Numbers

Numbers 18:1-7

The Lord spoke directly to Aaron in this passage. This seems to be the only time this happens.   This is a shift we’d not seen.  We’ve mostly seen the Lord speak to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons….”  The Lord informs Aaron that he and his sons would be responsible for the sanctity of the sanctuary and the priesthood.  There were no exceptions to this.  They were to guard and maintain these; if there was a failure, it was theirs to bear. 

The weight of this is tremendous.  The Levites are brought into this as helpers with limitations.  They were to tend to the needs of the priests and tabernacle.  The Levites were a gift, given by the Lord, to the priesthood. 

The priesthood was a ‘gift for service.’  This was an honor to serve in the presence of the Lord at such an important duty.  In addition, it was a great responsibility and honor to serve the Lord’s people.  Maintaining the weight and importance of this would be the challenge – that it not turn into rote actions and ritual that no longer had meaning.  We can look forward in the scriptures and see this wasn’t done well. 

Numbers 18:8-20

The Lord spoke to Aaron about His provision for the priests.  For most offerings, only a representative portion was burned in the fire.  The remainder was a portion to the priests. 

• The grain offering
• The purification offering (sin)
• The reparation offering (trespass)
• The hide from a burnt offering

Those holy, edible provisions were to be eaten that day by the priests, in the holy place while ritually clean.  Every one in their house were also approved to eat if they were clean.

The Lord listed the other offerings, brought to Him that He, in turn, transfers ownership to the priests.

• The heave offering
• The wave offering
• Oil
• New wine
• Grain
• Firstfruits
• Devoted things (cherem – sometimes this meant devoted to destruction, in this case, the destruction is to place something in the care of Yahweh, to remove it from their own life).
• The firstborn of man or beast
  • Firstborn of mankind must be redeemed – 5 shekels
  • Firstborn of unclean animals must be redeemed – 5 shekels
  • Firstborn of sacrificial animals are holy.  They would be sacrificed.

Salt was the main preservative of the day.  It was used in making covenants as a symbol of the preservation of a long-lasting agreement.  Salt was used with the sacrificed and became symbolic of the preservation of the covenant with the Lord.  There is some thought that salt was also a means of complete removal of blood by absorption. 

The priests had no inheritance from the Lord.  They were provided 48 cities in the Promised Land, but their portion was the Lord.  He was their inheritance. 

Numbers 18:21-24

Levi had three sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari (one of Kohath’s sons was Amram, who had Moses, Aaron and Miriam).  The tithes of Israel went to the support of the Levite tribes.  They had no inheritance and were called to support the tabernacle, not earn a living for their family.  Others were to provide that living.  The tithes of Israel were offered as a heave offering – the giving of these things to the Lord who in turn transfers ownership to the Levites.

Numbers 18:25-32

The Levites were not exempt from the tithe.  They received the tithe of Israel and they in turn gave a tithe from that.  Their tithe went to the priests of Aaron.  Once the tithe was removed, whatever was remaining was common (profane) and could be eaten at their homes and shared with family.  Great care was to be taken though.  To not remove the tithe and take that holy portion and treat it profane, eating outside a holy place and sharing it, was a lethal mistake. 

© 2023 Doug Ford, Calvary Chapel Sweetwater