AP

Numbers 8:23-26  The LORD said to Moses, “This applies to the Levites:  Men twenty-five years old or more shall come to take part in the work at the tent of meeting, but at the age of fifty, they must retire from their regular service and work no longer.  They may assist their brothers in performing their duties at the tent of meeting, but they themselves must not do the work.  This, then, is how you are to assign the responsibilities of the Levites.”

Readers who are still labouring away in the workforce may be thinking that today we should be taking more notice of the LORD’s instruction to Moses concerning the Levites!  But even though the Over-50s are to ‘work no longer’, they still have an important function to fulfil among God’s people – they are to ‘assist’ their brother Levites in the work they are required to do.  The Hebrew word translated ‘assist’ is an interesting word.  It is used 92 times in the Old testament and describes what Joseph was to Pharaoh, what Aaron was to Moses and then what Joshua was to Moses, what the boy Samuel was to Eli, what Elisha was to Elijah, and even what Abishag was to the elderly King David when she served as his night-time hot-water bottle (1 Kings 1:3).  It carried the idea of being a servant with important responsibilities which were to be carried out faithfully and diligently, but always with a humble, subservient heart or attitude.

It is often translated into English as ‘minister’ which itself is an interesting word.  The ‘mini’ part emphasises this servant-heartedness.  It contrasts with the English word ‘magi’-ster, or ‘magistrate.  Both have a ruling-directing responsibility, but whereas the ‘magistrate’ rules from top down, a ‘minister’ rules from the bottom up – in a basically serving capacity (‘mini’=small; ‘magi’=great).  What God is saying in today’s verses has particular application to retired pastors (of which I am one!).  I see our job as being to let the pastor under whose ministry we sit (and serve) be the pastor, and to be readily available to help out whenever we are required, being very careful never to exercise dominant top-down leadership or give advice on the basis of what we might see as ‘our long and valuable experience’.

I can say honestly that I personally benefit greatly from my own ‘young’ pastor’s gifts and insights.  He was born 59 days after I was married, but I much appreciate his godly wisdom and ability to expound the Scriptures, and I make it my business to avoid saying or doing anything that might undermine his leadership, ensuring that I don’t ‘do the work’, and only ever support and ‘assist’ his ministry.  Hopefully, in this way, I might never think of being no longer useful, but be able to feel that I am contributing to the growth of Christ’s Kingdom among us in a quiet, unnoticed, servant-hearted way.

– Bruce Christian