Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Numbers 18:1
And the LORD said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father’s house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.
1. thy sons ] i.e. the priests. The expression was due to the post-exilic practice of all priests of tracing their descent genealogically to Aaron.
thy fathers’ house ] Here it means the whole tribe of Levi, exclusive of Aaron and the priests.
bear the iniquity of the sanctuary of your priesthood ] i.e. bear the consequences of the iniquity of allowing your priesthood, or the sanctuary committed to your charge, to be profaned.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
1 7 . The duties of priests and Levites. The priests are to have charge of the sanctuary, and the Levites are to help them; the latter, however, may not come into contact with the sacred utensils or the altar. No layman may approach on pain of death. The subject has already been treated in Num 1:50-53, Num 3:5-10; Num 3:38; and the principle of the disabilities of laymen has been illustrated in ch. 14.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The iniquity of the sanctuary – i. e. the guilt of the offences which an erring people would be continually committing against the majesty of God, when brought into contact, through the ordinances, with the manifestations of His presence. Compare the marginal reference.
The iniquity of your priesthood – As the priests themselves were but men, they were strengthened to bear the iniquity of their own unintentional offences, by being entrusted with the ceremonial means of taking it away (compare Lev. 16). The word bear has, in the Old Testament, this double sense of enduring and removing; but in the person of Christ, who atoned by His own endurance, the two axe in effect one.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
CHAPTER XVIII
The priests are to bear the iniquity of the sanctuary, 1.
The Levites to minister to the priests, and have charge of the
tabernacle, 2-4.
The priests alone to have the charge of the sanctuary, c., no
stranger to come nigh on pain of death, 5-7
The portion allowed for their maintenance, 8.
They shall have every meat-offering and they shall eat them in
the holy place, 9, 10.
The wave-offerings, 11.
The first-fruits of the oil, wine, and wheat, and whatever is
first ripe, and every devoted thing, 12-14;
also, all the first-born of men and beasts, 15-18;
and heave-offerings, 19.
The priests shall have no inheritance, 20.
The Levites shall have no inheritance, but shall have the tenth
of the produce in Israel, 21-24,
of which they are to give a tenth to the priests, taken from the
best parts, 25-30.
NOTES ON CHAP. XVIII
Verse 1. Thou and thy sons – shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary, c.] That is, They must be answerable for its legal pollutions, and must make the necessary atonements and expiations. By this they must feel that though they had got a high and important office confirmed to them by a miraculous interference, yet it was a place of the highest responsibility and that they must not be high-minded, but fear.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The iniquity of the sanctuary, i.e. shall suffer the punishment of all the usurpations or pollutions of the sanctuary, or the holy things, by the Levites or any of the people, because you have authority and power from me to keep them all within their bounds, and I expect you use it to that cud. Thus the people are in good measure secured against their fears expressed Num 17:12,13. Also they are informed that Aarons high dignity was attended with great burdens, having not only his own, but the peoples sins to answer for; and therefore they had no such reason to envy him as they might think, if the benefits and encumbrances and dangers were equally considered.
Of your priesthood, i.e. of all the errors committed by yourselves, or by you permitted in others in things belonging to your priesthood.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
1. the Lord said unto Aaron, Thouand thy sons and thy father’s house with thee shall bear the iniquityof the sanctuarySecurity is here given to the people from thefears expressed (Nu 17:12), bythe responsibility of attending to all sacred things being devolvedupon the priesthood, together with the penalties incurred throughneglect; and thus the solemn responsibilities annexed to their highdignity, of having to answer not only for their own sins, but alsofor the sins of the people, were calculated in a great measure toremove all feeling of envy at the elevation of Aaron’s family, whenthe honor was weighed in the balance with its burdens and dangers.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the Lord spake unto Aaron,…. As the things spoken were such as concerned Aaron, he might be only and immediately spoken unto: thou,
and thy sons, and thy father’s house with thee; meaning both priests and Levites, the priests by him and his sons, and the Levites by his father’s house:
shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary; the blame of any evil committed there, the punishment of it; the priests, Aaron and his sons, if they did not perform the duty of their office aright, he in the most holy place, and they in the holy place, and at the altar of burnt offering in the court; and the Levites, if they did not take care to watch in the tabernacle, and keep out strangers and polluted persons:
and thou, and thy sons with thee, shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood; be answerable for my sins, errors, and mistakes that should be committed by them in the discharge of their office, through their own remissness, or not taking care that the Levites did their duty; this shows that the office of priesthood, though honourable, was burdensome, and not to be envied; and that the people needed not to be under such terrible apprehensions as they were, lest they should come too near the sanctuary, as to be in danger of death, since it lay upon the priests and Levites especially to take care thereof, and who, if negligent, would suffer.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The Official Duties and Rights of the Priests and Levites. – Num 18:1. To impress upon the minds of the priests and Levites the holiness and responsibility of their office, the service of Aaron, of his sons, and of his father’s house, i.e., of the family of the Kohathites, is described as “bearing the iniquity of the sanctuary,” and the service which was peculiar to the Aaronides, as “bearing the iniquity of their priesthood.” “ To bear the iniquity of the sanctuary ” signifies not only “to have to make expiation for all that offended against the laws of the priests and the holy things, i.e., the desecration of these” ( Knobel), but “iniquity or transgression at the sanctuary,” i.e., the defilement of it by the sin of those who drew near to the sanctuary; not only of the priests and Levites, but of the whole people who defiled the sanctuary in the midst of them with its holy vessels, not only by their sins (Lev 16:6), but even by their holy gifts (Exo 28:38), and thus brought guilt upon the whole congregation, which the priests were to bear, i.e., to take upon themselves and expunge, by virtue of the holiness and sanctifying power communicated to their office (see at Exo 28:38). The “ iniquity of the priesthood,” however, not only embraced every offence against the priesthood, every neglect of the most scrupulous and conscientious fulfilment of duty in connection with their office, but extended to all the sin which attached to the official acts of the priests, on account of the sinfulness of their nature. It was to wipe out these sins and defilements, that the annual expiation of the holy things on the day of atonement had been appointed (Lev 16:16.). The father’s house of Aaron, i.e., the Levitical family of Kohath, was also to join in bearing the iniquity of the sanctuary, because the oversight of the holy vessels of the sanctuary devolved upon it (Num 4:4.).
Num 18:2-4 Aaron was also to bring his (other) brethren (sc., to the sanctuary), viz., the tribe of Levi, that is to say, the Gershonites and Merarites, that they might attach themselves to him and serve him, both him ( ) and his sons, before the tent of testimony, and discharge the duties that were binding upon them, according to Num 4:24., Num 4:31. (cf. Num 3:6-7; Num 8:26). Only they were not to come near to the holy vessels and the altar, for that would bring death both upon them and the priests (see at Num 4:15). On Num 18:4, cf. Num 1:53 and Num 3:7.
Num 18:5-7 The charge of the sanctuary (i.e., the dwelling) and the altar (of burnt-offering) devolved upon Aaron and his sons, that the wrath of God might not come again upon the children of Israel (see Num 8:19), – namely, through such illegal acts as Nadab and Abihu (Lev 10:2), and the company of Korah (Num 16:35), had committed. To this end God had handed over the Levites to them as a gift, to be their assistants (see at Num 3:9 and Num 8:16, Num 8:19). But Aaron and his sons were to attend to the priesthood “ with regard to everything of the altar and within the vail ” (i.e., of the most holy place, see Lev 16:12). The allusion is to all the priestly duties from the altar of burnt-offering to the most holy place, including the holy place which lay between. This office, which brought them into the closest fellowship with the Lord, was a favour accorded to them by the grace of God. This is expressed in the words, “ as a service of gift (a service with which I present you) I give you the priesthood.” The last words in Num 18:7 are the same as in Num 1:51; and “ stranger ” ( zar ), as in Lev 22:10.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| The Service of the Priests and Levites. | B. C. 1490. |
1 And the LORD said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father’s house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood. 2 And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness. 3 And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die. 4 And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you. 5 And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar: that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel. 6 And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the LORD, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. 7 Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest’s office for every thing of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given your priest’s office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
The coherence of this chapter with that foregoing is very observable.
I. The people, in the close of that chapter, had complained of the difficulty and peril that there were in drawing near to God, which put them under some dreadful apprehensions that the tabernacle in the midst of them, which they hoped would have been their joy and glory, would rather be their terror and ruin. Now, in answer to this complaint, God here gives them to understand by Aaron that the priests should come near for them as their representatives; so that, though the people were obliged to keep their distance, yet that should not at all redound to their disgrace or prejudice, but their comfortable communion with God should be kept up by the interposition of the priests.
II. A great deal of honour God had now lately put upon Aaron; his rod had budded and blossomed, when the rods of the rest of the princes remained dry, and destitute both of fruit and ornament. Now lest Aaron should be puffed up with the abundance of the favours that were done him, and the miracles that were wrought for the support of him in his high station, God comes to him to remind him of the burden that was laid upon him, and the duty required from him as a priest. He would see reason not to be proud of his preferment, but to receive the honours of his office with reverence and holy trembling, when he considered how great was the charge committed to him, and how hard it would be for him to give a good account of it. Be not high-minded, but fear.
1. God tells him of the danger that attended his dignity, v. 1. (1.) That both the priests and Levites (thou, and thy sons, and thy father’s house) should bear the iniquity of the sanctuary; that is, if the sanctuary were profaned by the intrusion of strangers, or persons in their uncleanness, the blame should lie upon the Levites and priests, who ought to have kept them off. Though the sinner that thrust in presumptuously should die in his iniquity, yet his blood should be required at the hands of the watchmen. Or it may be taken more generally: “If any of the duties or offices of the sanctuary be neglected, if any service be not done in its season or not according to the law, if any thing be lost or misplaced in the removal of the sanctuary, you shall be accountable for it, and answer it at your peril.” (2.) That the priests should themselves bear the iniquity of the priesthood; that is, if they either neglected any part of their work or permitted any other persons to invade their office, and take their work out of their hands, they should bear the blame of it. Note, The greater the trust is of work and power that is committed to us the greater is our danger of contracting guilt, by falsifying and betraying that trust. This is a good reason why we should neither be envious at others’ honours nor ambitious ourselves of high places, because great dignity exposes us to great iniquity. Those that are entrusted with the charge of the sanctuary will have a great deal to answer for. Who would covet the care of souls who considers the account that must be given of that care?
2. He tells him of the duty that attended his dignity. (1.) That he and his sons must minister before the tabernacle of witness (v. 2); that is (as bishop Patrick explains it), before the most holy place, in which the ark was, on the outside of the veil of that tabernacle, but within the door of the tabernacle, of the congregation. They were to attend the golden altar, the table, and candlestick, which no Levite might approach to. You shall serve, v. 7. Not, “You shall rule” (it was never intended that they should lord it over God’s heritage), but “You shall serve God and the congregation.” Note, The priesthood is a service. If any desire the office of a bishop he desires a good work. Ministers must remember that they are ministers, that is, servants, of whom it is required that they be humble, diligent, and faithful. (2.) That the Levites must assist him and his sons, and minister to them in all the service of the tabernacle (v. 2-4), though they must by no means come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary, nor at the altar meddle with the great services of burning the fat and sprinkling the blood. Aaron’s family was very small, and, as it increased, the rest of the families of Israel would increase likewise, so that the hands of the priests neither were now nor were likely to be sufficient for all the service of the tabernacle; therefore (says God) the Levites shall be joined to thee, v. 2, and again v. 4, where there seems to be an allusion to the name of Levi, which signifies joined. Many of the Levites had of late set themselves against Aaron, but henceforward God promises that they should be heartily joined to him in interest and affection, and should no more contest with him. It was a good sign to Aaron that God owned him when he inclined the hearts of those concerned to own him too. The Levites are said to be given as a gift to the priests, v. 6. Note, We are to value it as a great gift of the divine bounty to have those joined to us that will be helpful and serviceable to us in the service of God. (3.) That both priests and Levites must carefully watch against the profanation of sacred things. The Levites must keep the charge of the tabernacle, that no stranger (that is, none who upon any account was forbidden to come) might come nigh (v. 4), and that upon pain of death, v. 7. And the priests must keep the charge of the sanctuary (v. 5), must instruct the people, and admonish them concerning the due distance they were to keep, and not suffer them to break the bounds set them, as Korah’s company had done, that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel. Note, The preventing of sin is the preventing of wrath; and the mischief sin has done should be a warning to us for the future to watch against it both in ourselves and others.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
NUMBERS – CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Verses 1-7:
This is an unusual text, in that God spoke directly to Aaron. The usual method of instruction was, “The Lord spake unto Moses. . .” or ” unto Moses and Aaron.” In this instance, God addressed Aaron as the head of the priestly lineage.
“Thy father’s house,” refers to the Kohathites, who had charge of the sanctuary and its sacred things.
