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2-14-16. Numbers 8:1-26. The Light And The Levites- my devotional

2-14-16. Numbers 8:1-26. The Light And The Levites- my devotional

Numbers 8:1-26                                                                                      Kevin E. Jesmer

Key Verse: 8:18,19                                                                                  2-14-16

And I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons in Israel. 19 From among all the Israelites, I have given the Levites as gifts to Aaron and his sons to do the work at the tent of meeting on behalf of the Israelites and to make atonement for them so that no plague will strike the Israelites when they go near the sanctuary.”

kingdom of priests 1

Dear Lord Heavenly Father, thank you for the “exploding” work of God in the North. I pray that you grant us the strength to keep up with you and what you are doing.  Grant us the grace and wisdom and the strength to remain in the wave of Gospel mission that you are starting to grow among us and through us. Help us to see your open doors and grant us the faith and the strength to walk through them. Bring glory to your holy name, the name of Jesus Christ. Please help me to accept your word deeply in my heart. I thank you and I pray in Jesus’ precious name. Amen.

Part 1: The Light Of The Lamps (1-4)

Verses 1-4, “The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to Aaron and say to him, ‘When you set up the lamps, see that all seven light up the area in front of the lampstand.’” Aaron did so; he set up the lamps so that they faced forward on the lampstand, just as the Lord commanded Moses. This is how the lampstand was made: It was made of hammered gold—from its base to its blossoms. The lampstand was made exactly like the pattern the Lord had shown Moses.”

The lamps were a very important part of the tabernacle.  Look at verse 2, “Speak to Aaron and say to him, ‘When you set up the lamps, see that all seven light up the area in front of the lampstand.’” The lamps provided the light for the priests as they carried out their duties.  Lighting in the Tabernacle was not just a practical thing. It was an aid in worship. It was meant to reflect God’s character, for he is the light of the world. Therefore the placement of the lighting was important. The lamp stand is one of the major symbols of the Jewish faith.

The seven lamps represented God’s presence. (John 8:12) God is light; in him there is no darkness. God was with his people. The world was very dark, spiritually. There was violence, death, sickness, false worship, short live, lots of pain and oppressive, failed, political ideologies. It was a very dark time. But in the midst of the darkness was God, the Light of the world. His light revealed his truth, his life, his wisdom, his hope and his way.

The lampstands were very ornate and beautiful. Look at verse 4a, “This is how the lampstand was made: It was made of hammered gold—from its base to its blossoms. …”  This too has spiritual meaning. It reveals the good fruit that grows in the lives of those who dwell in the light of God. Such “flowers” come about in the lives of the believer. People try so hard to beautify their lives in their own way. But the only foolproof way is to dwell in the light of God. That is the tried and true beauty treatment.

Part 2: The Levites Declare The Praises Of God (5-26)

Verses 5-26, “ The Lord said to Moses: “Take the Levites from among all the Israelites and make them ceremonially clean. To purify them, do this: Sprinkle the water of cleansing on them; then have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes. And so they will purify themselves. Have them take a young bull with its grain offering of the finest flour mixed with olive oil; then you are to take a second young bull for a sin offering.  Bring the Levites to the front of the tent of meeting and assemble the whole Israelite community. 10 You are to bring the Levites before the Lord, and the Israelites are to lay their hands on them. 11 Aaron is to present the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering from the Israelites, so that they may be ready to do the work of the Lord. 12 “Then the Levites are to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, using one for a sin offering to the Lord and the other for a burnt offering, to make atonement for the Levites. 13 Have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons and then present them as a wave offering to the Lord. 14 In this way you are to set the Levites apart from the other Israelites, and the Levites will be mine. 15 “After you have purified the Levites and presented them as a wave offering, they are to come to do their work at the tent of meeting. 16 They are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to me. I have taken them as my own in place of the firstborn, the first male offspring from every Israelite woman. 17 Every firstborn male in Israel, whether human or animal, is mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set them apart for myself. 18 And I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons in Israel. 19 From among all the Israelites, I have given the Levites as gifts to Aaron and his sons to do the work at the tent of meeting on behalf of the Israelites and to make atonement for them so that no plague will strike the Israelites when they go near the sanctuary.” 20 Moses, Aaron and the whole Israelite community did with the Levites just as the Lord commanded Moses. 21 The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes. Then Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the Lord and made atonement for them to purify them. 22 After that, the Levites came to do their work at the tent of meeting under the supervision of Aaron and his sons. They did with the Levites just as the Lord commanded Moses. 23 The Lord said to Moses, 24 “This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years old or more shall come to take part in the work at the tent of meeting, 25 but at the age of fifty, they must retire from their regular service and work no longer. 26 They may assist their brothers in performing their duties at the tent of meeting, but they themselves must not do the work. This, then, is how you are to assign the responsibilities of the Levites.”

