Daily Lesson for Sabbath 16th of August 2025

Moses Holding the Two Tablets of the Law

Image © Pacific Press

Read for This Week’s Study: Exodus 19:1-25; Exodus 20:1-17, Revelation 21:3, Deuteronomy 5:6-21, James 1:23-25, Romans 3:20-24, Romans 10:4.

Memory Text:

“ ‘ “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” ’ ” (Exodus 19:4-6, NKJV).

Where did God lead Israel after He had liberated them from Egypt? To the Promised Land—where else? However geographically correct, that answer is theologically wrong. God Himself answers it: “ ‘ “You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself ” ’ ” (Exodus 19:4, NIV; emphasis added). Thus, the biblical-theological answer to the question reveals God’s priority and goal: the Lord brought them to Himself.

When humans depart from God, He searches for them and calls them back to Himself. The best model of this profound truth is in the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve sinned against God, disobeyed His command, and hid from Him. He took the initiative and called: “ ‘Where are you?’ ” (Genesis 3:9, NKJV). He always makes the first step. Jesus states this eloquently: “ ‘Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest’ ” (Matthew 11:28-29, NKJV).

God calls out to all of us; our eternal destiny depends on our response.

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, August 23.

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/25c-08-covenant-at-sinai/

15 August 2025

BELIEVE HIS PROPHETS
Daily Bible Reading

Numbers 4 – Worship with Responsibility
The sacred order of Levitical service in the Tabernacle

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Bible Text – Numbers 4 (KJV)

¹And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

²Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, after their families, by the house of their fathers,

³From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.

⁴This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, about the most holy things:

⁵And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering vail, and cover the ark of testimony with it:

⁶And shall put thereon the covering of badgers’ skins, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in the staves thereof.

⁷And upon the table of shewbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls, and covers to cover withal: and the continual bread shall be thereon:

⁸And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put in the staves thereof.

⁹And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the candlestick of the light, and his lamps, and his tongs, and his snuffdishes, and all the oil vessels thereof, wherewith they minister unto it:

¹⁰And they shall put it and all the vessels thereof within a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put it upon a bar.

¹¹And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put to the staves thereof:

¹²And they shall take all the instruments of ministry, wherewith they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put them on a bar:

¹³And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon:

¹⁴And they shall put upon it all the vessels thereof, wherewith they minister about it, even the censers, the fleshhooks, and the shovels, and the basons, all the vessels of the altar; and they shall spread upon it a covering of badgers’ skins, and put to the staves of it.

¹⁵And 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.

¹⁶And to the office of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest pertaineth the oil for the light, and the sweet incense, and the daily meat offering, and the anointing oil, and the oversight of all the tabernacle, and of all that therein is, in the sanctuary, and in the vessels thereof.

¹⁷And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron saying,

¹⁸Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites:

¹⁹But thus do unto them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach unto the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in, and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden:

²⁰But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die.

²¹And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

²²Take also the sum of the sons of Gershon, throughout the houses of their fathers, by their families;

²³From thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shalt thou number them; all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.

²⁴This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, to serve, and for burdens:

²⁵And they shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tabernacle of the congregation, his covering, and the covering of the badgers’ skins that is above upon it, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,

²⁶And the hangings of the court, and the hanging for the door of the gate of the court, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and all that is made for them: so shall they serve.

²⁷At the appointment of Aaron and his sons shall be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burdens, and in all their service: and ye shall appoint unto them in charge all their burdens.

²⁸This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation: and their charge shall be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

²⁹As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them after their families, by the house of their fathers;

³⁰From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old shalt thou number them, every one that entereth into the service, to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation.

³¹And this is the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the tabernacle of the congregation; the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and sockets thereof,

³²And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords, with all their instruments, and with all their service: and by name ye shall reckon the instruments of the charge of their burden.

³³This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service, in the tabernacle of the congregation, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

³⁴And Moses and Aaron and the chief of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites after their families, and after the house of their fathers,

³⁵From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation:

³⁶And those that were numbered of them by their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty.

³⁷These were they that were numbered of the families of the Kohathites, all that might do service in the tabernacle of the congregation, which Moses and Aaron did number according to the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses.