“Bear the iniquity,” from nasa and avon, “lift up and bear away the perversity,” or to bear the responsibility for the iniquity. This defines the priests’ position as the intermediary between God and Israel. The sins of the people were not placed upon the priests; they bore the sins before God with the appropriate sacrifices necessary for atonement and redemption and cleansing. This position included the entire tribe of Levi.
The text is very precise in designating only the priests, descendants of Aaron, as those who were to officiate in the sacrificial offerings. The role of the Levites, other than Aaron’s sons, was to relieve the priests of the drudgery and routine of the Divine service, freeing the priests to devote their time to the sacrifices.
None of the Levites except Aaron’s sons the priests were to “come near” to the altar to offer sacrifice, nor to enter the sanctuary, under penalty of death.
Aaron and his sons were to regard the priestly office not as a duty but as a gift from the God of grace.
“Service,” abodah, also translated “labor, ministry, office.”
“Gift,” mattanah, a thing bestowed upon one, not earned nor bought.
This illustrates the gifts of ministry and service God bestows upon His children today, Eph 4:11-16; Ro 12:6-8
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
1 And the Lord said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons. By this solemn appeal God stirs up the priests to devote themselves to their duty with the greatest fidelity and zeal, for He declares that if anything should be done contrary to the requirements of religion, they should be accounted guilty of it, since those are said to “bear the iniquity of the sanctuary” who sustain the crime and the punishment of all its pollutions. God would have the sanctuary kept clear from every stain and defect; and also the dignity of the priesthood was to be maintained in chastity and pureness; a heavy burden, therefore, was imposed upon the priests when they were set over the holy things as their guardians, on this condition that if anything were done amiss they were to be exposed to punishment, because the blame rested on them; just as if God had said that negligence alone was tantamount to sacrilege. Thus their honor, conjoined as it was with so much difficulty and danger, was by no means to be envied.
In this way did God admonish them that the legal rites were of no trifling importance, since he so severely avenged all profanations of them; for thus it was easily to be gathered that something far more excellent and altogether divine was to be sought for in these earthly elements. This may also be very properly applied spiritually to all pastors, to whom blame is justly imputed, if religion and the holiness of God’s worship be corrupted, if purity of doctrine impaired, if the welfare of the people endangered, since the care of all these things is entrusted to them.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
MARCHING AND MURMURING
Numbers, Chapters 1-19.
THE Book of Leviticus is hard to outline and to interpret. It is lengthy, and introduces so much of detail of law and ceremony that its analysis is accomplished with difficulty. And yet Leviticus took but thirty days to declare and put its every precept into actual practice. In that respect the Book of Numbers quite contrasts its predecessor. It covers a period of not less than thirty-eight years, and the plan of the volume is simple. Four keywords compass the nineteen chapters proposed for this mornings study. They are words necessitated by the wilderness experience. Leviticus sets up a sanctuary and a form of service; but in Numbers, we read of men of war, of armies, of standards, of camps, and trumpets sounding aloud. Through all of this, these key-words keep their way, and the mere mention of them will aid us in an orderly study of the first half of the volume; while we will not be able to dispense with them when we come to the analysis and study of the latter half. I refer to the terms mustering, marching, murmuring, and mercy.
MUSTERING
The first nine chapters of Numbers have to do almost entirely with the mustering. Chapters one and two are given to arranging the regiment, as we saw in our former study:
And the Lord spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of the congregation, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,
Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the Children of Israel, after their families, by the house of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male by their polls;
From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies.
And with you there shall be a man of every tribe; every one head of the house of his fathers. * *
As the Lord commanded Moses, so he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai. * *
Every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war. * *
And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, Every man of the Children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard (Num 1:1-4; Num 1:19-20; Num 2:1-2).
After all the centuries and even the millenniums that have come in between the day of Numbers and our day, wherein have men improved upon Gods plan of mustering armies and arranging regiments? True, we permit our boys to enter the service younger than twenty, but we make a mistake, as many a war-wrecked youth has illustrated. True, we make up our regiments of men who are strangers to each other, and in whose veins no kindred blood is flowing. But such an aggregation will never represent the strength, nor exhibit the courage that the tribal regiment evinces in fight. The almost successful rebellion of our Southern States demonstrated this. Our standard speaks of the nation, and appeals to the patriotic in men. Their standard represented the family and addressed itself to domestic pride and passion. It is well to remember, however, that the primary purpose of these Old Testament symbols is the impression of spiritual truths. And the lesson in this arranging of regiments is the one of being able to declare our spiritual genealogy, and our religious standard.
Every Israelite, when he was polled, was put in position to declare his paternity and point unmistakably to his standard; and no Christians should be satisfied until they can say with John, Now are we the sons of God, because we have discovered that the Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the sons of God. And no standard should ever be accepted as sufficient other than that which has been set up for us in the Word. Long ago God said, Behold I will lift up Mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up My standard to the people, and in Christ Jesus He has accomplished that; and every one of us ought to be able to say with C. H. M., Our theology is the Bible; our church organization is the one Body, formed by the presence of the Holy Ghost, and united to the living and exalted Head in the Heavens. To contend for anything less than this is entirely below the mark of a true spiritual warrior.
Chapters three and four contain the appointment of the Priests. When Moses numbered the people, the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbered (Num 1:47). God had for them a particular place in the army, and a peculiar part to take in this onward march. Their place was roundabout the tabernacle, at the center of the host, and their office was the charge of all the vessels thereof, and over all the things that belonged to it. They were to bear the tabernacle, to minister in the tabernacle, to encamp roundabout it; to take it down when they were ready to set forth; and when the army halted in a new place, they were to set it up (chap. 2). In one sense they were not soldiers; in another they were the very captains and leaders of Jehovahs army. Their men from twenty to fifty were not armed and made ready for the shedding of blood, but they were set in charge of that symbol of Jehovahs presence without which Israels overthrow would have been instantaneous, and Israels defeat effectual. The worlds most holy men have always been, will always remain, its best warriors. The Sunday School teachers of the land fight the battles that make for peace more effectually than the nations constabulary; while the ministers of the Gospel, together with all their confederatesconscientious laymenput more things to rights and keep the peace better than the police force of all towns and cities. Every believer is a priest unto God. We should be profoundly impressed with the position we occupy in the great army which is fighting for a better civilization, and with the responsibility that rests upon us in the bringing in of a reign of righteousness.
Chapters five to nine, we have said, relate themselves to the establishment of army regulations. They impose purity of life upon every member who remains in the camp; they require restitution of any property falsely appropriated; they insist upon the strictest integrity of the home-life, and they declare the vows, offerings, and ceremonies suited to impress the necessity of the keeping of all these commands. In this there are two suggestions for the present time, namely, the place that discipline has in a well-organized army and the prominence it ought to be given in the true Church of God. That modern custom of making a hero of every man who smells the smoke of battle, and the complimentary one of excoriating every moral teacher who insists that even men of war are amenable to the civilities of life and ought to be compelled to regard them, has filled the ranks of too many standing armies with immoral men and swung public opinion too far into line with that servile press which indulges the habit of condoning, yea, even of commending, an army code that makes for criminal culture.
Sometime ago I went, in company with a veteran of 61 to 66, to hold a little service at the grave of two of his comrades. On our way we met another veteran of that bloody war, and as we looked into his bloated face, and listened to his drunken words, this clean, sober, Christian ex-soldier uttered some things about the necessity of better discipline in the army that were worthy of repetition, and ought to be heard by those officials who have it in their power to aid the young men of our present army to keep the commandments of God; but who too often lead them by example and precept to an utter repudiation of the same.
But the Church of God is Jehovahs army, and if we expect civilities from the unregenerate, we have a right to demand righteousness of the professedly redeemed. Much as discipline did for the purity and power of Israel, if rightly employed, it would accomplish even more for the purity and power of the present organized body of believers. Baron Stowe, a long time Bostons model pastor, in his Memoirs says, touching the importance of strict discipline, A church cannot prosper that connives at sin in its members; and that charity which shrinks from plain, faithful dealing with offenders, is false charity, and deeply injurious. A straightforward course in discipline, in accordance with the rules laid down by the Saviour, is the only one that will insure His approbation. Any serious student of the Scriptures must be often and profoundly impressed with the parallelisms, and even perfect agreements, of the Old Testament teachings with those of the New. Touching discipline, the Lord said unto Joshua,
Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant, which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.
Therefore the Children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed thing from among you (Jos 7:11-12).
When Paul found in the Corinthian Church a similar condition of transgression, he wrote,
But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. * * Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person (1Co 5:11 f).
MARCH
The tenth chapter and thirty-third verse sets our organized army into motion. And they departed from the mount of the Lord, three days journey. Touching this march there are three things suggested by the Scripture, each of which is of the utmost importance.
First of all it was begun at Gods signal.
And it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from off the tabernacle of the testimony.
And the Children of Israel took their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran.
And they first took their journey according to the commandment of the Lord, by the hand of Moses (Num 10:11-13).
Going back to the beginning of this tenth chapter you will find that the priests were to assemble the armies with the silver trumpets. A single blast called together the princesheads of the thousands of Israel. When they blew an alarm, the camps that lay on the East went forward. A second alarm summoned the camps from the South, and an additional blast brought the congregation together. The same God at whose signal Israel was to march, speaks in trumpet tones by His Spirit, and through the Word, to the present Church militant. When whole congregations go sadly wrong, much of the trouble will be found with the men whose business it is to. use the silver trumpet, and thereby voice the mind of God. Too many preachers have been snubbed into silence or cowed to uncertain sounds. The silver trumpets through which they ought to call the people to battle have been plugged up with gold pieces, and in all too many instances they are afraid to blow an alarm, calling to the camps that lie on the East, lest when they sound the second, those that lie on the South should refuse to respond.
Joseph Parker suggests that when ministers become the trumpeters of society again, there will be a mighty awakening in the whole nation. In Italy they have a saying to this effect, There has never been a revolution in Europe without a Monk at the bottom of it. And when the ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ faithfully fill up their offices, there will never be a division of Gods army, marching Canaan-ward, without a preacher at the head of it; and he will not be a man who has accommodated himself to the cry of the times in which we live Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits, but rather one who will sound the alarm of Divine command, and whose word will be to the people, Gods signal. Every element of success enters into that assurance which comes from a conviction that one is marching according to the Divine command. The reason why public opinion, almost insuperable obstacles, and even royal counsellors, could not turn Joan of Arc from her purpose, existed in the fact that she kept hearing a voice saying, Daughter of God, go on, go on! And if we will listen, there is a voice behind us saying, This is the way, walk ye in it.
In this march Gods leadership was sought.
And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee.
And when it rested he said, Return, O Lord, unto the many thousands of Israel (Num 10:33).
There is a simplicity and a sincerity in that prayer which is truly refreshing. There are plenty of men who consult their circumstances; who take into account all the factors that can affect the march of life, and who try to keep as their constant guide a well-balanced intellect; but Moses preferred God. He esteemed His presence above all favorable conditions, and above the highest human judgment. And the man who rises up in the morning, offering his prayer to God to be guided for that day, and who, when he lies down at night, prays again, Return, O Lord, unto me, and watch over my slumber, is the man who has no occasion to fear because even the fiercest foe will fall before him.
Lewis Albert Banks says that about the year 1600 a man by the name of Heddinger was chaplain to the Duke of Wartenberg. The Duke was a wayward, wicked man. Heddinger was one of these genuine, faithful souls like John the Baptist who would stand for the right and God. He rebuked the Duke for his great sins. This terribly enraged his Honor, and he sent for the brave chaplain thinking to punish him. Heddinger came from his closet of prayer with his face beaming. The Duke, seeing the shine in every feature, realized that he was enjoying the actual presence of the Lord, and after putting to him the question, Why did you not come alone? sent him away unharmed. Ah, beloved, whether we be on the march or at rest; whether we be fighting the battles of life or enjoying its victories; whether we be proclaiming the truth or are on trial for having taught it, we have no business being alone, for we seek the Divine presence. The Lord will lead us in the march and lift over us His banner when we lie down to rest.
Nor can one follow this march without being impressed with the fact that God was guiding His people Canaan-ward. By consulting a good map you will see that the line from Sinai to Kadesh-Barnea was as direct as the lay of the land made possible. God never takes men by circuitous routes. These come in consequence of leaving the straight and narrow way for the more attractive but uncertain one of by-path meadow. Had they remained faithful to Divine leadership, forty days would have brought the whole company into Canaan. But when, through the discouragement of false reporters, they turned southward, putting their backs to God, they plunged into the wilderness fox a wandering of forty years, and even worse, to perish there without ever seeing the Land of Promise. What a lesson here for us! There is a sense in which every man determines his own destiny. It is within our power to trust to Divine leadership and enjoy it, and it is equally within our power to mistrust it, and lose it. One commenting upon this says, Israel declared that God had brought them into the wilderness to die there; and He took them at their word. Joshua and Caleb declared that He was able to bring them into the land, and He took them at their word. According to your faith be it unto you.
