So; we left our last lesson right before God began talking to Moses about how to organize the tribe of Levi.

Today we will continue to look into the fact that the Levites were organized different from the men in the army in that they were in charge of all of the holy, sacred things of the Wilderness Tabernacle.

There were three descendants of Levi and their names were: Gershon, Kohath and Merari.

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to our every-Thursday on-going Bible Study called COME AS A CHILD. Today we will be studying from The Book of Numbers, Chapter 3.

If you missed last week’s lesson; you may review it here: http://MORE ABOUT THE FIRST-BORN SON AND REDEMPTION – COME AS A CHILD – LESSON 253

THE SONS OF LEVI

What do we know of these three sons of Levi and their descendants?

Let’s begin by looking at the division called Gershon; after the name of the first son of Levi.

Who was Gershon anyway?

THE SON NAMED GERSHON

Gershon was Levi’s eldest son.

If you were a Hebrew you might have pronounced this name as Gershom. It is often spelled different ways in different scripture passages. The Hebraic meaning of the name is: “a sojourner here.”

In that respect Gershom was so much like us. We all are just sojourner’s going through life on this earth; just traveling through on our way to a better destination.

This was Gershom; leading his divisions and clans through the wilderness; seeking The Promised Land; following in the footsteps of Moses much like we aspire to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

MEET THE GERSHONITES

Gershon was the patriarch and the founder of a group of Levites called Gershonites.

Gershon had two sons named Libni and Shimei.

Libni formed his own clan and they were called the Libnites.

Shimei also formed his own clan and they were called the Shimeites.

Both clans were considered to be part of the whole division of Levites called the Gershonites.

Together they numbered 7,500 males who were a month old or more, not counting these men’s wives and other children who traveled with them and lived inside their tents which were placed on the west, behind the tabernacle.

WHO LED THE GERSHONITES?

The Gershonites were appointed a leader by God through Moses. His name was Eliasaph and he was the son of Lael.

THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE GERSHONITES

These Gershonites were given the responsibilities for tending to the outer parts of the wilderness tabernacle.

Their responsibilities included caring for the tent, its coverings, the screens, the doors and the hangings.

The “hangings” included all the curtains; the entrance curtain, the curtains of the courtyard, the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard that surrounded the tabernacle and the altar and the ropes that held them in place.

All of these parts of the tabernacle were important and sacred; designed by God and constructed from God’s instructions to Moses.

The Gershonites had to know what they were about and how critical it was to transport and reconstruct these parts in the proper manner and order every time they pulled up and left a camp and every time they came to rest at a new camp.

Eliasaph had no easy task overseeing all of this!

A LONG JOURNEY WITH A HEAVY BURDEN

Can you imagine carrying so many heavy and bundlesome things through the dessert continuously over the period of 40 long years?

It must have been a stressful chore to keep it all in order and organized.

If anything was broken or split or dropped or soiled; it had to be replaced, cleaned, maintained or repaired.

If anything went missing there was a problem because all the parts were intricate and relied on all the other parts to hold everything together.

Each man carrying each item had to know the procedure for caring for his assigned equipment.  They had to understand the proper way to clean, construct and break down as well as how to handle things in transport and set up again.

A MODERN VERSION OF TRANSPORTING THINGS OF SUCH IMPORTANCE

If you need a more-modern vision of this; imagine every UPS truck on earth being manned together at the same time, given delivery instructions to continuously long destinations and being expected to travel in sync with all the other trucks and safely deliver many delicate and important packages, then pick up more important packages from those same locations to take to the next place.

That is not even nearly as complicated as this ancient process would have been. There were no computers or scheduling software packages out there in the ancient dessert sun. No on-line signatures, or on-line inventory to help out when a problem occurred.  No tracers were in place.  If something was lost; it was REALLY lost – forever.  These men had to think on their feet and be diligent to deliver as instructed. One wrong move and they messed up the whole formation of the nation of Israel.  One lost or damaged item and no worship could take place!  They answered to GOD; not a walkie-talkie or a cell phone.  The consequences for their mistakes could be deadly.

EACH TASK MATTERED IN GOD’S PLAN

You may wish to go back in time a bit and re-read some of the past lessons about the construction of the tabernacle which we studied in our Exodus and Leviticus studies previous.  These older lessons pertain to the pieces of the tabernacle that the Gershonites were carrying.  It would help you to understand the details that they had to be aware and constantly considering in their work.

If you wish to do so; you may find those previous lessons here:https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/httpwp-mep8woph-mo/  https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/curtains-and-clasps/  https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/white-linen-curtains-on-the-inside/  https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/courtyard/  https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/christ-door/   https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/you-cant-judge-a-book-by-its-cover/ https://theinseasonlifestyle.com/a-third-layer-of-ram-skin-dyed-red-come-as-a-child-lesson-162/

There were many more lessons on these items.  Just follow the posts at the bottom of each article if you desire to have a very thorough review.  The explanations of the tabernacle are endless and amazing! 

Moving on though; I can’t emphasize enough that every man had his own task and all of the tasks only succeeded if each man did his part and carried his own weight.

THE WORK SHOULD BE DILIGENT, CONSTANT AND THOROUGH

We spend a lot of time talking about Sabbath and rest and stopping our work after seven days to reflect on what has been done by God in our lives, quietly over time.

Sometimes we get so caught up in remembering Sabbath that we forget that God also commanded us to work for six days.  Both sides of this equation matter and are of great importance to God.

The work that every man is destined to do is part of his purpose and destiny before God.

We should all be as diligent as these Gershonites traveling through the wilderness. Every day they got up and did their assigned tasks; even when they might have felt tedious and even when they were bone tired and just wanted to lay back down for a few more hours of sleep.  

This group understood the importance of a good work ethic. They knew the welfare of the whole camp depended on each of them pulling their own weight and doing their own part; physically, mentally and spiritually.

NOTHING WAS LEFT TO CHANCE

It ALL mattered.

God had left nothing to chance. He had a plan from the very beginning of time; and the people that Moses was leading through the wilderness were a very crucial and critical beginning of the best plan that has ever unfolded to mankind.