Don't Touch That!

Reading:   Numbers 4

The tabernacle was of course the most sacred of vessels and held artifacts of the most high order, with that in mind it was not good to lay eyes on or touch any of these most high artifacts because of their sacred nature - death would come immediately to those that did.  So the sons of Kohath, the Levites set apart to move the tabernacle artifacts, were given a most hazardous task and entrusted their very lives to the priests that covered the most holy things...

Numbers 4:18-20

18 Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites: 

19 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: 

20 But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die. 

Essentially, the transport had to be very regimented and extremely particular in order and execution.  Aaron and the other anointed priests had to take great care to cover each item and then direct the sons of Kohath as to what was ready for transport, where it was, how to handle the item, and where to move it.  If anything was inappropriately handled, instant death would have been a result, not by the hand of man but the promise of God.  Yes extreme, but necessary to instill reverance and awe in the power of God.

When reverence and awe for God becomes a powerful motivator in man it also leads ultimately to personal strength in the form of faith.  With faith, mountains can be moved, and miracles performed.  The extreme sentence of death for anyone who touched or laid eyes upon the holy things of the tabernacle was paramount for the growth of the Israelites, especially the Levites as they were the ones chosen to handle the artifacts.

~Kipling