FRAMEWORKS:
Numbers 3: Introducing the Levites
Part
1.2: Ch.3 & 4: The Levites & their Roles
Ch.3:
Introducing the Levites
Ch.4:
The Levite Clans
FRAMEWORKS:
Numbers 3: Introducing the Levites
v.1-4
Aaron's Two Remaining Sons
v.5-10
The tribe of Levi to help the Priesthood
v.11-16
The Levites will be special to the Lord
v.17-20
The Three Clans of the Tribe of Levi
v.21-26
The Numbers & Role of the clan of Gershon
v.27-32
The Numbers & Role of the clan of Kohath
v.33-37
The Numbers & Role of the clan of Merari
v.38
The Location of Moses & Aaron etc. in the camp
v.39
Number of Levite Males
v.40-43
Number of Firstborn in Israel
v.44-51
The Redemption Money for Excess Number of First-born Males
[Preliminary
Notes: Again a chapter with names and numbers that might
be considered hardly worth while reading by the modern reader
but to understand the management of the Tabernacle as the central
meeting place with God within the camp, this chapter sheds essential
light if we are to understand the activities of the nation when
they moved.
First
there are the priests coming from Aaron's
family but then there are the Levites,
one of the twelve tribes of Israel who are set apart to literally
manhandle the Tabernacle.
So
we see the two remaining sons of Aaron who assist him in the priesthood
and then we find the three clans of the tribe of Levi who are
each allocated different tasks in respect of moving the Tabernacle
which had to be dismantled and then reconstructed every time the
nation moved at God's leading. We are also shown God's claim on
the first-born of Israel (a constant reminder of the Passover)
who are substituted by the first-born sons of Levi or redemption
money for the excess numbers – see below.]
v.1-4
Aaron's Two Remaining Sons
v.1
This
is the account of the family of Aaron and Moses at the time the
Lord spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai.
v.2 The
names of the sons of Aaron were Nadab
the firstborn and Abihu, Eleazar
and Ithamar.
v.3
Those
were the names of Aaron's sons, the anointed priests,
who were ordained to serve as priests.
v.4
Nadab
and Abihu,
however, died before the Lord when they made an offering with
unauthorized fire before him in the Desert of Sinai. They had
no sons, so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests
during the lifetime of their father Aaron.
[Notes:
After Aaron's two older sons die [see Lev 10:1,2] he
is left with just two sons who assist him in his role of overseeing
the Offerings being brought and the daily management of the Tabernacle.]
v.5-10
The tribe of Levi to help the Priesthood
v.5
The
Lord said to Moses,
v.6
“Bring
the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest
to assist him.
v.7
They
are to perform duties for him and for the whole community at the
tent of meeting by doing the work of the tabernacle.
v.8
They
are to take care of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting,
fulfilling the obligations of the Israelites by doing the work
of the tabernacle.
v.9
Give
the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are the Israelites who
are to be given wholly to him.
v.10
Appoint
Aaron and his sons to serve as priests; anyone else who approaches
the sanctuary is to be put to death.”
[Note:
The Levites are not priests but helpers. Moses &
Aaron were both from the tribe of Levi but the priests only came
from the family of Aaron. The Levites as a tribe will look after
the Tabernacle, moving it and re-erecting it.]
v.11-16
The Levites will be special to the Lord
v.11
The
Lord also said to Moses,
v.12
“I
have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place
of the first male offspring of every Israelite woman. The Levites
are mine,
v.13
for
all the firstborn are mine. When I struck down all the firstborn
in Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, whether
human or animal. They are to be mine. I am the Lord.”
v.14
The
Lord said to Moses in the Desert of Sinai,
v.15
“Count
the Levites by their families and clans. Count every male a month
old or more.”
v.16
So
Moses counted them, as he was commanded by the word of the Lord
.
[Notes:
At the Passover, all the first-born sons of Israel had
been saved when the first-born Egyptians had died. To deepen His
relationship with Israel, God says that having been saved by grace
and the death of a lamb, those first-born sons technically belong
to Him but instead of having any claim on them, He will instead
call the tribe of Levi to serve Him and their first-born sons
can stand in the place of all the other first-born sons in the
other tribes. Where the number falls short, a small redemption
sum will be paid to cover all the others. Thus this first census
of the Levites covers every male over a month old – see later
in the chapter.]
v.17-20
The Three Clans of the Tribe of Levi
17 These
were the names of the sons of Levi:
Gershon,
Kohath and Merari.
18 These
were the names of the Gershonite clans: Libni
and Shimei.
19 The
Kohathite clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and
Uzziel.
20 The
Merarite clans: Mahli and Mushi.
These
were the Levite clans, according to their families.
