02.37. ORDER OF THE CAMP
ORDER OF THE CAMP (Numbers 2:1-34, Numbers 3:1-51) THE Camp was arranged about the Tabernacle in the order ordained of God. The Tribe of Levi was separated from the rest of the tribes for the immediate service of the Tabernacle, the setting of it up, the taking of it down and the transportation of it on the march.
“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him ... to do the service of the tabernacle.” (Numbers 3:6-13.)
“Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine.” (Numbers 8:14.) The Tribe of Levi was constituted of three families, the sons of Gershon, the sons of Kohath, the sons of Merari. (Numbers 3:17.) The Gershonites camped on the west. (Numbers 3:23.) The Kohathites on the south. (Numbers 3:29.) The Merarites on the north. (Numbers 3:35.)
Moses and Aaron and Aaron’s sons were of the family of Kohath and pitched their tents on the east directly in front of the Tabernacle. (Numbers 3:38.) Moses was as a king in the midst; as it is written:
“And he was king in Jeshurun (Israel), when the beads of the people and the tribes of Israel were gathered together.” (Deuteronomy 33:4-5) Aaron and his sons filled the priest’s office. The Gershonites had charge of the coverings of the Tabernacle, hangings for the door of the Holy Place, the curtains, the hangings of the court and the cords. (Numbers 3:25-26.) They were given two waggons and four oxen with which to transport these things when on the journey. (Numbers 7:7.) The sons of Merari had charge of the boards, bars, pillars, sockets and pins and the cords of the court. (Numbers 3:36-37.) To them was apportioned four waggons and eight oxen. (Numbers 7:8.) The Kohathites were entrusted with the ark, the table, the candlestick, the altar of Incense, the Brazen Altar, the vessels of the sanctuary and the vail. (Numbers 3:31.) They had to carry everything upon their shoulders.
“But unto the sons of Kohath he gave none (no waggons nor oxen) because the service of the sanctuary belonging unto them was that they should bear upon their shoulders.” (Numbers 7:9.) The rest of the tribes pitched in a definite and strict order: The Tribe of Judah on the east with Issachar and Zebulon.
Reuben on the south with Simeon and Gad. Ephraim on the west with Manasseh and Benjamin. Dan on the north with Asher and Naphtali. The men of these camps constituted four armies of three divisions each.
They totaled over six hundred thousand soldiers. The order of the camp therefore was three-fold.
Outermost of all the soldiers.
Next the Levites, the workers.
Innermost of all Moses and the priests.
There was a place for everyone in that camp; everyone had his allotted place and was expected of the Lord to be in his place.
There was no confusion, all was order, and it was order ordained of the Lord. This arrangement had its spiritual significance. The center was the Tabernacle.
Without the Tabernacle there would have been no plan, there could have been no order in the camp; there would have been nothing but a constantly changing, shifting, unsettled conglomeration, a disorderly mob.
Without Christ, of whom that Tabernacle is, primarily, the symbol, the Church has no definite center, no rallying point, there is no standard, no order, no final authority.
If the Church would live and be effective, fulfill the purpose for which it was created, Christ must be the Head and center; all movement and action must be about Him as the Head-Center. The three-fold division was equally suggestive.
Warriors, Workers, Worshippers.
Warriors—soldiers. The Christian is in a world that is “no friend to grace to help us on to God.” The moment he declares himself for God he finds himself face to face with three challenging, assaulting, insatiable enemies: The World, the Flesh, the Devil.
Because of these ceaseless enemies the Christian is called upon to take his place as a soldier, a spiritual warrior. The Lord is his Captain, “The Captain of our salvation.” The Christian is called upon to endure hardness as a good soldier. (2 Timothy 2:3.) He is to put on the armor of a soldier, an armor chosen and forged for him by the Lord Himself:
“Take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye mat’ be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:13.)
We are exhorted as warriors to war a good warfare. “This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy war a good warfare.” (1 Timothy 1:18.) We are exhorted to fight the” good fight.”
“Fight the good fight of faith.” (1 Timothy 6:12.) We are to contend (fight) for the faith:
“Contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” (Jude 1:3.) The Apostle sends forth a ringing appeal:
“Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13.) The Apostle describes this Christian warfare in its inspiration and ultimate:
He says:
“We do not war after the flesh:
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;)
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5.)
It is a precious privilege to fight this fight of faith against the Devil without, the flesh within and the world that environs us. It is an exhilarating thing to contend for the “once for all faith.” In proportion as the enemy, whether in disguise or in the open, brings his charge against the truth; when he assaults the person of our Lord, His Virgin Birth, His atoning work on the cross, His priestly office in Heaven, His ’kingly glory, and His triumphant return to the earth; in short, the integrity of the Holy Word that declares Him, such assault fills the soul with battle spirit high and lifted up and the desire as a good soldier of Jesus Christ to fling out the banner far and wide. As Paul came to the hour of his departure, the soldier, warrior spirit in him disclosed itself.
