Numbers 3
God keeps family records of His priests
1 These also are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the LORD spoke with Moses in mount Sinai. 2 And these are the names of the sons of Aaron; Nadab, the firstborn, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests that were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest's office. 4 Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD when they offered strange fire before the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children: Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest's office in the sight of Aaron their father. 5 And the LORD spoke to Moses saying, 6 bring the tribe of Levi near and present them before Aaron the priest so that they may serve him. 7 And they will keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle. 8 And they will guard all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the watch over the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.
- Priests represented God to the people and the people to God.
- Nadab and Abihu, entered holy God’s presence in a disobedient way (Leviticus 10), possibly drunk.
- The Levites, descendants of Jacob’s son Levi, had been zealous for God during the golden calf incident at Mt. Sinai.
- God rewarded them by bringing them near Him to serve at the tabernacle.
9 And you will give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given to him out of the children of Israel. 10 And you will appoint Aaron and his sons, and they will wait on their priest's office: and the foreigner that comes near will be put to death. 11 And the LORD spoke to Moses saying, 12 And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that opens the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites will be mine; 13 Because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I set apart to me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and animal: they will be mine: I am the LORD.
- God is holy and does not tolerate unholiness because His Son was promised to die for our sins to make us all holy.
- God took the Levites into service in place of the firstborn of each family.
- Before this, every firstborn was to serve at the tabernacle.
- God is the Lord who controls all things.
- The word LORD speaks of God’s as the all-powerful Maker and Sustainer of all life.
- There are many imposters claiming to be God.
- Every time God says, I am the Lord, He is telling us that He is the one who made us, made the universe, and controls all things, no other.
14 And the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai saying, 15 Number the children of Levi by the house of their fathers, you are to number them by their families: every male from a month old and upward. 16 So Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded. 17 These were the sons of Levi by their names; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.18 And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families; Libni, and Shimei. 19 And the sons of Kohath by their families; Amram, and Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 20 And the sons of Merari by their families; Mahli, and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to the house of their fathers. 21 From Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimites: these are the families of the Gershonites. 22 Those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males a month old and upward, those that were numbered were 7,500. 23 The families of the Gershonites will camp behind the tabernacle on the west. 24 And the chief of the house of the father of the Gershonites will be Eliasaph the son of Lael.
- God named the leader. No popular vote.
- God knows the hearts. He knows who can handle authority without being corrupted by it.
- The tabernacle was where God dwelt among His people, His home.
- The priests served at God’s house by caring for the tent (and later temple), leading the worship services, guarding the furnishings, presiding over the offerings which were all a picture of God’s great love poured out for us by the death of His holy Son for our sin.
- John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming to him and said, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.
He gave each family of priests a job to do
25 The responsibility of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation will be the tabernacle, the tent, its covering, the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, 26 the hangings of the court, the curtain for the door of the court which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and its cords for all its service. 27 And from Kohath came the family of the Amramites, the family of the Izeharites, the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites: these are the families of the Kohathites. 28 The number of all the males from a month old and upward was 8,600, keeping the charge of the sanctuary. 29 The families of the sons of Kohath will camp on the south side of the tabernacle. 30 And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites will be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. 31 And they will be in charge of the ark, the table, the lamp stand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which they minister, and the hanging and all its service. 32 And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest will be chief administrator of the Levites, and have the oversight of those that keep the charge of the sanctuary. 33 From Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari. 34 And those that were numbered of them according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were 6,200. 35 And the chief of the house of the father of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail: these will camp on the north side of the tabernacle. 36 And under the custody and charge of the sons of Merari will be the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, all its vessels and all their service, 37 And the pillars of the court round about, their sockets, their pins, and their cords.
- God set the homes of the priests around His tabernacle.
- He kept those nearest who desired Him the most.
38 But those that camp before the tabernacle to the east, before the tabernacle of the congregation east, will be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the foreigner that comes near will be put to death.
- God executed strangers who drew near.
- Sins were purged at the cross.
- Now all can draw near to our holy God without fear if they confess all the known sin in their life.
