INTRODUCTION: The people of God have been stationed in the wilderness of Sinai for quite some time, but it is nearing time for them to set forward. The Lord has specific instructions for the packing of the tabernacle. Each of three families of Levi (the Kohathites, the Gershonites, and the Merarites) is given specific responsibilities. This lesson gives detailed information as to the responsibility of each family. It should not surprise us that this lesson also contains many wonderful pictures of how the work of God would move forward into the age of grace when God packed away the Old Testament government and wrought a supernatural work through the sacrifice of His Son.

1. The Responsibilities of the Kohathites (Numbers 4:1-20 [1] And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, [2] Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, after their families, by the house of their fathers, [3] From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation. [4] This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, about the most holy things: [5] And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering vail, and cover the ark of testimony with it: [6] And shall put thereon the covering of badgers' skins, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in the staves thereof. [7] And upon the table of shewbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls, and covers to cover withal: and the continual bread shall be thereon: [8] And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put in the staves thereof. [9] And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the candlestick of the light, and his lamps, and his tongs, and his snuffdishes, and all the oil vessels thereof, wherewith they minister unto it: [10] And they shall put it and all the vessels thereof within a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put it upon a bar. [11] And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put to the staves thereof: [12] And they shall take all the instruments of ministry, wherewith they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put them on a bar: [13] And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon: [14] And they shall put upon it all the vessels thereof, wherewith they minister about it, even the censers, the fleshhooks, and the shovels, and the basons, all the vessels of the altar; and they shall spread upon it a covering of badgers' skins, and put to the staves of it. [15] And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation. [16] And to the office of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest pertaineth the oil for the light, and the sweet incense, and the daily meat offering, and the anointing oil, and the oversight of all the tabernacle, and of all that therein is, in the sanctuary, and in the vessels thereof. [17] And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron saying, [18] Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites: [19] But thus do unto them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach unto the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in, and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden: [20] But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die.
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1. The Command to Number (Numbers 4:1-3 [1] And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, [2] Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, after their families, by the house of their fathers, [3] From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.
   See All...)
2. The Work of Aaron (Numbers 4:4-15 [4] This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, about the most holy things: [5] And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering vail, and cover the ark of testimony with it: [6] And shall put thereon the covering of badgers' skins, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in the staves thereof. [7] And upon the table of shewbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls, and covers to cover withal: and the continual bread shall be thereon: [8] And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put in the staves thereof. [9] And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the candlestick of the light, and his lamps, and his tongs, and his snuffdishes, and all the oil vessels thereof, wherewith they minister unto it: [10] And they shall put it and all the vessels thereof within a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put it upon a bar. [11] And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put to the staves thereof: [12] And they shall take all the instruments of ministry, wherewith they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put them on a bar: [13] And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon: [14] And they shall put upon it all the vessels thereof, wherewith they minister about it, even the censers, the fleshhooks, and the shovels, and the basons, all the vessels of the altar; and they shall spread upon it a covering of badgers' skins, and put to the staves of it. [15] And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.
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1. The ark of the testimony (Numbers 4:5-6 [5] And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering vail, and cover the ark of testimony with it: [6] And shall put thereon the covering of badgers' skins, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in the staves thereof.
   See All...)
1. Literal instructions
1. Take down the covering vail and cover the ark of testimony with it.
2. Put thereon a covering of badgers’ skins.
3. Spread over it a cloth wholly of blue.
4. Put in the staves thereof.
2. Spiritual application
1. The ark is a type of our Lord Jesus Christ and speaks specifically of the presence of God among His people.
1. As such, we see that the ark itself pictures the presence of God.
2. The covering vail is typical of the body of flesh that our Saviour adorned while on this earth (Hebrews 10:20By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
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2. The extra coverings also point to the dual nature of Jesus Christ.
1. Humanity (badgers’ skins) – The badgers’ skins were not beautiful. The color was drab and dull and more than likely the outside would show the wear and tear of the elements.
2. Deity (cloth wholly of blue) – The color blue usually is typical of royalty or heaven. As such, it is symbolic of the heavenly nature of the God-man. Notice that it says it was wholly of blue. As such, Jesus Christ was completely God and completely man.
2. The table of shewbread (Numbers 4:7-8 [7] And upon the table of shewbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls, and covers to cover withal: and the continual bread shall be thereon: [8] And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put in the staves thereof.
   See All...)
1. Literal instructions
1. Spread a cloth of blue.
2. Put thereon the dishes, spoons, bowls, and covers to cover withal.
3. The continual bread shall be thereon.
4. Spread a cloth of scarlet.
5. Cover the same with a covering of badgers’ skins.
2. Spiritual application
1. The table of shewbread is a type of the word of God.
1. It is compared to bread in scripture (Matthew 4:4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
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2. There were 12 loaves of bread on the table (1 for each tribe) or 2 rows of 6. The Bible is made up of 66 books.
