The other day we were at a close friend’s house and she had an old rotary phone. Do some of you others with gray at the temples remember those? I dialed up the phone number of my youth on it and was shocked at how long it took to dial just one number. Maybe that’s the whole reason 911 is so short. If I had to dial up the police using the area code and full number on this rotary, I’d more than likely be in much deeper trouble by the time I ever got the phone dialed. And that’s of course if you didn’t make a mistake dialing and have to start all over.
I’ll also show my age in another way concerning phone technology. I recall when the old wired home phones went wireless. Up to this point you were in bondage to your home phone’s single cable that plugged into the wall. If you were lucky you had one of those 25 foot coily wires so you could have a little bit longer leash. Man, I remember getting that cord all tangled up as you would walk and talk. But then some smart people cooked up wireless phones. (I love smart people) Now that was a technology that changed the world. You could talk anywhere in the home, no wires, no cables, no hassles. All you had to do was remember where you laid the phone down at.
Today in Numbers chapter 4 we see a wireless God. He’s mobile, portable, easily moved. You see, the physical building, or tabernacle of God, had to be mobile as the Israelites roamed the desert. Recall that God resided in a pillar of smoke above the mercy seat of the ark during the day and as a pillar of fire by night. When the people saw the pillar, they knew God was home. If the pillar stayed, the people relaxed, they would stay as well. But if the pillar moved? It was time to pack up. When God moved, the people moved. What a great lesson for another day.
Now think about this. It’s estimated that at the beginning of the 40 year wilderness hike, the Israelites numbered about 2 million. That’s a lot of men, women, children, elderly, tents, animals, food, pots, pans and big screen TV’s. And there were no big Israelite moving vans, it all had to be moved by hand and it had to be done quickly. You don’t want to get too far behind the cloud, right? But think about the tabernacle of God. Who packed it all up and moved it? The tribe of Levi. And today we see exactly how and who did all the work, it was a well-oiled machine indeed.
The tribe of Levi was broken up into three divisions and they in turn had three different duties. The Merari’s carried the heavy articles of the temple like the pillars, boards and bars. These were the surrounding wall structure that kept the temple walled off from the camp. It was similar to a pipe and drape setup. The Kohathites carried the articles of furniture that were used within the temple. The lampstand, the altar of incense, the table of showbread, the bronze laver and the burnt altar. The Gershons would carry the curtains, wall coverings and binding cords. Aaron and His sons would carry the Ark of the Covenant, fully covered from sight, as seeing it meant instant death.
With all due respect, this would have been like a travelling circus. They would have been highly trained in their specific duties and because of the repetition, they would have been very quick and efficient at assembling and disassembling the tabernacle. And of course, God had designed it to be that way, very user friendly. And to top all that they had a small army to take care of it. We’re told right here in Numbers 4 the total of all combined men that cared for the transport of the temple:
“ All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to do the work of serving and carrying the tent of meeting numbered 8,580.” Num 4:47
That’s a lot of guys. The irony of the situation is that the Israelites knew they had a very short journey in front of them. They were headed to Kadesh-Barnea from Mount Sinai, a distance of about 175 miles. For a nation of 2 million on foot, this would have been about a 40 day hike. It took them 40 years. As they neared the Promised Land and the people refused to enter, God took them on a scenic tour of the desert until that entire stubborn generation died. Disobedience to God is always costly, sometimes more than others.
This group of guys thought that they’d be hauling the tabernacle around for about a month, not 40 years. I can only imagine how good they were at setting this thing up and breaking it down. It probably looked like a NASCAR pit crew. I wish I had them at my house to take down my Christmas tree.
But you see, God has not changed for you and me today. God is a mobile God. As Jesus Christ ascended back into Heaven after being raised from the dead, He did not leave us alone. He did not just forsake us to deal with this evil, sin-filled world alone. He left us a helper. He left us the very single thing that can make this Earthy life one of joy, peace and freedom. He left us the very Spirit of God.
As you trod this planet today there is no where you can possibly go that God is not with you. If you have called upon Jesus as Lord, He is with you. Always, everywhere, all the time. He is there to talk to you; He is there for you to talk to Him. He is there to give guidance, advice and wisdom. He is there to hold your hand and comfort you in your trials. He is there to just simply stroke your cheek and love you in your weakness. He is also there to correct you and rebuke you when you stray from Him. He loves you enough that He wants to keep you from all evil that will harm you.
Folks, you serve a mobile God. A God that moves, goes and leads. A God that you cannot outrun or leave behind. A God that will never leave you or forsake you. You serve a God that loves you so much, that His love defines your relationship. Thank you, Jesus, that we are yours and you are ours. Today, you and your unending love is with us wherever we may go.
“Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:35-39 NLT
Comentarios