- James 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
- I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
- Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
39 All that were numbered of the Levites, which Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the LORD, throughout their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were 22,000. 40 And the LORD said to Moses, Number all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names. 41 And you will take the Levites for me (I am the LORD) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the livestock of the children of Israel. 42 And as the LORD commanded him, Moses numbered all the firstborn among the children of Israel. 43 And all the firstborn males by the number of names, from a month old and upward, those that were numbered were 22,273. 44 And the LORD spoke to Moses saying, 45 Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock; and the Levites will be mine: I am the LORD. 46 And for those that are to be redeemed, the 273 of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are more than the Levites; 47 You are to take five shekels apiece by the poll, you are to take them by the shekel of the sanctuary: (the shekel is twenty gerahs:) 48 And you will give the money with which the odd number of them is to be redeemed to Aaron and to his sons. 49 And Moses took the redemption money of them that were over and above those redeemed by the Levites: 50 He took the money from the firstborn of the children of Israel; 1,365 by the shekel of the sanctuary: 51 And Moses gave the money of those that were redeemed to Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.
- There were more firstborn Israelites than Levites so they made up the difference in cash. God redeemed us to Himself from evil and sin.
- 1 Peter 1:18, 19 you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver and gold from your vain behavior received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without spot.
Numbers 4
God placed holy men over His most holy things
1 The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron saying, 2 Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by the house of their fathers, 3 From thirty years old and upward to fifty years old, all that enter into service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation. 4 This will be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, the most holy things: 5 And when the camp sets forward Aaron and his sons will come and take down the covering veil, and cover the ark of testimony with it: 6 And will put on it the covering of badgers' skins, and will spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and will put in its poles.
- The children of Israel were on foot.
- All their belongings had to be carried or taken in carts.
- The tabernacle, God’s dwelling among them also had to be carried.
- God gives specific instructions.
- There was a precise procedure for taking down and setting up the tabernacle.
- God’s dwelling was at the center of the camp.
- God leads in our lives also and He begins at the center, our hearts, not our outward behavior.
- Hypocrites change the outside and the outward behavior.
- Missionaries that make their first priority to put clothes on the natives are beginning at the outside rather than the heart.
- However, God’s word inside us brings us into agreement with Him, into fellowship with Him so that He actually lives within us.
- 1Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, Do not look on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.
God blesses those who trust Him
7 They are to spread a cloth of blue on the table of showbread, and put on it the dishes, the spoons, and the bowls, with covers to cover it all: and the continual bread will be on it: 8 And they will spread on them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of badgers' skins, and will put in its poles. 9 And they are to take a cloth of blue, and cover the candlestick of the lamp, its lamps, and its tongs, its snuff dishes, and all its jars of oil, with which they minister to it: 10 And they will put it and all its utensils in a covering of badgers' skins, and will put it on a bar. 11 Then they are to spread a cloth of blue on the golden altar, and cover it with a covering of badgers' skins, and put in its poles: 12 They are to take all the instruments of service, with which they serve in the sanctuary and put them in a blue cloth, cover them with a covering of badgers' skins, and put them on a bar: 13 They are to take away the ashes from the altar and spread a purple cloth on it: 14 They are to put on it all the its utensils with which they minister about it, the censers, the flesh hooks, the shovels, and the basins, all the utensils of the altar; and they are to spread on it a covering of badgers' skins, and put in its poles. 15 And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath will come to carry it: but they will not touch any holy thing, so that they not die. These things are the duty of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.
- He blesses infinitely and forever. He is firm with those who will not.
- It is His right. He created us. He sustains us. He loved us enough to die for us.
- The unholy cannot enter His presence without dying.
- Christ has made us holy by dying for our sins.
- Romans 11:22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness: otherwise you also will be cut off.
- 1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him.
God protects life
16 And the charge of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest is the oil for the light, the sweet incense, the daily grain offering, the anointing oil, and the oversight of all the tabernacle, of all that is in it in the sanctuary and its furnishings. 17 And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron saying, 18 Do not cut off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites: 19 But do this for them so that they may live and not die when they approach the most holy things: Aaron and his sons will go in and assign a specific duty and load to each person: 20 But they are not to go in to see when the holy objects are covered, so that they not die.