Exultingly, triumphantly, he says:
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7.) Workers. Not only are we called on as Christians to be soldiers, but levites. The levites were the servants of the high priest. To this we have been called: no longer the slaves of the god and ruler of this world, but slaves of Jesus Christ our great High Priest.
Hear how Paul declares his name and station:
“Paul a servant of Jesus Christ.” (Romans 1:1.) The word “servant” here is actually “bond slave.”
One time slaves of Satan were we, but now by the fearful price of the cross ransomed from his service and power and made the bond slaves of Him who died for us.
Paul gloried in his position as a slave of the Son of God. Well may we.
It is beyond words to describe the privilege of being owned by Him, to serve Him in deed, in word and thought; to serve Him as our great High Priest, entering into all His purposes and desires, joying to make His will our own and counting it the crowning of a day when we have done some little thing in His name and for Him.
It is a great thing to be a soldier of Jesus Christ. It is wonderful to be a worker. To be a worker is to take a step nearer to Him.
Even so—for, surely, you understand that a servant to serve his master well must come into his presence and stand, waiting and listening for his slightest word. And this is the delight in serving the Christ of God. As you seek to serve Him you find you must draw nearer and nearer, closer and closer to His blessed presence, that you may not lose a word He wishes to speak to you; closer that you may catch the glance of His eye, the light of His countenance, and by that read, even, the suggestion of His will concerning you.
Seek to serve Him, and more and more you will have the consciousness of His presence, more and more you will find it easier to hear what He says, to understand, and to do His will. But there is a privilege beyond even that of a worker.
It is the position and function of the priestly family. That position and function was entrance into the Holy Place and ministration in the sanctuary.
It was—worship. The soldier stood ready on the line of battle. The levite was ready to receive the word of command, as a worker, take his place and carry the burden allotted to him. But the priest entered into the Tabernacle and beheld the symbols of the divine glory; he entered into the Holy of Holies and swung the censer of fragrant incense before the Mercy Seat.
It was an act of thanksgiving, praise and adoration –it was worship. As Christians we are spiritual priests—we are a priestly family.
It is our privilege by faith, in spirit, to enter within the vail and lift up the sweet incense of thanksgiving, praise and adoration.
It is our privilege to worship, to magnify and adore Him who loved us and gave Himself for us and who sits upon the throne in His radiant glory as the Godman.
It is our privilege here and now to sing by anticipation the song the Church will sing in Heaven after her translation and just before she appears in glory with Him:
“Thou art worthy … for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood . . . and hast made us kings and priests unto our God, and we shall reign on the earth.”
True worship is neither in temple made with hands, with blast of trumpet, swell of organ note, nor cadence of choral song, it is the soul ascending in the fragrance of its faith and confidence like incense from the golden altar, glorifying Him as our great God and Saviour, joying and rejoicing in Him, so that He shall be to us as the “chiefest among ten thousands and the One altogether lovely.” The soul filled with delight, with ecstasy at the vision of Him and feeling the answering thrill of His love pouring back into us and holding us till our will and sense are confounded in His will and the all-pervading sense of-Himself. A worship that does not leave us in a state of mere quiescent contemplation, a mere mood of meditation and self-satisfaction, but will send us forth again to be His levites for service, His soldiers and heroes on the firing line till as the Captain of our salvation He shall give His triumphant shout and call us up to the rendezvous in glory.
Warriors, workers and priests—that was the order. And let it be repeated, let it be held fast that this order of the encampment was not after man’s devising, but according to the will and word of the Lord. The divine will and the order for the Church in her journey through time has been clearly stated in the Word of God. There is no need for a single mistake in it; no need of any conflict or controversy of interpretation. The one supreme obligation of the Church is to listen to the Word, get a “thus saith the Lord,” and go by that, let the consequences be what they may.
There could have been an unhappy controversy between the tribes had they insisted on being judges for themselves as to the order in the camp and the particular division of place and service among them. The distinctions were marked of God. The priesthood was composed of one family. To one family alone was given the responsibility of carrying the Tabernacle and the holy things of the sanctuary. To each tribe was given the position it should occupy in the camp and the position it should and must hold on the march.
There was just one single thing they had to do.
Take God at His Word and follow His command.
They did so—the order of the camp was perfect.
They did so—the order of the march was equally perfect.
They followed the Word of God to the letter.
They did everything as it had been planned and patterned for them in the mount. Their march was as an army with banners. And God was over all, directing all. To the Church of today, speaking through the Apostle, the Holy Spirit in the name of the risen and ascended Lord says:
“Let all things be done decently and in order.” (1 Corinthians 14:40.)