|
The Fourth Book of Moses, called Numbers,
Chapter Three
<>< <>< ><> ><>
2. The role of the Levites
<>< <>< ><> ><>
The Levites
<>< <>< ><> ><>
1. Whose family is this account of at the time
the LORD talked with Moses on Mount
Sinai, what are the names of Aaron's son, what are Aaron's sons, and what are
they ordained to do?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
At first blush the wording "the family of Aaron and Moses" seems
out of order because normally Moses is placed before Aaron. But the emphasis is
correct: it is the family of Aaron that is about to be described. Aaron's wife
was Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, prince of the
tribe of Judah, and the mother of the four sons noted in this chapter.
<>< <>< ><> ><>
Cross-reference Numbers 1:7
(7)from Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab;
Cross-reference Exodus 6:23
(23)Aaron married Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab and
sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
<>< <>< ><> ><>
The accentuation indicates that Aaron may still
have been in grief for his firstborn son, Nadab. The accents lead to the
following punctuation (lit.): "Now these are the names of the sons of Aaron: the
firstborn, Nadab; also Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar." Nadab is given double
"honor," being identified as the firstborn, and the accents set his name off
from those of his brothers.
Exodus 28:41 records God's command to Moses to anoint his brother,
Aaron, and his sons as priests of the Lord.
<>< <>< ><> ><>
Cross-reference Exodus 30:30
(30)"Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so
they may serve me as priests..."
Cross-reference Leviticus 8:30
(30)Then Moses took some of the anointing oil and some
of the blood from the altar and sprinkled them on Aaron and his garments and
on his sons and their garments. So he consecrated Aaron and his garments and
his sons and their garments.
<>< <>< ><> ><>
This solemn act gave recognition of a special consecration to
the Lord and a particular knowledge on their part that they were no longer
ordinary - they were now special to God. This anointing led naturally to being
ordained. The Hebrew idiom "who were ordained" literally means "to fill the
hand" (Heb. of Ex 32:29).
<>< <>< ><> ><>
Cross-reference Exodus 32:29
..."(29)Then Moses said, "You have been set apart to the L ORD
today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you
this day."
<>< <>< ><> ><>
The hands of the anointed were filled with a sense of the
presence of the divine mystery. These were men of moment, servants of God.
2. Who fell dead before the LORD
when they made an offering with unauthorized fire before him in the Desert of
Sinai, and who were the only sons who served as priests during the lifetime of
their father Aaron because Nadab and Abihu had no sons?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Nadab and Abihu used fire that the Lord had not commanded.
<>< <>< ><> ><>
Cross-reference Leviticus 10:1
(1)Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put
fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the
L ORD,
contrary to his command.
<>< <>< ><> ><>
The pain of this account is strengthened by its brevity and
mystery. We are left at a loss to explain their motivation, just as we do not
know the precise form of their error. Because of the prohibition of wine and
beer among the priests in their priestly service in Lev 10:8-11, these sons of
Aaron may have committed their offense against God while in a drunken state.
<>< <>< ><> ><>
Cross-reference Leviticus 10:8-11
(8)Then the L ORD
said to Aaron, (9)"You and your
sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the
Tent of Meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the
generations to come. (10)You must distinguish between the holy and the common,
between the unclean and the clean, (11)and you must teach the Israelites all
the decrees the LORD
has given them through Moses."
<>< <>< ><> ><>
Verse 4 states the matter of the death of these errant priests
of the Lord succinctly: "[They] fell dead before the Lord." More fully: "Fire
came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before
the Lord."
<>< <>< ><> ><>
Cross-reference Leviticus 10:2
(2)So fire came out from the presence of the L ORD
and consumed them, and they died before the LORD.
<>< <>< ><> ><>
This suggests a bolt of lightning.
<>< <>< ><> ><>
Cross-reference 1st Kings 18:38
(38)Then the fire of the L ORD
fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also
licked up the water in the trench.
<>< <>< ><> ><>
There is a certain sense of poetic justice in the fact that
these wicked priests who used unauthorized fire in the worship of the Lord were
themselves destroyed by fire from his presence. Nadab and Abihu's fate is made
even sadder in that they did not leave sons after them to continue their names
among the priestly rolls in Israel. When they died, their story was over. Each
time they are mentioned in the Bible, it is with sadness. It is also the mercy
of God that Aaron had two other sons who were not involved in the perfidy of
their brothers. Hence the Aaronic priestly line extended through the two younger
sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, who continued to minister throughout the lifetime of
Aaron.
