Worship In Awe! Numbers 1-4

Numbers 4:5-6 (ESV)

When the camp is to set out, Aaron and his sons shall go in and take down the veil of the screen and cover the ark of the testimony with it. Then they shall put on it a covering of goatskin and spread on top of that a cloth all of blue, and shall put in its poles.

When the Tabernacle was moved from place to place, there was much care taken in the move.   No one, other than Aaron and his sons were to go into the Holy place, where the Ark of the Covenant was.   Even Aaron and his sons were not to look on the Ark of the Covenant.  The veil that separated the Holy place from the Holy of Holies was now used to cover the Ark, for travel.  It was then covered in goat skin and wrapped further in blue fabric.   In fact, all the vessels from the Holy of Holies were covered this way.   No one was to come near these blue covered items.   God took the purity of the Tabernacle seriously.   God warned them earlier about this:

Numbers 1:51-52 (ESV)

When the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down, and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up. And if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death. The people of Israel shall pitch their tents by their companies, each man in his own camp and each man by his own standard.

Some were killed just looking at the Ark of the Covenant, when it was not covered:

1 Samuel 6:19 (ESV)

And he struck some of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they looked upon the ark of the LORD. He struck seventy men of them, and the people mourned because the LORD had struck the people with a great blow.

This is what lead to this story, when King David disregarded these instructions and attempted to transport the Ark of the Covenant on a wagon pulled by bulls:

2 Samuel 6:6-7 (ESV)

And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God.

When God declares something holy and demands you don’t touch it, don’t touch it.   This is the holiness of God.  We don’t have such restrictions today, but it might be wise for us to understand that God is holy and His holiness matters.   We often are so casual with our faith.   It might be wise to approach God the way He says to approach Him:

Hebrews 12:28-29 (ESV)

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.