2. The covering of the table of shewbread bears much of the information concerning how we got our Bible.
1. Inspiration - The cloth of blue shows that its origin and source is heavenly. The instruments demonstrate that God used instruments to bring us the word and those instruments were the human penmen (2 Timothy 3:16All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
   See All...; 2 Peter 1:21For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
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2. Preservation – The bread is here said to be continual. We know from studying the scriptures that God has promised a continual word. Not a new word, but rather a preservation of the one He gave in the first place (Psalm 12:6-7 [6] The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. [7] Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
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3. The cloth of scarlet could be twofold.
1. Sins are associated with scarlet in the Bible which demonstrates that the Bible is a book that condemns man by showing his sins
2. The blood can also be associated with scarlet and certainly the only thing that can cancel out the debt of sin is the blood. The blood is a central message from the beginning of the Bible all the way through.
3. The candlestick of the light (Numbers 4:9-10 [9] And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the candlestick of the light, and his lamps, and his tongs, and his snuffdishes, and all the oil vessels thereof, wherewith they minister unto it: [10] And they shall put it and all the vessels thereof within a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put it upon a bar.
   See All...)
1. Literal instructions
1. Cover the candlestick of the light, his lamps, his tongs, his snuffdishes, and all the oil vessels thereof with a cloth of blue.
2. Put all of that within a covering of badgers’ skins.
3. Put it upon a bar.
2. Spiritual application
1. The candlestick is a type of the Holy Spirit.
2. It is He who illuminates us concerning the table of shewbread (the word of God).
3. The candlestick here is wrapped up in a cloth of blue signifying it as deity and signifying the presence of God.
4. The candlestick is then placed inside a covering of badgers’ skins.  This pictures that the presence of God in the future would be that of the Holy Spirit residing on the inside of the believer (the badger’s skin is typical of our body) (John 14:17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
   See All...; Romans 8:9But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
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4. The golden altar (Numbers 4:11And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put to the staves thereof:
   See All...) – the altar of incense (Exodus 40:26And he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation before the vail:
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1. Literal instructions
1. Spread a cloth of blue.
2. Cover it with a covering of badgers’ skins.
3. Put to the staves thereof.
2. Spiritual application
1. The altar of incense is a type of our prayers (Revelation 8:3-4 [3] And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. [4] And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.
   See All...). Notice the simplicity of the packing of the altar.
2. This points to the ease by which believers will be able to come to God in the New Testament. Notice that it is merely the coming together of blue (deity or God) and badgers’ skins (flesh or man).
5. The instruments of ministry (Numbers 4:12And they shall take all the instruments of ministry, wherewith they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put them on a bar:
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1. Literal instructions
1. Put them in a cloth of blue.
2. Cover them with a covering of badgers’ skins.
2. Spiritual application
1. The instruments of our ministry are gifts from God which are pictured by the cloth of blue.
2. God chooses to place these gifts within men for the furtherance of the gospel.
6. The altar (Numbers 4:13-14 [13] And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon: [14] And they shall put upon it all the vessels thereof, wherewith they minister about it, even the censers, the fleshhooks, and the shovels, and the basons, all the vessels of the altar; and they shall spread upon it a covering of badgers' skins, and put to the staves of it.
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1. Literal instructions
1. Take away the ashes.
2. Spread a cloth of purple.
3. Put upon it all the vessels.
4. Spread upon it a covering of badgers’ skins.
5. Put to the staves.
2. Spiritual application
1. The altar points to a place of sacrifice.
2. Taking away the ashes may be symbolic of the fact that bulls and goats cannot satisfy God.
3. The spreading of the purple cloth once again points to the deity of Christ coming to take the place of the bulls, goats and other sacrifices.
4. The tools of sacrifice were laid on the purple cloth, much like the cruelty of crucifixion and judgment of our sins was laid on Him.
5. The covering of badgers’ skins could once again point to the fact that He (Jesus) was sacrificed for our sins in a body of flesh.
3. The Burden of the Kohathites (Numbers 4:15And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.
   See All...)
1. Do not touch (Numbers 4:15And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.
   See All...).
2. Bear the ark of the testimony, the table of shewbread, the candlestick of the light, and the golden altar (Numbers 4:15And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.
   See All...).
4. The Office of Eleazar (Numbers 4:16And to the office of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest pertaineth the oil for the light, and the sweet incense, and the daily meat offering, and the anointing oil, and the oversight of all the tabernacle, and of all that therein is, in the sanctuary, and in the vessels thereof.
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1. The oil for the light
2. The sweet incense
3. The daily meat offering
4. The anointing oil
5. Oversight of the tabernacle, the sanctuary and all the vessels thereof
5. The Protection of the Kohathites (Numbers 4:17-20 [17] And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron saying, [18] Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites: [19] But thus do unto them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach unto the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in, and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden: [20] But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die.