<>< <>< ><> ><>
Cross-reference 1st Chronicles 24:1-4
(1)These were the divisions of the sons of Aaron:
The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and
Ithamar. (2)But Nadab and Abihu died before their father did, and they had no
sons; so Eleazar and Ithamar served as the priests. (3)With the help of Zadok
a descendant of Eleazar and Ahimelech a descendant of Ithamar, David separated
them into divisions for their appointed order of ministering. (4)A larger
number of leaders were found among Eleazar's descendants than among Ithamar's,
and they were divided accordingly: sixteen heads of families from Eleazar's
descendants and eight heads of families from Ithamar's descendants.
<>< <>< ><> ><>
3. Whom did the LORD
tell Moses to bring and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him, what
were they to do for Aaron and for the whole community at the Tent of Meeting by
doing the work of the tabernacle, what were they to take care of, and what are
they fulfilling?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Clear distinctions are made here between the priestly house (the
sons of Aaron) and the Levites. The latter were to assist and serve the priests
- and the whole nation in the process. The Levites come out from among the
nation; they were a part of the nation but are now distinct.
Interestingly, Moses is addressed in verse 5. He is responsible for
the nation as a whole and, hence, for the faithful obedience of the Levites in
their service of the priestly house of Aaron. Moreover, the tribe of the Levites
was to be "brought near," terminology for the approach of the Divine Presence.
Only Moses had an open invitation to draw near to God in a direct manner. Now he
is presented with the task of drawing these other ministers near to their work
before the Lord. This work consisted of service to Aaron and the guarding of the
ministry relating to him and the whole congregation. Moreover, they were
responsible for the tasks of moving the furnishings of the tabernacle at times
when the camp was on the move.
The key to the work of the Levites may be in the words "perform
duties for him." The basic meaning of the Hebrew is "to keep watch," "to guard."
Hence the Levites were to guard the holy things from foolish people and to care
for the holy things when the people were to be on the move.
4. How did the LORD
say the Levites were to be given to Aaron and his sons, and what did the LORD
say must happen to anyone else who approaches the sanctuary?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
That the Levites are subsidiary to the priests is made quite
clear ("wholly given"). It appears that the issue here is service to Aaron (and
through him to the Lord); in 8:16 the service is to the Lord.
<>< <>< ><> ><>
Cross-reference Numbers 8:16
(16)They are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to me. I
have taken them as my own in place of the firstborn, the first male offspring
from every Israelite woman.
<>< <>< ><> ><>
The warning of the death penalty of 1:51 is repeated. The Hebrew
term is literally "stranger," i.e., anyone lacking authorization. Service at the
tabernacle may be done only at the express command of God. If the sons of Aaron
were put to death at the commencement of their duties, how dare an unauthorized
person even think to trespass!
<>< <>< ><> ><>
Cross-reference Numbers 3:38
(38)Moses and Aaron and his sons were to camp to the
east of the tabernacle, toward the sunrise, in front of the Tent of Meeting.
They were responsible for the care of the sanctuary on behalf of the
Israelites. Anyone else who approached the sanctuary was to be put to death.
Cross-reference Numbers 18:7
"...(7)But only you and your sons may serve as priests in
connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving
you the service of the priesthood as a gift. Anyone else who comes near the
sanctuary must be put to death."
<>< <>< ><> ><>
5. How did the LORD
say he had taken the Levites from among the Israelites, what did the LORD
say the Levites were, and what did the LORD
say he did when he struck down all the firstborn in Egypt?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
The words "in place of" are a clear example of substitution in
the Old Testament.
<>< <>< ><> ><>
Cross-reference Genesis 22:13
(13)Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by
its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering
instead of his son.
Cross-reference Matthew 20:28
- (28)just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to
serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
<>< <>< ><> ><>
The Hebrew text emphasizes the word "mine" by using it four
times in verses 12-13, by the emphatic "I" at the beginning of verse 12, by the
concluding "I am the Lord," and by three verbs constructed with the first person
pronoun ("I have taken," "I struck down," and "I set apart"). Again we are told
that the Levites were from the midst of Israel but are now the exclusive
property of the Lord.
<>< <>< ><> ><>
Cross-reference Numbers 13:2
(2)"Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of
every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether man or animal."
