Have you ever noticed how God clarifies His leaders?
In today’s lesson, taken from Numbers, Chapter 18; God is still helping Moses and Aaron to reassure the frightened people that He is not going to kill them because of their previous associations with certain rebels in the camp, who had suffered death in the midst of their sins.
After a group of people had rebelled against Moses and Aaron God stepped in to defend their honor. People died because of their rebellious natures and their lack of understanding toward God.
GOD TAKES NO PLEASURE IN PUNISHING THE REBELLIOUS
God did not want this to be necessary again. He took no pleasure in cleaning up the camp because of the ignorance of the people. To prevent further deaths; God begins to explain in detail who has been anointed to do each task concerning leadership and concerning the activities of The Tent of Meeting.
GOD CONFIRMS THE LEADERSHIP OF MOSES
In a previous lesson we explored the fact that God explained in no uncertain terms that Moses was in charge of governing and leading the people. He was their leader and they were to follow him no matter what. God knew that Moses would not make a move without His direction and God makes this plain to the congregation of Israel.
GOD CONFIRMS THE LEADERSHIP OF AARON
The next thing God did was to make it very clear that Aaron was the High Priest in charge of the Tabernacle. God did this by performing a miracle where the rod of Aaron budded, blossomed and bloomed and the rods of the other tribal leaders showed no signs of life. Aaron’s rod was placed in The Most Holy Place, inside the Ark with the Ten Commandments. This would always be a reminder to God as well as the people that Aaron was the anointed high priest.
By this time the people should have had no question about Aaron’s leadership. To make things concerning the Wilderness Tabernacle even more clear; at this point God addressed Aaron specifically. In past times God had either addressed Moses or Moses and Aaron. This time God specifically addresses only Aaron.
God explains to Aaron that he is in charge of the tabernacle and the altar. Aaron will bear the responsibility for these places before the congregation at all times. The great honor of being called to be the high priest also carried great responsibility.
GOD CONFIRMS THE SONS OF AARON AS PRIESTS
Aaron’s sons were anointed to serve under him as priests of the tabernacle. Any anointed priest who destroyed the sanctuary would be severely punished. They would bear the iniquity if something happened and the sanctuary was desecrated. They were to guard the tabernacle against unauthorized persons trespassing. The Tabernacle and its furnishings were not to be misused or abused.
Aaron and his sons were the ONLY people allowed inside the Sanctuary and the only ones who could minister with the holy articles of God inside The Holy Place. They burned incense upon the altar of incense, ordered the showbread and trimmed the lamps of the candlestick. No one else could do these tasks except God’s anointed priests who were the sons of Aaron, and Aaron himself.
GOD CONFIRMS THE ROLE OF THE LEVITES
God also made it plain that He had given the Levites as a gift to the priests of Israel and he had appointed them to be the helpers of the priesthood.
The Levites camped around the Tabernacle, nearest to it. They ate with the priests and Aaron from the food of the altars because they had no official inheritance assigned to them for owning land and growing their own crops or livestock. Their whole life was about being helpful to and guarding the Tabernacle.
They were to help with the moving of the holy articles and the transporting of the Tabernacle, but they were never allowed past the courtyard on the outside of the Tabernacle. They did not go inside. Their job in the courtyards was to help the priests in the slaughtering of the sacrifices. They assisted with the killing, receiving the blood and the flaying of the beasts offered.
ORDER RETURNS TO THE CAMP
Now God had once again clarified all of the duties of the Priesthood and the Levites. The people and the leaders knew exactly who should be doing what and who should follow whom. Moses was clearly in charge of governing the people. Aaron was clearly the anointed High Priest. The Sons of Aaron were clearly the men of the anointed priesthood and the Levites were clearly designated to serve and help the priesthood with structural and physical things that needed to be done outside of the tabernacle.
All order had been restored to the camp and the people should have been reassured that if they followed the laws laid out by God’s instructions and adhered to the leadership that He had put into place that all would go well with the nation.
Is anything ever this clear or simple with humans?
Time will tell.