Princely Service.
NUMB. VII.
We learned from Numbers vi, GOD'S requirements of those who desire to
take the privileged position of separation to Himself. We found also in
the conclusion of the same chapter the overflow of GOD'S love in the
rich and comprehensive blessing which so appropriately follows, and
forms the connecting link between Nazarite separation and the princely
service set forth in Chap. vii,--one of the longest in the Bible, and
one full of repetition. We now propose to consider more fully why this
service of giving finds such lengthy record.
SERVICE THE CONSTRAINT OF LOVE.
Is it not that just as separation to GOD issues in blessing, so does
blessing from GOD constrain to service, and especially to the highest
form of service, that which is most GOD-like, that of _Giving_? GOD so
loved the world that He _gave_; CHRIST so loved the Church that He
_gave_; the HOLY SPIRIT so loves the Church that He _gives_; and
redeemed ones, created anew in CHRIST JESUS unto good works, when led by
the SPIRIT, first _give_ themselves unto GOD, and then delight in such
other free-will offerings as the LORD may enable them to present. This
we believe is the reason why the chapter is found here, and is the true
connection between its subject-matter and that of the preceding one.
But why is it so long, so repetitious, and so tedious? The Bible is a
wonderful book; it not only gives the history of the past, and guidance
for the present, but in prophecy we have the history of ages yet to
come--the course of events until the grand climax when GOD shall be all
in all. Why, in a book so marvellous in its comprehensiveness, is so
much space given to this record?
GOD'S DELIGHT IN LOVE-GIFTS.
Is it not in order to reveal the heart of GOD? to show His delight in
the loving offerings of His servants? The record is _not_ tedious to
Him; and it becomes marvellously interesting to us, when we get the key,
and are brought into sympathy with the heart of Him who finds infinite
satisfaction in each gift, of each one of His children, which is the
outcome of gratitude and love.
In the days of our LORD'S life on earth, when the shadow of the cross
was already upon Him, one only amongst all His followers--a woman,
Mary--had understood and really taken in His repeated declaration of the
sufferings that awaited Him; and when she came to anoint Him beforehand
for the burial, and broke the precious alabaster box _she had reserved
for this very purpose_, the thief who kept the bag had only angry words
of criticism and reproach. How sweet to her wounded spirit was her
MASTER'S commendation, "She hath done what she could!" And He added,
"Wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world,
this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her."
On an earlier occasion, likewise, as He sat over against the treasury,
many that were rich cast in large sums of silver and of gold, but He
turned from them and their gifts to draw attention to a certain poor
widow who brought two mites and cast them in. She had gladdened the
heart of Him who was the Creator of all wealth, and the real Owner of it
all. She, said He, had given more than they all: for she _of her want_
had given _all_ that she had! And of her, as of Mary, it is true that in
whatsoever language the Word of GOD is translated, in whatsoever clime
it is read, the MASTER'S commendation is made known.
There is a day coming, in which before assembled worlds He will make
manifest the loving gifts and the secret service of His redeemed ones.
Then we shall not weary as they are recounted and rewarded; and as we
see His joy in them all, we shall better understand the length of
Numbers vii.
FREE-WILL OFFERINGS: verses 1, 2.
_"And it came to pass on the day that Moses had fully set up the
tabernacle, and had anointed it, and sanctified it ... and all the
vessels thereof, ... that the princes of Israel, heads of the house
of their fathers, ... offered."_
When the LORD gave the plan of the tabernacle and of the vessels, He
likewise gave to the people willing hearts to offer, and skill to
execute. There was no need to press them; the workers and contributors
were those whose heart stirred them up, and whose spirit was made
willing. The people brought more than enough for the service of the
work, and Moses had to make proclamation throughout the camp to
restrain them from bringing more.
Is there not a lesson to be learnt here? Let the work only be one of
GOD'S planning, and executed according to His mind, and the hearts that
are in sympathy with Him will gladly respond with suitable and abundant
offerings. For is not the willingness to give as much a part of His
working as the skill to use that which is given? Then, in the givers and
in their gifts, in the workers and in their work, the Divine heart finds
infinite complacency. "For of Him," as the great Designer, "and through
Him," as the effectual Power for the carrying out of His purposes, "and
to Him," as the real Object of all service, "are all things: to whom be
the glory for ever. Amen."
But divine service requires not only initiating, but also maintaining
worthily of GOD. It was not sufficient that the tabernacle and the
vessels of ministry were according to the divine pattern, both as to
material and workmanship, and that they were made by divinely qualified
workmen; but when all was completed and fully set up, both the
tabernacle and the vessels needed anointing and sanctifying; and _when
that was done_ the offerings needed to carry on the service could not
but be freely poured in. In like manner in all life and work, individual
or organised, only let GOD have His right place, and let there be _the
anointing_ of the HOLY GHOST, received by faith, as well as consecration
to Him, and everything will follow, as needful, for the carrying out of
GOD'S plan in the life or work.
GLADSOME ACCEPTANCE: verses 3-5.
_"And they brought their offering before the LORD, six covered
wagons, and twelve oxen; ... and the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Take it of them, that they may be to do the service of the
tabernacle of the congregation; and thou shall give them unto the
Levites, to every man according to his service."_
It is interesting to note that the first offerings recorded were for the
purpose of assisting in the moving of the tabernacle; it was not GOD'S
purpose that it should be stationary. Nor is GOD'S work ever intended to
be stationary, but always advancing.
The offerings themselves were remarkable: rude bullock-wagons, probably
rough both in material and workmanship, much like those we now are
familiar with in the unchanging East; they must have presented a
striking contrast to the beauty of the skilfully prepared vessels of
ministry. We may well imagine the thought to have passed through the
mind of Moses, Can such rude offerings be acceptable to the glorious
GOD? But GOD Himself dispels all doubt, by saying, "Take it of them."
GOD is not hard to please, nor is true human love, for it is a dim
reflection of His own. We do not estimate our love-gifts by their
intrinsic value, but rather by the love they express. Well do we
remember a little incident which occurred some twenty-four years ago,
and which illustrates this truth.
My little daughter, then about five years old, came to me on the morning
of my birthday with a curious little birthday gift in her hand,--"Papa,
I haven't bought you a birthday present," said she; "I thought you would
rather have something I made myself." How my heart went out to the
little darling, and how glad I was that she should think that something
she could make would be more precious to me than any purchased gift! But
what the curious little gift could be intended for I was quite at a loss
to divine, and I engaged her in conversation, hoping she might let some
clue slip that would help me to find out for what she meant it, for I
feared she would be disappointed if I did not recognize it. The little
pet had found a small piece of wood, and had bored a hole in it with her
scissors, in which she had inserted a peg, and on the top had hung half
a cockle-shell--certainly an uncommon birthday present!
At last, unable to guess what it was supposed to be, I took my dear
child on my knee, and, kissing her, said, "Papa is so pleased to have a
birthday present of your own making; what is it my darling has made for
me?" "Why, don't you know, papa? I thought you would like best a ship to
take you to China!"
The dear child was right; probably no gift I ever received gave more
pleasure, or was as carefully treasured, and as often thought of. When
that dear child had become old enough to engage in missionary work in
China herself, and was able to introduce me to the first two Chinese
women whom she had brought to CHRIST, I remembered the little ship; and
when the women were gone reminded her about it, and told her that the
joy of finding her now used of GOD in the blessed work itself was a
greater joy than her gift had been. She was surprised that I should
remember it; but it had never passed from my memory, and the
recollection of it is a pleasure still. It is not hard to please those
who love us.[D]
GOD _wants our love_; "My son, give Me thine heart." He wants our
_sympathy_; He wants the gifts and offerings that are prompted by
_love_. Shall He look to us in vain? Our David still thirsts, not for
the waters of the well of Bethlehem, but for the souls for which He
died. Shall He not have them? He specially needs willing, skilful young
men, ready to break through the enemy's camp to deliver the captives of
the mighty one. Who that can will go? Who that cannot go at present will
help others to go?
[D: While preparing these sheets for the press we learn from a telegram
that He whom my dear daughter had served in China since 1885, has called
her (and her baby of sixteen months) from her husband, the Rev. J. J.
Coulthard, and three surviving children, to the eternal home above.]
ACCORDING TO HIS SERVICE: verses 5-9.
_"Thou shall give them unto the Levites, to every man according to
his service. And Moses took the wagons and the oxen, and gave them
unto the Levites. Two wagons and four oxen he gave unto the sons of
Gershon, according to their service, and four wagons and eight oxen
he gave unto the sons of Merari, according unto their service, under
the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. But unto the sons
of Kohath he gave none; because the service of the sanctuary
belonging unto them was that they should bear upon their
shoulders."_
The princes brought their offering to the LORD, and the LORD accepted
it. Having accepted it Himself it was His to give to whom He would; and
He chose to give it to the Levites, for they in a special manner were
His, and devoted to His service.
