.”
WE CAN SEE FROM THE PRECISE INSTRUCTIONS BEING GIVEN HOW CAREFULLY YAHUSHA’S SET-APARTNESS MUST BE GUARDED AND HOW THOSE WHO ARE NOT AUTHORISED TO COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT WITH HIM MUST BE PROTECTED. JUST LOOK AT THE PAIN-STAKING PREPARATIONS THAT AARON AND HIS SONS (THE PRIESTS) HAD TO UNDERTAKE BEFORE THE KOHATHITES COULD BEGIN TRANSPORTING THE SET-APART OBJECTS. AND FINALLY AFTER ALL OF THIS WORK IS DONE, EVERYTHING IS GIVEN TO THE KOHATHITES WHO WILL BE CARRYING THE MOST SET-APART ITEMS IN SUCH A WAY AS TO NEVER TOUCH THEM. NOW WHAT’S ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING IS THAT EVEN THOUGH THE ARK OF THE BLOOD-COVENANT WITNESS WAS COVERED BY NO LESS THAN THREE LAYERS OF COVERINGS (INCLUDING ONE THICK WATERPROOF COVERING), THE KOHATHITES ARE STILL PROHIBITED FROM TOUCHING IT LESS THEY DIE. INFACT NONE OF THE SET-APART ITEMS (INCLUDING EVEN THEIR COVERINGS) WERE TO BE TOUCHED. IN FACT, WE HAVE ONE INCIDENT WHEN THE ARK WAS BEING CARRIED AND WAS ABOUT TO FALL OVER. WHEN ONE OF THE CARRIERS REACHED OUT TO STEADY IT, HE WAS INSTANTLY KILLED!
“WHEN THEY CAME TO THE THRESHING FLOOR OF NAKON, UZZAH REACHED OUT AND TOOK HOLD OF THE ARK OF THE BLOOD-COVENANT WITNESS, BECAUSE THE OXEN STUMBLED AND YAHUSHA’S ANGER BURNED AGAINST UZZAH BECAUSE OF HIS IRREVERENT ACT; AND YAHUSHA STRUCK HIM DOWN, AND HE DIED THERE BESIDE THE ARK.” 2 SAMUEL 6 . . .
SUCH IS THE DANGER OF TAMPERING WITH YAHUSHA’S SET- APARTNESS.
YAHUSHA WARNS THE KOHATHITES NOT TO EVEN GO IN AND LOOK AT THE SET- APART THINGS AS THEY ARE BEING COVERED OR THEY WILL DIE, MAKING IT CLEAR TO MOSES AND AARON THAT THE KOHATHITES’ JOB IS FRAUGHT WITH SO MUCH DANGER THERE IS ZERO ROOM FOR PROCEDURAL CARELESSNESS, BECAUSE EVEN ONE CARELESS PEEP AT AN UNCOVERED SET-APART ITEM WOULD BE THE DEATH OF THAT UNAUTHORISED PERSON. CAN YOU SEE NOW WHY YAHUSHA INSISTED THAT ONLY THE MEN BETWEEN THE AGES OF 30 TO 50 WERE ALLOWED TO DO THIS WORK? YOUNGER MEN STILL HAVE IMMATURE AND WILD TENDENCIES THAT COULD CAUSE THEM TO DO STUPID THINGS, AND THIS COULD PROVE FATAL WHEN DEALING DIRECTLY WITH YAHUSHA’S SET-APARTNESS.
DUTIES OF THE GERSHONITE CLAN
And YAHUSHA said to Moses, “The Gershonite clans will be responsible for general service and carrying loads, including the curtains of the Tabernacle, the Tabernacle itself with its coverings, the outer covering of fine goatskin leather, and the curtain for the Tabernacle entrance. They are also to carry the curtains for the courtyard walls that surround the Tabernacle and altar, the curtain across the courtyard entrance, the ropes, and all the equipment related to their use. Aaron and his sons will direct the Gershonites regarding all their duties, whether it involves moving the equipment or doing other work. They must assign the Gershonites responsibility for the loads they are to carry. So these are the duties assigned to the Gershonite clans at the Tabernacle. They will be directly responsible to Ithamar, Aaron’s son.
DUTIES OF THE MERARITE CLAN
“The Merarite Clan will carry the frames of the Tabernacle, the crossbars, the posts, and the bases, also the posts for the courtyard walls with their bases, pegs, and ropes and all the accessories and everything else related to their use. Assign the various loads to each man by name. So these are the duties of the Merarite clans at the Tabernacle. They are directly responsible to Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.”
SUMMARY OF THE REGISTRATION
So Moses, Aaron, and the other leaders of the community listed the members of the Kohathite division @2,750 men, the Gershonite division @2,630 men, the Merarite division @3,200 men and the Levites @8,580 men and when their names were all recorded, each man was assigned his task and told what to carry. And so the registration was completed, just as YAHUSHA had instructed Moses.
”DON’T ASSUME THAT I’VE COME TO BRING PEACE, FOR I HAVEN’T. I BRING DIVISION AND THE SWORD. A MAN WILL BE AGAINST HIS FATHER, A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW, AND A MAN’S GREATEST ENEMIES WILL BE THOSE OF HIS OWN HOUSEHOLD. HOWEVER IF YOU LOVE YOUR FATHER, MOTHER, SON OR DAUGHTER MORE THAN ME YOU’RE NOT WORTHY OF ME, AND IF YOU DON’T TAKE UP YOUR TORTURE STAKE AND FOLLOW AFTER ME YOU’RE NOT WORTHY OF ME EITHER. FOR THOSE WHO ARE OUT THERE HAVING A LIFE SHALL LOSE IT, AND THOSE WHO SURRENDER AND GIVE UP THEIR LIVES FOR MY SAKE SHALL FIND IT”. MATT 10:34 BRS
