Numbers 8:24-26 KJV
This is it that belongeth unto the Levites: from
twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service
of the tabernacle of the congregation:
And from the age of fifty years they shall cease
waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more:
But shall minister with their brethren in the
tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the charge, and shall do no service.
Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge.
The service of
the Levites was to begin at the age of twenty-five and continue until age
fifty. At that time a change takes place as those elders cease waiting "upon the service of the
tabernacle" and then
begin to "minister with their brethren in the tabernacle to keep the charge".
Jewish teachers
developed from this a system whereby:
- From
twenty-five to thirty the Levite was engaged in learning his work
- From
thirty to fifty the Levite was engaged in performing his work
- From
fifty on that Levite was placed among his other elder brethren for ministry
rather than heavy service
These ages
should not be taken as hard and fast rules as King David extended the younger
age to twenty. But it does give some guidelines as to what would be considered
mature and when we would know that someone is "not a novice".
- Schooling
for the ministry from between age twenty to twenty-five (lasting five
years)
- Serving
in some form of supervised ministry until age fifty
- Ministering
as an undershepherd of the Lord (pastor) from age fifty.
In this way we
may honor the rule of Paul concerning novices and better protect the flock of
God from those who are wolves in sheep's clothing.
One might argue
against this idea by pointing out that many men aged fifty and above have
turned from the way. I would reply in many cases that can be accounted for by
the unprotected beating these men have taken because they were exposed to the
responsibilities of the pastorate while still novices.
I am not
proposing this as some hard and fast rule; "for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life"[1] but as a general guideline
to prevent novices from being thrust into places of responsibility that will
harm
- Themselves
- The
testimony of our Saviour and
- The
children of God
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