MURMURING
The eleventh chapter sounds for us a sad note. There the people fall to petty complaints and criticisms. And when the people complained. There are those who can complain without occasion. Criticism is the cheapest of intellectual commodities. And yet the critic always has a reason for his complaint, and however he may seek to hide the real cause, God is an expert in uncovering it. Here He lays it to the mixed multitude that was among themthey fell a lusting. That mixed multitude (or great mixture is the word in the original) consisted of Egyptians and others who had come out of Egypt with Israel, and whose Egyptian tastes were not being satisfied by enforced marches, holy services and manna from on High. It is a good thing to get Israel out of Egypt, to get the Church of God out of the world; but it is an essential thing also to get Egypt out of Israel, the unregenerate out of the Church of God, for if you do not they will fall a lusting, and the first complaint they will make is touching the food divinely provided for them. The Gospel of Jesus ChristGods provided mannanever did satisfy an unregenerate man, and it never will. What he wants is the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick. Yes, even the garlick of the world; and when you set before him manna, he insists that his soul is dried away.
I went to talk with a mother about her little daughters uniting with the church. She told me that she was opposed to it; and when I asked her why, she boldly replied that she united with the church herself when she was young, and thereby denied herself all the pleasures of the world. She had never ceased to regret it, and she proposed to save her girl from a similar experience. A lusting for the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick! If such is ones feeling, just as well go back to the world! It does not make an Egyptian an Israelite to go over into that camp, and it does not make an unregenerate man a Christian because you write his name on the church book.
This spirit of criticism spread to the officials and leaders. And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married. Their complaint was slightly different from that of the mixed multitude, but directed against the same man.
From the complaint of these leading officials the trouble spread, and when the ten spies rendered their report of the land which God had promised, the whole congregation broke into revolt. That was the opportunity that Korah and Dathan and Abiram and On took advantage of.
And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the Children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown.
And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them; wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord? (Num 16:2-3).
Here is the new complaint of the critics! Moses is domineering; his administration is that of a one-man power. He has not given sufficient attention to the princes of the assembly, and to the chief members of the congregation.
This is no ancient story. From that hour until this, the Church of God, whether in the form of Israel or that of the body of baptized believers, has experienced the same rebellion with the same reasons assigned. In Pauls day the Church at Corinth had to be counselled by the great Apostle and the members thereof reminded that they were of one body. The feet are enjoined not to complain of the hands, and the ear not to criticise the eye, and the eye not to envy the hand, nor yet the head the feet, that there should be no schism in the body, since when one member suffers, all the members suffer with it, and when one member is honored all the members should rejoice with it. In our own day the chief men have sometimes set aside the servant of God. Dr. Jonathan Edwards, once a man of the highest education and personal culture, honored by the members of his profession for his spirituality, and for the success that had attended his ministry, was set aside because he interfered with the Egyptian desires of the children of certain chief men of his congregation. Years ago, in New York, Americas most famous pastor and preacher, after passing through a series of sicknesses and bereavements in his family, came to the thirtieth anniversary of his pastorate to find himself retired from office by a few of the officials of the church who were influential. His reinstatement by the body at large came too late to save him from the collapse that attended this severe experience. A New York correspondent, writing of this, said, Such action makes every pastor in New York City feel sick at heart.
Attend to the way Moses met this! If the ministers of the present time learned his way, their course would be a more courageous one and their burdens better borne. Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the Children of Israel (Num 14:5). That is the way he met the first rebellion. When the rebellion of Korah came, it is written, And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face. And he spake unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, Even to morrow the Lord will show who are His (Num 16:4-5). We may suggest here, prayer to God, the best possible reply to complaints and criticisms. If one has been guilty of that charged against him, such prayer will bring him to a knowledge of his guilt and give him an opportunity to correct it; and if he has not been guilty, such prayer will cause God to lift him up and establish his going, and put into his mouth a song.
Constantine the Great was one day looking at some statues of famed persons, and noting that they were all in standing position, he said, When mine is made Id like it in kneeling posture, for it is by going down before God I have risen to any eminence. Moses has taught us how to conquer all complaint, and all criticism, and come off victorious by falling on our faces and waiting until God shows who are His.
MERCY
The conclusion of this study presents a precious thought; in the midst of judgment, mercy appears.
At Moses intercession, God removes His hand. Every time there is a rebellion, and judgment is visited upon the people, Moses appears as intercessor, and when the people fell to lusting for the leeks, and the onions of Egypt, Moses cried unto God, Wherefore hast Thou afflicted Thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in Thy sight, that Thou layest the burden of all this people upon me? Their cries were the anguish of his soul! When Miriam and Aaron were in sedition against their brother, it was Moses who interceded, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech Thee. And when the whole congregation lifted up their voices of murmuring at the report of the spies, Moses was on his face again in such an intercessory prayer as you could scarce find on another page of sacred Scripture. He was ready to die himself, if they could not be delivered and when Korah and his company attempted his overthrow, he plead with God until the plague was stayed. Therein is an example for every true Christian man.
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath, for it is written, Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, saith the Lord;
Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink. * *
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
This is what Christ said,
Love your enemies, bless them that curse you; do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despite fully use you and persecute you, that you may be the children of your Father which is in Heaven (Mat 5:44-45).
The richest symbol of Gods mercy is seen in this nineteenth chapterthe red heifer! She was preeminently the type of Gods provision against the defilement of the wilderness experience. She prefigured the death of Christ as the purification for sin and contained the promise of Gods mercy toward all men, however dreadful their rebellion or deep their stains. Who can read this nineteenth chapter and remember how this offering of the red heifer covers the most grievous sin of man without seeing how great is Gods mercy, and how Divine is His example. Henry Van Dyke says, When we see God forgiving all men who have sinned against Him, sparing them in his mercy, * * let us take the gracious lesson of forgiveness to our hearts. Why should we hate like Satan when we may forgive like God? Why should we cherish malice, envy, and all uncharitableness in our breasts? I know that some people use us despitefully and show themselves our enemies, but why should we fill our hearts with their bitterness and inflame our wounds with their poison? This world is too sweet and fair to darken it with the clouds of anger. This life is too short and precious to waste it in bearing that heaviest of all burdens, a grudge.
And you will see in this nineteenth chapter, also, a new emphasis laid upon the necessity of personal purity. The red heifer was provided for cleansing, and God imposed it upon the cleansed to keep themselves unspotted from the world. That is the major part of true religion to this day, to keep onesself unspotted from the world. This whole chapter is Gods attempt to so provide us with the blood of the slain, and surround us with the cleansing ceremonies, that we may be able to resist the floods of defilement that flow on every side. Realizing, as we must realize, the beauty and blessedness of a holy life, we can enter into a keen appreciation of that most beautiful beatitude, and sing with John Keble:
Blest are the pure in heart,
For they shall see their God:
The secret of the Lord is theirs;
Their soul is Christs abode.
The Lord, who left the heavens,
Our life and peace to bring,
To dwell in lowliness with men,
Their pattern and their King.
Still to the lowly soul
He doth Himself impart,
And for His dwelling and His throne
Chooseth the pure in heart.
Lord, we Thy presence seek;
May ours this blessing be;
Oh, give the pure and lowly heart,
A temple meet for Thee.
Fuente: The Bible of the Expositor and the Evangelist by Riley
CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES
In this chapter we have the answer of the Lord to the cry of the people recorded at the close of the preceding chapter. And after the confirmation of the priesthood of Aaron and his family, these Divine directions as to the duties and emoluments of the Priests and Levites come in very appropriately. The greater part of these directions were addressed by the Lord directly to Aaron (Num. 18:1-24). But the regulations as to the tithes to be paid by the Levites to the Priests were addressed to Moses, as the head of all Israel (Num. 18:25-32).
Num. 18:1. The iniquity of the sanctuary. i.e., the guilt of the offences which an erring people would be continually committing against the majesty of God, when brought into contact, through the ordinances, with the manifestations of His presence. Cf. Exo. 28:38; also Num. 8:19.Speakers Comm.
The iniquity of your priesthood, As the priests themselves were but men, they could no more than others abide it, if God were extreme to mark what was done amiss. An atonement was consequently ordained for them (Leviticus 16); and they were strengthened to bear the iniquity of their own unintentional offences, by being entrusted with the ceremonial means of taking it away. The word bear has, in the Old Testament, this double sense of enduring and removing; but in the person of Christ, who atoned by His own endurance, the two are in effect one.Ibid.
And thy fathers house with thee. The fathers house of Aaron, i.e., the Levitical family of Kohath, was also to join in bearing the iniquity of the sanctuary, because the oversight of the holy vessels of the sanctuary devolved upon it (Num. 4:4, sqq.).Keil and Del.
Num. 18:2. Thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi. may be joined unto thee. There is a fine paronomasia, or play upon words, in the original. Levi comes from the root lavah, to join to, couple, associate: hence Moses says, the Levites, yillavu, shall be joined or associated with the priests; they shall conjointly perform the whole of the sacred office, but the priests shall be principal, the Levites only their associates or assistants.Adam Clarke, LL.D.
Num. 18:4. A stranger, i.e, everyone who was neither a priest nor a Levite. Comp. Num. 1:53; Num. 3:7.
Num. 18:5. Ye shall keep, &c. Ye, viz., Aaron and his sons.
Num. 18:7. I have given your priests office, &c. This office, which brought them into the closest fellowship with the Lord, was a favour accorded to them by the grace of God. This is expressed in the words, as a service of gift (a service with which I present you) I give you the priesthood.Keil and Del.
Num. 18:8. By reason of the anointing. Keil and Del. et al. translate, for a portion.
Num. 18:10. In the most holy place, i.e., in the court of the tabernacle (see Lev. 6:9; Lev. 6:19; Lev. 7:6), which is called most holy here, to lay a stronger emphasis upon the precept.Keil and Del.
Every male. Only the males of the priestly families could eat of the things mentioned in Num. 18:9.
Num. 18:11. To thy sons and to thy daughters. Both the males and females of the priestly families, provided they were legally clean, might eat of the things mentioned in this verse.
Num. 18:15. Surely redeem. redeem. A stronger expression is intentionally used in reference to the redemption of the first-born of man than in reference to that of unclean beasts. For the rule as to the former admitted of no exception: the owner of the latter, if unwilling to redeem, might destroy the beasts (Exo. 13:13; Exo. 34:20). Usually, of course, he would redeem them, but in the case of a diseased or maimed animal he might well be excused from making a payment for that which, if redeemed, would be worthless. As to the mode of redemption of unclean beasts, it had been originally enjoined that the first-ling of an ass should be redeemed with a lamb. But the owner of the beast might not be always able to provide a lamb, especially in the wilderness, and the liability was accordingly commuted (Lev. 27:27). Into all the details of this the present ordinances do not enter. Their object is not so much to prescribe accurately to the people what should be paid, as to assign to the priests their various revenues.Speakers Comm.
Num. 18:19. A covenant of salt. That is, an incorruptible everlasting covenant. As salt was added to different kinds of viands, not only to give them a relish, but to preserve them from putrefaction and decay, it became the emblem of incorruptibility and permanence. Hence, a covenant of salt signified an everlasting covenant. Among the Asiatics, eating together was considered a bond of perpetual friendship; and as salt was a common article in all their repasts, it may be in reference to this circumstance that a perpetual covenant is termed a covenant of salt; because the parties ate together of the sacrifice offered on the occasion, and the whole transaction was considered as a league of endless friendship. See Lev. 2:13.A. Clarke, LL D.
Num. 18:20. Comp. Deu. 10:9; Deu. 18:1-2; Jos. 13:33. No tract of land was peculiarly assigned to them, as were to the other tribes, as fields nor vineyards; they had fields appointed them, and they had houses and cities devoted to the Lord which fell to them, and others they had by gift or legacy, or by purchase, as had Jeremiah, the priest, and Barnabas, the Levite, Jer. 32:9; and Act. 4:36-37; but they had no share in the distribution of the land of Canaan at the time of the division of it among the tribes; no, not even in the spoil of the cities of the land of Canaan when they were conquered.Evang. Synopsis.
Num. 18:21. Comp. Lev. 27:31-33; Neh. 10:37; Neh. 12:44.
Num. 18:22-23. Comp. Num. 1:53 and Num. 8:19.
Num. 18:26. The Levites are here commanded to give to the priests, as an offering to the Lord, a tithe of the tithes which they received.
Num. 18:27. Shall be reckoned, &c. That is, it should be as acceptable to God as if they had fields and vineyards, threshing-floors and wine-presses, of their own, from whence corn and wine were taken.Dr. Gill.