<>< <>< ><> ><>
The last phrase of this section, "I am the Lord," adds
authority, significance, and weight to the text. It is a reminder of both what
has been revealed about his blessed person and work and what he has shown
himself to be in relation to his people.
6. What did the LORD
tell Moses to count, what age of every male was Moses to start with, what are
the names of the sons of Levi, what are the names of the Gershonite clans, what
are the names of the Kohathite clans, and who are the Merarite clans?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
The enumerating of the Levites corresponds to that of the other
tribes but is to be done of males from the age of one month rather than from
twenty years. In summary, the Levites, who were not being mustered for war but
for special service of the Lord, were distinct from the rest of the tribes in
several aspects: (1) they had their service in and about the holy things and the
holy place of God; (2) they were not numbered among the tribes but were to be
distributed among them; (3) they are numbered differently than the other tribes;
(4) they are not the fighting men of Israel but her ministers, subject to the
leadership of the priests; and (5) they had certain restrictions of behavior and
manner that marked off their office as distinct from the rest of the people.
7. Who belonged to the clans of the Libnites
and Shimeites, what was the number of all the males a month old or more, where
were the Gershonite clans to camp, who was the leader of the families of the
Gershonites, and what were the Gershonites responsible for?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
The words of 1:53 - "their tents around the tabernacle of the
Testimony" - are detailed by four paragraphs in verses 21-38.
The description of the Levitical clans leads up to the most
favored: Gershon to the west (verses 21-26), Kohath to the south (verses 27-32),
Merari to the north (verses 33-37), and Moses and Aaron and sons to the east
(verse 38). The secular tribes, by contrast, began with the most favored: Judah
on the east (2:3), Reuben on the south (2:10), Ephraim on the west (2:18), and
Dan on the north (2:25).
The leaders of the Levitical houses correspond to the leaders of
the secular tribes (see 1:5-15). As in the case of the names of the other tribal
leaders, these names are theophoric (built on compounds of terms for God):
Eliasaph ("[My] God Has Added") son of Lael ("Belonging to God"; 3:24);
Elizaphan ("[My] God Has Protected") son of Uzziel ("My Strength Is God"; verse
30); Zur-iel ("My Rock Is God") son of Abihail ("My Father [God] Is Might";
verse 35).
Under the leadership of Eliasaph, the clan of Gershon was to camp
on the west side of the tabernacle (i.e., away from its entrance). Their
particular charge was the structure itself: the tent, its coverings, and the
varied curtains and ropes. This was a significant charge for the people of the
house of Gershon, whose male members over the age of one month were 7,500.
There were three curtains or covering screens of the tabernacle:
(1) one at the gate of the court (verse 26; 4:26); (2) a second at the entrance
of the tent (verses 25, 31; 4:25); and (3) a third dividing off the Most Holy
Place within the tent (4:5).
8. Who belonged to the clans of the Amramites,
Izharites, Hebronites and Uzzielites, what was the number of all the males a
month old or more, what were the Kohathites responsible for, where were the
Kohathite clans to camp, who was the leader of the families of the Kohathite
clans, what were they responsible for, who was the chief leader of the Levites,
and what was he appointed over?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
The Kohathites under the leadership of Elizaphan were to encamp
on the south side. This clan, the largest of the Levitical families, had
particular concerns for the care of the principal furnishings of the tabernacle
along with many implements of their service. Aaron's son Eleazar, "the chief
leader," was placed over this group of Levites, probably because of the
inordinately sensitive nature of their work.
The term "Amramites" reminds us of the family of Aaron and Moses.
Aaron is an Amramite (see Ex 6:20). The presence of the family of the Amramites
suggests that Amram was not the direct father of Aaron, Miriam, and Moses but an
ancestor. Hence, Aaron and Moses were from the family of Kohath, of the tribe of
Levi. The Kohathites were responsible for the care of the most holy things
(4:4-18).
9. Who belonged to the clans of the Mahlites
and the Mushites, what was the number of all the males a month old or more, who
was the leader of the families of the Merarite clans, where were they to camp,
and what were the Merarites appointed to take care of?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
The house of Merari, camped on the north of the tabernacle, was
led by Zuriel and numbered 6,200 males from the age of one month. Their
particular charge was the care of the frames, posts, bases, and crossbars of the
tent, as well as all auxiliary materials. It is fitting that this clan of
Levites was stationed on the north, as their work is not nearly as glamorous as
that of the other two companies of Levites. There is a consistency in that this
house of the Levites is on the same side of the tent as the triad led by Dan.
