"From now on the Israelites must not go near the Tent of Meeting, or they will bear the consequences of their sin and will die." Numbers 18:22
Only the Levites could go near the Tent of Meeting to do the work of the Tent. Furthermore, only Aaron's descendants could go near the holiest place. Even some of the temple articles were wrapped in the cloth of the Tent before moving, so no one saw them except the priests.
I wonder about the artists and craftsmen whose handiwork made the Tent and all its articles. Unless they were Levites, they too could not go near.
Lord, there are things in life that we can hold for only a short time. Like the craftsmen for the tabernacle, we are required to commission our handiwork into Your service. As an artist, I can empathize with this. When a piece of artwork is purchased or given, I may never see it again. But there is another handiwork that requires even greater sacrifice when we let it go... our children.
Lord, a day is coming when both of my children will be commissioned to follow Your will on their own. Very soon, I will need permission to have any say in their choices and actions. Pushing in will soon become pushing out, for any attempt to control will only cause them to move farther away. Without respect of their independence, I could face a day when I rarely see them. I am proof of that.
Father, take care of my children as they become independent adults. Watch over them when I cannot be near. Help me to trust that they will not depart from what they know to be right. I lay them into Your loving hands. May Your wonderful will be done in their lives.