The Offering of the Wagons and Oxen (Numbers 7:3-9).
‘And they brought their oblation before Yahweh, six covered wagons, and twelve oxen; a wagon for every two of the princes, and for each one an ox. And they presented them before the tabernacle.'
Their first concern was shown by their action in regard to the Dwellingplace. They brought before Yahweh six covered wagons, each with two oxen to draw it. The singular ‘ox' denotes that each prince contributed an ox. These would enable the Dwellingplace to be carried safely and securely, and free from any danger of defilement.
“They presented them before the Tabernacle.” They could not bring them into the courtyard to ‘present them before Yahweh', so they did the next best thing. By these gifts they expressed their gratitude for His dwelling among them, and their desire for the maintenance of His holy status.
In the same way God looks to us all to provide for the work of God what is necessary for its continuance so that His work will prosper.
‘And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,'
Yahweh responded to their gift. He came with a special word to Moses. God always takes note of what we give. Remember the widow in the Temple (Mark 12:41-44). No gift, however small, goes unnoticed, as long as the heart and motive is right. Indeed its size is irrelevant. What counts most is the proportionate cost.
“ Take it of them, that they may be used in doing the service of the tent of meeting; and you shall give them to the Levites, to every man according to his service.”
Moses was to accept the offerings, and was instructed that they were to be used in the service of the Dwellingplace, the Tent of meeting. To this end they were to be given to the Levites, to those with overall responsibility for the conveyance of the different parts of the Dwellingplace, according to requirements for the carrying out of their ‘service'.
‘And Moses took the wagons and the oxen, and gave them to the Levites.'
And Moses did what Yahweh had commanded. He took the wagons and oxen and gave them to the Levites.
‘Two wagons and four oxen he gave to the sons of Gershon, according to their service,'
Two of them with their ox teams he gave to the sons of Gershon. They would be sufficient for the main body of the Tent of meeting.
‘And four wagons and eight oxen he gave to the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.'
And he gave four of them to the sons of Merari, who needed more wagons because of all the bits and pieces that they had to carry. These were all under the control of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the High Priest.
‘But to the sons of Kohath he gave none, because the service of the sanctuary belonged to them They bore it on their shoulders.'
But the sons of Kohath did not receive a wagon. They bore the sacred furniture, and that had to be carried bodily by them. The furniture was provided with staves or poles for the purpose. It must not be thrown about in a wagon as a result of the roughness of the way. It was to be given personal attention.
So God made ready for his servants all that was necessary for their service, even before He appointed them to it. We may always be sure that when God calls men into His service, His provision for them has already been made.