   See All...)
1. Do not cut them off (Numbers 4:18Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites:
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2. Can not see the holy things uncovered (Numbers 4:20But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die.
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3. Lest they die (Numbers 4:20But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die.
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2. The Responsibilities of the Gershonites (Numbers 4:21-28 [21] And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, [22] Take also the sum of the sons of Gershon, throughout the houses of their fathers, by their families; [23] From thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shalt thou number them; all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation. [24] This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, to serve, and for burdens: [25] And they shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tabernacle of the congregation, his covering, and the covering of the badgers' skins that is above upon it, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, [26] And the hangings of the court, and the hanging for the door of the gate of the court, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and all that is made for them: so shall they serve. [27] At the appointment of Aaron and his sons shall be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burdens, and in all their service: and ye shall appoint unto them in charge all their burdens. [28] This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation: and their charge shall be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
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1. The Command to Number (Numbers 4:21-23 [21] And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, [22] Take also the sum of the sons of Gershon, throughout the houses of their fathers, by their families; [23] From thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shalt thou number them; all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.
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2. The Burden of the Gershonites (Numbers 4:24-27 [24] This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, to serve, and for burdens: [25] And they shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tabernacle of the congregation, his covering, and the covering of the badgers' skins that is above upon it, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, [26] And the hangings of the court, and the hanging for the door of the gate of the court, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and all that is made for them: so shall they serve. [27] At the appointment of Aaron and his sons shall be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burdens, and in all their service: and ye shall appoint unto them in charge all their burdens.
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1. Bear the curtains of the tabernacle (Numbers 4:25And they shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tabernacle of the congregation, his covering, and the covering of the badgers' skins that is above upon it, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,
   See All...).
2. The tabernacle of the congregation (Numbers 4:25And they shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tabernacle of the congregation, his covering, and the covering of the badgers' skins that is above upon it, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,
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3. His covering (Numbers 4:25And they shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tabernacle of the congregation, his covering, and the covering of the badgers' skins that is above upon it, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,
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4. The covering of badgers’ skins (Numbers 4:25And they shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tabernacle of the congregation, his covering, and the covering of the badgers' skins that is above upon it, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,
   See All...)
5. The hanging for the door of the tabernacle (Numbers 4:25And they shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tabernacle of the congregation, his covering, and the covering of the badgers' skins that is above upon it, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,
   See All...)
6. The hangings of the court (Numbers 4:26And the hangings of the court, and the hanging for the door of the gate of the court, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and all that is made for them: so shall they serve.
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7. The hanging for the door of the gate of the court (Numbers 4:26And the hangings of the court, and the hanging for the door of the gate of the court, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and all that is made for them: so shall they serve.
   See All...)
8. Their cords (Numbers 4:26And the hangings of the court, and the hanging for the door of the gate of the court, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and all that is made for them: so shall they serve.
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9. All the instruments of their service (Numbers 4:26And the hangings of the court, and the hanging for the door of the gate of the court, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and all that is made for them: so shall they serve.
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10. All that is made for them (Numbers 4:26And the hangings of the court, and the hanging for the door of the gate of the court, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and all that is made for them: so shall they serve.
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3. Under the Hand of Ithamar (Numbers 4:28This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation: and their charge shall be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
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3. The Responsibilities of the Merarites (Numbers 4:29-33 [29] As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them after their families, by the house of their fathers; [30] From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old shalt thou number them, every one that entereth into the service, to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation. [31] And this is the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the tabernacle of the congregation; the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and sockets thereof, [32] And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords, with all their instruments, and with all their service: and by name ye shall reckon the instruments of the charge of their burden. [33] This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service, in the tabernacle of the congregation, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
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1. The Command to Number (Numbers 4:29-30 [29] As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them after their families, by the house of their fathers; [30] From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old shalt thou number them, every one that entereth into the service, to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation.
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2. The Burden of the Merarites (Numbers 4:31-32 [31] And this is the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the tabernacle of the congregation; the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and sockets thereof, [32] And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords, with all their instruments, and with all their service: and by name ye shall reckon the instruments of the charge of their burden.
   See All...)
1. The boards of the tabernacle (Numbers 4:31And this is the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the tabernacle of the congregation; the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and sockets thereof,
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2. Pillars of the court round about (Numbers 4:32And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords, with all their instruments, and with all their service: and by name ye shall reckon the instruments of the charge of their burden.
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3. Under the Hand of Ithamar (Numbers 4:33This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service, in the tabernacle of the congregation, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
   See All...)

CONCLUSION: What an amazing God that we have that could place within the instructions of moving the tabernacle His plans for offering salvation to mankind, for providing the written word of God, and for working in the hearts and lives of His people. It is no wonder that the scriptures say of Him that His ways are past finding out.