Num. 18:29. Of all the best thereof. Heb. as in margin, Of all the fat
Num. 18:32. Neither shall ye pollute, &c. Rather, And by not polluting the holy things of the children of Israel, ye shall not die.Speakers Comm.
A GRAVE PERIL AND A GRACIOUS PRECAUTION
(Num. 18:1-7)
Two preliminary points:
First: Here is the answer of the Lord to the cry of the people. The inquiry concerning the approach to the tabernacle of the Lord, with which the preceding chapter closes, receives a clear response in the paragraph now before us. Man may draw near to God, but it must be in the way which He has appointed. Mic. 6:6-8; Joh. 14:6.
Second: Here is a solemn reminder to Aaron that his great honours involved great responsibilities. The Lord had abundantly vindicated his priesthood, and now He reminds him of the serious responsibilities of his charge. Thou and thy sons and thy fathers house with thee shall bear, &c. (Num. 18:1). And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, &c. (Num. 18:5). Wherefore let them not be high-minded, but fear. (See pp. 32, 33.) (a)
Let us now consider
I. The grave peril referred to.
There was danger that the wrath of God might be again kindled against them by reason of
1. Sin in relation to consecrated places and things. No one was to come nigh unto these except upon such occasions as were permitted by God, e.g., when bringing their sacrifices to the priests, &c. A stranger shall not come nigh unto you. The stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. Korah and his company had sinned in this way, and they were consumed by fire from the Lord. Aaron and his sons, with the Levites as assistants, must bear the responsibility of the charge of the sacred places and things. As with the Israelites there was danger of sin by unwarranted approach to the tabernacle; so our best services are imperfect; even our worship is marred by wandering thoughts and lukewarm affections; our religious exercises need the merits of the gracious Saviour. (b)
2. Sin in consecrated persons. The Lord said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood (see Explanatory Notes on Num. 18:1). The holiest of men in the holiest office is, in the present state, exposed to temptation, and liable to sin, and stands constantly in need of the grace that is in Christ Jesus. (c)
Sin, whether in priests or in people, is a perilous thing; it issues in death (Jas. 1:15); it kindles the wrath of God. Sin and punishment, says Trapp, come under one name, as being tied together with chains of adamant: where the one dines the other will sup; where the one is in the saddle, the other will be upon the crupper. Nemo crimen gerit in pectore qui non idem Nemesin in tergo. Sin doth as naturally draw and suck judgments to it, as the loadstone doth iron, or turpentine fire.
II. The gracious precaution against this peril.
By appointing the priests and Levites to the charge of the consecrated places and things; by appointing to them means of atonement for sin (Leviticus 16); and by solemnly warning the people against intruding into sacred places or intermeddling with sacred duties, the Lord endeavours to guard them against the perils to which they were exposed. But there are several particulars which call for notice:
1. The Divine distribution of duty. To the priests and the Levites respectively certain duties were allotted (comp. chaps. 3, and 4, and see pp. 48, 49, 56, 57).
2. The Divine recognition of differences of rank amongst men. The Levites, though brethren to the priests, were to serve them. They shall be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee. Differences of rank are inevitable amongst men. (See pp. 12, 13.) The Church of Christ is no exception in this. (See p. 48.) As the Levites were to serve under Aaron, so Christians work under Jesus Christ, the Great High Priest. (d)
3. In the differences of rank the common brotherhood of all must not be lost sight of. Though servants to the priests, the Levites were their brethren. Thy brethren (Num. 18:2); your brethren the Levites (Num. 18:6). In the Christian Church differences of rank do not invalidate the brotherhood of all. The elders of the Church are not to be lords over Gods heritage. One is your master, Christ; and all ye are brethren. Even HE is not ashamed to call them brethren. (e)
4. Men of every rank are called to service. The priests must serve; so also must the Levites; and those who belonged to neither of these orders were called to serve in other departments of the national life. From the highest to the lowest no one was exempted from this obligation. (See pp. 13, 56, 57.)
5. Each must faithfully fulfil his own service, and abstain from intrusion into the province of others. The Levites were not to interfere with priestly duties: They shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die. They who were neither priests nor Levites were to abstain from all the sacred functions connected with the tabernacle. A stranger shall not come nigh unto you. The stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. No one must intermeddle with duties which belonged not to him. An excellent rule for all times and places.
6. The faithful discharge of appointed duty promotes the safety of the entire people. Ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar; that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel. The welfare of the whole community is affected beneficially or injuriously by the conduct of each member of it. The faithfulness of even the feeblest and most obscure member contributes to the security and prosperity of the entire commonwealth. (f)
ILLUSTRATIONS
(a) The greater the trust is of work and power that is committed to us the greater is our danger of contracting guilt, by falsifying and betraying that trust. This is a good reason why we should neither be envious at others honours nor ambitious ourselves of high places, because great dignity exposes us to great iniquity. Those that are entrusted with the charge of the sanctuary will have a great deal to answer for. Who would have the care of souls who considers the account that must be given of that care?Matthew Henry.
(b) The temple itself is full of vacant worship. It resounds with rash vows and babbling voices. It is the house of God; but man has made it a nest of triflers, a fair of vanity, a den of thieves. Some come to it, as reckless and irreverent as if they were stepping into a neighbours house. Some come to it, and feel as if they had laid the most High under obligation, because they bring a sheaf of corn or a pair of pigeons; whilst they never listen to Gods Word, nor strive after that obedience which is better than sacrifice. Some come, and rattle over empty forms of devotion, as if they would be heard because of their muses speaking. And some, in a fit of fervour, utter vows which they forget to pay; and, when reminded of their promise by the angel of the church, they protest that there must be some mistake: they repudiate the vow, and say it was an error.James Hamilton, D.D.
(c) As a man who in the morning washeth his hands, and goes abroad about his business and affairs in the world, though he doth not puddle in the mire, or rake among dunghills, yet when he returns home again to dinner, or at night, if he wash, he finds that he hath contracted some uncleanness and that his hands are foul: we cannot converse in an unclean and dirty world with our bodies, but some uncleanness will fasten upon them. So it is with the soul; the souls of the best, of the purest, of the holiest, though they do not rake in the dunghill, and wallow in the mire of sin basely and filthily, yet they do from day to day, yea from moment to moment, contract some filth and uncleanness. And in this sense it is that there is no man that liveth and sinneth not. Every man hath a fountain of uncleanness in him; and there will be ever some sin, some filthiness bubbling and boiling up, if not flowing forth.Caryl,
(d) The Levites were to serve under Aaron, the head of the priestly house. This teaches us a fine lesson, and one much needed by Christians at the present moment. We all want to bear in mind that service, to be intelligent and acceptable, must be rendered in subjection to priestly authority and guidance. The whole tribe of workers were associated with and subject to the high priest. All was under his immediate control and guidance. So must it be now in reference to all Gods workers. All Christian service must be rendered in fellowship with our Great High Priest, and in holy subjection to His authority. It is of no value otherwise. There may be a great deal of work done, there may be a great deal of activity; but if Christ be not the immediate object before the heart, if His guidance and authority be not fully owned, the work must go for nothing. But, on the other hand, the smallest act of service, the meanest work done under the eye of Christ, done with direct reference to Him, has its value in Gods estimation, and shall most assuredly receive its due reward. This is truly encouraging, and consolatory to the heart of every earnest worker. The Levites had to work under Aaron. Christians have to work under Christ. We are responsible to Him.Anon.
(e) You recognise in every nation, in every tribe, your fellow men, your brethren. Go to Egypt, and stand among the Sphinxes, the Pyramids, the old and wondrous temples, and you are a stranger in a strange land, and it seems scarcely less than a ghastly dream. Go farther East, behold the ruined architecture, revive the manners and customs of the Syrian and Babylonian empires, and you seem still among a strange people. If they should rise and speak to you, their tongues would be as strange to you as yours would be to them. But let a maiden speak her love, and instantly you know that voice. The works that their hands wrought are wondrous. The affections that throb in their hearts are familiar. The things that they lived for outwardlysee how widely you are separated from these. How different are their laws, their institutions, and their methods of commerce from ours! How strange to us are their political economy and their ecclesiastical system! Touch that which man fashioned and formed, and man is disjointed, and split apart by rivers, and mountains, and times, and ages; but touch the human heart, and let that speak, and all men rise up and say, That voice is my voice. Reach but the feeling of love, and every human being says, It is my brother; it is my sister. Strike those cords that bring out the experience of grief, and every man wails with the hoary wailers of antiquity. Man is not a unit by virtue of the fruits of his intellect and the works of his hand, but by virtue of those eternal identities of sentiment and affection which are common to all men in all nations and ages.H. W. Beecher.
(f) No man has a right to say he can do nothing for the benefit of mankind, who are less benefited by ambitious projects than by the sober fulfilment of each mans proper duties. By doing the proper duty in the proper place, a man may make the world his debtor. The results of patient continuance in well-doing are never to be measured by the weakness of the instrument, but by the omnipotence of Him who blesseth the sincere efforts of obedient faith alike in the prince and in the cottager.H. Thompson.
THE FIDELITY OF ONE, THE SAFETY OF MANY
(Num. 18:5)
This applies
I. To ministers of the Gospel, who are
1. To preach the whole truth.
2. To guard the ordinances of religion.
3. To urge the performance of duty, that the people of their charge may be saved from sin and wrath.
II. To civil rulers,
Who are to make and enforce laws to maintain and increase the tone of public morality.
III. To heads of families,
Who, by example and precept, should seek to form good characters and correct evil habits in their children and servants.
An illustration of fidelity.The fidelity of the keepers of the lighthouse once on Minets Ledge, near Boston, may well be imitated. In the terrible April gale of 1851, this beautiful structure was destroyed. Two men were in it at the time; and a vast multitude were gathered upon the shore, waiting, in anxious distress, for the expected catastrophe. Every hour, however, the bell tolled the time, and ever the light pierced the dark raging storm, and bid the sailor beware. No howling blast could silence the one, or rising wave extinguish the other. At last, one giant wave, mightier than the rest, rose up and threw its arms around the tower, and laid it low in the waves. Then alone was the bell silent; then alone did the light cease to shine.J. M. Reid.Biblical Museum.
THE DIVINE PROVISION FOR THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES, AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE MAINTENANCE OF THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY
(Num. 18:8-32)
The main subject of this portion of the history has already engaged our attention (see pp. 8486); but there are additional matters brought before us here which demand notice.
The Redemption of the Firstborn (Num. 18:15-16) has also been already noticed by us (see pp. 59, 60).
These regulations concerning the revenues of the priests and Levites were in perfect accordance with the true idea of the Israelitish Kingdom of God. Whereas in heathen states, where there was an hereditary priestly caste, that caste was generally a rich one, and held a firm possession in the soil (in Egypt, for example; see at Gen. 47:22), the Levites received no hereditary landed property in the land of Israel, but only towns to dwell in among the other tribes, with pasturage for their cattle (chap. 35), because Jehovah, the God of Israel, would be their inheritance. In this way their earthly existence was based upon the spiritual ground and soil of faith, in accordance with the calling assigned them, to be the guardians and promoters of the commandments, statutes, and rights of Jehovah; and their authority and influence among the people were bound up with their unreserved surrender of themselves to the Lord, and their firm reliance upon the possession of their God. Now, whilst this position was to be a constant incitement to the Levites to surrender themselves entirely to the Lord and His service, it was also to become to the whole nation a constant admonition, inasmuch as it was a prerogative conferred upon them by the Lord, to seek the highest of all good it the possession of the Lord, as its portion and inheritance.Keil and Del.
The following observations are suggested
I. That the maintenance of the Christian ministry devolves upon the Christian Church.
This nation of Israelites was separated unto the Lord, and is thus an illustration of the Church. God ordained that the priests and Levites should be supported by the nation; the Christian ministry should be supported by the Christian Church.
1. This is righteous. The priests and Levites were required to renounce the paths of worldly ambition and profit; they had no share in the inheritance of the children of Israel (Num. 18:20; Num. 18:24); they were to devote themselves unreservedly to the promotion of the religious interests of the people. Inasmuch as they gave their time, their strength, &c., to serve the people, the people could not neglect to provide for them without dishonesty. The Christian minister has a right to a liberal maintenance from the church which he serves. What the Lord said to the Levites might be said to ministers to day respecting the provision made for them, It is your reward for your service in the tabernacle of the congregation (Num. 18:31). (a)
2. This is advantageous. It promotes the prosperity of the Church. (See pp. 85, 86.)
3. This is scriptural. Mat. 10:9-10; Luk. 10:7; 1Co. 9:7-14; Gal. 6:6; 2Th. 3:8-9; 1Ti. 5:17-18.
II. That Christian ministers of every grade who are devoted to the service of the Church have a right to support from the Church.
