“All they that were numbered in the camp of Dan were an hundred thousand and fifty and seven thousand and six hundred. They shall go hindmost with their standards.” (Numbers 2:31)
The children of Israel didn’t just leave Egypt and walk the wilderness like a horde of cattle. God in His wisdom gave them order. The tribes were divided into four camps made of three tribes. These camps were to walk surrounding the Tabernacle. When they camped, they settled and made their camps surrounding the tent of the Tabernacle, on the north, east, west and south sides. The camp of Dan was the largest next to the camp of Judah which went first. God placed Dan at the end.
This was a commandment of the Lord. It sounds reasonable that God, the God of order would command the tribes in a certain place when they marched and when they camped. Moses had no say as to where they were to be. There was no favoritism. God in His wisdom placed each tribe in a camp and in a place. When God gives a command, it stops all arguments. God is the final authority and voice. So, the Israelites obeyed and that is how they moved and camped.
Can you imagine how the Israelites would have moved had God not been specific on how to move? They all would have been trying to be the first. No one likes being last. But God placed the biggest group next to Judah’s camp, made of the tribes of Dan, Asher and Naphtali at the end. And the Judah camp which had 186,400 of the tribes of Judah, Issachar and Zebulun went first. The biggest camps went first and last. The Bible commentator John Gill says it was for their safety, but Matthew Henry says this was to avoid murmuring and bickering. It was probably for those two reasons.
Does God have a specific place for us? God is a God of order. He will not have His people going here and there, doing this and that without order nor purpose. There is a place for each one of us in God’s army. We all want to be the head, an assumed position of honor. Jesus was teaching His disciples about being ready and taught them about the faithful and wise servant. “And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath." (Luke 12:42-44) Then He speaks to them of the servant who does what he wants. Of this servant He says, “And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.” (Luke 12:47-48) Both the servant who knows what to do and doesn’t do it and the servant who doesn’t know what to do get punished. But the one who knows what to do and does what He wants has a greater responsibility to obey. What does this mean? It means that God knows us better than ourselves. He knows the gifts and talents He’s put in each one of us to fulfill His purpose. “A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.” (Proverbs 18:16) We must make ready to use our gifts. A teacher doesn’t merely prepare for the class but is always studying. A musician doesn’t just start playing his instrument when called on but plays his instrument daily and when he is called upon, he is ready. A preacher doesn’t just start preaching to the congregation, but is always preaching to whoever will listen. The evangelist doesn’t start having revivals until he has prepared and honed his gift on whoever he meets. These are spirit filled, spirit driven and spirit anointed moves of God. And we must be ready with our gift and talent to use it for the Lord. The last phrase of Luke 12:48 tells us that our gift whether it’s to be a great housekeeper which God can use or the pastor of a church, God has a position for us to fulfill and we will have to answer for it. “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.”
Have you ever wondered why the ones that already busy get asked to do even more? It’s because they have been found to be faithful. They just didn’t start doing the “big” things all at once. They were faithful in the little things and were promoted. “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.” (Luke 16:10) God wants us to be faithful with what He gave us.
Whether we are first or last isn’t what is important to the Lord, but whether we are obedient and faithful.
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