Numbers_6
3/1/09
I. In Numbers chapters 5, 6 we encounter the first group of laws contained in this book.
A. They relate to the theme of separation from impurity and dedication to the Lord.
B. Chapter-5 dealt with Separation from sin; we want to be separated FROM our sin, and separated TO God.
1. So as we move into chapter-6 we have some laws that pertain to dedication and separation of our selves TO or toward God.
II. The Law of the Nazarite
A. Purpose of the vow
Numbers 6:1-2 (NKJV)
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When either a man or woman consecrates an offering to take the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the Lord,
1. The key phrase for us is "to separate himself to the Lord"
a. Nazarite is the transliteration of the Hebrew word nazir and it means consecrated or devoted one.
(1) And it comes from the nazar which means to dedicate.
2. So the vow of a nazarite was an expression of special desire to draw near to God.
3. It was a voluntary vow, something desired in the heart of the one making the vow.
B. What a wonderful principal is contained in this, the priests and Levites were called by God and specially separated to Him obviously a very great honor and privilege.
1. But here is a way that any Jew could set himself apart from the norms of life and dedicate himself to God for some special service or communion.
a. Both men and women could devote themselves for a special time of separation as a nazarite.
2. What a wonderful truth it is to know that God wants us to draw near to Him, to dedicate ourselves to Him, that it is something that pleases His heart, but that it is something that needs to be taken seriously as we will see in the upcoming verses.
a. Consider the NT instruction of James 4:8
James 4:8 (NKJV)
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
(1) As we desire to draw near to God, He meets us, He draws near to us, but it begins with separating ourselves (with His help) from impurities of our sinful natures.
3. It is good to draw near God
Psalm 73:28 (NKJV)
28 But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, That I may declare all Your works.
a. May each of us have such a desire: voluntary actions motivated by love…
(1) Also we want to keep in mind that here in this section of numbers we are looking at preparation for the Promised Land, and so as the Promised Land is analogous to the Spirit filled life, special dedication to God is an ingredient that prepares us or helps us in the journey.
(a) Fasting from time to time may be a kind of special dedication to draw near to the Lord (week of prayer and fasting coming up in May I believe...)
C. Dedication to any cause or purpose or person involves sacrifice and discipline...
1. Before we move on to look at the requirements of a nazarite vow let me just say don't confuse nazarite with Nazarene or Nazareth, there isn't really a connection
D. Requirements of the vow
Numbers 6:3-8 (NKJV)
3 he shall separate himself from wine and similar drink; he shall drink neither vinegar made from wine nor vinegar made from similar drink; neither shall he drink any grape juice, nor eat fresh grapes or raisins.
4 All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, from seed to skin.
5 ‘All the days of the vow of his separation no razor shall come upon his head; until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the Lord, he shall be holy. Then he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.
6 All the days that he separates himself to the Lord he shall not go near a dead body.
7 He shall not make himself unclean even for his father or his mother, for his brother or his sister, when they die, because his separation to God is on his head.
8 All the days of his separation he shall be holy to the Lord.
1. There were three things that marked nazarite separation.
a. Abstinence from wine or any product of grapes.
(1) Symbols of blessing and joy so this was a form of self-denial
b. No razor was to come upon his head.
(1) So his hair was to grow and not be cut during the period of the vow, and then shaved off at the conclusion of the vow.
(2) It was an outward demonstration that the person was under a special vow.
(a) In churches such as the Russian Orthodox Church, long hair is considered a sign of piety.
i) Many people misunderstand 1 Corinthians 11 and the statement Paul makes about it being a shame for a man to have long hair, in its context there Paul is referring to authority and the place of men and women concerning God given authority and responsibility.
(c) And they were not to go near a dead body even that of a close relative (death remember is the effect of sin).
2. They were obligatory to the vow, they were not optional, so the vow involved counting the cost and was only to be entered into in a serious manner not haphazardly or rashly.
E. Penalty of breaking the vow.
Numbers 6:9-12 (NKJV)
9 ‘And if anyone dies very suddenly beside him, and he defiles his consecrated head, then he shall shave his head on the day of his cleansing; on the seventh day he shall shave it.
10 Then on the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting;
11 and the priest shall offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, and make atonement for him, because he sinned in regard to the corpse; and he shall sanctify his head that same day.
12 He shall consecrate to the Lord the days of his separation, and bring a male lamb in its first year as a trespass offering; but the former days shall be lost, because his separation was defiled.
1. If someone dies very suddenly beside the nazarite his hair was to be shaved off, a sacrifice made and he started back at the beginning of the vow the days already completed were lost.
2. You were not free to say I don't want to do this anymore.
F. Concluding the nazarite vow.
Numbers 6:13-15 (NKJV)
13 ‘Now this is the law of the Nazirite: When the days of his separation are fulfilled, he shall be brought to the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
14 And he shall present his offering to the Lord: one male lamb in its first year without blemish as a burnt offering, one ewe lamb in its first year without blemish as a sin offering, one ram without blemish as a peace offering,
15 a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and their grain offering with their drink offerings.
1. He was brought to the door of the tabernacle so it was a public ceremony, and the items needed were –
a male lamb for a burnt offering,
a ewe lamb for a sin offering,
a ram for peace offering,
and a basket of unleavened bread as a grain offering along with the drink offering associated with it.
a. This obviously was a costly endeavor, but let me tell you that there is a cost to worship.
2 Samuel 24:24 (NKJV)
24 Then the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that which costs me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
(1) Worship involves the best we have to offer, not our leftovers.
b. This was an offering that was presented to the Lord; I wonder how mindful we are in our service to God that it is to be done as an offering presented to Him?
2. Verses 16-21
Numbers 6:16-21 (NKJV)
16 ‘Then the priest shall bring them before the Lord and offer his sin offering and his burnt offering;
17 and he shall offer the ram as a sacrifice of a peace offering to the Lord, with the basket of unleavened bread; the priest shall also offer its grain offering and its drink offering.
18 Then the Nazirite shall shave his consecrated head at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and shall take the hair from his consecrated head and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offering.
19 ‘And the priest shall take the boiled shoulder of the ram, one unleavened cake from the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and put them upon the hands of the Nazirite after he has shaved his consecrated hair,
20 and the priest shall wave them as a wave offering before the Lord; they are holy for the priest, together with the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the heave offering. After that the Nazirite may drink wine.’
21 “This is the law of the Nazirite who vows to the Lord the offering for his separation, and besides that, whatever else his hand is able to provide; according to the vow which he takes, so he must do according to the law of his separation.”
a. The priest and the Nazarite would make the offering and the vow would be completed.
III. The Priestly Blessing.
A. God gave a command and instruction for Aaron and his sons to bless the people
Numbers 6:22-23 (NKJV)
22 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:
1. "This is the way you shall bless them", so the priests were not only commanded to bless the people but God gave them a formula to follow for blessing the people.
a. Spurgeon wrote concerning this:
"Free prayer is most useful, and it will ordinarily consort best with the movements of the free Spirit; but in the case of a benediction, it is well that it was dictated to the man of God. The children of Israel might miss blessing through the ignorance, or forgetfulness, or unbelief of Aaron; and therefore it was not left to him; but he had to learn by heart each word and sentence. In this wise, and in no other, was he to bless the people. I like this; for if God himself puts the very words into the mouth of his priest, then they are God’s words." (Spurgeon)
2. And here is the blessing, it is known as the "Aaronic Blessing"
Numbers 6:24-26 (NKJV)
24 “The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;
26 The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” ’
a. The Lord Bless You
(1) God delights in blessing His people, and reminds us that all blessing come from the Lord.
(a) We need to understand that God's blessing has our higher good in mind, not simply our temporal comfort.
i) We often desire or settle for things such as comfort and happiness, which may have nothing to do with God's true blessing.
b. And Keep You
(1) As a shepherd keeps his sheep, so the Lord desires to keep His people, protecting them, guarding them, setting boundaries and limits for them, sustaining them.
c. The Lord Make His Face to Shine Upon You
(1) To have God look upon us and be pleased with us is one of the greatest blessing we can have.
(a) And He is pleased with us not for what we have done, but because we are in Christ.
d. And be Gracious to You
(1) The expression that God would show care and tender mercy for us His people.
(a) Boy how I need this blessing daily!
e. The Lord lift Up His Countenance Upon You
(1) That God would look upon His people and pay attention to them
(a) And so He does.
f. And Give You Peace.
(1) Not simply the cessation of hostility, but wholeness, goodness, the abundant life that Jesus spoke of
John 10:10 (NKJV)
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
g. Note the Phrase "The Lord" is repeated three times, a hint at the Trinity
As Guzik points out:
(1) God the Father blesses and keeps us
(2) God the Son makes God's face to shine upon us and brings us grace.
(3) God the Holy Spirit communicates God's attention to us, and gives us peace
(4) And six times we read you (God wants to bless you)
B. The Fruit of the Blessing
Numbers 6:27 (NKJV)
27 “So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”
1. To be blessed by God means to have His name put on us and thus be identified with who He is and all that pertains to His nature.
a. The blessing was commanded for the people of God not the surrounding nations, so we have to be joined to Him to gain this blessing.
(1) Like in marriage.
2. And God says "I will bless them" so in response to this blessing God promises to bless what a wonderful truth for us to take to heart and walk in by faith.
C. May we desire to set ourselves apart in special ways in order to experience more intimacy in our fellowship with God.
1. Not working for reward, but taking time to draw near to Him, allowing Him to draw near to us.
a. Quiet times, retreats, special study, fasts, special service...
D. And may we seek and walk in His blessings by faith
IV. Communion
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Numbers 5
Numbers_5
2/22/09
Numbers_5
I. Opening Statements.
A. In Numbers we see the walk and warfare of the wilderness, which is typical of our pilgrimage here in a sinful world.
1. And we are looking for lessons that will help us with our journey of faith.
2. And as we noted this first main division of the book of Numbers chapters 1-10 relates to preparation to go to the Promised Land.
a. As we think about the Promised Land and the people who are to inhabit the Promised Land we need to ask ourselves what they represent to us.
(1) In the literal historical sense the people are Israel, descendants of Abraham and the land has a specific geography in the Middle East God promised to give them.
(2) But spiritually speaking the people represent the spiritual offspring of Abraham (children of faith...) and the land; while on one hand we think of heaven, it is generally agreed that the promised land is symbolic of living a spirit filled life.
(a) So some of the lessons we learn will teach us of how walk in the Spirit and how not to walk in the flesh.
B. Now as we move into chapters 5 and 6 we encounter the first group of laws found in this book, and at first they appear to be somewhat random or unrelated: skin disease, fraud, adultery, Nazarite vows, and priestly blessing.
1. But they relate to the theme of separation from impurity and dedication to the Lord.
2. The consecration of Israel is set before us in two stages here, chapters 5-6 relate to the purging of the whole camp, and chapters 7-8 relate to the consecration of the tabernacle and the priesthood.
