Numbers  Survey

Chapter 3 :14-51

 

Intro: In our Study last week we noted how the Lord instructed Moses to number the People of Israel – those Eligible to Fight

A)They were to be numbered by Families / all the Men 20 yrs old and above who were able to go out to War - # 603,550

 

B) We also Noted how the People were not just numbered but they were arranged into Tribes – 4 groups – 3 tribes Each – Main Tribe

1)   And then the tribes were told camp on a Particular side of the Tab. In Blocks -    – Helicopter – See a Cross –

 

C) Well some of you didn’t get it – Peace Sign – so tonight I given you a Diagram

1)   North Side: Dan – Asher & Naptali – 157,600/  South Side Rueben –Simeon & Gad # 151,450

2)   East side Judah On the–w/ them tribes of Issachar & Zebulum  - 186,400

     3) West Side – Ephraim w/ them – Mannasseh & Benj – 108,00

 

D) Can you see it Now? – Ok !!!!

 

 

Now I also provided a picture of the Tab. For you tonight –

A)Fence Linen – Pillars – Entrance – Once inside Courtyard – Altar / Brass Laver for Washing – then the Tab itself

 

B) Tab covered on the Outside w/ Bagder Skins – Inside Linen

1)   Pictures Christ – Outside Humanity – Normal – inside Purity

2)   TWO ROOMS – Holy Place ( Table / Altar of Incense/ Lampstand

Holy of Holies – Ark & the Shekinah Glory

 

C) Everywhere that the Children of Israel went the Tab went – It was cared for by the Levites – that is what we will see Tonight

 

Now we noted in our Study on Sun. Am how the Levites were singled out by the Lord to minister w/ the Priest in the service of the Tab v.1-13

A)Talked why that was – Significance for us – on Sunday – How they were a Unique Choice Considering their Family Background

 

B) Tonight we pick up in v.14 –  read v. 14 – 22

1)   3 Divisions – Gershom / Kohath / Merari { In Red

 

C) Gershom # 7500 – camped on the West Side – 

Their Duties v.25 –26 –  25The duties of the children of Gershon in the tabernacle of meeting included the tabernacle, the tent with its covering (Explain)  the screen for the door of the tabernacle of meeting, (Door) 26the screen for the door of the court, the hangings of the court ( Linen Fence)  which are around the tabernacle and the altar, and their cords, according to all the work relating to them.

 

D)So  In Short you could say – Their Responsibility was the COVERINGS

 

V. 27-28 Family of Kohath : South Side

v.28 28According to the number of all the males, from a month old and above, there were 8,600 keeping charge of the sanctuary.

A)So the number of the Kohath’s was 8,600 – put in (8,300)

 

B) Their duties: v.31 31Their duty included the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which they ministered, the screen (Veil) , and all the work relating to them.

32And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was to be chief over the leaders of the Levites, with oversight of those who kept charge of the sanctuary.

 

C) So in Short you could say that their Duties – They took care of the Sacred things – Vessels used directly in worship

 

 

 

Then there was the family of Merari  v. 33 –34

33From Merari came the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these were the families of Merari. 34And those who were numbered, according to the number of all the males from a month old and above, were six thousand two hundred.  ( Their # was 6200

 

A)Duty v.36 36And the appointed duty of the children of Merari included the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, its utensils, all the work relating to them, 37and the pillars of the court (Fence) all around, with their sockets, their pegs, and their cords.

 

B) So to put it simply – they were in Charge of the Framework –of the Tab.

 

C) So there were these 3 groups – 1st Gershom Coverings / 2nd Kohath Sacred things / 3rd Merari - Framework

1) So when  they would stop at a place to Camp – The family of Merari would first of all set up the Framework

 

D) Frame the Fence around the Courtyard – set up all the pillars & such

1)   Then they would set up the frame of the Tab. / 2 Compartments

 

And after the Frame was put into place the Family of Gershom would come in w/ all the Coverings – Linen on the fences

A)Linen & the Skins on the Tab. Itself –

 

B) And once they were done the family of KOHATH would come in & put the Sacred things in Place

 

C) As I thought about this I thought I see a similar picture in the body of Christ or in the way the Church functions

 

