Word of Salvation – July 2010

 

Numbers 7 – HOUSEWARMING GIFTS! – by John Westendorp

(Sermon 7 in a series on Numbers)

Scripture Reading: Numbers 7:1-17 & 84-89.

Singing: Book of Worship 99 / 218 / 203 / 240

 

Introduction: It’s been a long time since I last attended a housewarming party.

Maybe I’m a little out of touch… but it seems to me that they’ve gone somewhat out of fashion.
Or maybe in our affluent society we no longer need them?

Housewarming parties were particularly for young newlyweds when they got their first house.
The couple finally moved out of their flat and into a house.
People who attended the party would bring all kinds of gifts to help the young couple.
In that way they could get their house equipped and furnished much more quickly.

 

Of course – as always happens on such occasions – there would be some duplication of gifts.
Couples would receive two coffee tables or three bath mats.
But many housewarming gifts would be thoughtfully chosen.
Gifts that suited the new house and that just fitted in with the décor.
Gifts that met the needs of the couple living in that house.

 

In a sense that’s what we have here in Numbers 7.
A house has been built for God to live in while Israel journeys through the wilderness.
That house (the tabernacle) has been completed and now there’s the housewarming party.
And what this chapter does is list the gifts that are given on that occasion.

 

There’s a lot of duplication… in fact, the gifts are all identical.

But they have also been carefully chosen to fit in with the purpose of this house.

And chosen in such a way as to bring joy to the One who lives in that house.

 

A] THE OCCASION – THE CONSECRATION OF THE TABERNACLE (1-9).

 

1. Numbers 7 is about the ‘house of God’ being dedicated.

When Moses finished setting up the tabernacle, he anointed it and consecrated it and all its furnishings.

And then the leaders of the tribes come as representatives of their people and they bring gifts.

 

Just pause there for a moment and think about the difficulty of doing that.
What do you give someone who already has everything?
That’s a real dilemma isn’t it? I’m sure my kids face that dilemma every time I have a birthday.
I’ve got everything I need. Correction! I’ve got more than I need.
So what do you give someone who already has so much?

 

Can you imagine how some of these Israelites may have struggled with that?
This is the house-warming party for the house of God… but what do you give to Almighty God?
He already owns everything in the universe.
As the psalmist says: The cattle on a thousand hills… the wealth in every mine… it’s all His.

 

But these tribal leaders do give… and here they give spontaneously.
I read of no requirement being made for their gifts.
There is no request from God for them to do so in the first 9 verses of Numbers 7.
So they come spontaneously and they give six wagons and twelve oxen to pull the wagons.

 

And then we read in verse 5 that these spontaneous gifts are accepted by God.
The Lord says to Moses:
“Accept these gifts from them that they may be used in the work at the tent of meeting.
Give them to the Levites as each man’s work requires.”
These spontaneous gifts are useful gifts that have been carefully and thoughtfully chosen.

 

2. Let me picture the scenario in Numbers 7 a little more clearly.

After reading Exodus and Leviticus we could be forgiven for thinking that many years have passed.
That Israel has been in the wilderness for a long time already. But they haven’t.
They are still camped at Mt Sinai… only just a year since they left Egypt.
During that time this wonderful structure, the tabernacle, has been built.
God’s dwelling place… His house… in the midst of the Israelite camp.

 

But now the nation is about to set off across the wilderness for the Promised Land.
When we get to Numbers 10 we see the nation set off on its journey to their new homeland.
But before they go there’s this house-warming party… this dedication of God’s house.

 

These leaders thought about it and realised that there were needs that had to be met;
A need for transport through the wilderness in the years to come.
So they brought appropriate gifts that met that need.
Please remember that these gifts were not part of the regular giving of the Israelites.
These were special gifts… and they were chosen for this very specific purpose:
Gifts that were assigned to the Levites as a ‘means of ministry’:
Gifts that enabled the Levites to serve God in the work of the tabernacle.

 

That’s a wonderful perspective on giving in the church and it is relevant for us today.
It’s wonderful that we as a church have little trouble meeting our budget.
As God’s people we’re – by and large – faithful in our stewardship.
But it’s great when folk from time to time make a special gift:
A gift that has been well thought out and that meets some need in the church.
In that way some new ministry is able to get started. What a blessing that is.

 

3. I also want to draw your attention to the way these gifts were allocated.

The easiest way would have been for Moses to simply divide six by three.

Six wagons and twelve oxen for three Levite clans! That’s two wagons and four oxen for each clan.

 

Easy! But Moses doesn’t do it that way. Instead he makes a very “uneven” allocation.
No wagons or oxen for the Kohathites. Two wagons and four oxen for the Gershonites,
And the Merarites have four wagons and eight oxen.
In this uneven distribution the most carts go to the least significant group of Levites.
The Kohathites have the most important work… the Merarites the least important work.
But the gifts of wagons and oxen is in reverse proportion to the status of their tribe.