3. The goal is God's presence in their midst and blessings as they go.
II. Separating from Sin.
A. Separting from the effects of sin.
Numbers 5:1-4 (NKJV)
1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
2 “Command the children of Israel that they put out of the camp every leper, everyone who has a discharge, and whoever becomes defiled by a corpse.
3 You shall put out both male and female; you shall put them outside the camp, that they may not defile their camps in the midst of which I dwell.”
4 And the children of Israel did so, and put them outside the camp; as the Lord spoke to Moses, so the children of Israel did.
1. The Lord speaks to Moses “Command the children of Israel that they put out of the camp every..."
a. Leper
b. Everyone who has a discharge
c. Whoever becomes defiled by a dead body.
2. God had commanded these laws as stated in the book of Leviticus but now the time has come to execute them as they prepare for the journey.
a. As we look at this list observe that none of these things prove a person to be terrible sinners, they refer to those who are ceremonially unclean.
(1) And they were to be put out or separated from the rest of the camp until they could be made ceremonially clean.
b. While these are not terrible sins in fact we would struggle to see them as sin at all, rather what we see is that they are a reminder of the effects of sin
Romans 5:12 (NKJV)
12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—
(1) It is sin that has separated us from God.
Isaiah 59:2 (NKJV)
2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.
c. So they are being challenged to purity, by putting out from among them impurity.
(1) People that inhabit the Promised land are to be a purified people.
(a) To walk in the Spirit as opposed to the flesh means we need to look to God to help put-off that which impure the things which defile or contaminate.
i) In thinking what this might look like for us we could look down a laundry list of sins such as sexual immorality, drunkenness, drug addiction etc. the worst being unbelief.
ii) But don't overlook things like anger, malice, gossip, backbiting, causing division (sins of the heart and sins of the tongue).
3. Verse-3 says "You shall put out both male and female; you shall put them outside the camp, that they may not defile their camps in the midst of which I dwell.”
a. Male and female, perceptions of sympathy or superiority for one over another were not to spare someone from the consequences of sin there were no exceptions.
b. Separation from these things were because God lived in the camp,
(1) We are to walk in the newness of the life we have in Christ, while we as people who are to inhabit the promised land fall short in many ways, we don't live in sinless perfection, we are not to be openly and obviously walking in the sin nature.
4. "as the Lord spoke to Moses, so the children of Israel did." remember that we are to do the things God says not merely hear them or know them.
B. The Damage of sin.
Numbers 5:5-7 (NKJV)
5 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
6 “Speak to the children of Israel: ‘When a man or woman commits any sin that men commit in unfaithfulness against the Lord, and that person is guilty,
7 then he shall confess the sin which he has committed. He shall make restitution for his trespass in full, plus one-fifth of it, and give it to the one he has wronged.
1. Sin hurts or damages others and we see that when the effects of our sin are realized then confession and restitution are required.
a. The sin before us here are sins against others and withholding from God what belongs to Him.
(1) First the sin is to be owned, demonstrated by confession "I did it, I'm guilty"
(2) Secondly repaying was taken or withheld plus 20%.
b. The concept of our sins hurting others and of making restitution is so foreign in the church today...
(1) Restitution is as important for the guilty party as it is for the victim, look at verse-8.
Numbers 5:8 (NKJV)
8 But if the man has no relative to whom restitution may be made for the wrong, the restitution for the wrong must go to the Lord for the priest, in addition to the ram of the atonement with which atonement is made for him.
(2) When we don't make things right with others we have wronged it impacts our walk, and puts a hold on real fellowship with God..
Matthew 5:23-24 (NKJV)
23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
2. Fellowship with God is what we are aiming for.
Numbers 5:9-10 (NKJV)
9 Every offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they bring to the priest, shall be his.
10 And every man’s holy things shall be his; whatever any man gives the priest shall be his.’ ”
a. Some of the offerings such as the peace offering were intended to have a portion of them returned to the one who brought the offering so they and their family could have a fellowship meal with God.
(1) This opportunity was the right of every Israelite, a right that was not to be denied them by others.
(a) However if they were unclean and cast out of the camp they could not enjoy this benefit.
(b) So here in the midst of this chapter which deals with separation from sin is the reminder that God's people are to be separated (from) sin in order to be separated (TO) God for fellowship with Him.
3. When asked what the greatest commandment was Jesus replied
Matthew 22:37-40 (NKJV)
37 Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
a. Love for God and love for others should dominate our attitudes and behaviors.
b. When we separate ourselves from the effects and damage of sin then the door of fellowship with God is opened up.
Jesus taught
Matthew 5:8 (NKJV)
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
C. Separation from the suspicion of sin.
Numbers 5:11-14 (NKJV)
11 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
12 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘If any man’s wife goes astray and behaves unfaithfully toward him,
13 and a man lies with her carnally, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband, and it is concealed that she has defiled herself, and there was no witness against her, nor was she caught—
14 if the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he becomes jealous of his wife, who has defiled herself; or if the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he becomes jealous of his wife, although she has not defiled herself—
1. Set before us are an adulteress wife and a jealous husband; and the adultery may or may not be true.
a. The two extremes of the spectrum are hidden unfaithfulness on the part of a wife, and unwarranted jealousy on the part of a husband.
(1) Both can destroy a marriage relationship, and both undermine the very fabric of godly living so God gave Israel a means for dealing with it.
(2) Whether there is unfaithfulness in marriage or unwarranted jealousy it must be resolved for there purity and fellowship in the relationship.
b. The problem is symptomatic of unfaithfulness to God and so a breach of the relationship between husband and wife could not be tolerated.
2. An offering to resolve a spirit of jealousy
Numbers 5:15 (NKJV)
15 then the man shall bring his wife to the priest. He shall bring the offering required for her, one-tenth of an ephah of barley meal; he shall pour no oil on it and put no frankincense on it, because it is a grain offering of jealousy, an offering for remembering, for bringing iniquity to remembrance.
a. The jealous husband was to being his wife and an ephah of barley to the priest, note that it was only the grain and no oil or frankincense which were customary with grain offerings.
(1) Oil and frankincense were thought to sweeten a grain offering but neither was to be poured on this offering thus there is nothing sweet about this offering, rather it is a bitter thing.
(a) Either the wife will be found guilty of adultery or the husband will be guilty of unwarranted suspicion.
i) Each one is heartbreaking in its own right and the antithesis of love.
(2) Note what it says here at the end of verse-15 it is "an offering for remembering, for bringing iniquity to remembrance."
(a) The idea isn't that the wife committed adultery and didn't remember it, this isn't about the memories of the husband and wife but about reminding the whole congregation of the horrible nature of both adultery and false accusation.
i) Let me say that there are times where suspicions are genuinely raised and need to be brought into an arena a proper arena for the truth to be addressed, but that arena usually does not involve the whole camp. (watch out how and where and to whom you make or receive accusations)
3. The ceremony of this offering is described in verses 16-28
Numbers 5:16-28 (NKJV)
16 ‘And the priest shall bring her near, and set her before the Lord.
17 The priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel, and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water.
18 Then the priest shall stand the woman before the Lord, uncover the woman’s head, and put the offering for remembering in her hands, which is the grain offering of jealousy. And the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that brings a curse.
19 And the priest shall put her under oath, and say to the woman, “If no man has lain with you, and if you have not gone astray to uncleanness while under your husband’s authority, be free from this bitter water that brings a curse.
20 But if you have gone astray while under your husband’s authority, and if you have defiled yourself and some man other than your husband has lain with you”—
21 then the priest shall put the woman under the oath of the curse, and he shall say to the woman— “the Lord make you a curse and an oath among your people, when the Lord makes your thigh rot and your belly swell;
22 and may this water that causes the curse go into your stomach, and make your belly swell and your thigh rot.” ‘Then the woman shall say, “Amen, so be it.”
23 ‘Then the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall scrape them off into the bitter water.
24 And he shall make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and the water that brings the curse shall enter her to become bitter.
25 Then the priest shall take the grain offering of jealousy from the woman’s hand, shall wave the offering before the Lord, and bring it to the altar;
26 and the priest shall take a handful of the offering, as its memorial portion, burn it on the altar, and afterward make the woman drink the water.
27 When he has made her drink the water, then it shall be, if she has defiled herself and behaved unfaithfully toward her husband, that the water that brings a curse will enter her and become bitter, and her belly will swell, her thigh will rot, and the woman will become a curse among her people.
28 But if the woman has not defiled herself, and is clean, then she shall be free and may conceive children.
a. The priest would set the woman before the Lord, take holy water and sweep up some dust from the floor of the tabernacle and put it in the water then he would place the grain offering in her hand which was a reminder of fellowship with God.
(1) The with the vessel of bitter water that brings a curse in his hands he would put her under oath that if she was innocent she would be free of the effects of the bitter water, but if guilty the curse would come upon her causing her belly to swell and her thigh to rot to which she would respond amen so be it.
(a) In doing this she was agreeing that if innocent she would be vindicated, but if guilty she was deserving of the punishment the curse brought.
(2) The priest would then write the curses down, and when the ink dries he would scrape the words of the curse off into the bitter water.
(3) The priest would then take the grain offering from her hands and take it to the altar and burn it, and then she would drink the bitter water.
(a) Then over time the judgment of God would become evident...
Our sin has a way of coming out, God sees and knows all that we do, nothing is hidden to Him.
4. And the chapter concludes
Numbers 5:29-31 (NKJV)
29 ‘This is the law of jealousy, when a wife, while under her husband’s authority, goes astray and defiles herself,
30 or when the spirit of jealousy comes upon a man, and he becomes jealous of his wife; then he shall stand the woman before the Lord, and the priest shall execute all this law upon her.
31 Then the man shall be free from iniquity, but that woman shall bear her guilt.’ ”
a. Clearly God did not want His people to suffer the heartache of infidelity or labor under the burden of unresolved suspicion associated with jealousy in marriage and demonstrates to us that such things must be dealt with and the impurity such thing bring to the holy state of marriage are intolerable and must be put away.
b. We might also note as we consider the bitter cup that we deserve to drink and which rightfully would bring about our judgment and damnation, we need not drink of it because Christ drank the bitter cup in our place!
III. People who are to dwell in the Promised Land:
A. If we are to be such people;
if we are going to be the people who walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh;
we are going to have to see our sin through the eyes of Christ;
we are going to have to put the things that separate from God out of our lives as we become aware of them, and we are going to need to trust God to help us do it.
1. But that means we need to humble ourselves and we need to be honest with God.
a. I hate it may not be accurate, I love it (my sin) may be more honest, what ever the case is I pray God helps us to drag the impurity permeating our lives into His glorious light so that the things that defile us can be put away from us.
(1) So that we can be separated from our sin, and separated to God.
2/22/09
Numbers_5
I. Opening Statements.
A. In Numbers we see the walk and warfare of the wilderness, which is typical of our pilgrimage here in a sinful world.
1. And we are looking for lessons that will help us with our journey of faith.
2. And as we noted this first main division of the book of Numbers chapters 1-10 relates to preparation to go to the Promised Land.
a. As we think about the Promised Land and the people who are to inhabit the Promised Land we need to ask ourselves what they represent to us.
