Numbers 4:4 –
“The duties of the Kohathites at the Tabernacle will relate to the most sacred objects.”
I have commented recently about the logistics of moving a couple million people around the desert. Well God is starting to get assigned duties and order to the process. As you go through this chapter you will notice the Levite clans get specific assigned duties to breaking down and transporting the Tabernacle. The Kohathites are to handle the most critical items of the Tabernacle, yet they just move them. Aaron and his sons must first breakdown and cover all the items so no one lays eye on them.
It fascinates me on how the logistics works getting that many people to move order. Guess it’s because we are moving and the logistics are incredible, and it’s just around the block and two people! Moses and Aaron had a huge task of managing the logistics and the people. Imagine the CEO’s they would make! Of course they did have a “direct line” to God, so that helps.
Now as we look the clans of Levi are the Kohathites, the Gershonite and the Merarite clans. In doing the research for my readings in Numbers, I have found references to 10 lost tribes of Israel. I wonder if these are myths or just divisions within the original 12 tribes like Joseph’s tribe was split into Ephraim and Manasseh later. Some mention that when Judah split from Israel that’s where the 10 tribes were formed, which seems logical since you had 11 tribes in one nation and 1 in another, at least there would have been balance.
But again I am chasing down a rabbit hole which seems to have little importance to the message in this chapter. Even in all the chaos of millions of people wandering the desert, God can bring order to it and ensure their safety. Amazing when you think about it and I often wonder if today’s leaders get a least some prompts from God. You look at politics today and for years God seems to just be a pawn in running our nation today and not the King! But that again is another rabbit hole!