“All those who were listed of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the chiefs of Israel listed, by their clans and their fathers’ houses, from thirty years old up to fifty years old, everyone who could come to do the service of ministry and the service of bearing burdens in the tent of meeting, those listed were 8,580. According to the commandment of the Lord through Moses they were listed, each one with his task of serving or carrying. Thus they were listed by him, as the Lord commanded Moses” (Numbers 4:46-49, ESV).

The Book of Numbers begins at Mount Sinai, where the Israelites have received their laws and covenant from God. Now God has taken up residence among them in the Tabernacle that resides in the middle of their encampment. As they sojourn through the wilderness to take possession of the Promised Land, it will be a major logistical undertaking to mobilize, move and secure the Tabernacle at each layover along their journey.

In Numbers 3 and 4 God sets aside the tribe of Levi, the Levites, to assist Aaron and his family with their priestly duties and to perform the Tabernacle logistics:

• The clans of Levi’s son Gershon were assigned the tasks of guarding and transporting the Tabernacle tent itself, the hangings of the courtyard and the altar;
• the clans of Levi’s son Kohath were assigned the tasks of guarding and transporting the Tabernacle furnishings including the ark of the covenant; and,
• the clans of Levi’s son Merari were the caretakers and transporters of the equipment needed to erect and dismantle the Tabernacle.

God has a job for each of us to do during our lives here on Earth. While some are called to full-time ministry, all of us are assigned tasks to do for the ministry of the gospel of Jesus.

And, there are many different jobs that need to be done: preaching, teaching, giving, administering, supporting, serving, building, maintaining, encouraging, developing, planning, helping and praying.

No matter what the job is, God has an assignment–maybe even several assignments–for each of us to do.

If you don’t know what your job is, then you need to ask God and make yourself available for service to Him. Then, God’s Spirit who is in you will equip you to accomplish your ministry assignment.

But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift… And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry. (Ephesians 4:7-12, ESV)