(1) In the literal historical sense the people are Israel, descendants of Abraham and the land has a specific geography in the Middle East God promised to give them.
(2) But spiritually speaking the people represent the spiritual offspring of Abraham (children of faith...) and the land; while on one hand we think of heaven, it is generally agreed that the promised land is symbolic of living a spirit filled life.
(a) So some of the lessons we learn will teach us of how walk in the Spirit and how not to walk in the flesh.
B. Now as we move into chapters 5 and 6 we encounter the first group of laws found in this book, and at first they appear to be somewhat random or unrelated: skin disease, fraud, adultery, Nazarite vows, and priestly blessing.
1. But they relate to the theme of separation from impurity and dedication to the Lord.
2. The consecration of Israel is set before us in two stages here, chapters 5-6 relate to the purging of the whole camp, and chapters 7-8 relate to the consecration of the tabernacle and the priesthood.
3. The goal is God's presence in their midst and blessings as they go.
II. Separating from Sin.
A. Separting from the effects of sin.
Numbers 5:1-4 (NKJV)
1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
2 “Command the children of Israel that they put out of the camp every leper, everyone who has a discharge, and whoever becomes defiled by a corpse.
3 You shall put out both male and female; you shall put them outside the camp, that they may not defile their camps in the midst of which I dwell.”
4 And the children of Israel did so, and put them outside the camp; as the Lord spoke to Moses, so the children of Israel did.
1. The Lord speaks to Moses “Command the children of Israel that they put out of the camp every..."
a. Leper
b. Everyone who has a discharge
c. Whoever becomes defiled by a dead body.
2. God had commanded these laws as stated in the book of Leviticus but now the time has come to execute them as they prepare for the journey.
a. As we look at this list observe that none of these things prove a person to be terrible sinners, they refer to those who are ceremonially unclean.
(1) And they were to be put out or separated from the rest of the camp until they could be made ceremonially clean.
b. While these are not terrible sins in fact we would struggle to see them as sin at all, rather what we see is that they are a reminder of the effects of sin
Romans 5:12 (NKJV)
12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—
(1) It is sin that has separated us from God.
Isaiah 59:2 (NKJV)
2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.
c. So they are being challenged to purity, by putting out from among them impurity.
(1) People that inhabit the Promised land are to be a purified people.
(a) To walk in the Spirit as opposed to the flesh means we need to look to God to help put-off that which impure the things which defile or contaminate.
i) In thinking what this might look like for us we could look down a laundry list of sins such as sexual immorality, drunkenness, drug addiction etc. the worst being unbelief.
ii) But don't overlook things like anger, malice, gossip, backbiting, causing division (sins of the heart and sins of the tongue).
3. Verse-3 says "You shall put out both male and female; you shall put them outside the camp, that they may not defile their camps in the midst of which I dwell.”
a. Male and female, perceptions of sympathy or superiority for one over another were not to spare someone from the consequences of sin there were no exceptions.
b. Separation from these things were because God lived in the camp,
(1) We are to walk in the newness of the life we have in Christ, while we as people who are to inhabit the promised land fall short in many ways, we don't live in sinless perfection, we are not to be openly and obviously walking in the sin nature.
4. "as the Lord spoke to Moses, so the children of Israel did." remember that we are to do the things God says not merely hear them or know them.
B. The Damage of sin.
Numbers 5:5-7 (NKJV)
5 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
6 “Speak to the children of Israel: ‘When a man or woman commits any sin that men commit in unfaithfulness against the Lord, and that person is guilty,
7 then he shall confess the sin which he has committed. He shall make restitution for his trespass in full, plus one-fifth of it, and give it to the one he has wronged.
1. Sin hurts or damages others and we see that when the effects of our sin are realized then confession and restitution are required.
a. The sin before us here are sins against others and withholding from God what belongs to Him.
(1) First the sin is to be owned, demonstrated by confession "I did it, I'm guilty"
(2) Secondly repaying was taken or withheld plus 20%.
b. The concept of our sins hurting others and of making restitution is so foreign in the church today...
(1) Restitution is as important for the guilty party as it is for the victim, look at verse-8.
Numbers 5:8 (NKJV)
8 But if the man has no relative to whom restitution may be made for the wrong, the restitution for the wrong must go to the Lord for the priest, in addition to the ram of the atonement with which atonement is made for him.
(2) When we don't make things right with others we have wronged it impacts our walk, and puts a hold on real fellowship with God..
Matthew 5:23-24 (NKJV)
23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
2. Fellowship with God is what we are aiming for.
Numbers 5:9-10 (NKJV)
9 Every offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they bring to the priest, shall be his.
10 And every man’s holy things shall be his; whatever any man gives the priest shall be his.’ ”
a. Some of the offerings such as the peace offering were intended to have a portion of them returned to the one who brought the offering so they and their family could have a fellowship meal with God.
(1) This opportunity was the right of every Israelite, a right that was not to be denied them by others.
(a) However if they were unclean and cast out of the camp they could not enjoy this benefit.
(b) So here in the midst of this chapter which deals with separation from sin is the reminder that God's people are to be separated (from) sin in order to be separated (TO) God for fellowship with Him.
3. When asked what the greatest commandment was Jesus replied
Matthew 22:37-40 (NKJV)
37 Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
a. Love for God and love for others should dominate our attitudes and behaviors.
b. When we separate ourselves from the effects and damage of sin then the door of fellowship with God is opened up.
Jesus taught
Matthew 5:8 (NKJV)
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
C. Separation from the suspicion of sin.
Numbers 5:11-14 (NKJV)
11 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
12 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘If any man’s wife goes astray and behaves unfaithfully toward him,
13 and a man lies with her carnally, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband, and it is concealed that she has defiled herself, and there was no witness against her, nor was she caught—
14 if the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he becomes jealous of his wife, who has defiled herself; or if the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he becomes jealous of his wife, although she has not defiled herself—
1. Set before us are an adulteress wife and a jealous husband; and the adultery may or may not be true.
a. The two extremes of the spectrum are hidden unfaithfulness on the part of a wife, and unwarranted jealousy on the part of a husband.
(1) Both can destroy a marriage relationship, and both undermine the very fabric of godly living so God gave Israel a means for dealing with it.
(2) Whether there is unfaithfulness in marriage or unwarranted jealousy it must be resolved for there purity and fellowship in the relationship.
b. The problem is symptomatic of unfaithfulness to God and so a breach of the relationship between husband and wife could not be tolerated.
2. An offering to resolve a spirit of jealousy
Numbers 5:15 (NKJV)
15 then the man shall bring his wife to the priest. He shall bring the offering required for her, one-tenth of an ephah of barley meal; he shall pour no oil on it and put no frankincense on it, because it is a grain offering of jealousy, an offering for remembering, for bringing iniquity to remembrance.
a. The jealous husband was to being his wife and an ephah of barley to the priest, note that it was only the grain and no oil or frankincense which were customary with grain offerings.
(1) Oil and frankincense were thought to sweeten a grain offering but neither was to be poured on this offering thus there is nothing sweet about this offering, rather it is a bitter thing.
(a) Either the wife will be found guilty of adultery or the husband will be guilty of unwarranted suspicion.
i) Each one is heartbreaking in its own right and the antithesis of love.
(2) Note what it says here at the end of verse-15 it is "an offering for remembering, for bringing iniquity to remembrance."
(a) The idea isn't that the wife committed adultery and didn't remember it, this isn't about the memories of the husband and wife but about reminding the whole congregation of the horrible nature of both adultery and false accusation.
i) Let me say that there are times where suspicions are genuinely raised and need to be brought into an arena a proper arena for the truth to be addressed, but that arena usually does not involve the whole camp. (watch out how and where and to whom you make or receive accusations)
3. The ceremony of this offering is described in verses 16-28
Numbers 5:16-28 (NKJV)
16 ‘And the priest shall bring her near, and set her before the Lord.
17 The priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel, and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water.
18 Then the priest shall stand the woman before the Lord, uncover the woman’s head, and put the offering for remembering in her hands, which is the grain offering of jealousy. And the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that brings a curse.
19 And the priest shall put her under oath, and say to the woman, “If no man has lain with you, and if you have not gone astray to uncleanness while under your husband’s authority, be free from this bitter water that brings a curse.
20 But if you have gone astray while under your husband’s authority, and if you have defiled yourself and some man other than your husband has lain with you”—
21 then the priest shall put the woman under the oath of the curse, and he shall say to the woman— “the Lord make you a curse and an oath among your people, when the Lord makes your thigh rot and your belly swell;
22 and may this water that causes the curse go into your stomach, and make your belly swell and your thigh rot.” ‘Then the woman shall say, “Amen, so be it.”
23 ‘Then the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall scrape them off into the bitter water.
24 And he shall make the woman drink the bitter water that brings a curse, and the water that brings the curse shall enter her to become bitter.
25 Then the priest shall take the grain offering of jealousy from the woman’s hand, shall wave the offering before the Lord, and bring it to the altar;
26 and the priest shall take a handful of the offering, as its memorial portion, burn it on the altar, and afterward make the woman drink the water.
27 When he has made her drink the water, then it shall be, if she has defiled herself and behaved unfaithfully toward her husband, that the water that brings a curse will enter her and become bitter, and her belly will swell, her thigh will rot, and the woman will become a curse among her people.
28 But if the woman has not defiled herself, and is clean, then she shall be free and may conceive children.
a. The priest would set the woman before the Lord, take holy water and sweep up some dust from the floor of the tabernacle and put it in the water then he would place the grain offering in her hand which was a reminder of fellowship with God.
(1) The with the vessel of bitter water that brings a curse in his hands he would put her under oath that if she was innocent she would be free of the effects of the bitter water, but if guilty the curse would come upon her causing her belly to swell and her thigh to rot to which she would respond amen so be it.
(a) In doing this she was agreeing that if innocent she would be vindicated, but if guilty she was deserving of the punishment the curse brought.
(2) The priest would then write the curses down, and when the ink dries he would scrape the words of the curse off into the bitter water.
(3) The priest would then take the grain offering from her hands and take it to the altar and burn it, and then she would drink the bitter water.
(a) Then over time the judgment of God would become evident...
Our sin has a way of coming out, God sees and knows all that we do, nothing is hidden to Him.
4. And the chapter concludes
Numbers 5:29-31 (NKJV)
29 ‘This is the law of jealousy, when a wife, while under her husband’s authority, goes astray and defiles herself,
30 or when the spirit of jealousy comes upon a man, and he becomes jealous of his wife; then he shall stand the woman before the Lord, and the priest shall execute all this law upon her.
31 Then the man shall be free from iniquity, but that woman shall bear her guilt.’ ”
a. Clearly God did not want His people to suffer the heartache of infidelity or labor under the burden of unresolved suspicion associated with jealousy in marriage and demonstrates to us that such things must be dealt with and the impurity such thing bring to the holy state of marriage are intolerable and must be put away.
b. We might also note as we consider the bitter cup that we deserve to drink and which rightfully would bring about our judgment and damnation, we need not drink of it because Christ drank the bitter cup in our place!
