Friday - Numbers 4 - The Actual Moving Team

After the total count of the males in the tribe of Levi was complete, a new count was ordered. God commanded that Moses count just those men who would be actively involved in the work of setting up and taking down the Tabernacle. Only men from the age of 30 to 50 were assigned to the actual work. So, the total number of Kohathite workers was 2,750, and there were 2,630 Gershonite workers and 3,200 Merarite workers.  Hence, the total number of men responsible for taking down and setting up the Tabernacle was 8,580. That is a whole heaping pile of workers to do what might seem like a relatively simple task. It goes to show just how important it was to God that every detail be done precisely in order to preserve a proper respect for His things, and, by extension, for Him. Not only that, I'm sure that the burden bearers were only too happy to have substitutes ready as they marched along carrying every single piece of the Tabernacle.

Now, before the worker inventory was taken, God gave them instructions for just how they were to disassemble the Tabernacle. First of all, Aaron and his sons had to cover all of the furniture of the Tabernacle with particular cloth coverings before any of the Kohathites even came into the area.  In other words, the Kohathites didn't even get to see or touch the very items that their lives were devoted to carrying. After that, lthamar was in charge of supervising the Gershonites as they took down all of the cloth parts of the complex and also the Meraites as they deconstructed and reconstructed the framework. Obviously it was a highly organized plan that required a considerable level of management skill.