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From thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old -- Numbers 4:3
In the last article, we considered the fact that the Levites were relieved of their heavy lifting and hard labor at age fifty. Numbers 8:26 says, "They may minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of meeting, to attend to needs, but they themselves shall do no work." We are going to focus on the younger side of this. Why were the Levites required to be thirty years old to serve and minister on their own in the tabernacle of meeting?
Numbers 8:24 says that Levites must be twenty-five years old and above to enter into service in the tabernacle. Apparently, those who began at age twenty-five were on probation, or worked as an apprentice until the age of thirty. Under King David the age to enter was lowered to twenty, with ten years of preparation, reference, Matthew Henry Commentary.
God was concerned about a certain level of maturity for those who were going to minister before God and men. It was not something to be taken lightly, or entered into casually. John the Baptist and Christ were both thirty years old when they began their public ministry. I Timothy 3:6 says a bishop (minister) should not be a novice, "lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil."
Jesus was also thirty years old when He was baptized. If anyone would have had the right to be baptized at an early age, He would have! He had the wisdom that only God could give, He was doing the work of God, and also living a perfect life. What example does that leave for us; what can we learn from His life? We don't need to ask (WWJD) what would Jesus do; we already know. But how many people are really serious about following His example? For the believer who wants to enter the ministry, mental and spiritual maturity is an important issue!
The practice of baptizing young children is something I am very skeptical about. For most families it is something that one or both of the parents want done. The children will usually go along and play the part. When those children get into the teen years and high school, they encounter more temptations than they ever had. Many of them dishonor God by their sinful, ungodly lifestyle. Some parents don't really care, they just wanted to see their children go through the waters of baptism, as if that will bring about their salvation.
The outward show of public baptism can be an emotional time for the families, but the children often have no idea what's involved. If someone is twenty, 30, or 40 years old, they are much more mature and usually have a better understanding of sin, the breaking of God's law, and the consequences thereof. They usually have a good understanding of baptism, what it means, and what it represents. If they have walked with God, then they have already experienced the ridicule and persecution of the world.
The church of God in America is at an all-time spiritual low. Because of the pandemic, many people have become complacent and content if they don't go to church. Our constitution gives us that right to worship together in a legal sense. But many would rather watch television or spend time on Facebook. A lot of gods have taken the place of the One True God in the hearts and minds of the American people.
I really wonder, if the majority of church members in America were joined to an organization, or to Christ? We need to get back to a more serious and mature Christian faith not based on emotion. Maybe we should judge people by their life instead of their empty hypocritical words, and their fake Hollywood emotions. Doesn't God still expect maturity and accountability from His people today, like He did from the Levites? Comments or questions, contact me at: thoughtsonword@gmail.com
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Lyndon Stimeling, of Richfield, has been writing about faith and family for many years. He has self-published three books, "Common Thoughts on The Word" in 2016 and "Eye of a Needle" in 2017 and "Common Thoughts on The Word II" in 2019. He has also had articles published in The Coming Home Journal and local newspapers and has written a children's book.