[Notes:
To understand what follows realise that Levi [Israel's
3 rd son – Gen 29:34] has three sons who become clans with their
own families – they are thus all Levites. For more on the families,
see 1 Chron 6.]
v.21-26
The Numbers & Role of the clan of Gershon
21 To
Gershon belonged the clans of the Libnites and
Shimeites; these were the Gershonite clans.
22 The
number of all the males a month old or more who were counted was
7,500.
23 The
Gershonite clans were to camp on the
west, behind the tabernacle.
24 The
leader of the families of the Gershonites was Eliasaph son of
Lael.
25 At
the tent of meeting the Gershonites were responsible for
the care of the tabernacle and tent, its coverings,
the curtain at the entrance to the tent of meeting ,
26
the curtains of the courtyard, the curtain at the entrance
to the courtyard surrounding the tabernacle and altar, and the
ropes—and everything related to their use.
[Notes:
The three sub-clans of the oldest son, Gershom,
were responsible for the actual Tabernacle coverings.
There is no indication why any particular clan has been given
which job. Note each of the three sons' clans were to camp on
a different side of the Tabernacle.]
v.27-32
The Numbers & Role of the clan of Kohath
27 To
Kohath belonged the clans of the Amramites,
Izharites, Hebronites and Uzzielites; these were the Kohathite
clans.
28 The
number of all the males a month old or more was 8,600. The Kohathites
were responsible for the care of the sanctuary.
29 The
Kohathite clans were to camp on the
south side of the tabernacle.
30 The
leader of the families of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son
of Uzziel.
31
They were responsible for the care of the
ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the articles of the
sanctuary used in ministering, the curtain, and everything related
to their use.
32 The
chief leader of the Levites was Eleazar son of
Aaron, the priest. He was appointed over those who were responsible
for the care of the sanctuary.
[Notes:
The four sub-clans of the second son, Kohath,
were responsible for the contents of the Tabernacle.
Note [v.32] it was a priest who was over the Levites, Eleazar.]
v.33-37
The Numbers & Role of the clan of Merari
33 To
Merari belonged the clans of the Mahlites and
the Mushites; these were the Merarite clans.
34 The
number of all the males a month old or more who were counted was
6,200.
35 The
leader of the families of the Merarite clans
was Zuriel son of Abihail; they were to camp on the north
side of the tabernacle.
36 The
Merarites were appointed to take care of the frames of the tabernacle,
its crossbars, posts, bases, all its equipment, and everything
related to their use,
37 as
well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases,
tent pegs and ropes.
[Notes:
The two sub-clans of the youngest son, Merari,
were responsible for the actual structure of the Tabernacle.]
v.38
The Location of Moses & Aaron etc. in the camp
v.38
Moses
and Aaron
and his sons were to camp to the east of the tabernacle,
toward the sunrise, in front of the tent of meeting. They were
responsible for the care of the sanctuary on behalf of the Israelites.
Anyone else who approached the sanctuary was to be put to death.
[Notes:
Moses & Aaron and their families to camp out beyond
the front of the Tabernacle. Thus Moses hasn't far to go to meet
with God.]
v.39
Number of Levite Males
v.39
The
total number of Levites counted at the Lord
's command by Moses and Aaron according to their clans, including
every male a month old or more, was 22,000.
[Notes:
This is the total number of Levite males. Distinguish
this from the census in Lev 4:47,48 of just 8,580 males who are
between 30 and 50 available to serve.]
v.40-43
Number of Firstborn in Israel
v.40
The
Lord said to Moses, “Count all the firstborn Israelite males who
are a month old or more and make a list of their names.
v.41
Take
the Levites for me in place of all the firstborn of the Israelites,
and the livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn
of the livestock of the Israelites. I am the Lord .”
v.42
So
Moses counted all the firstborn of the Israelites, as the Lord
commanded him.
v.43
The
total number of firstborn males a month old
or more, listed by name, was 22,273.
[Notes:
The number here of all first born males in the other
eleven tribes to be set off against the 22,000 Levite males –
see above notes after v.16]
v.44-51
The Redemption Money for Excess Number of First-born Males
v.44
The
Lord also said to Moses,
v.45
“Take
the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock
of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites are to
be mine. I am the Lord .
v.46
To
redeem the 273 firstborn Israelites who exceed the number of the
Levites,
v.47
collect
five shekels [That is, about 2
ounces or about 58 grams] for
each one, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty
gerahs.
v.48
Give
the money for the redemption of the additional Israelites to Aaron
and his sons.”
v.49
So
Moses collected the redemption money from those who exceeded the
number redeemed by the Levites.
v.50
From
the firstborn of the Israelites he collected silver weighing 1,365
shekels, [That
is, about 35 pounds or about 16 kilograms ] according
to the sanctuary shekel.
v.51
Moses gave
the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, as he was commanded
by the word of the Lord .
[Note:
For v.39-51 see notes after verse 16.]