10. Where were Moses and Aaron and his sons to
camp, on whose behalf are they responsible for the care of the sanctuary, and
what was to happen to anyone else who approached the sanctuary?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Moses and Aaron had the most honored location. They guarded the entrance
to the Tent of Meeting, and they did so facing the sun, and it was the direction
of the encampment of the people. Later on, the entrance to Solomon's temple also
would face east.
Moses and Aaron were not placed on the east side of the tabernacle because of
arrogance; rather, they were placed there for a representational ministry.
Theirs was an exclusive work but beneficent to the entire community. The
sovereignty of God was evident in his limitations on the means to approach him.
The "stranger" (NIV, "anyone else") could be a better man or woman,
more pious and devout than a given son of Aaron; but he or she would still face
death based on presumption.
<>< <>< ><> ><>
Cross-reference Numbers 1:51
(51)Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it
down, and whenever the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall do it.
Anyone else who goes near it shall be put to death.
Cross-reference Numbers 3:10, 38
"...(10)Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests; anyone else
who approaches the sanctuary must be put to death."...(38)Moses and Aaron and
his sons were to camp to the east of the tabernacle, toward the sunrise, in
front of the Tent of Meeting. They were responsible for the care of the
sanctuary on behalf of the Israelites. Anyone else who approached the
sanctuary was to be put to death.
Cross-reference Numbers 18:7
"...(7)But only you and your sons may serve as priests in
connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving
you the service of the priesthood as a gift. Anyone else who comes near the
sanctuary must be put to death."
<>< <>< ><> ><>
11. What was the total number of Levites
counted at the LORD's command?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
The total of Levites given in verse 39 is 22,000, which is 300
less than the total of 7,500 Gershonites (verse 22), 8,600 Kohathites (verse 28), and 6,200 Merarites
(verse 34) (= 22,300). Many scholars believe that there has been a textual
corruption in the number in verse 28, that the correct number of the Kohathites
is 8,300.
Concerning the grand sum of 22,000 Levites, we observe that this is a bit
small compared with the numbers given for the other tribes in chapter 1. There is a
consistency, however, when this number is compared to the 23,000 Levites in the
second census (26:62). It is particularly small when we realize that the 22,000
included all males in the tribe of Levi who were over the age of one month
rather than over the age of twenty years as in the other tribes.
12. What did the LORD
tell Moses to do, what was Moses to take in place of all the firstborn of the
Israelites, what was Moses to take in place of all the firstborn of the
livestock of the Israelites, and what was the total number of firstborn males, a
month old or more, listed by name?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
The basic teaching of this text is that the male Levites over the
age of one month were regarded by the Lord as a redemption for the "firstborn" of the nation. The firstborn of animals were to be sacrificed to the
Lord; but God never countenanced the sacrifice of humans on his altars. Hence a
substitution was done; a male Levite was regarded as a substitution for the
firstborn member of a secular tribe. The firstborn of the livestock were also
included in the substitutionary arrangement; Levites for firstborn of Israel
and Levite's livestock for firstborn livestock of Israel.
The command of God seems to be distinct in this text. Not only was
there to be a count of a discrete group of people, but the names were to be
written down.
<>< <>< ><> ><>
Cross-reference Numbers 1:2
(2)"Take a census of the whole Israelite community by their clans
and families, listing every man by name, one by one..."
<>< <>< ><> ><>
The number of the firstborn of the Israelites came to 22,273.
This number stands out from all the other numbers we have seen thus far. All
other numbers are rounded off, including the number of the Levites, 22,000. Yet
this specific number of the firstborn of Israel is related to the rounded number
of the Levites, to provide a surplus of 273 firstborn, for whom a redemption
price had to be made.
The number of the firstborn sons of Israel (22,273) seems to be much too
small for a population in excess of 2 million. In fact, this number accords very
nicely for a population of about 250,000. My suggestion is that the unexpectedly
small number of the firstborn in the first generation is an impressive clue to
the size of the population as a whole and that there may be two different uses
of numbers in this passage. Moses here presents a comparison of numbers of
different sorts. The one number is specific - exactly 22,273; the other is
rounded, inflated, rhetorical (22,000 Levites of a certain age). The first
number is the surest figure for calculating the numbers of the whole community;
the extrapolation of 250,000 is considered fitting for this number of firstborn
persons. Against this specific figure (22,273) is pitted a rhetorical figure
(22,000, the number of Levites of a certain age) in order to provide an analogy
of redemption. The "surplus" of these two discordant types of figures affords
the opportunity to deal with the problem of a surplus. The payment of a
redemption price of five sanctuary shekels per "surplus" individual teaches us
that every individual needs to be accounted for, no matter how these numbers are
used. Possibly the point of the passage is not the numbers per se but the
importance of paying the redemption price for each individual firstborn person
in the young nation.
