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The Tabernacle of the twelve sons of Jacob. His three sons were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, from whom the three families of the Levites took their names-Gershonites, Kohathites, and Merarites. According to the God-given instructions, the Levites pitched their tents on three sides of the tabernacle, between the tents of the other tribes and the sanctuary itself. The tents of Moses, Aaron, and the families of the priests were on the east; there the door of the court was placed. The Gershonites were on the west; the Kohathites, on the south; the Merarites, on the north. (See Num. 3:23, 29, 35.) Thus the priests and the Levites were nearest to the taber- nacle, to minister there for all the people. ยท When the Shekinah Glory, in the pillar of cloud and fire, moved on before Israel, during the forty years of wan- dering, it was the duty of the Levites to take down the tabernacle and see that it was safely carried on the jour- ney. When the Shekinah Glory rested, God was telling His people to rest; and the Levites pitched "the tent of the congregation" in the midst of the camp. In all this service the Gershonites had charge of the cov- erings and curtains, the hangings and cords. The Merarites took care of the sockets and pillars, the boards and bars. The Kohathites were given the sacred vessels and pieces of furniture for their service. All this ministry was done under the supervision of Aaron, in singleness of purpose. Likewise, all the ministry in and through the church should be carried out under the direction and guidance of Jesus, our Great High Priest, and with but one purpose in view, the honor and glory of Him who died for us! By nature Levi was unspeakably cruel, as the record of his and Simeon's wicked crime, recorded in Gen. 34: 1- 31, gives evidence; but by the grace of God he and his
60 scend; and with Him His believer-priests will come to reign with Him over a purified earth. Then this war- weary, sin-sick world will know the fulness of blessing. Then swords shall be beaten into plowshares, and spears into pruninghooks. " ation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more" (Isaiah 2 :4). Of that coming day God has said, "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" (Isaiah 11:9). The Levites A Gift to Aaron-Dedicated to God The study of the priesthood in the Jewish tabernacle would be incomplete without some consideration of the Levites and their ministry in this earthly sanctuary: for they were given to Aaron for service; and Aaron, in turn, gave them back to God as an offering unto the Lord. (See N um. 8:19, 21.) This foreshadowed a significant and beautiful truth: we, as the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, His servants in the world, are the Father's "love- gift" to our Lord; and He, in turn, consecrates us and our service to His Father. His intercessory prayer makes this very plain: "I pray for them ... which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.... I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil" (John 17:9, 10, 15). As the name, "Levites," signifies, these servants of the Lord came from the tribe of Levi; so also did Aaron and his sons. The Genesis record tells us that Levi was one
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