Sanctification also requires worship and guess what, giving is part of worship.

Numbers Chapter 7: Israel Gives Donations

Numbers 7:1-89

Day 43 of self-isolation. Raining all day. The grass needs it. But that means I can’t work in the backyard. Planning my personal “Independence Day” tomorrow. Sixteen-year-old grand-daughter fortunate to have a job in local Farmer’s Market butcher shop – saving her from going crazy – and it’s good for her. Life going on. Toronto leaders us pandemic to turn streets over to residents – they’ve wanted to do this for decades now as part of their long-term agenda. Eventually only the mayor will be able to drive in Toronto.  Okay, I’m exaggerating (or am I?). Anyway, you feel my frustration.  Meanwhile, I’m really enjoying my study of Numbers.  Thanks for joining me.  Read on and share.

The Passage

This is a long chapter (89 verses). It is all part of the Sanctification of Israel. We read about sanctification through various forms of separation and then sanctification through the Nazarite Vow. This chapter starts to talk about sanctification through worship. And making donations (what we call tithes and offerings) is part of worship. Putting it all into context helps us to remember that giving back to God is a form of worship which enables us to be ‘sanctified’ in order to be used for His purpose for the world.

Verses 1-83 give an account of all the leaders of the tribes bringing their offerings to the tabernacle that had been completed and set up to Moses, and Moses giving it to the Levites in accordance with God’s instructions. There is a detailed account of the offerings of each of the tribes.

Verses 84-89 talks about this being the “dedication offering of the tabernacle”.

And verse 89 ends the chapter and is, in my opinion, the most important.  It says,
“Now when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with Him, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim, so He spoke to him.”

Thoughts on the Passage

We remind ourselves again that to be used by God, we need to be sanctified by God. And that requires separation from certain things and behaviors. We are also sanctified through ‘worship’. And a very important form of worship, is returning a portion of what is rightfully His.

I also note that giving back to God is something that is modelled and led by leaders – leaders of the twelve tribes in this case. But I can also see it applying to leaders of giant corporation – David Green, the CEO of Hobby Lobby comes to mind, but there are many others. And of course, modelled by the leaders of a family – the father, or the mother. Are we teaching our children to ‘give back to God’?

So, the tabernacle was built as God wanted it. The mercy seat, the ark of the testimony, the two cherubim, and everything else that we had read about in Leviticus where the blueprints were shared with us were all in their proper places. And then the dedication offering, the giving to God step, took place.

David Guzik has some interesting perspectives on this passage. First, he reminds us that in the first “giving” (verses 1-11), the leaders of each tribe bring a total of six carts (a cart for every two of the leaders) and twelve oxen (each one an ox), given to transport the tabernacle through the wilderness. Carts were a great luxury and no doubt, a significant offering from the tribes.

Moses distributes these carts to the three segments of the Levite priestly tribe. Gershon’s family got two with four oxen to transport the fabrics of the tabernacle (circle back to Numbers 4:25-26). Merari’s family got the rest, double that of Gershon’s family, as they had to transport the heavier and more awkward boards and pillars of the tabernacle. That left none for Kohath’s family. Why? Well Guzik suggests that while the others had a responsibility to transport the things they were responsible for, the family of Kohath had to actually “carry” the very holy things they were responsible for, perhaps on their shoulders using the “carrying poles” referred to in scripture and Moses did not want them to be tempted by the availability of carts and oxen to attempt other means of movement of these objects.

The second round of giving by the twelve leaders was also composed of identical offerings. This was so that humility would be the order of the day and no one tribe was to outdo the other. And Guzik reminds us that while we may all give the same offering, God still notices and appreciates our offerings just as much, if they are given in the right heart. Otherwise adds Matthew Henry why would God through Moses list them all in detail in this chapter. Interesting.

Then in verses 84-89, we have an account of the sum total of all the gifts to the Lord. From whom much is given, much is required. And certainly God had blessed the Israelites greatly in not only freeing them from slavery in the land of Egypt, but also in the manner in which He freed them – with Egyptians fighting to give them gifts as they departed.

It was only then, that the event of verse 89 could take place. Moses goes into the tabernacle, into the tent of meeting to speak with God and he hears God’s voice from above the mercy seat. You see, when we’ve done our part, God meets with us and speaks with us. (In fact, He does so even when we don’t do our part – but we need to know that the blessings are better and greater when we do our part.)

Robert Jamieson provides us with some additional insight in what verse 89 meant for Moses, when he writes:

As a king gives private audience to his minister, so special license was granted to Moses, who, though not a priest, was admitted into the sanctuary to receive instructions from his heavenly King as occasion demanded. . . .Though standing on the outer side of the veil, he could distinctly hear [God’s voice], and the mention of this circumstance is important as the fulfilment, at the dedication of the tabernacle, of a special promise made by [God], commanding its erection (Exodus 25:22). It was the reward of Moses' zeal and obedience; and, in like manner, to all who love Him and keep His commandments, [the Lord Christ Himself, the Angel of the Covenant] will manifest Himself (John 14:21).

What a day that will be. How is your sanctification, and mine, coming along? How is your separation going? How about our worship? Most importantly how about giving to God?   

It would be great if you would share your thoughts or questions on this blog in the comments section below or on social media.