Numbers

8.1-26

In the first five verses of this chapter, we read of the reflection cast into the future of the seven churches John also saw in Revelation chapters 1-3. These seven churches have more representative significance than just the words John wrote, as they also represent the whole church, which Christ Himself built, died for, and which is purposed to glorify God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. "I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, saying, “Write in a scroll what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea. Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man" (Re 1:10–13a). "...and the seven lampstands are the seven churches." (Re 1:20). The glory the church gives to God, the lamps of Numbers Chapter 8 give in front of the lampstand. This was directly toward Yahweh, seated on the Arc of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies. These lamps were made of gold. Scripture compares the purification of gold to the sanctification process of believers. Gold is refined to become pure, while believers are sanctified to become holy, like Christ. This process of sanctification involves surrendering to God and allowing Him to refine and mold us. The lampstands are hammered (v4). Christ Himself built the church. He instructed His disciples and sent them into the world, but not before demonstrating the ultimate sacrifice. “As you send me into the world, so I have sent them into the world” (Jn 17:18). It would be a mistake to presume that God was not as purposefully involved in the construction of the church as He was in the construction of His dwelling-place with the sons of Israel. Numbers 8:4 is a description of both what God told Moses to instruct Aaron for His glorification in the Holy of Holies, as well as the image we are to see of the church Christ built and charged us with continuing to build - and for which He will return very soon. "Now 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 which Yahweh had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand."

CHAPTER 8

The Seven Lamps

1 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
2 “Speak to Aaron and say to him, ‘When you mount the lamps, the seven lamps will give light in the front of the lampstand.’”
3 Aaron therefore did so; he mounted its lamps at the front of the lampstand, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.
4 Now 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 which Yahweh had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.

Cleansing of the Levites

5 Again Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
6 “Take the Levites from among the sons of Israel and cleanse them.
7 “Thus you shall do to them, for their cleansing: sprinkle purifying water on them, and let them use a razor over their whole body and wash their clothes, and they will be clean.
8 “Then let them take a bull from the herd with its grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil; and a second bull from the herd you shall take for a sin offering.
9 “So you shall bring the Levites near before the tent of meeting. You shall also assemble the whole congregation of the sons of Israel,
10 and bring the Levites near before Yahweh; and the sons of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites.
11 “Aaron then shall present the Levites before Yahweh as a wave offering from the sons of Israel, that they may be qualified to perform the service of Yahweh.
12 “Now the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls; then offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to Yahweh, to make atonement for the Levites.
13 “And you shall have the Levites stand before Aaron and before his sons so as to present them as a wave offering to Yahweh.
14 “Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the sons of Israel, and the Levites shall be Mine.
15 “Then after that the Levites may go in to serve the tent of meeting. But you shall cleanse them and present them as a wave offering;
16 for they are wholly given to Me from among the sons of Israel. I have taken them for Myself instead of every first issue of the womb, the firstborn of all the sons of Israel.
17 “For every firstborn among the sons of Israel is Mine, among the men and among the animals; on the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for Myself.
18 “But I have taken the Levites instead of every firstborn among the sons of Israel.
19 “And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the sons of Israel, to perform the service of the sons of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement on behalf of the sons of Israel, so that there will be no plague among the sons of Israel by their coming near to the sanctuary.”
20 Thus did Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the sons of Israel to the Levites; according to all that Yahweh had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the sons of Israel did to them.
21 The Levites, too, purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes; and Aaron presented them as a wave offering before Yahweh. Aaron also made atonement for them to cleanse them.
22 Then after that the Levites went in to perform their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron and before his sons; just as Yahweh had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.

Retirement of the Levites

23 Now Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
24 “This is what applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall enter to perform their duty in the service of the tent of meeting.
25 “But at the age of fifty years they shall retire from their duty in the service and not serve anymore.
26 “They may, however, minister to their brothers in the tent of meeting in order to keep up their responsibility, but they themselves shall perform no service. Thus you shall deal with the Levites concerning their responsibilities.”

Legacy Standard Bible (Three Sixteen Publishing, 2022), Nu 8.