We have those who are responsible for what I would call the framework or the Structure of the Church

A)Men in Leadership roles who help make Decisions for the Church – Why we do certain things – Bob Page / Doug Martin / Tom / Gary

B) Example : Encourage kids to go to class – ( Adult themes )

1)   Avoid distractions – If leave – asked to sit in the back – ( We don’t want to detract attention from the word

 

C) So Those in leadership – making Practical decisions – how money is spent – those MEN make up part of the frame work

 

D) Then there are the DEACONS – These guys handle some of the Practical aspects of Church – Make it Functional –

1)    Set up Chairs / Sound system / Make sure Sanctuary is Clean / Clean Bathrooms / Parking Lot – ( Charlie / Bern / Mike Bracci / Ron E)

 

So those PEOPLE also make up part of the Framework – so that the Church Function

A)But I would add further that –those of you who make it your habit to be here week in & week out - make up part of the Framework of the Fellowship

 

B) Your very Presence here speaks to the fact that this is a place where People can come to gather & Study God’s word together / Worship

 

C) Married Couples : Sitting together – setting an Example – Precedence – Place where couples come – study the word together

1)   Guys this is ONE WAY of Fulfilling your role as a Husband Wash your wives in the Word

 

C) Example for the Single people : They want a guy or Gal who is into the word !! Who likes to Study

 

D) Those of you who are Single – You are also a part of the Framework by simply – just being here as well

1)   This is a place – where Single Christians come to study the Bible & Seek the Lord – ( Not out at the Bars or Christian single scene )

 

E) Adam was at rest in God’s Presence when – the Lord brought Eve - …..

1)   That is what I am going to do – rest in his Presence – seek Him

F) So All you really simply by just being here are a part of the Framework of this body – ( Only as strong as the individual families in the Church)

 

Now 2nd Family Gershom was in Charge of the Coverings –

A)I see an application to the church in several ways – The Bible declares that Love covers a Multitude of Sins – Love covers flaws

 

B) True – Love is Blind – When you really love someone it is easy to overlook or just not notice – flaws

1)   Do we have Flaws as a Church – ABSOLUTELY –

 

C) Never find a perfect Church – if you do don’t join it you’ll ruin it !!!

 

 D) But there are those of you that God uses to help cover the Flaws – make up for mistakes

1)   Greeters – Covering Ministry! – Warm smile / help w/ direction – hides many times our lack of Organization

 

E) Those who greet in a Classroom – Crowded / share w/ the School / Your being there – Greet Parents has a Covering affect – Set mind at ease !!!!

1)Because of you that parent walks away feeling good about leaving their Child in the classroom & they are able to Worship & hear from the Lord

 

 

So there are those who Cover in that way – there are those who cover the Church in Prayer { Mornings – Noon time / At Home / In Car

A)So there are those who are part of the Framework – there are those who have  a COVERING Ministry!!

 

B) 3rd Family of Kohath – Handling the Sacred things – Apply to those who handle the Word / Pastors & Sun. Teachers / Disciplers / Counselors

1)   Those who are Praying for People after Services / Mens / Womens Leaders / Those on the Worship Team

 

C) So just as the Lord arranged & Ordered the Levites – around the Tab – so the Lord has arranged & ordered us – Tab Picture of Jesus

1)   Gathered around Him – Glorify Him !!!!

 

D) Now Each Role – whether it was Framework / Coverings or the Sacred things was Equally important

 

Now When the Tabernacle was to move, EACH man in these families knew EXACTLY what his responsibility was

A)WHAT if your responsibility was to carry one of the pins/ THAT was your job /

 

B) Let’s say you are Called to be a Levite... Chosen of God... A servant

And you are told by the one overseeing you:/"You carry this pin"

1) For 40 years, THIS is your job""When the pillar of fire moves, you grab this pin....         Hang on to that pin, don't drop it"

 

C) It would be easy to: "Come on Eliazar... Carry this pin for 40 years... You HAVE to be kidding"

1) What if after 20 years you decide: "This is the pits - All I ever do is carry the pin - This is          ridiculous"

 

D) "I'm a Levite - Called of God and chosen by God" "I am supposed to have a SIGNIFICANT task to do” All I do is carry a pin"

1) And you throw it down in the sand

 

Well AT the next stop, when the Tabernacle is to be erected... As the court yard goes up and then as the Tabernacle is to be put up,

A)One of the men calls for PIN #48 – Where is it !!! "I don't know... I threw it away somewhere back there"

 

B) "I've been carrying it for 20 years and I just got tired of being a PIN-PUSHER" You mean you just gave up? 