- All the people could enter the courtyard surrounding the tabernacle to confess sins and worship but only the priests were allowed inside the holy place and the holy of holies.
- The sons of Kohath were of the tribe of Levi.
- God assigned them to carry His dwelling, but the priests had to enter first to cover everything so that no one would die.
- God is holy and that holiness would kill the unholy.
- A lengthy ceremony for the priests cleansed them to serve inside God’s dwelling place.
- Our Creator and Sustainer will not be taken lightly.
- John 14:6 Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, except through me.
21 And the LORD spoke to Moses saying, 22 Take the sum of the sons of Gershon, throughout the houses of their fathers, by their families; 23 You are to number them from thirty years old upward to fifty years old; all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation 24 The duties of the families of the Gershonites is general service, and carrying loads: 25 And they will carry the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tabernacle of the congregation, its covering, the covering of the badgers' skins that is over it, the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, 26 the hangings of the court, the hanging for the door of the gate of the court which is by the tabernacle and by the altar all around, their cords, all the instruments of their service, and all that is made for them: this is their duty. 27 All the service of the sons of the Gershonites, all their loads, and in all their service will be at the command of Aaron and his sons: you are to lay a charge on them concerning the duty of all their burdens. 28 This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation: and their charge will be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
- Isaiah 6:3 one cried to another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
- Revelation 4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they do not rest day and night saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
29 As for the sons of Merari, you will number them by their families, by the house of their fathers; 30 From thirty years old up to fifty years old you are to number them, every one that enters into the warfare, to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation. 31 According to all their service in the tabernacle of the congregation, they are in charge of carrying the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, 32 And the pillars of the surrounding court, their sockets, their pins, their cords with all their instruments and with all their service: and you will assign the items to be carried by name to each man. 33 This is the duty of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service in the tabernacle of the congregation, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. 34 And Moses and Aaron and the ruler of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites by their families, by the house of their fathers, 35 From thirty years old and up to fifty years old, every one that entered the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation:
- God used mature men.
- At age 20 men served in Israel’s army but they began service at the tabernacle at age 30.
- In addition to this God gave them early retirement.
- They stopped their service at God’s tabernacle at age 50.
- And God set up a rotation schedule.
- These men did one month of service at the tabernacle every year, they then were at home with their families for the other eleven months.
- The word service means warfare. When we serve God we become targets of God’s unseen enemies (Ephesians 6:12-16).
His work for us is easy and light
36 And those that were numbered of them by their families were 2,750. 37 These were those that were numbered of the families of the Kohathites, all that were able serve in the tabernacle of the congregation, which Moses and Aaron numbered according to the command of the LORD by the hand of Moses. 38 And those that were numbered of the sons of Gershon, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers, 39 From thirty years old up to fifty years old, every one that entered the service for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation, 40 Those that were numbered of them, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers were 2,630. 41 These are those that were numbered of the families of the sons of Gershon, all those serving in the tabernacle of the congregation, whom Moses and Aaron number according to the command of the LORD. 42 And those that were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers, 43 From thirty years old up to fifty years old, every one that entered into the service for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation, 44 those numbered by their families were 3,200. 45 These are those that were numbered from the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses. 46 All those that were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the ruler of Israel numbered, by their families, by the house of their fathers, 47 from thirty years old up to fifty years old, every one going in to do the service of the ministry, the service of the burdens in the tabernacle of the congregation, 48 those numbered of them were 8,580. 49 According to the command of the LORD they were numbered by the hand of Moses, every one according to his service, and according to his load: so they were numbered by him, as the LORD commanded Moses.
- The first and great command is to love Him (Matthew 22:37, 38).
- Loving God is the most natural and wonderful thing in the universe, if you know Him.
- That’s why He says in Matt. 11:29 …learn of me…All the wonders of life come from Him. Most of the things we delight in and love have come from Him.
- Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all you that labor and are heavily loaded, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you will find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
**************************
SUMMARY: Numbers 3-4
- God keeps family records of His priests
- He gave each family a specific job to do for Him
- God blesses those who trust Him
- He uses mature men
- He protects life
- He placed faithful men over the most holy things