III. People who are to dwell in the Promised Land:
A. If we are to be such people;
if we are going to be the people who walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh;
we are going to have to see our sin through the eyes of Christ;
we are going to have to put the things that separate from God out of our lives as we become aware of them, and we are going to need to trust God to help us do it.
1. But that means we need to humble ourselves and we need to be honest with God.
a. I hate it may not be accurate, I love it (my sin) may be more honest, what ever the case is I pray God helps us to drag the impurity permeating our lives into His glorious light so that the things that defile us can be put away from us.
(1) So that we can be separated from our sin, and separated to God.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Numbers 3-4
Numbers_3-4
2/15/09
Numbers_3-4: The Priests and the Levites
I. Aaron and his sons.
A. They were part of the tribe of Levi, but Aaron and his sons were specially set aside and chosen by God to be priests.
Exodus 28:1 (NKJV) (God speaks to Moses and says)
1 “Now take Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to Me as priest, Aaron and Aaron’s sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
B. Numbers 3:1-4
Numbers 3:1-4 (NKJV)
1 Now these are the records of Aaron and Moses when the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.
2 And these are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab, the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he consecrated to minister as priests.
4 Nadab and Abihu had died before the Lord when they offered profane fire before the Lord in the Wilderness of Sinai; and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests in the presence of Aaron their father.
1. In introducing this section we read these are the records (Genealogies) Aaron and Moses...
a. Usually we find Moses' name mentioned before Aaron's but here in connection with the word translated "records" (toledoth) we find Aarons name first.
(1) While he was the older of the two the point being made for us is that the focus of this section of the record is the relationship of the Aaronic priesthood to the Levites.
2. Aaron was the High Priest, and his sons were priests under him, two of his four sons (Nadab and Abihu) were killed by God when they offered strange fire before the Lord, this left the other two sons Eleazer and Ithamar to serve with their father as priests .
a. Since only Aaron and his direct descendents could serve as priests (thus the Aaronic priesthood) it would be impossible for Aaron and his two sons to keep up with all the religious duties themselves .
b. So the entire tribe of Levi was chosen to assist with the religious needs of the nation but their responsibilities stopped short of the duties assigned solely to the priests.
c. Since Aaron was a Levite, we see that all priests are Levites, but not all Levites are priests.
3. A lesson for us in this is that it is God who assigns our place in the body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:12-19 (NKJV)
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body— whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.
15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?
18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.
19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?
a. But whatever that place is, it is a needful part of the whole, and essential to the work and service God has assigned to build and sustain the body of Christ, and to accomplish the delivery of the Gospel .
II. The Levites were given to Aaron
Numbers 3:5-10 (NKJV)
5 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
6 “Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him.
7 And they shall attend to his needs and the needs of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of meeting, to do the work of the tabernacle.
8 Also they shall attend to all the furnishings of the tabernacle of meeting, and to the needs of the children of Israel, to do the work of the tabernacle.
9 And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are given entirely to him from among the children of Israel.
10 So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall attend to their priesthood; but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”
A. They were given to Aaron the priest to serve him and attend to his needs, as well as to those of the whole nation to do the work of the tabernacle.
1. They could not serve as priests, offering sacrifices or other function in within the tabernacle, instead they helped in the transport of the furnishing and structure, as well as other labor associated with the tabernacle.
III. The Levites were a possession to God.
Numbers 3:11-13 (NKJV)
11 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
12 “Now behold, I Myself have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the children of Israel. Therefore the Levites shall be Mine,
13 because all the firstborn are Mine. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They shall be Mine: I am the Lord.”
A. Though they were given to Aaron to serve his needs, God says they belonged to Him.
1. They were chosen in lieu of the first born and represent the firstfruits of the people.
a. The Lord had spared the first born of all Israel during the tenth plague in Egypt when all the first born of the Egyptian were killed, and as a result God had decreed that all the first born belonged to Him
IV. Numbering the tribe of Levi
A. The command to number the Levites.
Numbers 3:14-20 (NKJV)
14 Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, saying:
15 “Number the children of Levi by their fathers’ houses, by their families; you shall number every male from a month old and above.”
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, Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
20 And the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites by their fathers’ houses.
1. All the males of the Levites from the age of 1 month and up ward were to be numbered and categorized by the families and grouped by their affiliation to the three sons of Levis - Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
B. The family of Gershon
Numbers 3:21-26 (NKJV)
21 From Gershon came the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimites; these were the families of the Gershonites.
22 Those who were numbered, according to the number of all the males from a month old and above—of those who were numbered there were seven thousand five hundred.
23 The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle westward.
24 And the leader of the father’s house of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael.
25 The duties of the children of Gershon in the tabernacle of meeting included the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, the screen for the door of the tabernacle of meeting,
26 the screen for the door of the court, the hangings of the court which are around the tabernacle and the altar, and their cords, according to all the work relating to them.
1. The Gershonites numbered 7500 males and they were to camp behind the tabernacle on the west side between the three tribes camped under the banner of Ephraim and the tabernacle itself
a. Their duties or responsibilities were to take care of the skins that covered the tabernacle, and the curtains including those that surrounded the outer courtyard.
C. The family of Kohath
Numbers 3:27-32 (NKJV)
27 From Kohath came the family of the Amramites, the family of the Izharites, the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites; these were the families of the Kohathites.
28 According to the number of all the males, from a month old and above, there were eight thousand six hundred keeping charge of the sanctuary.
29 The families of the children of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle.
30 And the leader of the fathers’ house of the families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.
31 Their duty included the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which they ministered, the screen, and all the work relating to them.
32 And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was to be chief over the leaders of the Levites, with oversight of those who kept charge of the sanctuary.
1. The Kohathites numbered 8600 males and camped to the south of the tabernacle, between the tabernacle and those who camped with the tribe of Reuben.
a. Their duties and responsibilities were the furniture of the tabernacle, such things as the ark, the table of show bread, the lamp stand etc. and they did so under the direction of Eleazer the priest, Aaron’s son.
D. The family of Merari
Numbers 3:33-37 (NKJV)
33 From Merari came the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these were the families of Merari.
34 And those who were numbered, according to the number of all the males from a month old and above, were six thousand two hundred.
35 The leader of the fathers’ house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. These were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle.
36 And the appointed duty of the children of Merari included the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, its utensils, all the work relating to them,
37 and the pillars of the court all around, with their sockets, their pegs, and their cords.
1. The males of the family of Merari totaled 6200 males and they camped to the north between the tabernacle and the tribes who camped under the banner of Dan.
a. They had responsibility for the structural aspect of the tabernacle, the pillars and boards and such.
E. The camp of the priests
Numbers 3:38-39 (NKJV)
38 Moreover those who were to camp before the tabernacle on the east, before the tabernacle of meeting, were Moses, Aaron, and his sons, keeping charge of the sanctuary, to meet the needs of the children of Israel; but the outsider who came near was to be put to death.
39 All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the Lord, by their families, all the males from a month old and above, were twenty-two thousand.
1. The families of Moses and Aaron were to camp on the East side of the tabernacle, the entrance to the tabernacle was always set to the east, and so they would be between the tabernacle and the tribes that were encamped with Judah.
2. The total number of Levite males we are told in v-39 was 22,000 which doesn't match the totals of the numbers given to us in vv- 22, 28, and 34 which add up to 22,300.
a. The most likely problems are that the number in verse 28 was corrupted and was actually 8300 not 8600, which is the change of one small mark in Hebrew.
b. Or there were 300 males that were not abloe to serve and therefore to redeem the firstborn of Israel.
V. The exchange of the Levites for the first born of Israel.
Numbers 3:40-51 (NKJV)
40 Then the Lord said to Moses: “Number all the firstborn males of the children of Israel from a month old and above, and take the number of their names.
41 And you shall 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 So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the children of Israel, as the Lord commanded him.
43 And all the firstborn males, according to the number of names from a month old and above, of those who were numbered of them, were twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.
44 Then 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. The Levites shall be Mine: I am the Lord.
46 And for the redemption of the two hundred and seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel, who are more than the number of the Levites,
47 you shall take five shekels for each one individually; you shall take them in the currency of the shekel of the sanctuary, the shekel of twenty gerahs.
48 And you shall give the money, with which the excess number of them is redeemed, to Aaron and his sons.”
49 So Moses took the redemption money from those who were over and above those who were redeemed by the Levites.
50 From the firstborn of the children of Israel he took the money, one thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.
51 And Moses gave their redemption money to Aaron and his sons, according to the word of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.
A. So all the firstborn of Israel from a month old and up were to be numbered, the firstborn were considered the best or the most favorable, and always belonged to God; but instead of giving the firstborn to God, the tribe of Levi was given to God in their place.
1. However there were 22,273 firstborn sons of Israel and only 22,000 firstborn sons of Levites so a redemption price of five shekels for each of the extra 273 men was collected and give to the priests to be used for tabernacle needs .
2. The number of firstborns is a low number in ration to the totals of the tribes and probably relates to the firstborn sons from the time of the exodus until the present time a period roughly thirteen months.
VI. The duty of the Kohathites
A. Those fit for service.
Numbers 4:1-3 (NKJV)
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:
2 “Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the children of Levi, by their families, by their fathers’ house,
3 from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, all who enter the service to do the work in the tabernacle of meeting.
1. Another census is taken of the males between the ages of 30 and 50 these were the ones that would actually do the work
B. The packing of the furniture and utensils of the tabernacle.
Numbers 4:4-14 (NKJV)
4 “This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of meeting, relating to the most holy things:
5 When the camp prepares to journey, Aaron and his sons shall come, and they shall take down the covering veil and cover the ark of the Testimony with it.
6 Then they shall put on it a covering of badger skins, and spread over that a cloth entirely of blue; and they shall insert its poles.
7 “On the table of showbread they shall spread a blue cloth, and put on it the dishes, the pans, the bowls, and the pitchers for pouring; and the showbread shall be on it.
8 They shall spread over them a scarlet cloth, and cover the same with a covering of badger skins; and they shall insert its poles.
9 And they shall take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand of the light, with its lamps, its wick-trimmers, its trays, and all its oil vessels, with which they service it.
10 Then they shall put it with all its utensils in a covering of badger skins, and put it on a carrying beam.
11 “Over the golden altar they shall spread a blue cloth, and cover it with a covering of badger skins; and they shall insert its poles.
12 Then they shall take all the utensils of service with which they minister in the sanctuary, put them in a blue cloth, cover them with a covering of badger skins, and put them on a carrying beam.
13 Also they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth over it.
14 They shall put on it all its implements with which they minister there—the firepans, the forks, the shovels, the basins, and all the utensils of the altar—and they shall spread on it a covering of badger skins, and insert its poles.