God gives directions for the worthy support of the high priest, the priests, and their servants, the Levites, also. The claims of the poor, hard working curate upon the Church for a respectable maintenance are, in the sight of God, as binding as those of the wealthy and lordly bishop. The claims of many of the most faithful and useful ministers, who are working in inconspicuous spheres, are most sadly and sinfully overlooked by the Christian Church. (b)
III. That the Christian ministry should be supported liberally by the Church.
The revenue which the Lord assigned to the Levites and priests, as His servants, consisting of the tenths and firstfruits, as well as certain portions of the different sacrificial gifts that were offered to Him, appears to have been a very considerable one, especially if we adopt the computation of J. D. Michaelis (Mos. Recht. i. 52) with reference to the tithes. A. tribe, he says, which had only 22,000 males in it (23,000 afterwards), and therefore could hardly have numbered more than 12,000 grown up men, received the tithes of 600,000 Israelites; consequently one single Levite, without the slightest necessity for sowing, and without any of the expenses of agriculture, reaped or received from the produce of the flocks and herds as much as five of the other Israelites. But this leaves out of sight the fact that tithes are never paid so exactly as this, and that no doubt there was as little conscientiousness in the matter then as there is at the present day, when those who are entitled to receive a tenth often receive even less than a twentieth. Moreover, the revenue of the tribe which the Lord had chosen as His own peculiar possession, was not intended to be a miserable and beggarly one; but it was hardly equal, at any time, to the revenues which the priestly castes of other nations derived from their endowments.Keil and Del. It is deplorable that the Christian Church, with its richer spiritual heritage, should fall so far below the Jewish Church in this respect.
IV. That all the members of the Church should contribute to the maintenance of the ministry.
Every one who brought a sacrifice contributed a portion of the same to the priests, and those who had children or cattle contributed the firstborn, and those who cultivated the soil presented the choicest of their productions and the firstfruits, and to the Levites all the tithes were given. So that, in one way or another, all contributed to the support of the priests and Levites. And surely the principle is just that all who receive the services of the Christian ministry should contribute to its support. (c)
V. That all should contribute proportionally to the maintenance of the ministry.
Every Israelite contributed a tenth of his possessions to the cause of God. The rule for the Christian should be, Every man according to his ability As God hath prospered him. Freely ye have received, freely give. (d)
VI. That out of their maintenance Christian ministers should offer a portion to the Lord. (Num. 18:25-29.)
The Levites had to give up the tenth of all the tithes they received to the priests; and the priests were to offer to Jehovah upon the altar a portion of the firstfruits, heave-offerings, and wave offerings that were assigned to them. Consequently, as the whole nation was to make a practical acknowledgment, in the presentation of the tithe and firstfruits, that it had received its hereditary property as a fief from the Lord its God, so the Levites, by their payment of the tenth to the priests, and the priests, by presenting a portion of their revenues upon the altar, were to make a practical confession that they had received all their revenues from the Lord their God, and owed Him praise and adoration in return (see Bhr, Symbolik, ii. pp. 43 sqq.).Keil and Del. And the Christian minister, being liberally maintained by the Church, should be an example of liberality, honouring God and doing good to men with his temporal goods.
Application:
1. Let the Church recognise and do its duty in relation to the ministry; and do it as unto the Lord, and then it will become a privilege.
2. Let ministers be faithful and diligent in the discharge of their duties, &c.
ILLUSTRATIONS
(a) You listen to a minister suspiciously because he is paid for preaching. Very good. I only insist upon your being consistent throughout; then what will happen? When you are drowning, you will ask the life-boat men whether they are paid for their services, and on being told that they live by their occupation, you will nobly perish in the deep. When your house is in flames, you will demand, notwithstanding the stifling smoke and cracking timbers, whether the fire-escape men are paid for their work, and on learning that they have a pound a week, you will embrace the flames with a martyrs rapture. Of course you will do so. But let me tell you that men who try to save life never can be paid! A man may pay for his coat, but he can never pay for the services which, by the blessing of God, redeem and sanctify his nature.Joseph Parker, D.D.
(b) All in the ministry, whatsoever their gifts be, are to be accepted; yea, though their gifts oftentimes be small and slender. True it is, they must all have some gifts to fit them to teach the people, but howsoever they be inferior to many others, yet for their office sake they must be regarded. I do not say, the people should depend upon them that are utterly ignorant and unlearned, but if meanly gifted in comparison of others, the people must not forsake them, neither wander from one Levite to another. Mark, therefore, that ministers endued with a small, and yet a competent measure of gifts, may, notwithstanding, do unto God good service in the Church, and gain glory to His Name. He putteth His rich treasures in vessels, not of silver and gold, but of earth. Among the Apostles, it is to be thought that some had greater gifts than others; some were the sons of thunder, and some laboured more abundantly than others, no doubt according to the gifts they had received, yet all profitable to the Church. There is a difference of gifts by the same Spirit, nevertheless all given to profit withal (1Co. 12:4-7). And Paul saith, he spake with tongues more than others (1Co. 14:18). Experience teacheth this among ourselves, that many of mean gifts and little human learning, yet have been profitable teachers, and powerful instruments of much good in the Church of God, and gaining many to Him.W. Attersoll.
(c) As the great principle of love to Christ will not allow the more opulent to give scantily, so neither will it permit the poorest to come before Him empty. It was one of the Divine enactments even of the legal dispensationNone shall come before Me empty. But that which was matter of law with the Israelite, the Christian will seize as a golden opportunity for evincing his love to Christ; and will bring, though it be only a grain of incense for an offering, or a leaf for that wreath of praise and honour which the Church delights to lay at the feet of Christ. Whatever Scripture example others may profess to copy, he will select the example of the benevolent widow; and, while others content themselves with only admiring it, he will often reflect on its imitableness. Nor will the language of the Apostle be ever heard by him but as an address to himself,Let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. These hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to those that are with me. I have showed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. Agreeably with these sentiments, the man who, at one time, imagined that his poverty quite exempted him from the obligations of charity, and only rendered him an object of it, is no sooner made the partaker of grace, than he feels himself impelled to place some offering on the altar of Christian benevolence; and, with the ready eye and hand of affection, he soon detects, for this end, some small superfluity which can be retrenched, or some leisure time which can be profitably employed. And when his mite like offerings, the fruit of hard self-denial, or of the sweat of his brow, is presented, nothing could inflict on his grateful heart a deeper wound than to see that offering rejected on the ground of its comparative insignificance, or of his supposed inability to give it. It is the offering of a sinners gratitude to a Saviours love, and heaven rejoices over the oblation.John Harris, D D.
(d) It is observable that Abraham and Jacob, on particular occasions, voluntarily devoted to Godwhat afterwards became a Divine law for the Jewish nationa tenth of their property. Without implying that their example has any obligation on as, we may venture to say that one tenth of our whole income is an approved proportion for charity, for those who, with so doing, are able to support themselves and families. For the more opulent, and especially for those who have no families, a larger proportion would be equally easy. For some, one half would be too little; while, for others, a twentieth, or even a fiftieth, would require the nicest frugality and care. Indeed, of many among the poor it may be said, that if they give anything they give their share, they cast in more than all their brethren.
But in determining the proportion to be made sacred to God, the Christian would surely rather exceed than fall short of the exact amount. With whom is he stipulating? For whom is he preparing the offering? Well may the recollection put every covetous thought to instant flight tinging his cheek with shame at the bare possibility of ingratitude; and impelling him to lay his all at the feet of Christ. Only let him think of the great love wherewith Christ hath loved him, only let him pass by the cross on his way to the altar of oblation, and his richest offering will appear totally unworthy of Divine acceptance. When Christ is the object to be honoured, the affection of the pardoned penitent cannot stop to calculate the value of its alabaster box of precious ointmentthat is an act to which a Judas only can stoopits chief and sole regret is that the unction has not a richer perfume and a higher value.Ibid.
THE SUPREME CLAIMS OF GOD
(Num. 18:12)
All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine and of the wheat, the first-fruits of them they shall offer unto the Lord.
God claims that the first and the best of mans possessions shall be devoted unto Him.
I. Let us illustrate this claim.
1. It applies to ourselves.
(1) He claims the best of our persons. He asks for our supreme love. My son give Me thine heart. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, &c.
(2) He claims the best of our life. Youth, with its freshness and enthusiasm and hope, is His. They that seek Me early, shall find Me. Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth. Manhood, with its maturity and strength and firmness and wisdom, is His. He summons men to His service,Son, go work to-day in my vineyard. He condescends by His Apostle to entreat men to comply with His demands. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies, &c. He will not be satisfied with the dregs of life, or with the fragments of life; He demands its first, and best, and all.
2. It applies to our possessions.
(1) Our time He claims: not the remnant, after the claims of business and pleasure have all been met. He will be served in all. His demand must be met first, or it is slighted.
(2) Our treasures also He claims. Man of wealth! God lays His hand upon thy property, and calls it His own. Man of genius! God calls thee to lay thine eloquence and logic, thy poetry and philosophy, upon His altar. Consecrate thy gifts to Him. Even the friend or relative who is more dear than life to us, He asserts His claim upon, and we are bound to submit. He demanded the first-born of Israel as peculiarly His; and He may claim that our first-born, or our Benjamin, shall be entirely surrendered to His service here, or He may call them away to serve Him in higher spheres. The choicest of our possessions and of ourselves; all that we have and all that we are, He asserts His right to.
II. Let us enforce this claim.
We may do this on the following grounds:
1. He has given to us whatever of good we possess. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above. &c. What hast thou that thou didst not receive? He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things. He giveth us richly all things to enjoy. He gives to us not absolutely, but as to stewards. &c. (a)
2. He gave His BEST to us. How dear is His Son to Him! Mine elect, in whom My soul delighteth. My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Yet He gave Him to us. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, &c. And He gave Him to humiliation and want, to suffering and sorrow, to shame and death. He spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all. Having given His Best so freely to usand such a Best! He surely has an indisputable right to our best. (b)
3. If we have complied with His great demand, and given ourselves to Him, we shall not hesitate to give Him the best of our possessions. If we have given our hearts fully to Him, we shall not keep back anything which He requires of us. (c)
ILLUSTRATIONS
(a) Think of the right which He has in all you possess. There is a sense in which no man can be said to possess an exclusive and irresponsible right in property, even in relation to his fellow-creatures. The land which he calls his own, is still guarded and watched over by a public law which would hold him responsible for its destruction. But if man thus claims a common interest in the most independent description of property, how much more does God bold a right in your possessions? He created them at first; and hence He has an original and supreme property in them. The world is His, and the fulness thereof. He continues them in existence every moment; and is thus every moment asserting afresh His original rights and establishing a new title to dominion over them. You have not brought into existence a single mite; all that you have done is to collect together what He had made ready to your hands. And whence did you derive the skill and ability to do this? Thou must remember the Lord thy God, for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth. Hence He cautions you against the sin of saying in your heart, my power, and the might of mine own hand, hath gotten me this wealth, lest you should fall into the consequent sin of forgetting that He is still the supreme Proprietor of all you possess. And hence too He solemnly reminds you that your enjoyments are His gifts, only in the sense that you had nothing wherewith to purchase them, and not in the sense that He has given away His right in them: that they are deposited with you as His steward, not alienated from Him and vested in you as their master; that both they and you are His to do with as seemeth good in His sight.
The moment you lose sight, therefore, of His absolute right to all you possess, you are embezzling your Lords property, and realizing the character of the unjust steward. Ton are provoking God to resume His own, and to transfer it to more faithful hands. Then hasten to His throne and acknowledge His right. Take all that you have into His presence, and dedicate it afresh to His service. Inscribe His blessed name on all your possessions.John Harris, D.D.
(b) God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son. Herein is love! The universe is crowded with proofs of His beneficence; but here is a proof which outweighs them all. How much He loved us we can never compute; we have no line with which to fathom, no standard with which to compare it, but He so loved us that He sent His only begotten Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Herein is love! Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift..
Nor is this all: He invites you to advance from the altar of sacrifice to the holiest of all within the veil;in other words, He bath given you Christ that He may give you Himself. It was by wandering from Him that man first became selfish and unhappy. It was by losing Him that man was reduced to the necessity of looking for happiness in the creature. And, because no single kind of created good can satisfy the soul, man sought to accumulate all kinds, to monopolize every thinghe became selfish. But the blessed God, by offering to bring you back again to Himself, is offering to make you independent of all inferior things; to put you in possession of a good which shall enable you to look down with disdain on those things about which others are selfish; to lead you to an infinite good; a good, therefore, about which you need not be selfish, for were all the universe to share and enjoy it with you, it would still be an unexhausted infinite fulness of happiness.
