“Are You Content to Carry the Tent Pegs?”
February 26, 2024
Every year I read through the entire Bible from the table of contents right through to the maps in the back! And each year I follow a different plan to accomplish that reading. In 2024, I am following a chronological plan in which the reading of the book of Numbers began a few days ago. Numbers is that one book of the Bible that probably has the greatest potential to derail most from continuing on in their year-long quest of reading the entire Bible. That is if Leviticus, the book prior to Numbers, did not already accomplish that!
Even though I prefer words to numbers, persisting through the book of Numbers this year has provided profound insights I had not seen the first 20+ times I have read through the Bible. One of those insights came from Numbers 3 where the duties of moving the tabernacle were assigned. The Old Testament tabernacle was portable, and as the Israelites wandered through the wilderness in route to the Promised Land, they could pick up that tabernacle and carry it with them. However, there was a precise way to transport, disassemble, and reassemble it. God not only revealed exactly how the tabernacle was to be erected, but He also revealed how it was to be moved from place to place. God gave specific duties to the tribe of Levi and to the sons of Kohath, Gershon, and Merari.
The tribe of Levi was given the responsibility of serving within the temple and also of disassembling, transporting, and reassembling the tabernacle. The sons of Kohath were to take down the veil in the Most Holy Place, cover the ark, insert the poles, and carry it wherever God would lead. They alone were allowed to pick it up and carry it. To the sons of Gershon went the task of caring for the curtains and the hangings. They would take them down, carefully prepare them for transportation, and load them onto a pair of oxcarts to follow where God would lead. Finally, the sons of Merari were assigned the task of carrying the planks, poles, bases and whatever else remained, and they needed four oxcarts to do so.
Clearly some tasks were more superior to others. God chose the sons of Kohath to care for and transport the MOST HOLY items, while the sons of Merari were chosen to care for and transport the MOST COMMON items. It makes me wonder if envy existed between the sons from time to time. Did a son of Merari envy a son of Kohath? “Why does he get to carry the ark when I only ever get to carry the tent pegs?”
Perhaps there are times when we compare our God given tasks and talents to what He has given to others. We may feel as though our tasks pale in comparison to what others are tasked to do. And if and when we do compare, we overlook a vital truth – God knows best, and He calls us to the tasks that will bring Him the most glory.
The sons of Merari’s tasks were good because they had been called to it by God. He did not call them to carry the ark, but He called them to serve in His tabernacle and unto His glory. They may have had a lesser calling, but they still had a noble calling that God wanted them to embrace and carry out skillfully.
Whether we are called to carry the MOST HOLY items or the MOST COMMON items, our responsibility is to answer God’s call and to carry out our tasks faithfully and joyfully. All are needed to accomplish God’s purposes!
It is God’s sovereignty and will which allow some to minister to mega churches and some to minister to miniscule ones. It is His sovereignty and will that allow some to have popular podcasts, blogs, and best-selling books. It is God’s sovereignty and will that allow podcasts, blogs, and books to remain in a lesser limelight.
God knows best, and He knows what tasks to call us to that will bring Him the most glory. Are we content to carry the tent pegs?
Serve the Lord with gladness! (Psalm 100: 2)