1. When the camp prepared to journey (headed towards the promised land) it would have to be carried long distances and thus it had to be prepared for safe travel.
a. Since the furniture it self was holy it had to be packed up and prepared by the priests before it could be given to the Kohathites to carry.
b. Detailed instruction of how to pack things up were given.
C. The moving of the furniture and utensils.
Numbers 4:15-20 (NKJV)
15 And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is set to go, then the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them; but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. “These are the things in the tabernacle of meeting which the sons of Kohath are to carry.
16 “The appointed duty of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest is the oil for the light, the sweet incense, the daily grain offering, the anointing oil, the oversight of all the tabernacle, of all that is in it, with the sanctuary and its furnishings.”
17 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:
18 “Do not cut off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites;
19 but do this in regard to them, that they may live and not die when they approach the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint each of them to his service and his task.
20 But they shall not go in to watch while the holy things are being covered, lest they die.” Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
1. When they were set to go the furniture of the tabernacle was made with poles to carry them and the Kohathites were not to touch the furniture lest they die, but carried the furniture by the poles.
2. Eleazer the priest supervised the work of the Kohathites.
VII. The duty of the Gershonites.
A. Those fit for service
Num 21-23
21Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
22Also take a census of the sons of ?x?Gershon, by their fathers' house, by their families.
23 From thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, you shall number them, all who enter to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of meeting.
B. Duties of the Gershonites
Numbers 4:24-28 (NKJV)
24 This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, in serving and carrying:
25 They shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle and the tabernacle of meeting with its covering, the covering of badger skins that is on it, the screen for the door of the tabernacle of meeting,
26 the screen for the door of the gate of the court, the hangings of the court which are around the tabernacle and altar, and their cords, all the furnishings for their service and all that is made for these things: so shall they serve.
27 “Aaron and his sons shall assign all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, all their tasks and all their service. And you shall appoint to them all their tasks as their duty.
28 This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of meeting. And their duties shall be under the authority of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
1. There duties were over the coverings and the artistically woven curtains that made up the walls and roof of the tent.
a. And they were under the supervision of Aarons son Ithamar.
VIII. The duty of the family of Merari.
A. Those fit for service.
Numbers 4:29-30 (NKJV)
29 “As for the sons of Merari, you shall number them by their families and by their fathers’ house.
30 From thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, you shall number them, everyone who enters the service to do the work of the tabernacle of meeting.
B. There duties
Numbers 4:31-33 (NKJV)
31 And this is what they must carry as all their service for the tabernacle of meeting: the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets,
32 and the pillars around the court with their sockets, pegs, and cords, with all their furnishings and all their service; and you shall assign to each man by name the items he must carry.
33 This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, as all their service for the tabernacle of meeting, under the authority of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.”
1. So the Gershonites were to pack and carry the boards and pillars the structural part of the tabernacle, these items were overlaid with precious metals and probably weighed around 19,000 pounds .
a. Each man was assigned by name what he was to carry, it was not pick up what ever you want to carry, no doubt this was for accountability and order as things were set back up.
Dependability in service is so important...
IX. Summary of the census of the Levites,
Numbers 4:34-48 (NKJV)
34 And Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites by their families and by their fathers’ house,
35 from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the tabernacle of meeting;
36 and those who were numbered by their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty.
37 These were the ones who were numbered of the families of the Kohathites, all who might serve in the tabernacle of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses.
38 And those who were numbered of the sons of Gershon, by their families and by their fathers’ house,
39 from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the tabernacle of meeting—
40 those who were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ house, were two thousand six hundred and thirty.
41 These are the ones who were numbered of the families of the sons of Gershon, of all who might serve in the tabernacle of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the Lord.
42 Those of the families of the sons of Merari who were numbered, by their families, by their fathers’ house,
43 from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the tabernacle of meeting—
44 those who were numbered by their families were three thousand two hundred.
45 These are the ones who were numbered of 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 who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel numbered, by their families and by their fathers’ houses,
47 from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, everyone who came to do the work of service and the work of bearing burdens in the tabernacle of meeting—
48 those who were numbered were eight thousand five hundred and eighty.
A. The total number of Levites involved in this work was 8580 (30-50 years old).
1. Kohathites 2750
2. Gershonites 2630
3. Merarites 3200
B. Each one had a specific part to play and yet they were dependent on each other for to do that work.
1. A lot of trouble occurs in the service of the Lord when people desire a different calling that God has given them.
a. Or by exalting one thing over the other.
C. When we all do our part, the church is built up, made or kept strong and healthy, and the gospel is advanced.
1. Far too often the church is weakened by those who interpose themselves into things and situations that were not for them to get involved in...
a. We spend more time dealing with internal murmurings and troubles than one would think possible and it detracts from what we could be doing to advance the gospel.
1
2/15/09
Numbers_3-4: The Priests and the Levites
I. Aaron and his sons.
A. They were part of the tribe of Levi, but Aaron and his sons were specially set aside and chosen by God to be priests.
Exodus 28:1 (NKJV) (God speaks to Moses and says)
1 “Now take Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to Me as priest, Aaron and Aaron’s sons: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
B. Numbers 3:1-4
Numbers 3:1-4 (NKJV)
1 Now these are the records of Aaron and Moses when the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.
2 And these are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab, the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he consecrated to minister as priests.
4 Nadab and Abihu had died before the Lord when they offered profane fire before the Lord in the Wilderness of Sinai; and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests in the presence of Aaron their father.
1. In introducing this section we read these are the records (Genealogies) Aaron and Moses...
a. Usually we find Moses' name mentioned before Aaron's but here in connection with the word translated "records" (toledoth) we find Aarons name first.
(1) While he was the older of the two the point being made for us is that the focus of this section of the record is the relationship of the Aaronic priesthood to the Levites.
2. Aaron was the High Priest, and his sons were priests under him, two of his four sons (Nadab and Abihu) were killed by God when they offered strange fire before the Lord, this left the other two sons Eleazer and Ithamar to serve with their father as priests .
a. Since only Aaron and his direct descendents could serve as priests (thus the Aaronic priesthood) it would be impossible for Aaron and his two sons to keep up with all the religious duties themselves .
b. So the entire tribe of Levi was chosen to assist with the religious needs of the nation but their responsibilities stopped short of the duties assigned solely to the priests.
c. Since Aaron was a Levite, we see that all priests are Levites, but not all Levites are priests.
3. A lesson for us in this is that it is God who assigns our place in the body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:12-19 (NKJV)
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body— whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.
15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?
18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.
19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?
a. But whatever that place is, it is a needful part of the whole, and essential to the work and service God has assigned to build and sustain the body of Christ, and to accomplish the delivery of the Gospel .
II. The Levites were given to Aaron
Numbers 3:5-10 (NKJV)
5 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
6 “Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him.
7 And they shall attend to his needs and the needs of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of meeting, to do the work of the tabernacle.
8 Also they shall attend to all the furnishings of the tabernacle of meeting, and to the needs of the children of Israel, to do the work of the tabernacle.
9 And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are given entirely to him from among the children of Israel.
10 So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall attend to their priesthood; but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”
A. They were given to Aaron the priest to serve him and attend to his needs, as well as to those of the whole nation to do the work of the tabernacle.
1. They could not serve as priests, offering sacrifices or other function in within the tabernacle, instead they helped in the transport of the furnishing and structure, as well as other labor associated with the tabernacle.
III. The Levites were a possession to God.
Numbers 3:11-13 (NKJV)
11 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
12 “Now behold, I Myself have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the children of Israel. Therefore the Levites shall be Mine,
13 because all the firstborn are Mine. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They shall be Mine: I am the Lord.”
A. Though they were given to Aaron to serve his needs, God says they belonged to Him.
1. They were chosen in lieu of the first born and represent the firstfruits of the people.
a. The Lord had spared the first born of all Israel during the tenth plague in Egypt when all the first born of the Egyptian were killed, and as a result God had decreed that all the first born belonged to Him
IV. Numbering the tribe of Levi
A. The command to number the Levites.
Numbers 3:14-20 (NKJV)
14 Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, saying:
15 “Number the children of Levi by their fathers’ houses, by their families; you shall number every male from a month old and above.”
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, Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
20 And the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites by their fathers’ houses.
1. All the males of the Levites from the age of 1 month and up ward were to be numbered and categorized by the families and grouped by their affiliation to the three sons of Levis - Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
B. The family of Gershon
Numbers 3:21-26 (NKJV)
21 From Gershon came the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimites; these were the families of the Gershonites.
22 Those who were numbered, according to the number of all the males from a month old and above—of those who were numbered there were seven thousand five hundred.
23 The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle westward.
24 And the leader of the father’s house of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael.
25 The duties of the children of Gershon in the tabernacle of meeting included the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, the screen for the door of the tabernacle of meeting,
26 the screen for the door of the court, the hangings of the court which are around the tabernacle and the altar, and their cords, according to all the work relating to them.
1. The Gershonites numbered 7500 males and they were to camp behind the tabernacle on the west side between the three tribes camped under the banner of Ephraim and the tabernacle itself
a. Their duties or responsibilities were to take care of the skins that covered the tabernacle, and the curtains including those that surrounded the outer courtyard.
C. The family of Kohath
Numbers 3:27-32 (NKJV)
27 From Kohath came the family of the Amramites, the family of the Izharites, the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites; these were the families of the Kohathites.
28 According to the number of all the males, from a month old and above, there were eight thousand six hundred keeping charge of the sanctuary.
29 The families of the children of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle.
30 And the leader of the fathers’ house of the families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.
31 Their duty included the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which they ministered, the screen, and all the work relating to them.
32 And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was to be chief over the leaders of the Levites, with oversight of those who kept charge of the sanctuary.
1. The Kohathites numbered 8600 males and camped to the south of the tabernacle, between the tabernacle and those who camped with the tribe of Reuben.
a. Their duties and responsibilities were the furniture of the tabernacle, such things as the ark, the table of show bread, the lamp stand etc. and they did so under the direction of Eleazer the priest, Aaron’s son.
D. The family of Merari
Numbers 3:33-37 (NKJV)
33 From Merari came the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these were the families of Merari.
34 And those who were numbered, according to the number of all the males from a month old and above, were six thousand two hundred.
35 The leader of the fathers’ house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. These were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle.
36 And the appointed duty of the children of Merari included the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, its utensils, all the work relating to them,
37 and the pillars of the court all around, with their sockets, their pegs, and their cords.
1. The males of the family of Merari totaled 6200 males and they camped to the north between the tabernacle and the tribes who camped under the banner of Dan.
a. They had responsibility for the structural aspect of the tabernacle, the pillars and boards and such.
E. The camp of the priests
Numbers 3:38-39 (NKJV)
38 Moreover those who were to camp before the tabernacle on the east, before the tabernacle of meeting, were Moses, Aaron, and his sons, keeping charge of the sanctuary, to meet the needs of the children of Israel; but the outsider who came near was to be put to death.
39 All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the Lord, by their families, all the males from a month old and above, were twenty-two thousand.