 

Do you see how this could have caused jealousy and resentment amongst the Levites?
“Hey… you Merarites with all your wagons… you’re spoilt.
We’ve got to carry all our stuff for the tabernacle on our shoulders. Not just around the block!
Across the desert! And we’ll be doing that year in and year out… in summer and in winter.
Hey, Moses… how about some wagons and oxen for us?”

 

The unequal distribution of gifts among the people of God often causes problems, doesn’t it?
That was a major problem in the church at Corinth. People were envious of other people’s gifts.
“Why does Joe have so many wonderful gifts so that he can serve God in public.
While I’m shy and find it difficult to do anything in the church. It’s not fair.”

 

And yet… it made sense. In each case the gifts were given “as their work required”.
The Merarites carry the heaviest stuff (the tabernacle’s boards and bars) so 4 wagons for them.
The Gershonites have a lighter load… the curtains and coverings. Two wagons will do for them.
The Kohathites carry the most holy things… but they are to carry them on their shoulders.
In God’s economy of things gifts are given but they are allocated to meet specific needs.
And we need to accept the mix of gifts God gives each of us to enable us to serve Him.
God knows precisely what gifts we need to live to His glory.

 

B] THE GIVING – DETAILED CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ALTAR (vs.10-88).

 

1. The most interesting feature of this chapter is the next lot of gifts that are given.

These leaders not only give the wagons and oxen on behalf of their tribe… they give other gifts as well.

They do that as this ‘housewarming’ celebration now zeroes in on the altar:
The place where the sacrifices are brought is now consecrated.
Or to put it another way: the brand new altar in the tabernacle is being initiated.
And to mark that occasion the leaders now bring additional gifts of animals and utensils.

 

That’s the focus of this chapter: 12 days of gift-giving.

This house warming party goes on for 12 days as the focus shifts to the altar.

But that raises some questions.
This is the longest chapter in the Bible (apart from Psalm 119).
Why does the author take some 80 verses to spell out what happened?
Eighty verses of meticulous repetition.

Today we read only about the first tribe – Judah – as its leader, Nahshon, brings all those gifts.
But that is repeated in precise detail for all the other 11 tribes. Why?
Why didn’t Moses just say: “And then all the other tribes brought exactly the same gifts”?
That would have saved more than two whole pages in the Bible.

Can you imagine the ancient scribes thinking the same thing?
Painstakingly copying scrolls by hand on parchment… and then they get to Numbers 7.
Eighty verses of repetition. Why not just: Then the 12 tribal leaders gave these same gifts…?

 

Some commentators suggest that this is in imitation of some ancient wedding rituals.

The guests would all be welcomed by name and the gifts they brought would be listed item by item.

 

2. Let me offer two suggestions as to why we get this report in such repetitious detail.

First of all because of the difficulties in giving. Giving generously for God’s work is not always easy.
Here for a third time at Sinai we find some very generous giving.
The first time they gave was in foolishness and sin… when they made the golden calf.
Everyone brought their gold rings and ornaments and Aaron fashioned them into a calf.

The second time they gave generously was in Exodus 35 for the making of the tabernacle.
People gave items of silver, gold and bronze. Gemstones and expensive cloth.
And now for the third time they give generously for this housewarming party.
So to highlight that generosity the story is repeated… once for every tribe.

 

We should add to this difficulty of giving that these are the gifts of a slave people.
Until recently they had been slaves of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.
I came across an interesting comparison that someone has made.
When a couple first get married they don’t have much.
When I was first married our first coffee table was a crate with a nice cloth over it.
We had a few unmatched dishes and plates to eat from.
Later in married life you can afford expensive chinaware and some luxury furniture.

Well, here we have a people who are newlyweds with very little.
Sure… they were given parting gifts of silver and gold by the Egyptians as they left.
But we have to say that these were not wealthy people. They were just starting out.
And yet they give generously… and that is worth recording in detail: item by item.

 

Perhaps we should include the fact that some tribes were much larger than others.
It was easier for the larger tribes to give than for the smaller tribes.
But no tribe misses out on the privilege of giving. It is all painstakingly recorded.

 

3. But there is a second and more important reason for this repetition.

This book of Numbers is part of the Word of God… it offers us divine perspectives.
In other words: we are given insights into the mind of God.
So Numbers 7 especially wants to tell us how important all these gifts are to the Lord God.
The Lord is showing us His delight at the sacrifices made by his people.

 

God is pleased with the gifts that His people bring for the work of His Kingdom.
Whether the gifts are hard to give because of limited means;
Or whether the gifts are easy to give because of being well-resourced givers.
Here is this lovely point that Numbers 7 makes:
The Lord takes delight in all the gifts His people bring.
He gives due recognition to each tribe… no gift is overlooked… they are all listed.

 

Incidentally, this also makes us aware that all the tribes have an equal share in the work of God.
No tribe dominates the others… no tribe misses out.
The house of the Lord is for everyone… what happens there is for the benefit of all.

