Numbers 8

Numbers 8:1 Now Yahveh spoke to Moses, and this is what he said,

Numbers 8:2 “Speak to Aaron and say to him, When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps will give light in front of the lampstand.”

Numbers 8:3 And Aaron did so: he set up its lamps in front of the lampstand, as Yahveh commanded Moses.

Numbers 8:4 And this was the workmanship of the lampstand, hammered work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was hammered work according to the pattern that Yahveh had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.

Numbers 8:5 And Yahveh spoke to Moses, and this is what he said

Numbers 8:6 “Take the Levites from among the people of Israel and purify them.

Numbers 8:7 Thus you will do to them to purify them: spritz the water of purification upon them and let them go with a razor over all their body and wash their clothes and cleanse themselves.

Numbers 8:8 Then let them take a bull from the herd and its tribute offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you will take another bull from the herd for a failure offering.

Numbers 8:9 And you will bring the Levites in the sight of the conference tent and collect the whole congregation of the people of Israel.

Numbers 8:10 When you bring the Levites in the sight of Yahveh, the people of Israel will lay their hands on the Levites,

Numbers 8:11—Aaron will offer the Levites in the sight of Yahveh as a presentation offering from the people of Israel so that they may serve Yahveh.

Numbers 8:12 Then the Levites will lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you will offer the one for a failure offering and the other for an ascending offering to Yahveh to provide reconciliation for the Levites.

Numbers 8:13 You will set the Levites at the face of Aaron and his sons and offer them as a presentation offering to Yahveh.

Numbers 8:14 “Thus you will separate the Levites from among the people of Israel, and the Levites will be mine.

Numbers 8:15 And after that, the Levites will go in to serve at the conference tent, when you have purified them and offered them as a presentation offering.

Numbers 8:16 Because they are wholly given to me from among the people of Israel. Instead of all who open the uterus, the firstborn of all the people of Israel, I have taken them for myself.

Numbers 8:17 Because all the firstborn among the people of Israel are mine, both of human and of animal. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated them for myself,

Numbers 8:18 and I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel.

Numbers 8:19 And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the people of Israel, to do the service for the people of Israel at the conference tent and to provide reconciliation for the people of Israel, that there may be no plague among the people of Israel when the people of Israel come near the sanctuary.”

Numbers 8:20 This is what Moses, Aaron, and all the congregation of the people of Israel did to the Levites. According to all that Yahveh commanded Moses concerning the Levites, the people of Israel did to them.

Numbers 8:21 And the Levites purified themselves from any failure. They washed their clothes, and Aaron offered them as a presentation offering in the sight of Yahveh, and Aaron made atonement for them to purify them.

Numbers 8:22 And after that, the Levites went in to do their service in the conference tent in the sight of Aaron and his sons; as Yahveh had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.

Numbers 8:23 And Yahveh spoke to Moses, and this is what he said

Numbers 8:24 “This applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they will come to do duty in the service of the conference tent.

Numbers 8:25 And from the age of fifty years, they will withdraw from the duty of the service and serve no more.

Numbers 8:26 They minister to their brothers in the conference tent by keeping guard, but they will do no service. This is what you will do to the Levites in assigning their duties.”

Numbers 8 quotes:

“The only sanctuary furnishing given special attention at this time is the preparation of the lampstand for service. More particularly, Aaron is reminded of the positioning of the lamps in connection with the lampstand, so as to provide light in front of the stand (v. 2). What is in front of the lampstand? The things of God: ark, table, and bread of presence. What is behind the stand? The worshiper, who has come iy Searen of Cod’ presence.

Before setting out; the péople are in effect reminded: “As much as you might like a light to illumine the path ahead, or the faces of your fellow travelers beside you, if you light one light, shine it on these things. It is the vision of these things that will keep you moving forward even when the way is not clear.””

Boyce Richard Nelson. Leviticus and Numbers. 1st ed. Westminster John Knox Press 2008. p. 129.

“The Levites were offered to God by the people. The whole Israelite community (9) were to lay their hands on them (10). Publicly, in front of the Tent of Meeting (9), they were set … apart (14) by the laying on of hands, and so designated to serve as substitutes on behalf of the other tribes. Whenever they functioned as associates and partners with the priesthood, they were doing their work in the place of others.
They were a permanent visual aid, a daily reminder to God’s people of their unique redemption, having been given in place of the firstborn (16). Whenever they were seen about the camp, their fellow pilgrims recalled the great event of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt (17) when Egypt’s firstborn were all slain and God’s people alone were redeemed.”

Brown Raymond. The Message of Numbers : Journey to the Promised Land. InterVarsity Press 2002. p. 68.

“Once the Levites were ordained for their service, they could enter into their duties. They stood in close relation to the Lord by calling, and hence the Lord himself was their inheritance. The Lord required the entire firstborn of all the Israelites and accepted this tribe in their stead (see Exod. 13:2,12; Num. 3:12-13). Any violation of this decree would result in a judgment of plague.”

Martin, Glen, and Max E. Anders. Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers. Broadman & Holman, 2002. p. 285.

“Light and fire represent the life-giving presence and blessing of God (e.g. Exod. 13:21–22). Thus Aaron had to arrange the lamps so that their light always illuminated the shewbread. This arrangement portrayed visually God’s intention that his people should live continually in his presence and enjoy the blessing mediated by his priests.”

Wenham, Gordon J.. Numbers: An Introduction and Commentary (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries Book 4) (p. 107). InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition.

Numbers 8 links:

a walk in service to the LORD
cleansing before service
proper focus
serving while we can

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