³⁸And those that were numbered of the sons of Gershon, throughout their families, and by the house of their fathers,

³⁹From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation,

⁴⁰Even those that were numbered of them, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers, were two thousand and six hundred and thirty.

⁴¹These are they that were numbered of the families of the sons of Gershon, of all that might do service in the tabernacle of the congregation, whom Moses and Aaron did number according to the commandment of the Lord.

⁴²And those that were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers,

⁴³From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation,

⁴⁴Even those that were numbered of them after their families, were three thousand and two hundred.

⁴⁵These be those that were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses.

⁴⁶All those that were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the chief of Israel numbered, after their families, and after the house of their fathers,

⁴⁷From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that came to do the service of the ministry, and the service of the burden in the tabernacle of the congregation.

⁴⁸Even those that were numbered of them, were eight thousand and five hundred and fourscore,

⁴⁹According to the commandment of the Lord they were numbered by the hand of Moses, every one according to his service, and according to his burden: thus were they numbered of him, as the Lord commanded Moses.

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Introduction

The focus of Numbers 4 is not Israel’s movement but the preparation for movement — particularly concerning the sanctuary.
This chapter reveals the carefully organized structure of the Levites’ duties in dismantling, transporting, and protecting the Tabernacle.

Everyone carries responsibility. Nothing is left to chance. Everything follows God’s design — down to the smallest detail.

In a world full of disorder and self-centeredness, God teaches us a different principle:
Holiness requires structure. Service requires obedience. Closeness to God requires protection.

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Commentary

1⃣ The Role of the Kohathites (Verses 1–20)

Their task is the most sacred: they are responsible for carrying the holy objects (Ark, altar, lampstand, etc.).
But they must not touch or even look at the sacred objects. Only Aaron and his sons are allowed to cover them.

➤ God makes it clear: His presence is not to be approached casually — it is holy.

Lesson: Holiness is not a human right but a divine gift — and it demands respect and order.

2⃣ The Role of the Gershonites (Verses 21–28)

They are responsible for coverings, curtains, and hangings — in other words, the tent materials.
They serve under the direction of Ithamar, the son of Aaron.

➤ Though their task may seem less “sacred,” it is vital to the entire work.

Lesson: Every ministry, whether visible or hidden, has value and meaning in the Kingdom of God.

3⃣ The Role of the Merarites (Verses 29–33)

They carry the structural elements: boards, pillars, bases — the framework of the sanctuary.
They also serve under Ithamar.

Lesson: Without a strong foundation, everything collapses.
Stability in God’s house begins in what is unseen.

4⃣ The Census of the Working Levites (Verses 34–49)

Only men aged 30 to 50 — in their prime — were counted for active service.
Total: 8,580 Levites, each with a designated task and load.

Lesson: Not everyone carries the same — but everyone carries something.
Faith is not a spectator sport.

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Summary

In this chapter, God organizes the service of the Levites for the sanctuary.
The three Levitical families — Kohath, Gershon, Merari — receive different assignments.

The focus is on obedience, holiness, and responsibility.
Nothing is random — everything follows divine instruction.

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Message for Us Today

1.God is a God of order

Spiritual life needs structure. Chaos is not from God.
Your time with Him, your ministry, your daily life — all of it can be intentionally and reverently organized.

2.Everyone has a task

Even today, God calls people to specific roles — in the visible and the hidden, through hands or through heart.
Ask yourself: What is my “load” in God’s Kingdom?

3.Holiness is not a game

The warning to the Kohathites is serious:
Closeness to God is not a playground.
A real relationship with God still requires awe, obedience, and reverence.

4.Community works through collaboration

Just as the Levites could only move the Tabernacle together,
we too, as the Church, are strong only when each person knows and lives out their role.

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Reflection Questions

“God gave each Levite a task — not because they were perfect, but because they were willing.

Are you willing to discover — and carry — your God-given assignment?”

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August 10 – 16, 2025

BELIEVE HIS PROPHETS
Weekly Reading from the Spirit of Prophecy

Ellen White | Patriarchs and Prophets – Chapter 22
Moses