Aaron sets up the lamps – Numbers 8:1-4
Verses 1-4 The stand for the lamps was in the Holy Place. It was with the table for the special bread and the altar of gold. There is a longer description of it in Exodus 25:31-40.
It was made out of one piece of gold only and it was hammered to make a beautiful object.
The stand was the shape of a tree with 6 branches. There were models of flowers on the branches. Each branch held one lamp. The trunk (main stem) of the tree held the 7th lamp. The Israelites gave oil to burn in the lamps.
There were no windows in the Holy Place. The lamps provided the light so that the priests could do their work. It was the priests’ duty to look after the lamps so that there was light always.
The table with the special bread was in front of the lamps. When the light shone towards the front, it shone on this table. The 12 loaves were a symbol of the 12 tribes. The light was a symbol of God. It reminded the Israelites that God was with them always. It reminded them that he wanted to bless them.
Also, it reminds us that Jesus described himself as ‘the light of the world’ (John 8:12). He shows us the way to live, guides and blesses us. Nothing can hide in the light. Jesus knows everything about us.
But also the stand is very important because it is a symbol of Christ and his people. Jesus said that he is like a vine (John 15:1-8). And we, his people, are like the branches. The branches stay strong and alive because they are part of the vine. The branches cannot live away from the vine. They cannot produce fruit if they are not part of the vine.
People had made this stand from one piece of metal. It would have been easier for them to stick different pieces of metal together. However, they had made the main part of the stand and its branches from one piece of metal. This reminds us that we are one with Christ. He is like a vine, and we are like its branches. We cannot do God’s work if we are not united with Christ as Jesus said (John 15:5).
The dedication of Levi’s tribe – Numbers 8:5-26
V 5-7 Levi’s tribe belonged to God in a special way. God accepted them instead of the Israelites’ first-born sons (Numbers 3:40-51). Levi’s tribe had remained loyal to God when the other Israelites had rejected him (Exodus 32:25-29). He had chosen them to belong to him and to serve him.
Before they could work in the tabernacle, Moses had to make them clean. He had to purify them with special water that purifies. This was important because they had to carry sacred objects. Also, they had to camp near to the tabernacle.
‘The special water that purifies’ (verse 7). Numbers 19:1-10 describes how people made this special water. They mixed water with the ashes of the reddish-brown cow that they had burnt in a special ceremony. Also, this water was called ‘the water of the sin offering’.
This special water made Levi’s tribe clean. The water washed away the physical dirt, but it was also a symbol to show that they were clean from their sins. Then God could accept them because they were clean physically and spiritually. Then they could serve God properly. Hebrews chapters 9 to 11 explain how Jesus’ blood makes us clean inside our hearts so that we can serve God properly. Hebrews 9:13 refers to the water of the sin offering. Jesus’ sacrifice of himself on the cross is the sin offering on behalf of all people. His blood makes us clean so that God will accept us. Moses had to splash the special water on Levi’s tribe. In the same way, we must allow the Holy Spirit to make us clean by means of Jesus’ blood.
V 8-19 Levi’s tribe had to bring sacrifices. Then, the Israelites had to put their hands on Levi’s tribe. This act showed identification and that the other tribes recognised Levi’s tribe as God’s choice and showed that they agreed with God’s choice.
After this, Levi’s tribe had to put their hands on the animals. When they did this, they figuratively passed on their sins to the animals. The animals died instead of Levi’s tribe. They had to die because death was the punishment for sin. The animals became sacrifices instead of Levi’s tribe.
There was a burnt offering and a sin offering. The burnt offering showed that Levi’s tribe were giving themselves to God completely. The sin offering made them clean from sin. In this way, they showed that they would serve God instead of the Israelites’ first-born sons.
Sin separates all people from God. In the Old Testament, people could offer sacrifices for sins that they had done by accident. This might be if they touched something that was unclean. They could offer sacrifices with payment for a few particular sins which were not deliberate. (Leviticus 6:1-7). If someone sinned on purpose, they could not make this right with a sacrifice. That person had to repent and ask God to forgive them. King David is an example of this. (Psalm 51).
Jesus died on behalf of us. He received the punishment that we deserve for our sins. He became the one sacrifice for all, for all time. Jesus removed the divide (sin) that separates us from God. Every time that we sin, we must ask God to forgive us. If we are sincere, He will forgive us.
Levi’s tribe belonged to God but the work that they did in the tabernacle was God’s gift to the priests. Levi’s tribe could never become priests except the family of Aaron. God did not allow the rest of Levi’s tribe to serve him at the altar nor to wear special clothes or to enter the Holy Place (Numbers 3:10-38 and 18:1-7; Exodus 28:1 and 29:8-9). They had to guard the tabernacle so that the Israelites did not come too near (Numbers 1:47-54).
V 20-22 This emphasises that the people obeyed God’s instructions. God had decided to accept Levi’s tribe instead of the Israelites first-born sons. Aaron offered them to God by means of a special ceremony. They sacrificed the bulls on behalf of Levi’s tribe. Levi’s tribe made themselves clean, so that God could accept them.
V 23-26 From the ages of 25 to 50, men from Levi’s tribe did heavy work. They carried the parts of the tabernacle when the Israelites moved. But they did not help the priests in the tabernacle until they were 30 years old (Numbers 4:3). When they were 50 years old, they did not have to work any longer. But if they wanted to work, they could do other things to help. For example, they could help to teach the young men who had just started their duties.
