Family Functions

Based on Numbers 1-3

"And the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses: so they pitched by their standards, and so they set forward, every one after their families, according to the house of their fathers."
Numbers 2:34.

We are traveling back again into the Old Testament! It's time to take a look at how God's family was managed (before they became a growing & thriving church!).

There were so many people, so lots of organization was necessary to keep the family functioning properly. And remember, the tribes of Israel were GOD's family, so service to The Lord was of utmost importance, just like the growing church today!

"From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies. And with you there shall be a man of every tribe; every one head of the house of his fathers."
Numbers 1:3‭-‬4.

Every large group or family needs appointed leaders. That's the only way order is going to be kept! That is comparable to our family structure today as well as church structure. If we want things functioning properly, we need trusted leaders & "order in the court!"

A leader is a great responsibility-especially being a leader over a HUGE number of people! Using the tribe of Judah as an example, here are the specifications for counting the people of the tribes:

"Of the children of Judah, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war; Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Judah, were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred." Numbers 1:26-27.

God really helped them to break it down into categories: By their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of names (20 years old & upward and able to go forth to war specifically). In this way, the tribes were able to get the most accurate number of the children of Israel.

So why is numbering so important? Again, it's all about keeping order & keeping in mind that our God is God down to the smallest detail! Every person counts, especially with such an important and fulfilling job like serving The Lord! Each task of serving was divided up by tribe, with the Levites having the biggest job of "keeping the charge of the tabernacle of testimony" (Numbers 1:53). The Levites were also separated unto God for a special reason:

"And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine; Because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the Lord." Numbers 3:12‭-‬13.

This special "first-born" group was dedicated to God, mainly in remembrance of the firstborns from Egypt which were taken. Today, we can be that chosen born-again group with a new birth experience!

One last example of a tribe's special duty can be found in the tribe of Gershon. Although they all had specific tasks, we can just analyze one more for reference:

"And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation shall be the tabernacle, and the tent, the covering thereof, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, And the hangings of the court, and the curtain for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and by the altar round about, and the cords of it for all the service thereof." Numbers 3:25‭-‬26.

Remember, these things needed to be done not only so God's service functioned properly, but God's family! Both service & family life were intertwined, just like our family life should be a reflection of how we serve & dedicate our lives to Christ!