The Pulpit Commentary — Numbers — Section 253

oa_rliest things he did. Be gave them also great power, such ae to heal dieeaees, raise dead persons, and cast out demons; that thus they might authenticate the gracious and momentous message with which he had intrusted them. .And in the course of ages how the helpera have increased in numbers and in variety of service t Doubtless when Israel settled in Canaan, and the Levites became distributed over the ~and, it was found that they. we:e not at all too numerous for the religiou11 reqmremE.1nts of the people. Christ 1s the centre and the guide of an immense amount of s:i::iritual industry; nev!rtheless, ~n.e cry g:oes out that many more heart.a and ~ands might be. engaged helping the DIV!ne Saviour of men (John iv. 35--38). It will be a long time before the Church has occasion to complain with respect to labourers together with God, that the supply exceeds the demand. The house- holder had work to be done in his vineyard even at the eleventh hour. • II. THESE BELPERS MUST BR DULY QUALIFIED. They must all be of the tribe of Levi. Levi was taken in pince of the first-born of Israel, and when the first-bom were numbered it was !ound that they _somewhat exceeded the. number of qualified persons among the Levites. But God did not make up the deficiency by taking from other tribes ; he kept the tabemacI.1 service within the limits of Levi, and provided for a ransom instead (eh. iii. 39-51). The service was thus to be a matter of inherit- ance. Aaron and hie sons had their portion-Kohathite, Gershonite, Merarite each had his own field of work, and was not to transgress it. Strangers were cautioned against putting unauthorised hands on the tabernacle. It was as real a violation of the sanctuary for a common Israelite to touch even a peg of the tabernacle aa to intrude within the veil itself. So we should ever look with great jealousy and care- fulness on the qualifications for serving Jesus. There have been great hindrances, occasions for blasphemy, because unclean hands have not only meddled with holy things, but ke))t them long in charge. The service of Jesus should go down by spiritual inhentance. We take care in affairs of this world that there shall be due apprenticeship and preparation, ascertained fitness, the tools intrusted to those who can handle them, and surely there is equal if not greater need in the supremely importnnt affairs of Christ's kingdom. Spiritual things should ever be in charge of those who have spiritual discernment. IlL THOSE QUALIFIED WERE THEREBY PLACED UNDER OBLIGATION TO SERVE. Ae the service was confined to Levi, so every Levita, not otberwiRe disqualified, had to· take part in it. There was nothing else for a Levite to do than serve God in con- nection with the sanctuary. He had no land ; he was a substitute for others in holy service, and therefore they had to provide him with the necessaries of life. Thus his way in life was made clear; there was no need to consult personal inclination, and no room for reasonable doubt. And so, generally speaking, what service God expects from us we may be sure he will signify in the clearest manner. If we allow per- sonal inclination to be the great prompter and decider, there is very little we shall do. Many there are whose personal inclinations lead them into some sort of connection with the Church of Christ, and keep them there, yet they never enter into anyfoing like real service. They have a name to serve, yet are only idly busy. Personal inclination is a very small factor in Christian service, at least at the nning, else Christ would not have been so urgent in his demands for self-denial. much, of course, can be done without love; but duty, the sense of what we ought to do, ie to be the great power at the beginning. Those who have had tbe five talents from God may have to appear in hie presence to be judged, conscious that not only have the, talents been lost to him, but used so selfishly as rather to have gained five talents besides in worldly possessions, influence, and reputation. It is a monstrous sin to uae God's property for the low, injurious aims of self. 11 Power," said John Foster, " to its very last particle, ie duty.' IV. THOUGH THEY WERE HELPERS OF AARON, THEY COULD NOT BE HIS SUBSTI'l'UTES. When the priest dies, it is not some experienced and sagacious Levite who can take- bis place; tbe priesthood is to be kept in the priest's own f11mil1. The hand cannot supply the place of the head. Take away the priest, and the head ie gone. Aaron, if it ha.d been necessary, could have stooped to do the humblest Levitical service, but JIOt even the highest of the Kohathites could enter within the veil. And thus must. the helpere of Christ ever look 011 him as separated by his nature and pen1ou to •; CE. XVJII, 1-32.] THE BOOK OF NUMBERS. 237