民三6~7　你〔摩西〕使利未支派近前来，站在祭司亚伦面前服事他；他们要在会幕前，守所吩咐亚伦和全会众的，办理帐幕的事。

　　在民数记里有召会事奉的完全预表。我盼望主开启我们的眼睛，看见比较来说，在召会的事奉上，我们多少有点松懈。关于属灵的原则，我们不是那么严谨、严格、正确。我们不知不觉地犯错，可能是我们失去神许多祝福的原因。在事奉神的事上，我们不该松懈，乃该严谨。我们众人，尤其是青年人，需要学习关于事奉神的属灵规则和属灵条例（民数记生命读经，一○八至一○九页）。

　　Num. 3:6-7 Bring the tribe of Levi near and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. And they shall keep his charge and the charge of the whole assembly before the Tent of Meeting to do the service of the tabernacle.

　　In Numbers we have a full type of the church service. I hope that the Lord would open our eyes to see that, comparatively speaking, in the church service we have been somewhat loose. With respect to spiritual principles, we have not been so serious, strict, and right. Our making mistakes unconsciously could be the reason that we have missed much of God's blessing. In serving God, we should not be loose but should be serious. We all, especially the young ones, need to learn the spiritual regulations and spiritual laws regarding the service of God. (Life-study of Numbers, p. 99)

　　我们要开始来看民数记三至四章所说圣别的事奉。……圣别的事奉完全是随着利未人。因此，利未支派不是为着争战，乃是为着圣别的事奉。事奉是圣别的，因为这事奉照管神见证的帐幕。

　　圣别事奉的基本原则是基于生命，没有混乱。在圣别的事奉里，每件事都很有秩序，并且在神圣的命定之下。……因着圣别的事奉是基于生命，事奉就没有混乱。我们可以用人的身体作例证。人身体里的混乱是疾病的表记。因着身体属于生命，它无法容忍混乱。同样，基督的身体是神的军队，完全是生命的事，也必须有美好的配搭。

　　祭司体系是生机体，所以它正确的实行唯有在基督生机的身体里，而不能在组织的基督教里。一个组织即使发生许多难处，还能往前；但是基督的身体只要发生一点难处，就被困扰了。因此，我们必须避免混乱。对付混乱最好的路就是避免混乱。我们若是避免了混乱，就会避免许多难处。

　　民数记三章说了很多关于人位及其职责的事。我们需要思考这事，因为这事实上与我们和我们的职责有关。……首先，我们要来看祭司的职责，然后要来看利未人的职责。祭司是直接事奉神的受膏者。

　　〔在三十八节上半〕我们看见，祭司要在帐幕前面、东边，向日出之地安营。祭司实际上是守门者，看守帐幕的入口。任何人要事奉神，都必须先通过祭司。

　　今天祭司体系不再是一家人的事，就如属于亚伦家的祭司体系。今天祭司体系乃是普遍的。不过，原则仍是一样。并非每个人都能通过守门者，达到幔子里面的约柜。那些想要这样作的人，必须先通过祭司体系。一旦信徒通过了看守帐幕的祭司体系，他就有权利进入帐幕，通过第二层幔子，达到约柜，就是神与祂子民相会的地方。……今天祭司体系是普遍的。这意思是说，每位信徒都是祭司，都该作祭司事奉。然而，事实上并非每位信徒都作祭司尽功用。

　　祭司要看守圣所（32、38中）。圣所是帐幕，同其两部分，就是圣所与至圣所。“看守”一辞指责任。祭司看守圣所，意思就是对整个圣所以及与圣所有关的一切负责任。倘若有什么东西受损或被窃，祭司就有责任（民数记生命读经，二七、二九至三○页）。

　　参读：各种年龄者都为主的见证，第一篇；祭司的体系，第一部分，第二篇。

　　We will begin to consider the holy service, which is covered in chapters three and four of Numbers....The holy service is altogether with the Levites. Thus, the tribe of Levi is not for fighting but for the holy service. The service is holy because it takes care of the Tabernacle of the Testimony of God.

　　The basic principle of the holy service is that it is without confusion; it is based on life. Everything in the holy service is in good order and is under the divine ordination.

　　Because the holy service is based on life, the service is without confusion. We may use the human body as an illustration. Confusion in the human body is a sign of sickness. Because the body is of life, it cannot tolerate confusion. Likewise, in the Body of Christ as God's army, which is altogether a matter of life, there must be good coordination.

　　The priesthood is an organism, and it can be properly practiced only in the organic Body of Christ, not in organized Christianity. An organization can go on even when there is much trouble, but the Body of Christ is bothered when only a little trouble is present. Therefore, we must avoid confusion. The best way to deal with confusion is to avoid it. If we avoid confusion, we will avoid much trouble.

　　Numbers 3 has much to say about the persons and their duties. We need to dwell on this because it actually concerns us and our duties.

　　First, we will consider the duties of the priests and then the duties of the Levites. The priests are the anointed ones who serve God directly.

　　[In Numbers 3:38a] we see that the priests were to camp before the tabernacle, on the east, toward the sunrise. The priests were actually gate guards, guarding the entrance to the tabernacle. Anyone who wanted to serve God had to first pass through the priests.

　　The priesthood today is no longer a household matter as it was with Aaron; the priesthood is universal. Nevertheless, the principle remains the same. Not everyone can pass through the gate guard to reach the Ark within the veil. Those who want to do this must first pass through the priesthood. Once a believer has passed through the priesthood which guards the tabernacle, he has the right to enter into the tabernacle, pass through the second veil, and reach the Ark, where God meets with His people.

　　The priesthood today is universal. This means that every believer is a priest and should serve as a priest. However, not every believer actually functions as a priest.

　　The priests were to keep the charge of the sanctuary (vv. 38b, 32). The sanctuary was the tabernacle with its two sections, the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. The word charge refers to responsibility. For the priests to keep the charge of the sanctuary meant that they were responsible for the entire sanctuary and everything related to it. If anything was damaged or stolen, the priests were responsible. (Life-study of Numbers, pp. 25-28)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1977, vol. 2, "All Ages for the Lord's Testimony," ch. 1; CWWL, 1966, vol. 1, "The Priesthood," ch. 2