Numbers 7:6-9
So Moses took the carts and the oxen, and gave them to the Levites. Two carts and four oxen he gave to the sons of Gershon, according to their service, and four carts 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. But he did not give any to sons of Kohath because theirs was the service of the holy objects, which they carried on the shoulder.
God directed that the Gershonites would carry all the curtains of the Tabernacle, of the enclosed tent itself and its open courtyard, all the soft, fabric parts of the Tabernacle. They were given two carts and four oxen, so they could fold and stack all the curtains to fit into two carts.
The Merarites were to carry all the boards, bars, pillars and sockets, all the hardware to support the curtains for the tent and the courtyard. So Moses gave them four carts and eight oxen, as that's how many it would take to hold all these items.
But he didn't give any carts or oxen to the sons of Kohath, because they were to carry the "most holy things" on their shoulders, by the poles inserted into the rings on the corners of each object (Numbers 4). This ensured that they would be safe. But the Kohathites were not allowed to touch or even see the objects they carried until they were completely covered by the sons of Aaron, or they would die (Numbers 4:15, 19-20).
Originally, all three tribes were to carry all the Tabernacle tent, hardware and furniture on their shoulders, but these carts and oxen were given as gifts, so Moses allowed the tent and hardware to be loaded onto the carts. But never were the "most holy things" to be carried except on the shoulders of the Kohathites.
God was very precise in how these things were to be handled and dealt with. So with us, God allows some "holy things" to be carried in carts, though we need to pack and load them securely. But the "most holy things" in our lives, we need to carry on our shoulders, to personally bear the burdens, even when we cannot "see" or understand all the intricacies of what we're going through; we are to trust that God knows what's best for us, and remember that it takes great pressure to forge a diamond. He is making diamonds of us, to one day shine like the sun!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