1. The families of Moses and Aaron were to camp on the East side of the tabernacle, the entrance to the tabernacle was always set to the east, and so they would be between the tabernacle and the tribes that were encamped with Judah.
2. The total number of Levite males we are told in v-39 was 22,000 which doesn't match the totals of the numbers given to us in vv- 22, 28, and 34 which add up to 22,300.
a. The most likely problems are that the number in verse 28 was corrupted and was actually 8300 not 8600, which is the change of one small mark in Hebrew.
b. Or there were 300 males that were not abloe to serve and therefore to redeem the firstborn of Israel.
V. The exchange of the Levites for the first born of Israel.
Numbers 3:40-51 (NKJV)
40 Then the Lord said to Moses: “Number all the firstborn males of the children of Israel from a month old and above, and take the number of their names.
41 And you shall 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 So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the children of Israel, as the Lord commanded him.
43 And all the firstborn males, according to the number of names from a month old and above, of those who were numbered of them, were twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three.
44 Then 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. The Levites shall be Mine: I am the Lord.
46 And for the redemption of the two hundred and seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel, who are more than the number of the Levites,
47 you shall take five shekels for each one individually; you shall take them in the currency of the shekel of the sanctuary, the shekel of twenty gerahs.
48 And you shall give the money, with which the excess number of them is redeemed, to Aaron and his sons.”
49 So Moses took the redemption money from those who were over and above those who were redeemed by the Levites.
50 From the firstborn of the children of Israel he took the money, one thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.
51 And Moses gave their redemption money to Aaron and his sons, according to the word of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.
A. So all the firstborn of Israel from a month old and up were to be numbered, the firstborn were considered the best or the most favorable, and always belonged to God; but instead of giving the firstborn to God, the tribe of Levi was given to God in their place.
1. However there were 22,273 firstborn sons of Israel and only 22,000 firstborn sons of Levites so a redemption price of five shekels for each of the extra 273 men was collected and give to the priests to be used for tabernacle needs .
2. The number of firstborns is a low number in ration to the totals of the tribes and probably relates to the firstborn sons from the time of the exodus until the present time a period roughly thirteen months.
VI. The duty of the Kohathites
A. Those fit for service.
Numbers 4:1-3 (NKJV)
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:
2 “Take a census of the sons of Kohath from among the children of Levi, by their families, by their fathers’ house,
3 from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, all who enter the service to do the work in the tabernacle of meeting.
1. Another census is taken of the males between the ages of 30 and 50 these were the ones that would actually do the work
B. The packing of the furniture and utensils of the tabernacle.
Numbers 4:4-14 (NKJV)
4 “This is the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of meeting, relating to the most holy things:
5 When the camp prepares to journey, Aaron and his sons shall come, and they shall take down the covering veil and cover the ark of the Testimony with it.
6 Then they shall put on it a covering of badger skins, and spread over that a cloth entirely of blue; and they shall insert its poles.
7 “On the table of showbread they shall spread a blue cloth, and put on it the dishes, the pans, the bowls, and the pitchers for pouring; and the showbread shall be on it.
8 They shall spread over them a scarlet cloth, and cover the same with a covering of badger skins; and they shall insert its poles.
9 And they shall take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand of the light, with its lamps, its wick-trimmers, its trays, and all its oil vessels, with which they service it.
10 Then they shall put it with all its utensils in a covering of badger skins, and put it on a carrying beam.
11 “Over the golden altar they shall spread a blue cloth, and cover it with a covering of badger skins; and they shall insert its poles.
12 Then they shall take all the utensils of service with which they minister in the sanctuary, put them in a blue cloth, cover them with a covering of badger skins, and put them on a carrying beam.
13 Also they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth over it.
14 They shall put on it all its implements with which they minister there—the firepans, the forks, the shovels, the basins, and all the utensils of the altar—and they shall spread on it a covering of badger skins, and insert its poles.
1. When the camp prepared to journey (headed towards the promised land) it would have to be carried long distances and thus it had to be prepared for safe travel.
a. Since the furniture it self was holy it had to be packed up and prepared by the priests before it could be given to the Kohathites to carry.
b. Detailed instruction of how to pack things up were given.
C. The moving of the furniture and utensils.
Numbers 4:15-20 (NKJV)
15 And when Aaron and his sons have finished covering the sanctuary and all the furnishings of the sanctuary, when the camp is set to go, then the sons of Kohath shall come to carry them; but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. “These are the things in the tabernacle of meeting which the sons of Kohath are to carry.
16 “The appointed duty of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest is the oil for the light, the sweet incense, the daily grain offering, the anointing oil, the oversight of all the tabernacle, of all that is in it, with the sanctuary and its furnishings.”
17 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:
18 “Do not cut off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites;
19 but do this in regard to them, that they may live and not die when they approach the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint each of them to his service and his task.
20 But they shall not go in to watch while the holy things are being covered, lest they die.” Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
1. When they were set to go the furniture of the tabernacle was made with poles to carry them and the Kohathites were not to touch the furniture lest they die, but carried the furniture by the poles.
2. Eleazer the priest supervised the work of the Kohathites.
VII. The duty of the Gershonites.
A. Those fit for service
Num 21-23
21Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
22Also take a census of the sons of ?x?Gershon, by their fathers' house, by their families.
23 From thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, you shall number them, all who enter to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of meeting.
B. Duties of the Gershonites
Numbers 4:24-28 (NKJV)
24 This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, in serving and carrying:
25 They shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle and the tabernacle of meeting with its covering, the covering of badger skins that is on it, the screen for the door of the tabernacle of meeting,
26 the screen for the door of the gate of the court, the hangings of the court which are around the tabernacle and altar, and their cords, all the furnishings for their service and all that is made for these things: so shall they serve.
27 “Aaron and his sons shall assign all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, all their tasks and all their service. And you shall appoint to them all their tasks as their duty.
28 This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of meeting. And their duties shall be under the authority of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
1. There duties were over the coverings and the artistically woven curtains that made up the walls and roof of the tent.
a. And they were under the supervision of Aarons son Ithamar.
VIII. The duty of the family of Merari.
A. Those fit for service.
Numbers 4:29-30 (NKJV)
29 “As for the sons of Merari, you shall number them by their families and by their fathers’ house.
30 From thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, you shall number them, everyone who enters the service to do the work of the tabernacle of meeting.
B. There duties
Numbers 4:31-33 (NKJV)
31 And this is what they must carry as all their service for the tabernacle of meeting: the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets,
32 and the pillars around the court with their sockets, pegs, and cords, with all their furnishings and all their service; and you shall assign to each man by name the items he must carry.
33 This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, as all their service for the tabernacle of meeting, under the authority of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.”
1. So the Gershonites were to pack and carry the boards and pillars the structural part of the tabernacle, these items were overlaid with precious metals and probably weighed around 19,000 pounds .
a. Each man was assigned by name what he was to carry, it was not pick up what ever you want to carry, no doubt this was for accountability and order as things were set back up.
Dependability in service is so important...
IX. Summary of the census of the Levites,
Numbers 4:34-48 (NKJV)
34 And Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites by their families and by their fathers’ house,
35 from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the tabernacle of meeting;
36 and those who were numbered by their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty.
37 These were the ones who were numbered of the families of the Kohathites, all who might serve in the tabernacle of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses.
38 And those who were numbered of the sons of Gershon, by their families and by their fathers’ house,
39 from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the tabernacle of meeting—
40 those who were numbered by their families, by their fathers’ house, were two thousand six hundred and thirty.
41 These are the ones who were numbered of the families of the sons of Gershon, of all who might serve in the tabernacle of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the Lord.
42 Those of the families of the sons of Merari who were numbered, by their families, by their fathers’ house,
43 from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, everyone who entered the service for work in the tabernacle of meeting—
44 those who were numbered by their families were three thousand two hundred.
45 These are the ones who were numbered of 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 who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel numbered, by their families and by their fathers’ houses,
47 from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, everyone who came to do the work of service and the work of bearing burdens in the tabernacle of meeting—
48 those who were numbered were eight thousand five hundred and eighty.
A. The total number of Levites involved in this work was 8580 (30-50 years old).
1. Kohathites 2750
2. Gershonites 2630
3. Merarites 3200
B. Each one had a specific part to play and yet they were dependent on each other for to do that work.
1. A lot of trouble occurs in the service of the Lord when people desire a different calling that God has given them.
a. Or by exalting one thing over the other.
C. When we all do our part, the church is built up, made or kept strong and healthy, and the gospel is advanced.
1. Far too often the church is weakened by those who interpose themselves into things and situations that were not for them to get involved in...
a. We spend more time dealing with internal murmurings and troubles than one would think possible and it detracts from what we could be doing to advance the gospel.
1
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Numbers 1
Numbers _Intro_chapters_1-2
2/8/09
Numbers
I. English name comes from the Septuagint where it is called "arithmoi", numbers.
A. Because twice in the book the children of Israel were numbered (census taken).
1. It contains many statistics or population counts of tribes, priests and Levites, as well as other numerical data.
B. The Hebrew title is "midbar" which means "in the wilderness"
1. It tells the story of God leading the children of Israel from Mt. Sinai to the Plains of Moab opposite Jericho, to Canaan and the Land of promise, and the years spent wandering in the wilderness due to unbelief.
2. It has or could be titled
a. "And He spoke" from the first words of the book and is an important phrase as well as an important theme of the book.
(1) God has/is spoken/speaking, are we listening?
b. The Book of Journeyings
(1) Much can be learned to help us with our journey, by learning from the journey of others.
Romans 15:4 (NKJV)
4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
c. The Book of the March and the Roll Call
(1) We might point out a number of things about marching and marching order related to our spiritual life, something for you to ponder on as we journey through this book.
(2) Roll Call is reminiscent of the old hymn ""When thr roll is called up yonder i'll be there"
(a) When the children of Israel finally made it to the promised land, only two names from the original roll call were there, how about you will you be there, or has unbelief taken hold in your life.
d. The Book of Murmurings
(1) Uncontentedness and unbelief work together, often bringing about rebellion and disinheritance.
(a) There are some great lessons in this book about such things.
3. While Numbers is a historical account of events in the history of ancient Israel, we could read it as an analogy of the Christian life.
a. It is a journey filled with trials, tests, and challenges, all of which require faith and confidence in God.
(1) Fear held them back trapped in their unbelief, but we are not to walk in fear but in love.
1 John 4:18 (NKJV)
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
b. Like them we are a redeemed people, on a journey to a land God has promised us.
c. As God was faithful to them, He will be faithful to us. (Don't miss His faithfulness the way they did).
d. We see many pictures of grace in God's dealings with Israel, and God is dealing with you and I in His grace, we need the reminders.
C. Relationship of Numbers to the previous books.
The first book, Genesis, teaches us that we are elected unto salvation.
Exodus the second book instructs us how we are saved, by redemption.
The third book, Leviticus shows us what we are redeemed for, worship. In it we learn of the Holy requirements of God and His Gracious provision.
In Numbers is the walk and warfare of the wilderness, which is typical of our pilgrimage here in a sinful world.
