Different People Have Different Callings

As we have already seen, God calls different people to do different jobs.  Just as he gave Bezaleel and Aholiab, and the various tradesmen special talents in order to build different parts of the Tabernacle, He gives Christians special gifts so they can do the job he called them to do.  Not everyone has the same gifts, as we see in I Corinthians 12:4-11.  “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.  And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.  And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.  But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.  For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.”

A person who lives in an area where everyone speaks the same language will have little need for a special talent in speaking other languages, and a carpenter probably will not need the same healing skills as a doctor.   God gives special gifts and talents to the people who will need them to accomplish his purpose. 

In the Old Testament, God had chosen the Levites as his special tribe to minister to him.  Aaron and his descendants were to serve as the priests, offering the different Sacrifices and doing the actual work of the ministry.  The other Levites had special jobs related to the Tabernacle.   For example, the Kohath Levites were responsible for maintaining and transporting the furniture and fixtures used in the ministry.  Numbers 4:4-20 describes their special job.    

“This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, about the most holy things: Nu 4:5 And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering veil, and cover the ark of testimony with it: And shall put thereon the covering of badgers' skins, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in the staves thereof.  And upon the table of showbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls, and covers to cover withal: and the continual bread shall be thereon: And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put in the staves thereof.  And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the candlestick of the light, and his lamps, and his tongs, and his snuffdishes, and all the oil vessels thereof, wherewith they minister unto it: And they shall put it and all the vessels thereof within a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put it upon a bar. And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put to the staves thereof: And they shall take all the instruments of ministry, wherewith they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put them on a bar: And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon: And they shall put upon it all the vessels thereof, wherewith they minister about it, even the censers, the fleshhooks, and the shovels, and the basins, all the vessels of the altar; and they shall spread upon it a covering of badgers' skins, and put to the staves of it.

And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.  And to the office of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest pertaineth the oil for the light, and the sweet incense, and the daily meat offering, and the anointing oil, and the oversight of all the tabernacle, and of all that therein is, in the sanctuary, and in the vessels thereof. And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites: But thus do unto them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach unto the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in, and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden: But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die.”

While the Kohath Levites were responsible for carrying the various items used in worship, it was the priest’s job to prepare those items.  If the priests did not do their jobs properly, they would place the Kohath Levites in danger, as they were not to touch any of the holy items.  Once the priests had prepared the various items used in worship for travel and the Kohath Levites had moved them out, the Gershonite Levites were to take down the tent coverings and different pieces of fabric and rope, loading them onto two wagons for transportation.    They were responsible for any needed repairs or replacements.   By the time they did their Jobs, the sacred items had been removed so that they were not in danger.  Numbers 4:24-28 describes their responsibilities.

“This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, to serve, and for burdens: And they shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tabernacle of the congregation, his covering, and the covering of the badgers' skins that is above upon it, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, And the hangings of the court, and the hanging for the door of the gate of the court, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and all that is made for them: so shall they serve.  At the appointment of Aaron and his sons shall be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burdens, and in all their service: and ye shall appoint unto them in charge all their burdens.  This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation: and their charge shall be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.”

The descendants of Merari were responsible for the framework of the Tabernacle, including the tent poles and stakes.  Their part would be last in taking down the Tabernacle, and first is setting it up.  They had four wagons to haul the  various pieces.  They were responsible for any repairs to the framework.  Numbers 4:29-33 describes their responsibilities.  “As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them after their families, by the house of their fathers; From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old shalt thou number them, every one that entereth into the service, to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation.  And this is the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the tabernacle of the congregation; the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and sockets thereof, And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords, with all their instruments, and with all their service: and by name ye shall reckon the instruments of the charge of their burden.  This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service, in the tabernacle of the congregation, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.”

In addition to these specific jobs, All the Levites were responsible for helping the priests where ever they might be needed to offer sacrifices.  They were also responsible for teaching the other people in their areas what God expected.   I Corinthians 12:22-25 makes the point that every position or calling is to treated with the same respect.  “Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.  For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.”  That some jobs are more noticeable than others does not make them more important.  They still depend on other people’s work to make their job possible.