EGW WritingsNumbers 4

The Retirement Years

J.N. Loughborough Letter to Lida Scott

RY 223.1

Your letter of September 8, enclosing Numbers 1, 4, and 5 of the Madison leaflets, duly received. Thank you for the leaflets and your remembrance of me. Your letter caused these thoughts.

Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 14 (1899)

Ms 110, 1899

14LtMs, Ms 110, 1899, par. 18

“When Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it; but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.” [Numbers 4:2-4, 15.] Korah, with Dathan and Abiram, had been honored and placed in positions of trust. But they were not contented. They wanted to be commanders. They forgot that God and not Moses had placed them where they were, and they charged Moses with taking too much upon himself.

Patriarchs and Prophets

Chapter 70—The Reign of David

PP 705.2

The fate of Uzzah was a divine judgment upon the violation of a most explicit command. Through Moses the Lord had given special instruction concerning the transportation of the ark. None but the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were to touch it, or even to look upon it uncovered. The divine direction was, “The sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die.” Numbers 4:15. The priests were to cover the ark, and then the Kohathites must lift it by the staves, which were placed in rings upon each side of the ark and were never removed. To the Gershonites and Merarites, who had in charge the curtains and boards and pillars of the tabernacle, Moses gave carts and oxen for the transportation of that which was committed to them. “But unto the sons of Kohath he gave none: because the service of the sanctuary belonging unto them was that they should bear upon their shoulders.” Numbers 7:9. Thus in the bringing of the ark from Kirjath-jearim there had been a direct and inexcusable disregard of the Lord’s directions.

From Eternity Past

Chapter 70—The Prosperous Reign of David

EP 512.2

The fate of Uzzah was a divine judgment upon the violation of a most explicit command. None but the priests, the descendants of Aaron, were to touch the ark, or even look upon it uncovered. The divine direction was, “The sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die.” Numbers 4:15. The priests were to cover the ark, and then the Kohathites must lift it by the staves, which were placed in rings on each side of the ark. They should bear the ark “upon their shoulders.” Numbers 7:9. There had been an inexcusable disregard of the Lord’s directions.