 

When we put all this together we have a lovely picture of giving to encourage us as God’s people.
We live in an age when many people find it burdensome to support the work of God.
Over the years I’ve heard people complain repeatedly: The church is always after money.
In Numbers 7 we get a different picture:
People who find it a privilege to give… who can’t wait to be added to the list of givers.

 

Twelve days of giving… and those gifts are costly gifts
Silver plates, silver sprinkling bowls and gold ladles… fine flour, oil and grain.
Bulls, rams, lambs and goats… and all of it appropriate for initiating the altar.
Gifts that understood the purpose of the tabernacle and the altar.
It was so that burnt offerings could be brought to atone for sin.
It was so that fellowship offerings could be brought to enjoy the presence of God.
Twelve days of giving to make it possible to reconcile man to God.

 

As we see all this as being about reconciliation then all of that giving fades into insignificance.
That altar and those gifts foreshadowed the reconciling work of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He brought a far greater sacrifice… the marvellously costly gift of His own life offered for us.
What an incentive that is for us to give… to offer our all to Him.

 

C] THE CONSEQUENCE – MOSES COMMUNICATES WITH GOD (vs.89).

 

1. Numbers 7 does not end with the story of the gifts brought by the tribes.

It ends with some verses that tell us about Moses going into the tabernacle to talk to God.

What that is doing is picturing for us the end result of these twelve days of giving.

The consequences of all that giving are now pictured in the closing verse.

 

That verse is regarded by some as an irrelevant insertion.
Some feel that the verse really belongs elsewhere but due to a scribal error it ended up here.
No! It’s a very meaningful conclusion. It’s closely related to what has just happened.
This story is all about the grace of God…
These people have experienced God’s grace as He delivered them from Egypt.
God graciously inspires His people to give… their giving flows out of God’s grace.

 

But now the housewarming party is over. The tabernacle has been dedicated.

God has moved into His earthly home in the midst of His people.

The sacrifices that reconcile man and God have been brought.

And so God is now able to communicate with His chosen people.

Today we would say: The giving of God’s people makes possible the ministry of God’s Word.

 

2. When we see it that way then that last verse has some important lessons for us.

It’s a powerful reminder that the ongoing ministry of God’s Word depends on the gifts of God’s people.

In fact… there are some telling things about that last verse that have important lessons for us.

 

We read that Moses goes into the tabernacle – the tent of meeting – to speak to God.
We’re not told what Moses wanted to talk to God about. But we could imagine.
Perhaps Moses wanted to talk about the upcoming journey from Sinai.
Maybe it was to get the details of their travels.

 

But then a very significant thing happens: Before Moses speaks God speaks first.
Before Moses can talk to God he must listen to God.
That’s a lesson some people have never learnt.
I’ve often heard of people who admit that they pray often to God.
But they also admit that they don’t take time to hear God speak in His Word.
We need to listen before we speak.
It’s appropriate that our prayers should be preceded by Bible reading.

 

Secondly it is significant that in this last verse the focus is on the voice.
There is no mention of Moses seeing any form of God. He just hears God’s voice.
The Hebrew text is even quite cryptic at this point.
It simply states that Moses heard the voice speaking to Him.
It is the Word that is all important. God is a God who wishes to be heard.

 

Again that reminds us that Numbers foreshadows for us our Lord Jesus Christ.
Because Jesus is called The Word. He is the Word made flesh.
There’s nothing more important than that we should hear Him. He’s the voice we must listen to.

 

3. Finally there is the place from which The Voice spoke. That too is significant.

This voice speaks from what was called the mercy seat (the atonement cover) of the ark.
In that tabernacle was the Ark of the Covenant. In it was stored the Ten Commandments.
On the lid of that Ark were two cherubim… two angels with outspread wings.
And that lid was as it were the throne of God on earth.

 

Here is the heart of the tabernacle and centre of the worship of God’s people.
This is what this housewarming party has been all about:
The house of God in which God lives… where God is seated between the cherubim.

 

Do you see the connection between all those gifts and that last verse?
God’s people have come with their generous gifts to dedicate the tabernacle.
They have brought all the things that were needed for the sacrifices on the altar.
All the various utensils and the many animals for burnt offerings.
All so that God might live among them and speak to them from the mercy seat.

 

Do you see why I said that it is the gifts of God’s people that made possible the ministry of the Word?
Moses now speaks with God from that special place in the Tent of Meeting.
And God reveals to Moses there the things concerning His will.

 

Again we know that all of this was fulfilled in Jesus.
He brought the great sacrifice that makes it possible for us to receive God’s Word.
And yet… even today the ministry of the Gospel depends on the gifts of God’s people.

 

Brothers and sisters, God is pleased with the gifts that we bring.
But those gifts also enable the voice of God to be heard today.
The gifts brought here in Numbers 7 facilitated ministry.
Today as we bring our gifts they still facilitate ministry… especially the ministry of the gospel.
May God give us generous hearts for His glory and the advancement of His Kingdom.

 

Amen