The tribe of Levi was in one sense the poorest in Israel. In dividing
the land among the tribes, no territory was allotted to them. They will
have territory by-and-by, when the LORD comes (_see_ Ezek. xlviii.
12-14), but never have they had any yet. Cities to dwell in, and
suburbs, were given them here and there, in all the tribes of Israel,
but of earthly portion that was all.
And yet they were the richest tribe in Israel, for the LORD Himself was
their inheritance. When one of the other tribes was taken into
captivity, he had to leave his inheritance behind; but the godly Levite
was as rich in Babylon as in Palestine: death itself could not rob him
of his portion. Happy indeed are they who share the Levite's lot! When
the LORD JESUS comes again, those, surely, who have stored most in
heaven, and have least to leave behind on earth, will render their
account with the greatest joy.
_"To every man according to his service."_ The LORD did not say, divide
it equally among the families of Levi. There were six wagons, and three
families of Levites; but four wagons were given to Merari, two to
Gershon, "but unto the sons of Kohath he gave none." At first sight this
division appears unfair; but it was and still is the LORD'S plan to give
"to every man according to his service." It fell to the lot of Merari to
carry the heaviest materials of the tabernacle; the boards, the bars,
and the pillars with their heavy sockets of solid silver,[E] and all the
instruments; the pillars of the court, likewise, with their brazen
sockets and pins, and their cords,--these formed Merari's weighty
burden.
[E: Weighing more than one cwt. each: the hundred sockets therefore
alone weighing over five tons of pure silver.]
The duty of Gershon was to convey the curtains, hangings, coverings and
cords of the tabernacle, and the hangings of the court; for this
service, two wagons were as sufficient help as the four were for Merari.
But what of Kohath? His burdens were not light: the ark, with its
covering the mercy-seat, and the cherubim of gold overshadowing it, the
table and the candlestick, the altars and the vessels of the sanctuary,
and all their coverings, these were entrusted to his sons. Heavy they
were indeed, but no help had they, "because the service of the sanctuary
belonging unto them was that they should bear upon their shoulders."
Sometimes the children of GOD are tempted to murmur when their service
seems heavy and but little help is forthcoming: they may perhaps compare
their lot with that of others for whom larger provision has been made.
But GOD makes no mistakes; according to their service He divides the
help, and those who are called to the holiest service are those who can
have least assistance. Such are privileged to carry upon their own
shoulders sacred burdens that may not be shared with less privileged
ones. There was ONE Who trod the winepress alone, and of the people
there was none with Him; and one who was very like to his MASTER tells
us, "At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me....
Notwithstanding the LORD stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me
the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might
hear." Those who would be near the MASTER in the glory must here drink
the cup of sorrow with Him and be baptized with His baptism.
The burden-bearing of the Levites was not to last for ever: once in the
Promised Land that service ceased. Nor will our opportunity of
burden-bearing be for long; the glorious appearing of our great GOD and
SAVIOUR will soon summons the watchful and waiting ones to meet Him in
the air. A million a month in China are dying without GOD; now we may
seek to win them; now we may suffer to win them. May none of us lose the
opportunity of self-denial and service while it lasts!
"'A little while'--He'll come again!
Let us the precious hours redeem;
Our greatest grief to give Him pain,
Our joy to serve and follow Him.
Watching and ready may we be,
As those who long their LORD to see.
'A little while'--'twill soon be past!
Why should we shun the shame and cross?
Oh! let us in His footsteps haste,
Counting for Him all else but loss.
Oh! how will recompense His smile
The sufferings of this 'little while.'"
THE DEDICATORY OFFERINGS: verses 10, 11.
_"And the princes offered for dedicating of the altar in the day
that it was anointed.... And the LORD said unto Moses, They shall
offer their offering, each prince on his day, for the dedicating of
the altar."_
The offerings recorded in the early verses of this chapter were given in
connection with the setting up of the Tabernacle, and had reference to
its transportation. But the offerings now to be considered had reference
to the altar, and the sacrifices to be offered thereon. Their number,
their character, and their value are full of significance; and the
space accorded to their record by GOD shows the Divine estimation of the
altar, and of those gifts which pertain to sacrifice to Him.
