Torah portion: Numbers 4:21-7:89

Nasso (‘Lift up’)

This week’s portion, from the Book of Numbers, continues to stress God’s order in everything. In ancient Israel there were clearly defined roles for the Levites, who were assigned responsibility for each of the parts of the Tabernacle. There was order both in the assignment of duties and in the structure of priestly authority.

To stress the importance that God placed on obedience to that order, we can turn to 1 Chronicles 13. This is the account of when David planned to bring the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem. They put it on a new cart and set off to the accompaniment of music. They no doubt thought that they were pleasing the Lord God with such celebratory singing and by taking the Ark back. However, not only did their use of a cart contravene the law (Num 4) - when the oxen stumbled at the threshing floor of Chidon and Uzzah put out his hand to steady the Ark, because he was not appointed for this task by God, he lost his life.

The seriousness of maintaining God’s order and respecting His authority was surely emphasised that day.

Matters of Life and Death

God still appoints His people for various tasks and gives authority to whom He chooses. Is it still a matter of life and death to follow God’s appointing carefully? We do not carry the parts of the Tabernacle as the Levites did, but we do carry out responsibilities which are a matter of life and death.

Evangelists, for example, have the privilege of being the agents of new birth to those to whom they are sent. To obey such a call is indeed a matter of life and death. It is the same for every one of the ministries God gives, in one way or another.

When Paul was near to the end of his earthly ministry, he was able to declare that there was no blood on his hands because he had faithfully fulfilled God’s appointing, declaring the whole counsel of God to whom he was sent (Acts 20:25-27).

Gifts and Callings

The theme of dead works is also in the Bible. For example, in Proverbs 14:12 we read that “there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” The Spirit who gives life distributes gifts and callings to those who minister in the Name of Yeshua, such as are found in 1 Corinthians 12.

To resist the Spirit is to deny someone the benefit of the ministry that God has given to us. To seek a ministry that God has not given to us is to be a minister of lifeless works. To take up our privileged responsibility according to God’s particular and unique call on our lives is to be a minister of life to others, sharing in the overall ministry of the body of believers in the world.

It is as important for us to find and follow our God-given calling as it was for the Levites at the time of Moses.

Author: Clifford Denton