Now let the most miserly individual come suddenly into the possession of great wealth, he would be conscious, at least for a short time, of kind and generous emotions. What then should be your emotions at discovering that, through Christ, you have found a God? And think, what a God He is! Enumerate His perfections; call up in your mind His exalted attributes; recollect some of the displays of His glory, the splendours of His throne, the amplitude of His dominions, the angelic orders of His kingdom, the richness of His gifts, the untouched ocean of happiness yet in reserve for His peopleand when your mind is filled, repeat to yourself the wondrous truth, This God is my God for ever and ever. And, then, think what it is to have Him for your God: it is to have a real, participating, eternal interest in all that He is; to have Him for your all in all; to be filled with all the fulness of God. Christian, are you aware of your wealth? have you yet awoke to a conscious possession of your infinite wealth? Do you not feel that you could give away the world itself as a trifle, while you stand and gaze at these infinite riches? All who have truly and fully returned to God have felt thus. They gazed on this glory and the world was eclipsed; they thought of it, and their heart became too large for earth; they reached after it, and the world fell from their hands, from their hearts. Having found the true source of happiness, they would fain have had all mankind to come and share it with them. And when He commanded them to call the world to come to Him and be happy, they gave away everything, even life itself, in the noble employ, and from love to His name.Ibid.
(c) It is related in Roman history, that when the people of Collatia stipulated about their surrender to the authority and protection of Rome, the question asked was, Do you deliver up yourselves, the Collatine people, your city, your fields, your water, your bounds, your temples, your utensils, all things that are yours, both human and divine, into the hands of the people of Rome? And on their replying, We deliver up all, they were received. The voluntary surrender which you, Christian, have made to Christ, though not so detailed and specific as this formula, is equally comprehensive. And do you not account these your best moments when you feel constrained to lament that your surrender comprehends no more? Can you recall to mind the way in which He has redeemed you, the misery from which He has snatched you, and the blessedness to which He is conducting you, without feeling that He has bought you a thousand times over? that you are His by the tenderest, weightiest obligations? And when you feel thus, how utterly impossible would it be for you at such a moment to stipulate for an exception in favour of your property!to harbour a mental reservation in favour of that!
Can you think of the blessedness attending the act itself of dedication to God,that you are wedding yourself to infinite riches, uniting yourself to infinite beauty, allying yourself to infinite excellence; giving yourself to God, and receiving God in return, so that henceforth all His infinite resources, His providence, His Son, His Spirit, His heaven, He Himself, all become yours, to the utmost degree in which you can enjoy them,can you think of this without often repeating the act? without feeling that bad you all the excellencies of a myriad of angels, His love would deserve the eternal devotion of the whole? Realize to your own mind the nature of Christian dedication, and the claims of Him who calls for it, and so far from giving penuriously to His cause, you will take every increase of your substance into His presence and devote it to His praise; you will regard every appeal which is made to your Christian benevolence as an appeal to that solemn treaty which made you His, and you will honour it accordingly; you will deeply feel the penury of all riches as an expression of your love to Him; Lebanon would not be sufficient to burn, or the beasts thereof an offering large enough to satisfy the cravings of your love.Ibid.
THE SUPREME PORTION OF MAN
(Num. 18:20)
The Lord spake unto Aaron;. I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.
The possession of the priests and Levites did not consist in the revenues assigned to them by God, but in the possession of Jehovah, the God of Israel. In the same sense in which the tribe of Levi was the peculiar possession of Jehovah out of the whole of the people of possession, was Jehovah also the peculiar possession of Levi; and just as the other tribes were to live upon what was afforded by the land assigned them as a possession, Levi was to live upon what Jehovah bestowed upon it. And inasmuch as not only the whole land of the twelve tribes, with which Jehovah had enfeoffed them, but the whole earth belonged to Jehovah (Exo. 19:5), He was necessarily to be regarded as the greatest possession of all, beyond which nothing greater is conceivable, and in comparison with which every other possession is to be regarded as nothing. Hence it was evidently the greatest privilege and highest honour to have Him for a portion and possession (Bhr, Symbolik, 2 p. 44). For truly, as Masius writes (Com. on Josh.) he who possesses God possesses all things; and the worship (cultus) of Him is infinitely fuller of delight, and far more productive, than the cultivation (cultus) of any soil.Keil and Del.
God is revealed in His Word as the portion of all godly souls (see Psa. 16:5; Psa. 73:26; Psa. 119:57; Lam. 3:24). This is the pre-eminent portion; no inheritance can be compared with this.
I. This portion is all-sufficient
God is the portion of His people inasmuch as they possess His mind; He has revealed to them His thoughts and will concerning them. They possess His heart; He is profoundly and affectionately interested in their welfare; He loves them with an infinite love. Our position is that having Him they have all-sufficiency,they have
1. His wisdom for their direction. I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with Mine eye.
2. His power for their protection. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, &c. (Psa. 91:2-13). He will not suffer thy foot to be moved, &c. (Psa. 121:3-8).
3. Hit providence for their supply. No good will He withhold from them that walk uprightly. Bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure. My God shall supply all your need, &c.
4. His grace for their spiritual support. My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness. God is able to make all grace abound toward you, &c. (2Co. 9:8).
5. His Heaven for their home. In my Fathers house are many mansions, &c. (Joh. 14:2-3). He has begotten them to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, &c. (1Pe. 3:5). Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, &c. (Rev. 21:3-4).
Well did Savonarola enquire, What must not he possess who possesses the Possessor of all? (a)
II. This portion is joy-inspiring.
In the realization of the presence and love of God there is the highest, holiest joy. In Thy presence there is fulness of joy, &c. The perfection of the blessedness of heaven is in the full manifestation of His gracious presence. Possessing Him,
1. The joy of satisfied affections is ours. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. The heart loves God, and rejoices in being loved by Him who is infinitely true and beautiful and good, who changeth not, and who abideth for ever.
2. The joy of sweet and sanctified fellowship is ours. Our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. The influence of this fellowship was well expressed by the two disciples at Emmaus,Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us? &c.
3. The joy of true progress is ours. Under the influence of His blessed presence all the capacities and faculties of our being are quickened into holy activity, and sustained in continuous progress. Realizing His presence and fellowship our being grows into likeness to Him; are such growth is unspeakably joyous. Thus the conscious possession of God as our part and inheritance is the highest blessedness. (b)
O this is life, and peace, and Joy,
My God, to find Thee so
Thy face to see, Thy voice to hear
And all Thy love to know.Bubier.
III. This portion is inalienable.
Where shall we find a secure and lasting inheritance. Not in this world; not in anything material, or temporal. Riches are not inalienable; they certainly make themselves wings; they fly away, &c. Trust not in uncertain riches. Pleasures are not inalienable. The pleasures of this world can only be enjoyed for a season, and that a brief one. Honours are of very uncertain tenure; the hero of one day is frequently execrated the next. Friends are not abiding; sometimes they are lost to us by in faithfulness; sometimes they are removed from us by death. Our bodily health is precarious. Even our mental sanity and strength we cannot claim as unchangeably, and for ever ours. There is but one immutable and inalienable part and inheritance, that is GOD. He changes not; the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever. With Him is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. He abideth for ever; He loveth for ever. I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Even death cannot deprive us of this inheritance. My flesh and my heart faileth; but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. Death rather makes our inheritance more fully and perfectly ours; it introduces us to a more complete and constant realization of His presence. After death we shall see Him as He is. So shall we ever be with the Lord. (c)
Is this part and inheritance ours?
ILLUSTRATIONS
(a) We have a right, each of usif we are in Christwe have a right to expect this sufficiency, because it is promised in the Bible. We gather it from the declarations of Scripture. Listen to them, they are yours. Thus saith the Lord who created thee. O Jacob, who formed thee, O Israel, Fear not, I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name What a beautiful thought that is! Just get the meaning and beauty out of it. How many thousands of believers, thousands upon thousands of believers, have there been in the world from the beginning of its history until nowthousands in the patriarchal ages who looked through the glass, and who saw, dimly, the streak of the morning in the distance, and, even with that streak of light, were gladthousands, in the prophetical times, who discerned it in the brightness of a nearer visionthousands who looked in its full-orbed lustre, when Christ came into the worldthousands upon thousands, since that time, who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lambthousands who are now upon the earth, working out their salvation with fear and tremblingthousands upon thousands that shall come into the Church in the time of its millenial glory, when the gates of it shall not be shut day nor night, because the porter shall have no chance of shutting them, the people crowd in so fast. Now, get all that mass of believers, past, present, and future, a company that no man can number; and to each of them God comes in this promise, and says, I have called thee by thy name, I know all about thee,that is, I have not a merely vague, indefinite knowledge of thee; as an individual believer I know thy name, I could single thee out of millions, I could tell the world all thy solicitudes, and all thy apprehensions, and all thy hopes, and all thy sorrowsI have called thee by thy name. Oh, precious promise! Take it to your hearts, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine; when thou passest through the waters I will be with thee; and through the riversdeeper than the watersthey shall not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flames kindle upon thee.Listen again. The Lord God is a sun and shieldlight and protection; that nearly embraces all our wantsHe will give grace and glory. Is there anything left out? And if there are any of you so perversely clever and so mischievously ingenious in multiplying arguments in favour of your own despair, that you can conceive of some rare and precious blessing that is not wrapped up either in grace or gloryNo good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly. Fear not, for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God. Cast all thy care Nay, the rebel heart says, there is some little of it I must bear myself; something that has reference to the hearts bitterness, that it alone knoweth; or to the hearts deep, dark sorrow, with which no stranger intermeddlesthat I must bear myself. Cast all thy care upon Me, for I care for thee. What! distrustful still? Can you not take God at His word? Hark! He condescends to expostulate with you upon your unbelief; Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, my way is hid from the Lordhow often have you said that in the time of your sorrow! you know you haveMy way is hid from the Lord, my judgment is passed over from my God. Hast thou not known, hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of His understanding. He giveth power to the faint. He does not merely take his swoon away and leave him weakly; He makes him strong. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength. Brethren, are you in Christ? Then all that belongs to the covenant is yours. Yours is the present heritage, yours is the future recompense of reward.W. M. Punshon, LL.D.
(b) Haws, that are for hogs, grow upon every hedge; but roses, that are for men, only grow in pleasant gardens. Though many have counterfeit jewels, yet there are but a few that have the true diamond; though many have their earthly portions, yet there are but a few that have God for their portion. Why have the saints in heaven more joy and delight than the saints on earth, but because they have a clearer and a fuller knowledge of their interest and propriety in God than the others have? The knowledge of a mans propriety in God is the comfort of comforts. Propriety makes every comfort a pleasurable comfort, a delightful comfort. When a man walks in a fair meadow, and can write mine upon it, and into a pleasant garden, and can write mine upon it, and into a fruitful cornfield, and can write mine upon it, and into a stately habitation, and can write mine upon it, and into a rich mine, and can write mine upon it; oh! how doth it please him? how doth it delight him? how doth it joy and rejoice him? Of all words, this word meum is the sweetest and the comfortablest. Ah! when a man can look upon God and write meum; when he can look upon God, and say, This God is my portion; when he can look upon God and say with Thomas, My Lord and my God (Joh. 20:28), how will all the springs of joy rise in his soul! Oh, who can but joy to be owner of that God who fills heaven and earth with His fulness? who can but rejoice to have Him for his portion, in having Whom he hath all things, in having Whom he can want nothing? the serious thoughts of our propriety in God will add much sweet to all our sweets; yea, it will make every bitter sweet.Brooks.
(c) None of your dearest and most cherished loves are at all worthy to sit upon the throne of your heartfar down in the scale must they be placed, when the God who gave them to you is brought into comparison. That broad bosom of your beloved husband beats fondly and faithfully, but when death lays it low, as ere long it must, how wretched will be your condition if you have not an everlasting Comforter upon whose breast to lean! Those dear little sparkling eyes, which are like stars in the heaven of your social joy, if these be the gods of your idolatry, how wretched will you be when their brightness is dim, and the mothers joy is mouldering back to dust! Happy is he who hath an everlasting joy and an undying comfort; and there is none in this respect like unto the God of Jeshurun. There would be fewer broken hearts if hearts were more completely the Lords. We should have no rebellious spirits if, when we had our joys, we used them lawfully, and did not too much build our hopes upon them. All beneath the moon will wane. Everything on these shores ebbs and flows like the sea. Everything beneath the sun will be eclipsed. You will not find in time that which is only to be discovered in eternity, namely an immutable and unfailing source of comfort.C. H. Spurgeon.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
G. LEVITICAL DUTIES AND THEIR EMOLUMENTS (Numbers 18)
TEXT
Num. 18:1. And the Lord said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy fathers house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood. 2. And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness. 3. And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die. 4. And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle; and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you. 5. And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar; that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel. 6. And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the Lord, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. 7. Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priests office for every thing of the altar, and within the veil; and ye shall serve: I have given your priests office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
8. And the Lord spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given thee the charge of mine heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by an ordinance for ever. 9. This shall be thine of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of theirs, every meat offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons. 10. In the most holy place shalt thou eat it; every male shall eat it: it shall be holy unto thee. 11. And this is thine; the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel: I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: every one that is clean in thy house shall eat of it. 12. All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the Lord, them have I given thee. 13. And whatsoever is first ripe in the land, which they shall bring unto the Lord, shall be thine; every one that is clean in thine house shall eat of it. 14. Everything devoted in Israel shall be thine. 15. Everything that openeth the matrix in all flesh, which they bring unto the Lord, whether it be of men or beasts, shall be thine: nevertheless the firstborn of man shalt thou surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem. 16. And those that are to be redeemed from a month old thou shalt redeem, according to thine estimation, for the money of five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs. 17. But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem; they are holy: thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savor unto the Lord. 18. And the flesh of them shall be thine, as the wave breast and as the right shoulder are thine. 19. All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the Lord, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the Lord unto thee and to thy seed with thee.
