If there’s any chapter in the Bible that seems to cry out for an editor, it would be Numbers 7.  After all, was it really necessary to list the exact contents of each one of twelve identical offerings?  And why did the leaders of each tribe have to be named twice, at both the beginning and the end of their offerings’ description?

Well, as we see so many times in Scripture, repetition is an indication of importance.  So, what’s so important about these people and their offerings?  It turns out, they have something critical to tell us about the worship of God today.

For in our world of polished praised bands and slick oratory, it’s easy to think that worship is something that professionals do while ordinary church members just watch.  And it’s just as easy for professional clergy and musicians to imagine that their efforts are the only ones that matter.  But today’s passage reminds us that all the people of God had important contributions to make – in fact, it would have been much harder for the Levites to carry all the equipment of the Tabernacle from place to place without the wagons that the leaders provided for them (Numbers 7:4).

And what do we learn about these twelve leaders of the twelve tribes, who brought their offerings in the order in which they camped and marched, an order specified for them in Numbers chapter 2?  We see that they took the initiative to bring these gifts.  After all, they were not specifically prompted to bring these things, and God had to tell Moses to accept them (Numbers 7:5).  In the same way, it is still important for ruling elders not simply to wait around for their pastors to have all the big ideas for ministry, but to use their own creativity and their knowledge of their community to come up with new ways of showing and sharing the love of Jesus.  Those elected to serve their congregations as leaders should, in fact, lead.

We also see affirmed in this passage the idea that we should give of our best to God.  These offerings were not afterthoughts or leftovers, things given to the church because we didn’t need or want them anymore.  Since five shekels constituted a year’s wage for a herdsman in those days, each tribe’s offering was costly indeed.

And this passage makes it plain that the offerings from each of the tribes were equally valuable – that meant that everyone was equally committed to the work of God, that everyone was all in.  And just to make sure we don’t miss this point, we read it over and over – twelve times.

So, how about us?  Elders and members alike, whether we are leading in worship or faithful in our participation or generous with our gifts, are we all in for God?  Are we all doing the best we can to demonstrate His glory and His love to each other and to the world around us?

Numbers 7:1-17 (ESV)

On the day when Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle and had anointed and consecrated it with all its furnishings and had anointed and consecrated the altar with all its utensils, ² the chiefs of Israel, heads of their fathers’ houses, who were the chiefs of the tribes, who were over those who were listed, approached ³ and brought their offerings before the LORD, six wagons and twelve oxen, a wagon for every two of the chiefs, and for each one an ox. They brought them before the tabernacle. ⁴ Then the LORD said to Moses, ⁵ “Accept these from them, that they may be used in the service of the tent of meeting, and give them to the Levites, to each man according to his service.” ⁶ So Moses took the wagons and the oxen and gave them to the Levites. ⁷ Two wagons and four oxen he gave to the sons of Gershon, according to their service. ⁸ And four wagons and eight oxen he gave to the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. ⁹ But to the sons of Kohath he gave none, because they were charged with the service of the holy things that had to be carried on the shoulder. ¹⁰ And the chiefs offered offerings for the dedication of the altar on the day it was anointed; and the chiefs offered their offering before the altar. ¹¹ And the LORD said to Moses, “They shall offer their offerings, one chief each day, for the dedication of the altar.”

 ¹² He who offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah. ¹³ And his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ¹⁴ one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; ¹⁵ one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; ¹⁶ one male goat for a sin offering; ¹⁷ and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab.