Numbers 3:32 And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary
You be you. That is the ethic of the modern, American mind. We talk about being self-made, independent, being your own man. We are told repeatedly and with almost religious fervor that we don’t need anyone else to tell us who we are. There may be some truth to some of that, but we have become obsessed with it and have gone from one extreme to the other and missed the truth in the middle. The truth is your identity is connected to something bigger.
We live in a day where everyone has become atomized. We have atomized existence, meaning we are just like free-floating atoms. We don’t have any connection by family or other institutions like the church. We are world citizens. We are tearing down every distinction that has ever been made by man or God, and somehow, we think we can become happy that way. That is not the way to happiness. I can well imagine how this lands on the modern, American ear. A lot of people would be instantly defensive and make assumptions about what I mean. So, let me be clear on what God is saying and the meaning when we read Numbers.
In Numbers 2-3 we are reminded that our identity is connected to something bigger. That is good. That means I have value beyond what I do. For that matter, I have matter beyond what family I am born into or what fortune I have amassed. That value comes from my connection to God. I have a Creator. I’m not just some cosmic accident. There is a God who willed me into existence, created me by design on purpose, and loves me. If there is not that, then eat and drink for tomorrow we die. We are free-floating atoms that have no connection to anyone else, and we can do and be whoever we want. It doesn’t matter, if there is no God. But there is.
There is a truth that permeates Numbers 3, and verse 32 exemplifies that truth. It says, “And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary.” There are some instructive words here. Chief speaks of distinction. Oversight shows responsibility. Charge is stewardship. You are reminded that your identity is connected to something bigger.
First, your identity is connected to something bigger in light of who you actually are. When the nation of Israel went from one place to another, the tabernacle with the ark of the covenant in it was placed in the central part of the camp. That was showing Israel’s faith in God. The worship of God was centered around this tabernacle and the camp was centered around the tabernacle. Three of the twelve tribes camped on each side of the tabernacle, and there were a variety of people who had a variety of jobs in the tabernacle.
So, who you are is in relationship to something that is a centralizing ethic, that is to God. Does that mean we are to compare ourselves to other people? No. I don’t need to make a woman my standard in being a success as a man. My wife doesn’t need to make a man her standard as a woman. I don’t need to make a twenty-year-old my standard of success as a man who is older. My identity is connected to something bigger. There is a God who made me and made me by design for a reason. It is to harmonize with other people and elements that God has created.
In the New Testament the Bible talks about the body of Christ, those who have put their faith in the Lord Jesus. I Corinthians 12:18 says, “But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.” So, individual people make up the body. For example, not everyone is the pastor, a deacon, or Sunday school teacher, but everyone has value. When everyone does their part and serves as unto the Lord, it helps them connect with other people. Everyone together makes something much bigger, grander, and longer-lived than just one person. So, who you are is connected to something bigger.
Second, what you do is connected to something bigger. In subsequent chapters, God carefully lays out who was to do what in the camp as they transferred the tabernacle. Not everyone did the same thing, yet everyone had value before God. Everyone has an important part they can play in their church, home, and society, but they are not all the same. We are different so we can be unified.
In Numbers 3 God gives the different jobs people are to do. Verse 4 mentions Nadab and Abihu. They “died before the LORD, when they offered strange fire before the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai.” These two men pretended to serve God, but did contrary to what God had said. God judged them severely. Later, Korah was discontent with where God had placed him. Even Aaron and Miriam envied and complained against Moses. In each case, you have people trying to take on work that did not belong to them.
Now, God is not going to come down in some visible form and say, “Wil, this is the job I want you to do,” but God has made me a man and allowed me to live and have experiences. So, what I do should be useful. I Timothy 3 says that if a man wants to be a pastor, that is a good thing. God talks about the desire of a person before He talks about what they do. Why would that be so important? God rules out why a person would desire such an office when He says it is not to be for money or to be important. It is for the service. So, God has given us gifts that if I am paying attention and am submissive will become evident. It takes time, but everyone has a place in whatever it is that God is creating.
So, you have identity, who you are. Words like children, father, rank, and family speak of designations of specific people playing different parts but coming together to be one healthy whole. You have what you do, illustrated with words like oversight, charge, service, burden, minister, and custody. Ultimately, what you find is this idea that God is the Lord. A few times in Numbers 3 God says, “I am the LORD.” That is important because who I am is a reflection of who God is. God calls the shots; He made you. You can live a happy, productive life when you are what God made you. You be you. When you are submissive with open ears and hearts, God will help you find a place of service and productivity because your identity is connected to something far bigger than yourself, and that is God.