GOD PROVIDES HELP FOR THE PRIESTHOOD

God gave the Levites to Moses and Aaron to help out with the tasks involved in maintaining worship at the wilderness tabernacle.  Such a simple sentence; such a complex concept to grasp. 

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the COME AS A CHILD BIBLE STUDY that is held on this blog every Thursday.  We are so glad to have you join in with us today!

Our text this week comes from the Book of Numbers; Chapter Three.

If you wish to review last week’s lesson; you may find it here:  THE PLACE FOR THE LEVITES – COME AS A CHILD LESSON 251.

TASKS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Every Levite had a different assignment that related to putting up and taking down the tabernacle, as well as traveling with the various parts and pieces of the tabernacle in tow. 

They were also assigned various duties throughout the camp that would keep the areas of the tabernacle sectioned off, holy, protected, preserved  and sacred. 

EXEMPT FROM THE ARMY

These Levites didn’t have to fight with the army; but there was nothing EASY about their life.  They worked long and hard and endlessly.

As they were being organized into groups; God told Moses and Aaron to “bring the tribe of Levi near.”   The language used (bring near) was a term also used in relation to sacrifices.  The designation indicates that the Levites were like a sacrificial offering to God.  They were a substitution for a portion of the people (the first born of each family) who were set aside for holiness unto God.  

These Levites were consecrated and set aside specifically for service of the tabernacle and nothing else. 

THE REDEMPTION OF THE FIRST BORN

As God chooses the tribe of Levi for this task; He is remembering the last plague of Egypt and how the first born of Israel were all at that time being set aside from the death of the plague because of their obedience to the commands of God when they all put the blood of the Lamb over the doorposts of their homes.   

This was a physical example of a spiritual thing.  Those who had the blood over their doorways were saved from death.  Those today who have the blood of Christ over the door of their heart are saved into eternal and everlasting life.  

The Levites were yet another physical example of the type of spiritual life that those who belong to The Kingdom of God should be leading.

THE NUMBERS OF THE LEVITES WERE DIFFERENT

A census was taken of the Levites too, and they were numbered; but the purpose of their numbering was different than the purpose of the census of the Army. 

Their numbering related to redemption. 

The Levites were given in exchange for an equal number of the first-born from the other tribes.  They were redeemed at the rate of five shekels for each.   The ransom money was appropriated for the use of the Sanctuary. 

Their count was not for every able-bodied man that was old enough to serve in the army.  Their count wasn’t about that type of fighting.

This count was for every male, from one month old or older.  These numbers of the Levites were not men being trained for physical wars. The Levites were totally exempt from war.  They were men being trained in holiness for the service of God.  Their instructions began at birth and continued throughout the length of their lifetime.  The money used to purchase the redemption for all the first-born of Israel was given on this accounting.  The Levites were the substitutional system used to fulfill the ransom of the first-born of Israel.  This substitutional system made available a way for a strong and firm foundation for the Sanctuary of God that would hold up and connect mankind with God forever and ever.  

A GOOD REVIEW 

Back in our studies of The Book of Exodus we covered a lesson about the tabernacle and the process of the redemption of the first born.

Each man in the army of Israel had to give a ransom as a redemption price for his own sins; so that he could be redeemed for the service of his people.  The price was five shekels and it went to buy/make the silver sockets that held the foundation of the Sanctuary firmly in place.

The silver sockets each weighed one hundred pounds and they were buried under the ground and hidden from sight every time that the tabernacle was set up.  Their weight held up the WHOLE structure.  Without it – everything would come crashing down.

The redemption price for 100,000 men made what held the foundation of the Sanctuary firmly in place; it was not known or recognized by most upon first observation.   The Levites knew that the most important part of the support of the tabernacle could not be seen; but it was hidden.

This lesson from the past study was very enlightening, and I suggest you re-read it before going ahead with our further studies in the book of Numbers; Chapter 3 today.

You can find it by clicking here: http://COME AS A CHILD LESSON 156 – THE AMAZING SILVER SOCKETS OF REDEMPTION

A PLACE FOR THE LEVITES TO LIVE

As they were living in the wilderness camps closest to the tabernacle the Levites had three stations which were divided into three subdivisions.

The Gershonites were stationed on the West. Their Chief was Eliasaph, Son of Lael.

The Kohithites were stationed on the South.  Their Chief was Elizaphon – Son of Uzziel.

The families of the Merari were stationed on the North. Their Chief was Zuriel, son of Abihail.

The Chief of all three of these Chiefs who oversaw ALL of the tribes was Eleazar, the Priest who was Aaron’s son.

Aaron was over all of the Levitical Priesthood as The High Priest of Israel.

The Kohithites carried the highest honor among these tribes as they were appointed to guard and care for the most sacred articles of the tabernacle.  These were the sacred articles from The Holy Place and The Most Holy Place of The Wilderness Tabernacle. 

These three divisions of the tribes of Levi got their names from the three sons of Levi (Gershon, Kohath and Marari.)  

God appointed all of their leaders through Moses and God designated which tribes would carry out what functions.