1. Exodus spans about a year of time, Leviticus spans only about a month, but Numbers spans a period of almost 40 years.
a. Having said this, there is a lesson in it for us, of the 40 years there is a span of almost 38 years about which not much is said, this is the time of their wandering aimlessly in unbelief.
(1) There is much about the time we spend in unbelief that is vanity or emptiness, and that is one of the great lessons in this book.
(a) Yet the wonderful thing is that God will use (redeem if you will) even those years if we allow Him to.
II. Divisions of the Book (There three main divisions or sections).
A. Preparation to go to the Promised Land in Chapters 1-10.
B. Journeying to the Promised Land in chapters 11-25
C. New preparation for inheriting the Promised Land chapters 26-36.
III. Background information.
A. In the book of Exodus we saw how God had miraculously delivered Israel out of Egypt, by God's wonderful hand they had escaped slavery and hundreds of years of bondage.
1. They came through the Red Sea, where God had opened a door for them which no man could shut, but we know that God is able to shut doors that no man can open and God shut that very same door on the Egyptian army drowning them in the Red Sea as they pursued Israel.
2. Then God provided for them as they traveled through the desert to Mt. Sinai.
3. At Mt. Sinai God gave them the Law.
4. And there encamped at Mt. Sinai, they built the Tabernacle of Meeting, the Priesthood was established, and they received God's over all plan for the priests and the nation outlined in Leviticus.
a. At the end of the book of Leviticus they had been out of Israel just over a year.
b. So let’s jump into Numbers chapter-1
IV. Numbering the people, the first census.
A. Verse-1
Numbers 1:1 (NKJV)
1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying:
1. The Tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month of the second year
Exodus 40:17 (NKJV)
17 And it came to pass in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was raised up.
2. So we begin one month after the Tabernacle was established.
B. Verses 2-3
Numbers 1:2-3 (NKJV)
2 “Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male individually,
3 from twenty years old and above—all who are able to go to war in Israel. You and Aaron shall number them by their armies.
1. So God commanded Moses to count by tribe only the males who were over twenty years old and who were fit to go out to war.
a. He was not to number women and children.
C. And Moses was to have the chief man of each tribe assist him.
Numbers 1:4-7 (NKJV)
4 And with you there shall be a man from every tribe, each one the head of his father’s house.
5 “These are the names of the men who shall stand with you: from Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur;
6 from Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai;
7 from Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab;
1. I won't take the time to read through all the names but the chief man of each tribe is listed by name in this pattern down to verse-15 and verse 16 says.
Numbers 1:16 (NKJV)
16 These were chosen from the congregation, leaders of their fathers’ tribes, heads of the divisions in Israel.
a. So the 12 men listed in verses 5-15 are the captains or princes over the various tribes.
(1) Now the meanings of each man's name is interesting, according to verse-17 they are expressive or descriptive of the man, so let me encourage you to get out a concordance and look up each mans name to see what it means, and ponder the fact that these are the men chosen to be leaders.
Get a Strong’s concordance or a bible program, or go to blueletterbible.org
D. Verses 17-46
Numbers 1:17-21 (NKJV)
17 Then Moses and Aaron took these men who had been mentioned by name,
18 and they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month; and they recited their ancestry by families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, each one individually.
19 As the Lord commanded Moses, so he numbered them in the Wilderness of Sinai.
20 Now the children of Reuben, Israel’s oldest son, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, every male individually, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war:
21 those who were numbered of the tribe of Reuben were forty-six thousand five hundred.
1. So they gathered together and they listed the men twenty years and older who were able to go out to war, tribe by tribe, and the numbers by tribe are given to us after the manner verses 20-21 all the way down to verse-45 and I won't read them I will summarize them for you.
Reuben 46,500 (v. 21)
Simeon 59,300 (v. 23)
Gad 45,650 (v. 25)
Judah 74,600 (v. 27)
Issachar 54,400 (v. 29)
Zebulun 57,400 (v. 31)
Ephraim 40,500 (v. 33)
Manasseh 32,200 (v. 35)
Benjamin 35,400 (v. 37)
Dan 62,700 (v. 39)
Asher 41,500 (v. 41)
Naphtali 53,400 (v. 43)
Total 603,550 (v. 46)
a. Verse-46 gives us the total
Numbers 1:46 (NKJV)
46 all who were numbered were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.
(1) It is speculated that perhaps as many as three million people were involved here when you add in the rest of the population.
b. We need to note that the tribes are not listed here in birth order, but in the order in which they will encamp around the tabernacle, which we have more to say in chapter-2.
E. Verses 47-54
Numbers 1:47-54 (NKJV)
47 But the Levites were not numbered among them by their fathers’ tribe;
48 for the Lord had spoken to Moses, saying:
49 “Only the tribe of Levi you shall not number, nor take a census of them among the children of Israel;
50 but you shall appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the Testimony, over all its furnishings, and over all things that belong to it; they shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings; they shall attend to it and camp around the tabernacle.
51 And when the tabernacle is to go forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up. The outsider who comes near shall be put to death.
52 The children of Israel shall pitch their tents, everyone by his own camp, everyone by his own standard, according to their armies;
53 but the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony, that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the children of Israel; and the Levites shall keep charge of the tabernacle of the Testimony.”
54 Thus the children of Israel did; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so they did.
1. So we see that the tribe of Levi was not numbered because they were not to go out to war in the sense of carrying weapons.
a. But they were appointed to take care of the Tabernacle and its furnishings.
(1) As they moved about the Levites were to take down the Tabernacle, to carry it and to set it back up when they stopped.
(a) Also through Aaron and the priests they had responsibility for service within the Tabernacle.
V. Now as we move into chapter-2 and briefly look at it we need to bear in mind the main theme of chapters 1-10 is "Preparation to go to the Promised Land"
A. So what we see in the instructions of this chapter is "preparation for travel".
B. Let me read the first seven verses for you to give you a flavor for the wording and then I will summarize the rest for us.
Numbers 2:1-9 (NKJV)
1 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:
2 “Everyone of the children of Israel shall camp by his own standard, beside the emblems of his father’s house; they shall camp some distance from the tabernacle of meeting.
3 On the east side, toward the rising of the sun, those of the standard of the forces with Judah shall camp according to their armies; and Nahshon the son of Amminadab shall be the leader of the children of Judah.”
4 And his army was numbered at seventy-four thousand six hundred.
5 “Those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar, and Nethanel the son of Zuar shall be the leader of the children of Issachar.”
6 And his army was numbered at fifty-four thousand four hundred.
7 “Then comes the tribe of Zebulun, and Eliab the son of Helon shall be the leader of the children of Zebulun.”
8 And his army was numbered at fifty-seven thousand four hundred.
9 “All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces with Judah, one hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred— these shall break camp first.
Numbers 2:1-9 (NLT)
1 Then the Lord gave these instructions to Moses and Aaron:
2 “When the Israelites set up camp, each tribe will be assigned its own area. The tribal divisions will camp beneath their family banners on all four sides of the Tabernacle, but at some distance from it.
3 “The divisions of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun are to camp toward the sunrise on the east side of the Tabernacle, beneath their family banners. These are the names of the tribes, their leaders, and the numbers of their registered troops:
Tribe Leader Number
Judah Nahshon son of Amminadab 74,600
5 Issachar Nethanel son of Zuar 54,400
7 Zebulun Eliab son of Helon 57,400
9 So the total of all the troops on Judah’s side of the camp is 186,400. These three tribes are to lead the way whenever the Israelites travel to a new campsite.
1. So God instructed Moses the order in which the tribes were march and camp with the tabernacle at the center, and the census numbers and the twelve leader’s names are listed.
2. So let me summarize:
a. First to the East side of the Tabernacle were the tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulon while each tribe would camp under its own banner, they would collectively camp under the banner of Judah, and the total number of their troops was 186,400.
(1) And they would break camp first and lead the way.
b. Next to the south were the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad collectively they would camp under the banner of Reuben, the total number of troops was 151,450.
(1) They would be the second to break camp.
c. Next to break camp would be the Levites with the Tabernacle
Numbers 2:17 (NKJV)
17 “And the tabernacle of meeting shall move out with the camp of the Levites in the middle of the camps; as they camp, so they shall move out, everyone in his place, by their standards.
d. After the Levites and the Tabernacle and on the West side of the Tabernacle were the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin collectively camped under the banner of Ephraim and the total number of troops was 108,100.
e. Last of all were the tribes of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali who were camped on the North side of the Tabernacle collectively under the banner of Dan, with the total number of troops being 157,600.
3. Someone has pointed out the population counts were uneven to the east was the highest count and opposite it to the west was the lowest count, while the counts to the north and south were almost identical to each other, so that if you were to look at the nation of Israel camped around the Tabernacle from overhead it would have an appearance similar to a cross!
C. The chapter closes
Numbers 2:32-34 (NKJV)
32 These are the ones who were numbered of the children of Israel by their fathers’ houses. All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.
33 But the Levites were not numbered among the children of Israel, just as the Lord commanded Moses.
34 Thus the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses; so they camped by their standards and so they broke camp, each one by his family, according to their fathers’ houses.
1. With a summary statement and that as God instructed so they did.
VI. Let me close with these two points or spiritual lessons.
A. Number one we see that our God is a God of order, He has a plan and purpose for all that concerns us, we would do well to search them out in the scriptures.
1. Order for the family, for the government, for the church...
B. Secondly we see that God's people we to dwell around the Tabernacle, the tent of meeting, the place where God dwells among His people.
1. The lesson is that God is to be the center of our existence, our very being, the main and master passion in our life,
a. We will learn lessons about letting this happen as we go along in our study, but let me encourage you to desire and pray a closer relationship with Him as we consider what we have heard today, and what lays ahead in the exciting lessons of this book.
2/8/09
Numbers
I. English name comes from the Septuagint where it is called "arithmoi", numbers.
A. Because twice in the book the children of Israel were numbered (census taken).
1. It contains many statistics or population counts of tribes, priests and Levites, as well as other numerical data.
B. The Hebrew title is "midbar" which means "in the wilderness"
1. It tells the story of God leading the children of Israel from Mt. Sinai to the Plains of Moab opposite Jericho, to Canaan and the Land of promise, and the years spent wandering in the wilderness due to unbelief.
2. It has or could be titled
a. "And He spoke" from the first words of the book and is an important phrase as well as an important theme of the book.
(1) God has/is spoken/speaking, are we listening?
b. The Book of Journeyings
(1) Much can be learned to help us with our journey, by learning from the journey of others.
Romans 15:4 (NKJV)
4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
c. The Book of the March and the Roll Call
(1) We might point out a number of things about marching and marching order related to our spiritual life, something for you to ponder on as we journey through this book.
(2) Roll Call is reminiscent of the old hymn ""When thr roll is called up yonder i'll be there"
(a) When the children of Israel finally made it to the promised land, only two names from the original roll call were there, how about you will you be there, or has unbelief taken hold in your life.
d. The Book of Murmurings
(1) Uncontentedness and unbelief work together, often bringing about rebellion and disinheritance.