 "Yeah - I'm tired of that....... I want something BIGGER to do... Something BETTER to do"                 

C) PROBLEM - We can NOT put up the Tabernacle without PIN #48

1)    We can NOT worship God - Sacrifices must cease- The whole thing has top shut down BECAUSE you dropped the pin

 

D) POINT:  Every assignment had significance!! So too in the Body !!!

 

Maybe you duplicate Tapes or Edit Bible studies on CD

A) No one knows you do it... No one SEES you do it

 

B) Even "Fruit of the Loom" inspectors get their Inspected by #  so and so on the underwear they make....

1) You're just copying cassettes and sticking labels on them/ Editing CD’s

 

C) LISTEN - You have no idea how big an impact you are making      on somebody { Germany – { Happens all the time { Places                    1) We hear from people regularly whose lives have been touched.... many

         times at a critical moment... by a tape of one of our Bible studies

 

D) God is BLESSING because someone TYPES labels and duplicates a Bible study tape and that gets put in an envelope and mailed

1) Many examples like that -  Things done that don’t get scene

 

What might seem insignificant to YOU has great significance in the       overall picture

A)EXAMPLE: Adam Brooke wrote a journal that was published and became widely circulated

 

B) He has a very interesting entry in it - When he was 8 years old he says:

"Today my father took me fishing. It was the most glorious day of my life"

 1) Throughout his journal he makes many references back to that day

 

C) Now Adam's father, Richard Brooke, was the ambassador for                            Abraham Lincoln to Britain

   1) He wrote in his journal for that same day "Today I took my boy fishing dot, dot, dot, It was a wasted day"

Now In his opinion, it was an INSIGNIFICANT waste of time

A)But in his son's opinion it was a the MOST FABULOUS day of his life that had ramifications that far outweighed anything that dad knew about

 

B) NOTE: Sometimes we think that what we are doing is

INSIGNIFICANT and a WASTE of time

    1) Take hope - Somebody's life will be changed

 

C) I believe that this has tremendous MEANING to us in terms of the family and the ministry

1) Being a wife/husband... mom/dad can become tiresome &      seemingly insignificant life... BUT -there are NO "wasted days" in those jobs

 

 

D) So too Every task in this fellowship is significant - The assignment that God has given you is important

1)     DON'T rebel against it / DON'T give up on it/ Don’t grow weary in Well doing !!! BE FAITHFUL in the little things

 

So the Levites were divided into 3 families each having their own Function Pick up in v.38 –41

A)Notice the phrase in v.41 And you shall take the Levites for Me

 

B) This is FUNDAMENTAL Mark 3:14   And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,

 

C) Pt. Our service is NOT fundamentally for people That is SECONDARY- The PRIMARY purpose of ministry is for the purpose of fellowship w/ God

1)   Ministering to the Lord – before we seek to minister for the Lord !!!

 

D) Mary & Martha –

 

V. 42- 51

 

So when # the First born – 22,273 -     / There were 273 more first born than Levites – So the idea was one First born for every Levite

A)But 273 more – Paid a Redemption price – 5 Shekels

 

B) Now some of you are thinking – The Math is not adding up here – w/ the Numbers – 7500 Gershom / 8600 Kohath / 6200 Merari = 22,300

1)   So according to this I have 27 more Levites than first born –

 

C) Well that is why I had you put – 8300 in Parentheses – see in the Hebrew the Number 3 & the number 6 are very similar – 6 – s/s / 3 ss

1)Most commentators believe that the scribes made an error here in copying – the 6 really should be a 3 = 22,000 Levites – Extra 273 first born     

 

D) So those 273 First born were redeemed by 5 shekels of Silver -               

 

MH The church is called the church of the first-born, which is redeemed, not as these were, with silver and gold, but, being devoted by sin to the justice of God, is ransomed with the precious blood of the Son of God.