20. And the Lord spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel. 21. And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. 22. Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die. 23. But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statue for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance. 24. But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as a heave offering unto the Lord, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.
25. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 26. Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up a heave offering of it for the Lord, even a tenth part of the tithe. 27. And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the corn of the threshingfloor, and as the fulness of the winepress. 28. Thus ye also shall offer a heave offering unto the Lord of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof of the Lords heave offering to Aaron the priest. 29. Out of all your gifts ye shall offer every heave offering of the Lord, of all the best thereof, even the hallowed part thereof out of it. 30. Therefore thou shalt say unto them, When ye have heaved the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted unto the Levites as the increase of the threshingfloor, and as the increase of the winepress. 31. And ye shall eat it in every place, ye and your households; for it is your reward for your service in the tabernacle of the congregation. 32. And ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, when ye have heaved from it the best of it: neither shall ye pollute the holy things of the children of Israel, lest ye die.
PARAPHRASE
Num. 18:1. And the Lord said unto Aaron, You and your sons, as well as your fathers family with you, shall bear the guilt of the sanctuary; and you and your sons with you shall bear the guilt of your priesthood. 2. But bring with you also your brothers, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, in order that they may be joined with you to serve you, while you and your sons with you are before the Tent of the Testimony. 3. And they shall attend to your duty, and to the duty of all the Tent; but they shall not come near the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, lest they, or you, should die. 4. And they shall be joined with you and attend to the duties of the Tent of Meeting, for all the service of the Tent; but no foreigner may come near you. 5. And you shall keep the duty of the sanctuary, and the duty of the altar so that there may be no more wrath upon the children of Israel. 6. And behold, I have taken your brothers from the Levites, from among the children of Israel. They are given to you as a gift for the Lord, to do the duty of the Tent of Meeting. 7. Therefore you and your sons with you shall keep your priesthood for everything related to the altar, and inside the veil; and you shall do the service. I have given your priesthood to you as a service of gift; but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death.
8. And the Lord said to Aaron, Behold, I have also given you charge of my heave offerings of all the sacred things of the children of Israel; I have given them to you as a share, and they are unto your sons as a perpetual portion. 9. This is to be yours of the most holy gifts, reserved from the fire: each offering of theirs, each meal offering of theirs, and each sin offering of theirs, and every guilt offering of theirs which they shall render unto me shall be most holy for you and your sons. 10. In the most holy place you shall eat it; every male shall eat it. It shall be holy to you. 11. And this also is yours: the heave offering of their gift, even all the wave offerings of the children of Israel: I have given them to you and to your sons and daughters with you by law forever: every one in your house who is clean shall eat of it. 12. All of the best of the oil, and all of the best of the wine, and of the wheat, of the first of them offered to the Lord: these have I given you. 13. The first ripe fruit of everything in the land, which they are to bring to the Lord: these shall be yours. Everyone in your house who is clean shall eat of it. 14. Every devoted thing in Israel shall be yours. 15. Everything coming forth first from the womb of all flesh, which they bring to the Lord, whether of men or of animals, shall be yours. However, the firstborn of man you shall surely redeem, and the firstborn of unclean animals you shall redeem. 16. And those which are to be redeemed are to be redeemed from one month old by your ordinary counting for five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs. 17. But the firstborn of an ox, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat you are not to redeem: they are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and burn their fat for an offering of fire, as a sweet aroma to the Lord. 18. And their flesh shall be yours, just as the breast of the wave offering and the right thigh. 19. All the heave offerings of holy gifts, which the children of Israel offer to the Lord, I have given to you and your sons and your daughters with you forever by law. It is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord to you and to your children with you.
20. The Lord said to Aaron, You shall have no inheritance in their land, nor shall you own any portion among them: I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel. 21. And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance for the service they perform, even the service of the Tent of Meeting. 22. Neither must the children of Israel come near the Tent of Meeting from now on lest they bear sin and die. 23. Only the Levites shall do the service of the Tent of Meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity. It shall be an everlasting regulation throughout your generations that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance. 24. But I have given the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as a gift to the Lord, to the Levites as an inheritance. Therefore, I have said to them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.
25. Then the Lord said to Moses, 26. Furthermore, you shall speak to the Levites and tell them, When you take the tithes which I have given you from the children of Israel as an inheritance, you shall offer from it a gift for the Lord, a tithe of the tithe. 27. And your offering shall be reckoned to you as though it were grain from the threshing floor, or as the completeness of the winepress. 28. In this way you also shall present an offering to the Lord from your tithes, which you receive from the children of Israel; and from it you shall give the Lords offering to Aaron the priest. 29. From all that is given you, you shall lay aside all that is due as a gift to the Lord, from everything the very best, even the sacred portion of it; 30. Therefore you shall say to them, When you have laid aside the best of it, it shall be counted to the Levites as the increase of the threshing floor and of the winepress. 31. And you may eat it anywhere, you and your households, since it is your reward for your service in the Tent of Meeting. 32. And you shall bear no sin because of it when you have offered the best from it; nor shall you pollute the holy things of the children of Israel, lest you die.
COMMENTARY
The duties of the priests and the duties of the Levites are now put in clear relationship to each other. The priests attend unto all affairs of the sanctuary and of the altar of sacrifice. The Levites supply what assistance may be required, but they are under severe warning not to come directly into contact with the vessels or the altar, under threat of death (Num. 18:3). To Aaron and the Kohathites comes the weighty assignment of fulfilling the detailed requirements of the expiation of all types of sins in the various sacrifices and offerings. The inherited office would remain as long as the very covenant itself, making it unnecessary for the members of any other tribe to endanger his life by approaching the sanctuary. The stranger of Num. 18:4 would not only include anyone of foreign birth, but also any proselyte or other Israelite not of the tribe of Levi; it is a prohibition to be universally applied, exempting only the authorized priests and Levites. Compliance would prevent such calamities as that of Korahs.
Two gifts are mentioned in Num. 18:6-7 : the Levites are given as servants to the Levites; the priestly office is given unto the descendants of Aaron. The two gifts combine to render effectual service for an entire nation. The services are not to be considered a burden, a problem, or as the mere accident of inheritance, but a sacred privilege.
Various sacrifices, when completed, became, in part or in whole, food for the male members of the priestly family. The general regulation is set forth in Num. 18:8, which is followed by specific details regarding the individual processes. All of the remaining portion of meat offerings, sin offerings and guilt offerings may be eaten, but only in the most holy place, a term almost certainly used of the court of the tabernacle in this context. In addition, all wave offerings, all offerings of the first fruits, everything dedicated to the Lord, and all the firstborn, or their substitutes, came to the priests in lieu of an inheritance of land to the tribe of Levi. The priests family might partake with him of the wave offering. The total agreement is termed a covenant of salt, or a binding, inviolable agreement. This idiomatic expression was derived from an ancient custom of sealing a bond by sharing the same food; the parties involved would, from that time forward say, There is salt between us, and they were bound to mutual respect and defense, even to death.
Both the priests and the Levites were entirely supported by the revenue from their service of the Tabernacle. Besides the food they received from allotted portions of the sacrifices, they were assigned the tithes from the people. These were exacted upon all produce from the fields, as well as the increase of the flocks and herds. Carefully observing all the instructions which God had given them in the process of implementing the total sacrificial system, the priests and Levites obviated the necessity of the peoples personal participation. This was for their own protection, since they would have been dealing with holy things, and an abuse or a careless act could well have been fatal. In this sense, the Levites bore the iniquity of the people.
When the Promised Land was later divided among the tribes, no proportionate land grant was given the Levites. Instead, 48 cities with their suburbs were designated as Levitical cities (see chapter 35). Six of these served as cities of refuge; all of them were distributed among the tribal lands, and with each went a two-thousand cubit suburban area surrounding the city proper. Here the Levites might cultivate the land or graze their herds, but by no means could they all live on such a small allotment; the tithes and sacrificial concessions would be essential to their very existence. Paul uses this principle to point out the appropriateness of having those who proclaim the gospel live by the revenue gained through its proclamation. The picture, in both instances, is not that of a staid, complacent professional; the man is first and always a servant of God and a servant of men, whose recompense is totally unwarranted unless he is a faithful servant in both relationships.
The effective program of God with reference to the peoples giving depended upon their faithful stewardship, especially in tithing their increase. Mal. 3:8-10 makes it clear that this was not always done. Consequently, the Levites were sometimes deprived, and even poor. Even so, whatever their situation might be the Levites were required to tithe their incomes through heave offerings. And these, like the offerings of the people, were not to be the left-overs, but the very best of all they received, Num. 18:32. In so doing, they recognized that everything they were given had come from the Lord. They could do nothing less, conscientiously, than this.
QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS
320.
What clear line of demarcation does God draw between the duties of the priests and the duties of the Levites?
321.
Propose some reasons which would explain why God would commit such duties through inheritance rather than by any other method.
322.
How is the term stranger to be understood here? Why is this an unusual use of the word?
323.
Which of the offerings of Israel became the priests food? Why should they be eaten only in the most holy place?
324.
Explain the term, a covenant of salt.
325.
What would be the most grave danger if someone other than a priest or a Levite were to perform the functions of the sacrifice?
326.
Why were the descendants of Levi given no land inheritance in the Promised Land? What were they given instead?
327.
What precedent is set for the Christian system in the paying of tithes to support the priesthood?
328.
Show what improper attitudes might be adopted by the servants of God, and how they might endanger both them and the people.
329.
For what reasons would God require the Levites themselves the tithe?
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
XVIII.
(1) Shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary . . . It must be remembered that the iniquity of the sanctuary, and the iniquity of the priesthood, extended not only to the defilement of the sanctuary by the transgressions of priests and people (Lev. 16:11; Lev. 16:15-16), but also to its defilement by the imperfections connected with the services of the priests and the offerings of the people (Exo. 28:38).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PRIESTLY TRIBE, Num 18:1-7.
1. Thou and thy father’s house High rank and privilege are thus made to bear increased responsibilities.
The iniquity of the sanctuary All misconduct in the sanctuary, all improprieties and all defects in service, shall be laid upon the sons of Aaron. Moreover, it was their duty not only to make expiation for these, but also for every defilement of the sanctuary by the sins of the people (Lev 16:6, note) even by their holy gifts.
Exo 28:38. All these the priests must bear away or expunge by virtue of the sanctifying power of their office. See Num 18:23, note.
Iniquity of your priesthood This comprised every neglect of the most conscientious performance of duty, and the defects in their official acts flowing from their own inherent depravity of nature. These were wiped out on the great day of atonement. See Lev 16:16-19, notes.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Aaron and His Sons To Be Before the Tent of the Testimony and the Levites to Have the Charge of the Tent And Do Service For The Priests ( Num 18:1-7 ).
In this section the vital ministry of the priests and Levites is emphasised. They were to maintain the holiness of the Dwellingplace of Yahweh, and see to all necessary means by which atonement was possible for Israel. On them would come the guilt of failure in this regard. The priests were to ‘bear the iniquity of the Sanctuary’ (Num 18:1) and the Levites that of watching over the Dwellingplace (Num 18:23).
This first section follows a similar chiastic pattern.
a The priests to bear the iniquity of the Sanctuary and the priesthood (Num 18:1).
b The Levites brought near to be their servants and to keep the charge of the Tent (Num 18:2 a).
c The priests to be before the Tent of the testimony (Num 18:2 b).
d The Levites to keep the charge of all the Tent (Num 18:3 a).
e The Levites not to come near to the vessels of the Sanctuary and the altar (Num 18:3 b).
d The Levites to keep the charge of the Tent of meeting, for all the service of the Tent. No stranger to come near (Num 18:4).
c The priests to keep the charge of the sanctuary and the altar (Num 18:5).
b The Levites are a gift to the priests to do service at the Tent of meeting (Num 18:6).
a The priesthood reserved entirely for the priests (Num 18:7). No stranger to come near.