The altar points us to our incarnate SAVIOUR, the CHRIST of GOD, and
reminds us that _without shedding of blood there is no remission of
sin_. The altar sanctified the gift; the fire on the altar first came
down from heaven; all fire that did not come from the altar was strange
fire, and could only bring death to the offerer when used in worship, as
in the case of Nadab and Abihu.
Do we not need to remember this in the present day, when false teachers
deny the atoning character of the death of CHRIST, and vainly imagine
that GOD can be served with the unhallowed fires of fleshly activity?
THE DISPLAY OF THE GIFTS.
The twelve princes, the representatives of the Israel of GOD, brought
their offerings before the altar, and would have left them there: they
were all exactly alike, and the gifts might have been speedily accepted,
and briefly recorded, if recorded at all. But the LORD said unto Moses,
They shall offer their offering, each prince on his day,--or, literally,
_one prince a day_, a sentence which is expressed twice in the Original,
showing GOD'S regard for order and method in all things which concern
His service, and that He graciously receives and remembers the offerings
of each of His faithful. Accordingly all the offerings of each of the
princes are here registered by the HOLY SPIRIT in GOD'S Book, as an
encouragement to Christian liberality in all ages" (_Wordsworth_).
Does it not seem as though the Divine delight in the offering of His
servants was so great that He would have His people also to dwell upon
them for twelve consecutive days? And not only does He spread them over
twelve days, but He spreads them over seventy-seven long verses in this
long chapter; first in minute detail, according as much space to the
gifts of the last offerer as to those of the first, and then totalling
up the aggregate amount, as though He would say, "Behold the love-gifts
of my people! How many and how precious the offerings of each, and how
great the value of the whole! Note, too, the persons of the offerers,
and that all their gifts were for the dedication of the altar, and show
their appreciation of the need for, and the blessed privilege of
sacrifice!"
As we mentioned in our introductory chapter, it was through this
account, read in a time of great spiritual need, that our mind was
opened as never before to see GOD'S great heart of love. We seemed to be
reminded of the delight often taken by bride and bridegroom in spreading
out for inspection the love-gifts of their friends, that as many as
possible may share their gratification in them. Several may have sent
similar gifts; but each is set out to the best possible advantage, with
the name of the giver attached. And while the intrinsic value of each is
not lost sight of, it is the loving thought of which it is the
expression that is most prized.
Again, we were reminded of the way in which, in our frequent absence
from home and children, wifely letters have cheered and interested us,
depicting with motherly tenderness the gifts the children had brought
her on her birthday, or other occasion, with a fulness of detail that
showed alike the pleasure of the writer and her consciousness of the
enjoyment with which the account would be read. Does not the full detail
of this chapter reveal, in like manner, the love and tenderness of Him
whose Book it is, toward each offerer; and bring out what we may
reverently call the mother-side of GOD'S character, Who has condescended
to say, "As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you"?
THE PERSON OF THE OFFERER. verses 12-17.
_"And he that offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son
of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah:" etc._
As we read of the offerings of the twelve princes, we note that,
valuable as they manifestly are, the offerer whose love prompted the
gifts, is made more prominent in the inspired Record. The person of each
offerer is brought before us, both as an individual, and in his
relationship to the tribe of which he is the representative, before any
enumeration is made of his gifts; and when the enumeration has been
fully given, we are again reminded of the offerer himself. Could the
Divine love and satisfaction be more expressively brought out?
With this thought in view, let us read between the lines of the
Record:--
And he that offered his offering--for a glad free-will offering it
was--on the first day was Nahshon, Nahshon the son of Amminadab, Nahshon
the prince of the tribe of Judah; and his offering was one charger--a
silver charger, and a weighty one; the weight thereof was a hundred and
thirty shekels: one bowl, also of silver, of seventy shekels weight; not
the light shekels of commerce, but the weighty shekels of the Sanctuary.
Nor were these vessels empty: both of them were full--full of flour,
fine flour, and mingled with oil, destined for a meat-offering.
One spoon was the next gift, yet more precious, a spoon of solid gold,
of no less than ten shekels weight. It, too, was full--full of incense.
Next were brought one young bullock, one ram, and one lamb of the first
year--all for a burnt-offering. Any one of these might have been
offered; Nahshon, however, brought them all, and all to be wholly
consumed on the altar, for the enjoyment and satisfaction of GOD alone.
