Numbers 7
1 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 instruments thereof, both the altar and all the vessels thereof, and had anointed them, and sanctified them;
2 That the princes of Israel, heads of the house of their fathers, who were the princes of the tribes, and were over them that were numbered, offered:
3 And they brought their offering before the LORD, six covered wagons, and twelve oxen; a wagon for two of the princes, and for each one an ox: and they brought them before the tabernacle.
4 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
5 Take it of them, that they may be to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; and thou shalt give them unto the Levites, to every man according to his service.
6 And Moses took the wagons and the oxen, and gave them unto the Levites.
7 Two wagons and four oxen he gave unto the sons of Gershon, according to their service:
8 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.
9 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.
I. Moses had set up the tent. He anointed it. He sanctified it. Filled it with the altars and vessels and anointed and sanctified them.
· Verse 3 tells us there were: 6 covered wagons and 12 oxen.
· God told Moses to take and give it to the Levites.
· (Levites were the Priests). They did not till the land or own the land. They lived off a tenth of all the other tribes.
II. Notice in V. 7 how he distributed the wagons and oxen to the Levites.
· Gershon was given 2 wagons and 4 oxen (according to their service).
· Merari was given 4 wagons and 8 oxen (according to their service).
· Kohath, according to V.9 was given none.
· If my Laurel and Whitley County Math serve me right – There were a total of 6 wagons and 12 oxen.
· That means each Levite should have received 2 wagons and 4 oxen.
In Genesis 45 Joseph had seen his brothers and Pharaoh was pleased in his heart and gave them all wagons to go and get their children and wives and all their possessions.
III. My question to you is what do you do when everybody else gets their wagons and you are left in the cold with nothing?
· Anybody ever felt that way?
· Why is he driving a Cadillac while my hunk of junk can hardly make it to church?
· Why to they own their own home and we live in this little dumpy apartment filled with roaches and rats?
· Look at those people over there that live like the devil and rob God of His tithe and treat their family like a dog! They have a new wagon in the driveway. They seem to have enough money to buy 1,000 new wagons.
· I pay my tithe! I am faithful to church! I give my family everything I can, filled with love! But I barley get by!
· It’s not fair!
IV. Here are a few examples that happen a lot in our society.
· John is in college.
· His dad attended the same school and is a successful businessman.
· He lives in the dorm. Is president of the pep club.
· He spends his evenings doing homework and spending time with his friends.
· He has all evening to study for his test tomorrow. He will no-doubt Ace it!
While in the same dorm,
· There’s Bobby. He left his class this afternoon to go to his fulltime job.
· He works until midnight and falls asleep studying for his test tomorrow.
· He gets in trouble for sleeping in class and makes a C- on his test.
Another example
· The boss in the office comes to work everyday and sets in an air-conditioned office. He answers a few calls, drinks a pot of coffee and takes a nap in the afternoon.
· He makes a very good salery. Three times the normal employee.
· He goes home to a wife and three kids. Supper is ready when he walks through the door.
· His wife has been at home all day with the baby and the kid’s homework is already done.
· After supper he plays with his kids awhile and as mom puts them to bed he reads his paper and falls asleep in his recliner.
In the meantime,
· One of his employees, Sue. Is a single mom with 3 kids.
· Here husband left three years ago. She works in the factory for 8 hours.
· There’s no air-conditioning and she has blisters on her hands from the hard labor.
· Because of her wage she leaves job #1 and goes to job #2 where she works as a waitress until 9 PM.
· She rushes home to see her three kids. The 13 year old had to make supper and fed her younger brother and sister.
· The dishes are piled up and the momma kisses her baby on the head and rubs here callused hands through her hair. The baby fell asleep an hour ago waiting on mommy to come home.
· Sue collapses at the kitchen table while helping her kid with his spelling words because she has work 14 hours today just to make ends meat.
· This doesn’t seem fair! The boss hardly works and makes 3 times the money.
· Sue works harder then most but finds herself self-destructing.
A tired, fragile voice is heard saying, WHERE IS MY WAGON???
And now for the rest of the story!
· There was a reason that Kohath wasn’t given a wagon.
· Numbers 7
9 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 NIV says -
because they were to carry on their shoulders the holy things, for which they were responsible.
· The AMP says -
because they were assigned the care of the sanctuary and the holy things which had to be carried on their shoulders.
· Their responsibility was the Holy Things. They carried on their shoulders the articles that belonged in the Holy of Holies. That many could never see in their life.
· They didn’t ride in a wagon, or pull a sheep, but THEY WALKED IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD!!!
· Honey, we must not look around to see the wealth of those around us.
· Many are called, but few are chosen.
· God calls some to look after the wagons, and they do it well.
· God calls some to take care of the oxen, and they do well.
· But thanks be to God that there are some who are called to walk in the presence of God.
Proverbs 13
22 and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.
2 Timothy 4
8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
2 Corinthians 1
20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
Psalm 91
1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
2 Chronicles 7
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
2 Corinthians 4
8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
