“When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the sacred utensils, the Kohathites will come and carry these things to the next destination.” - Numbers 4:15
How many people does it take to run a large church? It took 8,580 Levites (Numbers 4:47-48) to care for and carry the Tabernacle under the direction of Aaron and his sons, whom God had put in charge. Aaron and his sons prepared the holy things to be moved when God said so, and then the Kohathites came to do the carrying.
Two generations later, Korah, Kohath’s grandson (Numbers 16:1), and others of his peers became insolent and incited a rebellion along with 250 community leaders. They wanted to be in charge, to be the leaders—the priests, not the grunt workers (Numbers 16:1-10). Being in charge looked like so much more fun than being called to carry! Moses reminded them, “Does it seem a small thing to you that the God of Israel has chosen you from among all the people of Israel to be near him as you serve?” (16:9). But they wanted more. God punished their insolence and rebellion with death (Numbers 16:16-35).
There is great joy in accepting the place God has assigned us among his people. Paul tells us in the New Testament that confusion and divisions come when we write our own job descriptions (1 Corinthians 12:4-31). A sense of contentment and belonging comes when we discover our niche. No ministry should be seen as a small thing, for God has given a special ministry only to you. Have you been “called to carry”? Then carry with joy and pride. For God chose you for that special task.
For Further Study: Numbers 4:1-20
Excerpted from The One Year Devotions for Women, Copyright ©2000 by Jill Briscoe. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
For more from Jill Briscoe, please visit TellingtheTruth.org.
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