Numbers 4:15
And 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.
When the camp was to move, the priests were first to finish covering the sanctuary and all its furnishings, and only afterward were the Kohathites to come to carry them, without touching any holy thing on pain of death, for this carrying was their appointed burden. This belonged to Israel's wilderness journeys under Moses, when the Levites encamped around the tabernacle and took it down and bore it with the ark and candlestick and other sacred furniture as the hosts journeyed. The ark, representing Jehovah's presence among His people, was always kept covered in removal so no curious eye looked upon it, and it was to be borne on its staves by appointed men and not hauled on a cart as if the symbol itself could give victory to the disobedient. Covering belonged to the priests and carrying to the Kohathites, so each was to stay in his appointed place and do only his assigned work with reverence and careful guarding of what God had set apart, rather than taking another's duty into his own hands. To reject that ordered appointment and grasp at greater place or handle holy things unlawfully brings judgment, as seen in Korah's rebellion in seeking the priesthood and rule and in Uzzah's death for violating the carrying command, showing that God values order and requires obedience.
Ordered Transport of Sanctuary
When the camp was ready to move forward, Aaron and his sons were first to finish covering the sanctuary and all its vessels, and only after that were the sons of Kohath to come to bear them, without touching any holy thing lest they die, for these things were the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation. Covering belonged to the priests and carrying to the appointed Levites, so that no tribe and no volunteer could take the work upon himself, but a particular Levitical family bore what had first been covered for travel. The rule guarded the sacredness of the sanctuary and everything belonging to it, requiring reverence and forbidding unauthorized handling or disregard of the instructions on pain of death. Their appointed service was therefore a position of trust within an ordered service assigned by God, with place and duties fixed for the journeys rather than left to human choice.
The instruction belonged to Israel's wilderness journeys and organization under Moses, when the Levites were to erect the tabernacle and encamp around it while the hosts of Israel pitched at a distance. When Israel journeyed they were to take it down and bear it with the ark and the candlestick and the other sacred articles of furniture, dismantling and carrying the tabernacle and its sacred furnishings as their appointed service. From that organization comes the lesson that God values order and expects obedience to His arrangements, with Israel's history standing as a warning against disobedience and rebellion.
The ark, which represented Jehovah among His people, was always kept covered when removed from the sanctuary, so its cherubim were not exposed to view and no curious eye was to look upon it. The sacred ark and its furnishings were thus covered before the camp moved, so the sons of Kohath could carry the sanctuary vessels without touching any holy object. It was to be borne on its staves by appointed holy men in obedience to God's command, not transported on a cart, and violation of that explicit carrying command brought judgment as Uzzah's death illustrates, showing God's requirements are to be treated as sacred and obeyed strictly. The ark was only a symbol of God's presence, not a source of power that could secure victory for a disobedient people.
This service of the tabernacle was an honor given to the Levites because they took no part in making and worshiping the golden calf and were faithful in executing God's order upon the idolaters. Because God thus honored them with the office of erecting, guarding, dismantling, and bearing the sanctuary, they became ambitious for still higher office, seeking greater influence with the congregation by gaining the priesthood and government.
Reverence for Appointed Service
The carrying of the holy objects was not open to any tribe or to anyone who chose to take it up, but was a specific duty within an ordered service assigned by God to a particular Levitical family. Covering belonged to the priests, and carrying to the Kohathites, for Aaron and his sons were first to make an end of covering the sanctuary and all its vessels as the camp set forward, and only after that were the sons of Kohath to come to bear them. They were forbidden to touch any holy thing, lest they die, and bearing these covered things was their burden in the tabernacle of the congregation. This division made the transport orderly and protected the holiness of the furnishings, guarding their sacredness by entrusting them only to designated carriers.
Each person was therefore to remain in the appointed place and perform only the assigned task faithfully. The wilderness service required each one to keep to the work entrusted rather than interfere with another's duties. People must not take matters into their own hands in sacred work, but act with reverence and caution and wait for God's direction. Abandoning one's appointed task for another's could bring death, for unauthorized handling of sacred things was a deadly violation of their holiness.
The sanctuary and everything belonging to it were sacred and had to be treated with reverence. It was a holy trust set apart by God, to be carefully guarded from profanation and unauthorized handling. What is dedicated to Him is to be protected with the same care as the ark and its holy things. Touching a holy thing in violation of its holiness brought the penalty of death, so disregard of these instructions invited judgment.
Rejection of this appointed order brings judgment. Korah and his companions had an appointed service as a position of trust in carrying the sanctuary and its vessels, yet wrongly rejected their assigned place and duties when they sought greater authority. Though thus honored for faithfulness, they became ambitious for still higher office, seeking greater influence with the congregation by gaining the priesthood and government. Uzzah's death likewise illustrates the judgment for violating the explicit carrying command, since the ark was to be borne on its staves by appointed holy men in obedience to God's command, not transported on a cart. Israel's history under this organization under Moses shows that God values order and expects obedience to His arrangements, warning against disobedience and rebellion.