All Israel belonged to God, but the firstborn males belonged to him in a special way. God had saved his people from death in Egypt by the blood of the Passover lamb. Later, he appointed the Levites to substitute for the firstborn, and he set them apart to do the work at the Tent of Meeting on behalf of all the Israelites. They would offer sacrifices to make atonement for the sins of the people. The priests were direct descendants of Aaron, a Levite. The Levites were set apart by a blood sacrifice and by a special washing ceremony. All the Israelites laid hands on them to dedicate them to God.

Let’s think about the establishing of the Levites. In this study we can see some principles on what it takes to be a servant of the Lord. They are a reflection of God’s hope for Christians. Someday all God’s people will be a kingdom of priests to bring the gospel to a world lost in sin.

They needed to be chosen from among the people of God.

They are to be made ceremonially clean.

The whole community is to give their blessing to the Levites.

Servants of God seek God who alone makes them ready to serve.

Servants of God are to be wholly devoted to the Lord.

Servants of God have a vital role to play in the welfare of the nation.

Servants of God are supportive of other servants of God enter into new seasons of life and ministry.

They needed to be chosen from among the people of God. Look at  verse 6a, “Take the Levites from among all the Israelites…”  This is basic. A servant of God must be a believer. However, there are times when people who serve in the church are actually not believers. They were able to fulfill the job description, and they got the job. This should never happen.

They are to be made ceremonially clean. Look at verses 6b-8, “…and make them ceremonially clean. To purify them, do this: Sprinkle the water of cleansing on them; then have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes. And so they will purify themselves. Have them take a young bull with its grain offering of the finest flour mixed with olive oil; then you are to take a second young bull for a sin offering.”   And look at verses 12-14,“Then the Levites are to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, using one for a sin offering to the Lord and the other for a burnt offering, to make atonement for the Levites. 13 Have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons and then present them as a wave offering to the Lord. 14 In this way you are to set the Levites apart from the other Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.”

Let’s face it, servants of God need to be cleansed of their sins. In the Old Testament time this was though the shedding of blood and their attempts to cleanse themselves. If they obeyed the directions to be cleansed then God would declare them acceptable to serve in the Tabernacle. In this New Testament era we are cleansed through faith in the blood of Jesus and the sanctification process goes on throughout our lives. It is through Jesus shed blood that we are declared forgiven and justified by God to stand as a servant of the Lord. But the principle still stands.

The whole community is to give their blessing to the Levites. Look at verses 8-9, “Bring the Levites to the front of the tent of meeting and assemble the whole Israelite community. 10 You are to bring the Levites before the Lord, and the Israelites are to lay their hands on them.”  No servant of God is to stand as a lone wolf. They serve within the context of community and relationships. They are drawn from the community and established by the community. They are sent forth to serve with the blessing of the whole community.

Servants of God seek God who makes them ready to serve. Look at verse 11, “Aaron is to present the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering from the Israelites, so that they may be ready to do the work of the Lord.”  And also verse 15, “15 “After you have purified the Levites and presented them as a wave offering, they are to come to do their work at the tent of meeting.

We may have our own plans and desires. We may think we are ready to do what we want to do. But we are not ready until God makes us ready. We must go on in the strength of the Lord, and not our own strength. Our own strength will fail, but God’s strength never fails. We can trust the Lord.

