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Numbers Chapter 8: The Levites are Consecrated

Numbers 8:1-26

I dubbed yesterday (May 1) my personal “Independence Day”. I had decided enough was enough. I will no longer let elitists and globalists turn me into a dumb sheep just because they have an agenda. I started going out and living life as normally as I could with whomever would join me. I recently invited members of my small group to join me this Sunday morning at the time of our regular service in the church parking lot, sitting in our respective cars and reading our bibles and praying. They will have to bring their own coffees. In the meantime, my enforced isolation is over. I’ll stay in long enough to continue my study in Numbers and share it with you.  So, hang in there and read on.

The Passage

 After the lamps were appropriately mounted in the tabernacle the first time it was set up, Moses was to take the Levites and “cleanse” them. This involved sprinkling purified water on them, letting them use a razor over their whole body, and washing their clothes. That would make them clean (vs, 7)

Verses 8-13 describe the ceremonial offering involved for the consecration of the Levites. Verses 14-22 describe again how the Levites belong to the Lord in lieu of all the first-borns of all the sons of Israel (we studied that in an earlier chapter). It is only then that the Levites can go about doing their work in, for, and with the tabernacle.

In verses 24-25, Moses is told that the Levites can only work in their calling from age 25 to age 50, and after that they can assist their brothers still working, but they themselves can do “no work”.

Thoughts on the Passage

Stepping back for a moment we see that this is a passage about the consecration of the Levites which feeds into the Sanctification through Worship that the Israelites had to go through, which in turn is part of a broader Sanctification and that in turn, is part of the Preparation of the Old Generation to inherit the promised land.

Notice, the lamps were in place. It was time to consecrate the Levites unto the Lord. Think of this like an ordination service for the Levites like you have for new pastors in your church. And it was also a time to clarify their term or duration of service – 25 years. We know that they could assist after that (and may before that), but in no way were they to actually carry out the official duties of the priesthood as outlined in the earlier chapter. What did God know about the appropriate age of a minister that we don’t?

We need to point out, in case you noticed a discrepancy with earlier chapters about their length of service, that David Guzik reminds us “A Levite's time of active service was to begin at age thirty and last until fifty according to Numbers 4:3, 4:23, and 4:30.  Yet their formal training began at age twenty-five, with a five-year apprenticeship.”

Matthew Henry tells us to pay particular attention to verse 10 were we read that the Levites were presented before the Lord, “and the sons of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites.” This didn’t make the people the “consecrators” but rather just indicated their willingness to give up this tribe from among them in order for the Lord and His tabernacle to be served.  And God accepts them as such, as ‘His’ in verse 14.

Ministers who truly belong to God in every aspect that God intended them to are a very special, rare, and precious human commodity. We who are not must recognize that, but I also believe that we have a responsibility to make sure there is enough evidence of God being pleased with their ministry and with their lives. Where that is lacking, some of us will find it difficult to keeping on trusting them. Others of us, will recognize that such failure is also partly our fault as members and adherents of the congregation because we failed to encourage them, we failed to pray fervently for them, and we failed to recognize their needs. May God help us to do our part with respect to our parts and may we pray that they will continue to work closely with Him.

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