(a) There are some great lessons in this book about such things.
3. While Numbers is a historical account of events in the history of ancient Israel, we could read it as an analogy of the Christian life.
a. It is a journey filled with trials, tests, and challenges, all of which require faith and confidence in God.
(1) Fear held them back trapped in their unbelief, but we are not to walk in fear but in love.
1 John 4:18 (NKJV)
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
b. Like them we are a redeemed people, on a journey to a land God has promised us.
c. As God was faithful to them, He will be faithful to us. (Don't miss His faithfulness the way they did).
d. We see many pictures of grace in God's dealings with Israel, and God is dealing with you and I in His grace, we need the reminders.
C. Relationship of Numbers to the previous books.
The first book, Genesis, teaches us that we are elected unto salvation.
Exodus the second book instructs us how we are saved, by redemption.
The third book, Leviticus shows us what we are redeemed for, worship. In it we learn of the Holy requirements of God and His Gracious provision.
In Numbers is the walk and warfare of the wilderness, which is typical of our pilgrimage here in a sinful world.
1. Exodus spans about a year of time, Leviticus spans only about a month, but Numbers spans a period of almost 40 years.
a. Having said this, there is a lesson in it for us, of the 40 years there is a span of almost 38 years about which not much is said, this is the time of their wandering aimlessly in unbelief.
(1) There is much about the time we spend in unbelief that is vanity or emptiness, and that is one of the great lessons in this book.
(a) Yet the wonderful thing is that God will use (redeem if you will) even those years if we allow Him to.
II. Divisions of the Book (There three main divisions or sections).
A. Preparation to go to the Promised Land in Chapters 1-10.
B. Journeying to the Promised Land in chapters 11-25
C. New preparation for inheriting the Promised Land chapters 26-36.
III. Background information.
A. In the book of Exodus we saw how God had miraculously delivered Israel out of Egypt, by God's wonderful hand they had escaped slavery and hundreds of years of bondage.
1. They came through the Red Sea, where God had opened a door for them which no man could shut, but we know that God is able to shut doors that no man can open and God shut that very same door on the Egyptian army drowning them in the Red Sea as they pursued Israel.
2. Then God provided for them as they traveled through the desert to Mt. Sinai.
3. At Mt. Sinai God gave them the Law.
4. And there encamped at Mt. Sinai, they built the Tabernacle of Meeting, the Priesthood was established, and they received God's over all plan for the priests and the nation outlined in Leviticus.
a. At the end of the book of Leviticus they had been out of Israel just over a year.
b. So let’s jump into Numbers chapter-1
IV. Numbering the people, the first census.
A. Verse-1
Numbers 1:1 (NKJV)
1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying:
1. The Tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month of the second year
Exodus 40:17 (NKJV)
17 And it came to pass in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was raised up.
2. So we begin one month after the Tabernacle was established.
B. Verses 2-3
Numbers 1:2-3 (NKJV)
2 “Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male individually,
3 from twenty years old and above—all who are able to go to war in Israel. You and Aaron shall number them by their armies.
1. So God commanded Moses to count by tribe only the males who were over twenty years old and who were fit to go out to war.
a. He was not to number women and children.
C. And Moses was to have the chief man of each tribe assist him.
Numbers 1:4-7 (NKJV)
4 And with you there shall be a man from every tribe, each one the head of his father’s house.
5 “These are the names of the men who shall stand with you: from Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur;
6 from Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai;
7 from Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab;
1. I won't take the time to read through all the names but the chief man of each tribe is listed by name in this pattern down to verse-15 and verse 16 says.
Numbers 1:16 (NKJV)
16 These were chosen from the congregation, leaders of their fathers’ tribes, heads of the divisions in Israel.
a. So the 12 men listed in verses 5-15 are the captains or princes over the various tribes.
(1) Now the meanings of each man's name is interesting, according to verse-17 they are expressive or descriptive of the man, so let me encourage you to get out a concordance and look up each mans name to see what it means, and ponder the fact that these are the men chosen to be leaders.
Get a Strong’s concordance or a bible program, or go to blueletterbible.org
D. Verses 17-46
Numbers 1:17-21 (NKJV)
17 Then Moses and Aaron took these men who had been mentioned by name,
18 and they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month; and they recited their ancestry by families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, each one individually.
19 As the Lord commanded Moses, so he numbered them in the Wilderness of Sinai.
20 Now the children of Reuben, Israel’s oldest son, their genealogies by their families, by their fathers’ house, according to the number of names, every male individually, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war:
21 those who were numbered of the tribe of Reuben were forty-six thousand five hundred.
1. So they gathered together and they listed the men twenty years and older who were able to go out to war, tribe by tribe, and the numbers by tribe are given to us after the manner verses 20-21 all the way down to verse-45 and I won't read them I will summarize them for you.
Reuben 46,500 (v. 21)
Simeon 59,300 (v. 23)
Gad 45,650 (v. 25)
Judah 74,600 (v. 27)
Issachar 54,400 (v. 29)
Zebulun 57,400 (v. 31)
Ephraim 40,500 (v. 33)
Manasseh 32,200 (v. 35)
Benjamin 35,400 (v. 37)
Dan 62,700 (v. 39)
Asher 41,500 (v. 41)
Naphtali 53,400 (v. 43)
Total 603,550 (v. 46)
a. Verse-46 gives us the total
Numbers 1:46 (NKJV)
46 all who were numbered were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.
(1) It is speculated that perhaps as many as three million people were involved here when you add in the rest of the population.
b. We need to note that the tribes are not listed here in birth order, but in the order in which they will encamp around the tabernacle, which we have more to say in chapter-2.
E. Verses 47-54
Numbers 1:47-54 (NKJV)
47 But the Levites were not numbered among them by their fathers’ tribe;
48 for the Lord had spoken to Moses, saying:
49 “Only the tribe of Levi you shall not number, nor take a census of them among the children of Israel;
50 but you shall appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the Testimony, over all its furnishings, and over all things that belong to it; they shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings; they shall attend to it and camp around the tabernacle.
51 And when the tabernacle is to go forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up. The outsider who comes near shall be put to death.
52 The children of Israel shall pitch their tents, everyone by his own camp, everyone by his own standard, according to their armies;
53 but the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the Testimony, that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the children of Israel; and the Levites shall keep charge of the tabernacle of the Testimony.”
54 Thus the children of Israel did; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so they did.
1. So we see that the tribe of Levi was not numbered because they were not to go out to war in the sense of carrying weapons.
a. But they were appointed to take care of the Tabernacle and its furnishings.
(1) As they moved about the Levites were to take down the Tabernacle, to carry it and to set it back up when they stopped.
(a) Also through Aaron and the priests they had responsibility for service within the Tabernacle.
V. Now as we move into chapter-2 and briefly look at it we need to bear in mind the main theme of chapters 1-10 is "Preparation to go to the Promised Land"
A. So what we see in the instructions of this chapter is "preparation for travel".
B. Let me read the first seven verses for you to give you a flavor for the wording and then I will summarize the rest for us.
Numbers 2:1-9 (NKJV)
1 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying:
2 “Everyone of the children of Israel shall camp by his own standard, beside the emblems of his father’s house; they shall camp some distance from the tabernacle of meeting.
3 On the east side, toward the rising of the sun, those of the standard of the forces with Judah shall camp according to their armies; and Nahshon the son of Amminadab shall be the leader of the children of Judah.”
4 And his army was numbered at seventy-four thousand six hundred.
5 “Those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar, and Nethanel the son of Zuar shall be the leader of the children of Issachar.”
6 And his army was numbered at fifty-four thousand four hundred.
7 “Then comes the tribe of Zebulun, and Eliab the son of Helon shall be the leader of the children of Zebulun.”
8 And his army was numbered at fifty-seven thousand four hundred.
9 “All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces with Judah, one hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred— these shall break camp first.
Numbers 2:1-9 (NLT)
1 Then the Lord gave these instructions to Moses and Aaron:
2 “When the Israelites set up camp, each tribe will be assigned its own area. The tribal divisions will camp beneath their family banners on all four sides of the Tabernacle, but at some distance from it.
3 “The divisions of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun are to camp toward the sunrise on the east side of the Tabernacle, beneath their family banners. These are the names of the tribes, their leaders, and the numbers of their registered troops:
Tribe Leader Number
Judah Nahshon son of Amminadab 74,600
5 Issachar Nethanel son of Zuar 54,400
7 Zebulun Eliab son of Helon 57,400
9 So the total of all the troops on Judah’s side of the camp is 186,400. These three tribes are to lead the way whenever the Israelites travel to a new campsite.
1. So God instructed Moses the order in which the tribes were march and camp with the tabernacle at the center, and the census numbers and the twelve leader’s names are listed.
2. So let me summarize:
a. First to the East side of the Tabernacle were the tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulon while each tribe would camp under its own banner, they would collectively camp under the banner of Judah, and the total number of their troops was 186,400.
(1) And they would break camp first and lead the way.
b. Next to the south were the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad collectively they would camp under the banner of Reuben, the total number of troops was 151,450.
(1) They would be the second to break camp.
c. Next to break camp would be the Levites with the Tabernacle
Numbers 2:17 (NKJV)
17 “And the tabernacle of meeting shall move out with the camp of the Levites in the middle of the camps; as they camp, so they shall move out, everyone in his place, by their standards.
d. After the Levites and the Tabernacle and on the West side of the Tabernacle were the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin collectively camped under the banner of Ephraim and the total number of troops was 108,100.
e. Last of all were the tribes of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali who were camped on the North side of the Tabernacle collectively under the banner of Dan, with the total number of troops being 157,600.
3. Someone has pointed out the population counts were uneven to the east was the highest count and opposite it to the west was the lowest count, while the counts to the north and south were almost identical to each other, so that if you were to look at the nation of Israel camped around the Tabernacle from overhead it would have an appearance similar to a cross!
C. The chapter closes
Numbers 2:32-34 (NKJV)
32 These are the ones who were numbered of the children of Israel by their fathers’ houses. All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.
33 But the Levites were not numbered among the children of Israel, just as the Lord commanded Moses.
34 Thus the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses; so they camped by their standards and so they broke camp, each one by his family, according to their fathers’ houses.
1. With a summary statement and that as God instructed so they did.
VI. Let me close with these two points or spiritual lessons.
A. Number one we see that our God is a God of order, He has a plan and purpose for all that concerns us, we would do well to search them out in the scriptures.
1. Order for the family, for the government, for the church...
B. Secondly we see that God's people we to dwell around the Tabernacle, the tent of meeting, the place where God dwells among His people.
1. The lesson is that God is to be the center of our existence, our very being, the main and master passion in our life,
a. We will learn lessons about letting this happen as we go along in our study, but let me encourage you to desire and pray a closer relationship with Him as we consider what we have heard today, and what lays ahead in the exciting lessons of this book.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