13. How was Moses to redeem the 273 firstborn
Israelites who exceed the number of the Levites, who was Moses to give the money
to, and how much did the silver weigh that was collected from the firstborn of
the Israelites?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
To make up for the number of the firstborn Israelites
beyond the number of the Levites, a special tax of five shekels was to be paid
for each of the 273 supernumeraries.
<>< <>< ><> ><>
Cross-reference Leviticus 27:6
(6)If it is a person between one month and five years, set the
value of a male at five shekels of silver and that of a female at three
shekels of silver.
<>< <>< ><> ><>
This is the payment of a redemption price, according to the
heavier sanctuary shekel. That silver was then paid to Aaron and his sons, as
commanded by the Lord, so that the full complement of the firstborn sons of the
community might all be redeemed together.
The redemption of the firstborn is a marvelous expression of the grace of
God. Never since the story of the binding of Isaac (Genesis 22) has God demanded
the firstborn son of any of his people as a sacrifice to his majesty. Nor does
God demand that his people enslave themselves to him.
<>< <>< ><> ><>
Cross-reference Romans 12:1-2
(1)Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's
mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -
this is your spiritual act of worship. (2)Do not conform any longer to the
pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then
you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing
and perfect will.
<>< <>< ><> ><>
Nevertheless, the firstborn sons are the special possession of
the Lord. God does not demand the life of these sons; such would be abhorrent to
the Hebrew faith. God does not demand their enslavement; such would be a slight
on his mercy. But he does demand their redemption - and provides the means for
bringing that to pass. The resultant weight of the shekels so collected is given
(1,365 shekels) as a statement of the impressive nature of the transaction and
as a witness to its accuracy (5 x 273).
<>< <>< ><> ><>
Answers to Numbers three
<>< <>< ><> ><>
1.
Aaron and Moses...Nadab the firstborn and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar...the
anointed priests...serve as priests
2. Nadab and Abihu...Eleazar and Ithamar
3. The tribe of Levi...perform duties...all the furnishings of the Tent of
Meeting...the obligations of the Israelites by doing the work of the tabernacle
4. Wholly to him...they must be put to death
5. In place of the first male offspring of every Israelite woman...his, (the LORD's) for all
the firstborn are his...he set apart for himself every firstborn in Israel,
whether man or animal
6. The Levites by their families and clans...a month old or more...Gershon,
Kohath, and Merari...Libni and Shimei...Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel...Mahli
and Mushi
7. Gershon...7,500...on the west, behind the tabernacle...Eliasaph son of
Lael...at the Tent of Meeting the Gershonites were responsible for the care of
the tabernacle and tent, its coverings, the curtain at the entrance to the Tent
of Meeting, the curtains of the courtyard, the curtain at the entrance to the
courtyard surrounding the tabernacle and altar, and the ropes - and everything
related to their use
8. Kohath...8,600...the care of the sanctuary...on the south side of the
tabernacle...Elizaphan son of Uzziel...the care of the ark, the table, the
lampstand, the altars, the articles of the sanctuary used in ministering, the
curtain, and everything related to their use...Eleazar son of Aaron, the
priest...those who were responsible for the care of the sanctuary
9. Merari...6,200...Zuriel son of Abihail...on the north side of the
tabernacle...the frames of the tabernacle, its crossbars, posts, bases, all its
equipment, and everything related to their use, as well as the posts of the
surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs and ropes
10. To the east of the tabernacle, toward the sunrise, in front of the Tent of
Meeting...the Israelites...they were to be put to death
11. 22,000
12. Count all the firstborn Israelites males who are a month old or more and
make a list of their names...the Levites...the livestock of the Levites...22,273
13. He was to collect five shekels for each one, according to the sanctuary
shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs...Aaron and his sons...1,365 shekels,
according to the sanctuary shekel
<>< <>< ><> ><>
The NIV Commentary - Zondervan
|