But Nahshon was a sinner, and the tribe he represented were sinful men;
a sin-offering therefore was not neglected; and in the order of
enumeration this is next mentioned, though, as we have said before, it
was offered first--one kid of the goats for a sin-offering.
And, lastly, a princely offering for a sacrifice of peace-offerings; two
oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five lambs of the first year--sacrifices
on which GOD feasted, as it were, together with His people, and in which
the sacrificing priest, the offerer and all his friends had their full
share.
And this, all this, was the offering of Nahshon, Nahshon the son of
Amminadab.
Twelve times is all this detail repeated--a most emphatic evidence that
GOD never wearies in noting the service of each one of His people. But
even this is not all. In the 84th and following verses of this long
chapter we read:--
"This was the dedication of the altar, in the day when it was anointed,
by the princes of Israel: twelve chargers of silver, twelve silver
bowls, twelve spoons of gold. Each charger of silver weighing a hundred
and thirty shekels, each bowl seventy: all the silver vessels weighed
two thousand and four hundred shekels, after the shekel of the
Sanctuary. The golden spoons were twelve, full of incense, weighing
twelve shekels apiece, after the shekel of the Sanctuary; all the gold
of the spoons was a hundred and twenty shekels.
"All the oxen for the burnt-offering were twelve bullocks, the rams
twelve, the lambs of the first year twelve, with their meat-offering;
and the kids of the goats for sin-offering twelve. And all the oxen for
the sacrifice of the peace-offerings were twenty and four bullocks, the
rams sixty, the he-goats sixty, the lambs of the first year sixty.
"This"--_all this_--"was the dedication of the altar, after that it was
anointed."
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ALTAR.
In this glad summing up of the great aggregate value of the offerings,
we not only get a further view of the Divine complacency in the
love-gifts of His people, and in the persons of the offerers, but the
object of the offerings is also brought into special prominence. As the
list of each prince's offerings was preceded and followed by reference
to the _person_ of the offerer, so the list of totals is preceded and
followed by the thought, This was the dedication of the altar in the day
when it was anointed.
The importance of the brazen altar can scarcely be exaggerated. The
Tabernacle contained many precious things, each typifying most important
truths concerning our LORD and His ministry; the ark on which rested the
Shekinah, which enshrined the tables of the law, and was covered by the
mercy-seat, the table of shew-bread, the candlestick of gold, and the
golden altar were all most precious; but, apart from the brazen altar,
_there was no access to them for guilty man_; without shedding of
blood there is no remission of sin. Hence the recognition by the princes
of the importance of the altar; and hence the Divine emphasis placed
upon those gifts--an emphasis wholly without parallel in the sacred
Records. To the godly Israelite the brazen altar typified that which was
fulfilled at the Cross, and well may we exclaim: "GOD forbid that I
should glory, save in the Cross of our LORD JESUS CHRIST" (Gal. vi. 14).
* * * * *
Looking back over the two chapters on which we have been dwelling we see
in them a marvellous revelation of Divine love--even in Mosaic times.
First, an unrestricted invitation to draw near to GOD; woman or man, of
any tribe--whosoever will--may come and be wholly separated unto the
LORD--but only in GOD'S way. We learn, too, that in such consecration
there is no merit on which man may rest, or in which he may boast; we
are at best unprofitable servants, accepted only in the BELOVED,
complete only in Him. Yet such consecration gives joy to GOD, and opens
the way to wonderful revelations of blessing; blessing which when
enjoyed constrains to service, to gift, to recognition of the
preciousness of the Altar, of the Cross--a service in which GOD Himself
finds delight, and on which He never wearies to dwell.
May GOD make our meditations very practical; and may we "thus judge,
that if ONE died for all, then were all dead; and that He died for all,
that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but
unto Him which died for them and rose again,"--or, as we may better
read it, "unto Him which died and rose again for them."
Are we really thus living? GOD knows: eternity will show: what answer
does conscience give now? What conclusions do our brothers, sisters,
children, friends draw from our lives? Our true self-denial,
self-emptying, and giving for CHRIST'S cause practically show _our_ real
estimate of the value of the Cross of CHRIST, our real love for the
CHRIST who was crucified for us.
THE END.
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|Transcriber's Note: |
| |
|Mismatched and inconsistent punctuation has been|
|retained as it appears in the original book. |
+------------------------------------------------+
End of Project Gutenberg's Separation and Service, by James Hudson Taylor