Levites Carry the Ark

After a costly reminder, David gathered the Levites to carry the ark of the contract into the city of David. The number of Levites that came references the law Yahvah gave Moses about the ark always being carried by Levites.

1 Chronicles 15:1-15

1David built citadels for himself in The City of David, and also built a place for the ark of the Master, and for the instruments of the tent. 2Then David commanded the Levites to carry the ark of the Master and the instruments of the tent; for the Master had chosen the Levites to minister and to carry the ark of the Master, and to look after it forever. 1 Chronicles 15:1-23David gathered all Israel together to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the Master to the place which he had built for it. 4David assembled the children of Aaron and the Levites: 5.1Of the children of Kohath, 5.2Uriel the elder and his brothers, 120; 6.1of the children of Merari, 6.2Asaiah the elder and his brothers, 220; 7.1of the children of Gershon, 7.2Joel the elder and his brothers, 130; 8.1of the children of Elizaphan, 8.2Shemaiah the elder and his brothers, 200; 9.1of the children of Hebron, 9.2Eliel the elder and his brothers, 80; 10.1of the children of Uzziel, 10.2Amminadab the elder and his brothers, 112. 1 Chronicles 15:3-1011David called for Zadok the priest and Abiathar, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Asaiah, Shemaiah, Eliel, and Amminadab, 12and said to them, You are the chiefs of the fathers of the Levites; holy yourselves, both you and your brothers, that you may bring up the ark of the Master, the God of Israel, to the place which has been built for it before, 13so that the Master our God may not strike us because we did not seek him after the due order. 14The priests and the Levites made themselves holy to bring up the ark of the Master, the God of Israel. 15The Levites carried the ark of the Master on their shoulders with the poles on them, as Moses had commanded, according to the word of the Master. 1 Chronicles 15:11-15
(1 Chronicles 15:1-15 BRB)

Count

120+220+130+200+80+112 = 862 = Numbers

Numbers

The following is the original communication between Yahvah and Israel regarding how the ark of the contract was to be transported. It explains that the priests' role was to cover the ark and put the carrying poles in place, but then Levites of the Kohath branch of the family were to carry it between locations. When David let some guys put the ark on a cart the first time, it was disastrous because it was contrary to this command. David realized the mistake and corrected it in the story above, which math points here:

1The Master spoke with Moses and with Aaron and said to them, 2Take the total of the children of Kohath from among the children of Levi, after their families, by the house of their fathers, 3from 30 years old to 50 years old, all who can enter into the host to do the work in the tent of time. Numbers 4:1-34This is the service of the children of Kohath in the tent of time concerning the most holy things. 5Whenever the camp marches forward, Aaron and his sons will come in, and they will take down the covering veil and cover the ark of testimony with it, 6and will put on it the covering of badgers' skins, and will spread over it a cloth all of blue, and will put its poles in. Numbers 4:4-67On the table of shewbread they will spread a cloth of blue, and put on it the dishes, the spoons, the bowls, the flagons for drink offering; and the continual shewbread will be on it; 8and they will spread on it a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of badgers' skins, and will put its poles in. Numbers 4:7-89They will take a cloth of blue, and cover the lampstand of the light and its lamps and its tongs and its snuffdishes and all its oil vessels with which they minister to it; 10and they will put it and all its vessels inside a covering of badgers' skins, and will put it on its poles. Numbers 4:9-1011On the gold altar they will spread a cloth of blue and cover it with a covering of badgers' skins and will put it on its poles. Numbers 4:1112They will take all the vessels of the ministry with which they minister in the holy place and put them in a cloth of blue and cover them with a covering of badgers' skins and will put them on poles. Numbers 4:1213They will take apart the altar and spread a purple cloth over it. 14They will put with it all its vessels with which they minister on it, the censers, the meathooks and the shovels and the basins and all the vessels of the altar; and they will spread on it a covering of badgers' skins, and put in its poles. Numbers 4:13-1415When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy place and all the vessels of the holy place as the camp is to march after that the children of Kohath will come in to bear it that they may not touch any holy thing lest they die. These things are to be borne by the children of Kohath in the service of the tent of time. Numbers 4:15
(Numbers 4:1-15 BRB)
Ryan Eaton 2013-06-07