Servants of God are to be wholly devoted to the Lord. Look at verses 16-17, “They are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to me. I have taken them as my own in place of the firstborn, the first male offspring from every Israelite woman. 17 Every firstborn male in Israel, whether human or animal, is mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set them apart for myself.”  A servant of God needs to be wholly devoted to the Lord. If they are not they are robbing their congregation of a shepherd that they so desperately need. They are acting like hired hands, who are treating their service to the Lord as a just a job and not a calling. Wholly devoted is very important.

Being wholly devoted is a proper response to the grace of God. Look at verse 17 again, “Every firstborn male in Israel, whether human or animal, is mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set them apart for myself. Yes salvation is a free gift. We can just take it and run. But there will always be a nagging in your heart to return to God and say “thank you” for what you’ve done for me. The Levites were wholly devoted because of God’s grace poured out on his people.

Servants of God have a vital role to play in the welfare of the nation. Look at verse 19, “From among all the Israelites, I have given the Levites as gifts to Aaron and his sons to do the work at the tent of meeting on behalf of the Israelites and to make atonement for them so that no plague will strike the Israelites when they go near the sanctuary.”  Their service to the Lord is on behalf of their people. The nation is blessed because of the duties that the Levites performed.  People could approach the holy God to worship him. Servants of God are vital for the healthy existence of any community. People will always need servants of God to pray for them, to counsel them, to minister to their needs, to love them and most of all to teach them the word of God. They are to serve the Lord on behalf of the people.

Servants of God must follow through with what they know is right. Look at verses 21-22, “21 The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes. Then Aaron presented them as a wave offering before the Lord and made atonement for them to purify them. 22 After that, the Levites came to do their work at the tent of meeting under the supervision of Aaron and his sons. They did with the Levites just as the Lord commanded Moses.” The road to destruction is paved with good intentions. It is one thing to feel like you want to do something and actually doing it. A life of faith is not just a life of thinking about it. It is very practical. This is not about obeying, trying to be saved. No. It is about having a proper response to the grace of Jesus.

Servants of God are supportive when other servants of God enter into new seasons of life and ministry. Look at verses 26-26, “25 but at the age of fifty, they must retire from their regular service and work no longer. 26 They may assist their brothers in performing their duties at the tent of meeting, but they themselves must not do the work. This, then, is how you are to assign the responsibilities of the Levites.”

The Levites were supposed to retire at the age of fifty. The reasons made practical sense. Moving the tabernacle through the desert required lots of strength. The younger men were more suited to transporting the heavy pieces of the Tabernacle. The Levites, who were over fifty, did not stop working however. They entered into a new chapter of their lives of faith. They served a different role, assisting with light duties, and advising and counseling the younger Levites.

Servants of God get older. As they do, their roles change in the church. They move onto the next season of life and ministry. Levites are not stuck in the same role that they were originally called to. There are changes. There are new seasons and unfolding chapters.  Servants of God recognize this and support this.

In some sense, all Christians are meant to serve as a type of Levite. 1 Peter 2:9 reads, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”  I am not talking about a whole country becoming a Kingdom of Priests. I am talking about those who are citizens of the Kingdom of God, through faith in Christ. These people are a royal priesthood. They are the modern day Levites, who are cleansed and purified by the blood of Jesus. These are the ones who are wholly given over to the Lord to declare the praises of Jesus among the nations.

Actually, this verse, 1 Peter 2:9, links the light and the Levites. The Levites were charged to maintain the Tabernacle and the sacrifices and the offerings. They were to assist the people to come into the light of God, emitting from the lampstand. The whole point of what they were doing is to declare the praises of him, who called his people, out of the darkness and into his wonderful light. The light and the Levites are intimately linking in God.

Prayer: “Lord, thank you for calling people to serve in ministerial roles among your people. Equip them to serve you, so that they can point the people to you in worship, drawing them out of the darkness and into your wonderful light.”

One Word: Answer God’s call to a royal priesthood to declare the praise of Jesus.

 




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