Note the repetition of ‘no stranger to come near’ in Num 18:4 and Num 18:7. This similar pattern of a repetition within a chiasmus can be found in Exo 18:21-22 a with Exo 18:25-26 a; Num 18:23 with 24; Deu 2:21 with Deu 2:22; Deu 31:6-7.
Num 18:1
‘And Yahweh said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your fathers’ house with you shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you will bear the iniquity of your priesthood.” ’
A most solemn charge was given to Aaron on behalf of the sons of Aaron. The special sacredness of this was brought out by the fact that Yahweh spoke directly to Aaron alone, which was unusual (see also verse 8). He wanted Aaron to recognise the supreme sacredness of his charge.
He and his sons and his father’s house (the Levites) were to have full responsibility for the carrying out of all the requirements of the Sanctuary, and he and his sons were to have the full responsibility of the whole system of offerings and sacrifices as outlined in Leviticus, including the Day of Atonement. On them would come the blame for the failure to carry them out meticulously. They would bear the judgment that followed failure. Thus for the priests special offerings were available to cover unwitting failures in this regard (Lev 4:3-12; Lev 16:6). Examples of judgment following failure in this regard can be found in the case of Aaron’s two eldest sons when they offered ‘strange (unauthorised) fire’ (Lev 10:1-2), and the sons of Eli who manipulated the system to their own advantage (1Sa 2:12-17; 1Sa 2:29-34; 1Sa 4:17; 1Sa 22:18-19; 1Ki 2:27)
“You shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary.” It was the priests who were mainly to maintain the holiness of the inner Sanctuary in the faithful fulfilment of their duties with regard to the preparation and presentation of the showbread, the maintenance, trimming and lighting of the lampstand, and the offering of the holy, uniquely prescribed incense on the altar of incense, ensuring especially that nothing ‘foreign’ or unprescribed could interfere. They had the privilege of approaching nearest to the throne of Yahweh, but thereby they bore the heavier responsibility.
But this also included the fact that the very presence of the camp around the Sanctuary contributed to its defilement, and that was why there was the necessity for the compulsory daily offerings and the annual Day of Atonement, failure in respect to which would redound on the priests. Even the gifts and offerings of the people contributed to that defilement (Exo 28:38) and it was through the ministry of ‘the Priest’ that these were made acceptable. Thus the Priest and the priesthood performed a vital function.
The Levites also would be responsible to protect the Sanctuary, and they were to watch over it and carry out its ancillary functions, including the bearing of it on the march. To this extent too they ‘bore the iniquity of the Sanctuary’ for any failure in that regard. It was a sacred responsibility.
“You will bear the iniquity of your priesthood.” Aaron and his sons were also responsible for the correct and proper carrying out of all the cultic requirements, including the proper offering of offerings and sacrifices, the discerning of cleanness and uncleanness, and the advising of the people in cultic matters, and would bear the judgment of Yahweh on all failures in this regard. On them would come the responsibility for any lack in the carrying out of all God’s commandments in this regard (see Isa 1:10-15). It was a great privilege but a heavy responsibility.
Num 18:2
“ And your brethren also, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, bring near with you, that they may be joined to you, and minister to you, but you and your sons with you shall be before the tent of the testimony.’
The priests were to have the assistance of the remainder of the Levites, who would ‘minister to them’ by looking after the maintenance and heavy duties with regard to the holy things, but only in a very secondary capacity (see Numbers 3-4).
The Levites were to be ‘joined to them’. There is a play on words here. ‘To join’ is lawah, while the Levites are lewi. It is a word play, the equivalent of a sacred pun, beloved of the ancients.
Num 18:3
“ And they shall keep your charge, and the charge of all the Tent. Only they shall not come near to the vessels of the sanctuary and to the altar, that they die not, neither they, nor you (ye).’
The Levites would be expected to ‘keep the charge’ of the priests, that is, receive and obey the instructions of the priests. They were especially to have responsibilities for the erecting and dismantling of the Dwellingplace once the holy things had been fully covered by the priests (Num 4:5-15), and of guarding the Sanctuary from the approach of unauthorised persons (Num 1:53). But to come near the vessels of the sanctuary, including its furniture and all their appurtenances, or to approach the altar while it was uncovered and in active service was forbidden them. To fail in this regard would be fatal. It would result in death. And if it was due to failure on behalf of the priests, they too would die.
Num 18:4
“ And they shall be joined to you, and keep the charge of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the Tent. And a stranger (unauthorised person) shall not come near to you (ye).”
The Levites would also have responsibility for the maintenance of the Tent, and to perform any ancillary duties outside those which were wholly the responsibility of the priests. They were general helpmeets. But they alone could do this. No unauthorised person was to be involved in any of these matters, or ‘come near’ in order to act in this regard.
Num 18:5
“ And you shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar, that there be wrath no more on the children of Israel.”
But the charge of the inner Sanctuary and of the altar was the priests alone. They alone could enter the inner Sanctuary, they alone could minister at the altar and have charge of all its affairs. This would avoid ‘wrath’ and judgment falling on Israel as it had in the case of Korah, Dathan and Abiram (Num 16:19-33).
Num 18:6
“ And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel. To you they are a gift, given to Yahweh, to do the service of the tent of meeting.”
The Levites belonged to Yahweh, having replaced the firstborn of the children of Israel (Exo 13:2 and often), and the Levites were now Yahweh’s gift to the priests to perform all the laborious and heavy tasks peripheral to the actual cult activity, which included the carrying of all the holy things while on the march and, later, the gathering and controlling of the tithes and giving guidance concerning God’s Instruction (the Torah).
Num 18:7
“ And you and your sons with you shall keep your priesthood for everything of the altar, and for that within the veil; and you (ye) shall serve. I give you (ye) the priesthood as a service of gift, and the stranger (unauthorised person) who comes near shall be put to death.”
So Aaron and his sons were to protect and guard the priesthood (compare Num 3:10) in respect of everything appertaining to the altar, and for everything within the veil. Thus they were responsible for all use of the altar, the activities within the inner Sanctuary, and all service with regard to the Holy of Holies, (the Holiest of All, the Most Holy Place), where none could enter except the High Priest once a year on the Day of Atonement.
“And you shall serve.” Theirs was to be a continual service, day by day, sabbath by sabbath, new moon by new moon, year by year. Their whole lives were to be dedicated to Yahweh’s service. This was God’s gift to them, and none other could participate. Any unauthorised person who sought to interfere was to be put to death.
“Who comes near.” To come near in such a context means to have access to, to be associated with. It often contains the idea of encroaching or intruding. The point here is that the person is going beyond what he knows he should.
For us all this holy work is carried on by our great High Priest, Jesus Christ, Who is for us both High Priest and offering (see Hebrews). It is through His work for us and through faith in Him that we are made acceptable to God. The careful emphasis on the work of the priests and its dangers demonstrates how important and particular His work was. And to us then is given a priesthood for the offering of praise and thanksgiving (Heb 13:15; 1Pe 2:5; Eph 5:19-20), and for service on His behalf in purity of life and witness (Rom 12:1-2).
Num 18:8-20
Provision for the Priests – the Holy Things, The Contributions/heave offerings and the Firstfruits, and Yahweh Himself, are to be Their Inheritance ( Num 18:8-20 ).
As a reward for their faithful service the priests were given as an inheritance certain holy things, the most holy being for their own consumption, and the less holy being for all their families. Celibacy was never God’s plan for His servants. They were responsible to produce children for the maintenance of the service of God.
The most holy things included portions of the grain offerings, the sin offerings and the guilt offerings (see Leviticus 2; Lev 4:1 to Lev 6:7; Lev 6:14 to Lev 7:7). These could be eaten only by males of the family of Aaron within the precincts of the Tent of meeting. The holy things, which could be eaten by their whole families if they were ‘clean’, included the contribution offerings (heave offerings), the firstfruits and portions of peace offerings, which could be eaten in a clean place.
Analysis.
a The holy things are given to Aaron and his sons (Num 18:8-10).
b The contribution/heave-offerings to be for their whole families (Num 18:11).
c The firstfruits of grain, oil and vintage to be for the priests and shared by their households (Num 18:12-13).
d Everything ‘devoted’ in Israel to be the priests (Num 18:14).
c The firstfruits among living creatures to be for the priests (Num 18:15-18).
b The contribution/heave-offerings to be for their whole families (Num 18:19).
a Yahweh Himself (the Most Holy) is the priests’ portion and inheritance (Num 18:20).
Num 18:8
‘And Yahweh spoke to Aaron, “And I, behold, I have given you (thee) the charge of my heave-offerings, even all the hallowed things of the children of Israel. To you have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to your sons, as a portion for ever.” ’
To Aaron and his sons were given charge of all ‘contribution offerings’ or ‘heave-offerings’. In view of the fact that not all that comes under this name could be ‘heaved’ (moved up and down) before Yahweh, ‘contribution offering presented before Yahweh’ is probably the best translation. But the principle is the same. They were offerings made to Yahweh and brought before Him at the door of the Tent of meeting. They were thus ‘hallowed things’, set apart to Yahweh. They could in fact be partaken of by the priests, by their families and, under the supervision of the priests and in their gift, by the people when gathered at the Tent of meeting (Deu 12:17). Because Aaron and his sons were anointed, set apart for Yahweh by the anointing with oil, all contribution offerings were at their disposal.
These ‘contribution offerings’ included the shoulder/thigh of all peace offerings (Exo 29:28; Leviticus 3; Lev 7:32), a portion of cakes of unleavened and leavened bread offered with such offerings (Lev 7:14), the firstfruits of the dough (Num 15:18-21), the ‘contribution of the threshing-floor’ (Num 15:20; Lev 2:14-16; Exo 22:29; Exo 23:16-19; Lev 23:10), a portion of the tithes (18:24, 28), and a portion of spoils in battle (Num 31:29; Num 31:41). When there was overabundance they would be shared with the people, but only at feasts at the Tent of meeting, and this would become a custom (Deu 12:17). Especially in the early days the contribution offerings would be far more than the priests and their families could consume.
Num 18:9
“ This shall be yours (thine) of the most holy things, reserved from the fire, every oblation of theirs, even every grain offering of theirs, and every purification for sin offering of theirs, and every guilt offering of theirs, which they will render to me, will be most holy for you and for your sons.”
The most holy things were reserved for the male priests. These included the portions of the grain, purification for sin and guilt offerings not offered by fire on the altar. The point here is that they ate them as the representatives of Yahweh, ‘standing in’ for Yahweh. Yahweh needed no earthly food, but it had to be offered to Him nonetheless in gratitude and worship, and as a means for the purification of sin. And it was then openly consumed by the priests who ate it in His name. None other could eat of it.
Num 18:10
“ As the most holy things you shall eat of them, every male shall eat of them. It shall be holy to you (thee).”
This privilege was tightly restricted. These offerings were ‘most holy’. They were uniquely the preserve of Yahweh Himself. Only the male priests could eat them on Yahweh’s behalf. They were special. The fact that they included the grain offerings is against any theories about the priest being necessary in order to absorb the sin. The point was that they were so holy to Yahweh that only He through His priests could participate in them.
Num 18:11
“ And this is yours. The heave-offering of their gift, even all the wave-offerings of the children of Israel, I have given them to you, and to your sons and to your daughters with you, as a portion for ever. Everyone who is clean in your house shall eat of them.”.
But all contribution offerings could be eaten by al in the priestly families who were ritually clean. And included with these were the wave offerings which were the portion of the priests from offerings and sacrifices, and included the breast of each animal sacrificed, apart from whole burnt offerings which were totally consumed on the altar.
Num 18:12
“ All the best of the oil, and all the best of the vintage, and of the grain, the firstfruits of that which they give to Yahweh, to you have I given them.”
The priests were also to receive the choicest of the firstfruits, of the oil, the vintage and the grain. The firstfruits of all produce was to be given to Yahweh, and was available to the priests.
Num 18:13
“ The first-ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to Yahweh, shall be yours. Every one who is clean in your house shall eat of it.”
And these firstfruits, the first-ripe fruits, were available to all in the priestly families. All in their households who were ritually clean could eat of them. They were holy but not most holy.
Num 18:14
“ Everything devoted in Israel shall be yours.”
Furthermore anything that was ‘devoted’ to Yahweh under an oath was the priests. See Leviticus 27. There we discover that many would seek to reveal their devotion to God by offering some of their wealth under oath, or offering themselves so that they had to be ‘redeemed’. All this, including the redemption price, belonged to the priests.
Num 18:15
“ Everything which opens the womb, of all flesh which they offer to Yahweh, both of man and beast shall be yours. Nevertheless the first-born of man you shall surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts you shall redeem.”
From the time of leaving Egypt every male that opened the womb belonged to Yahweh, whether of man or domestic beast (Exo 13:2 and often). If it was a clean animal it had to be offered as a sacrifice. If it was an unclean animal such as an ass it must either be redeemed or its neck was to be broken (this latter not offering it as a sacrifice). If it was a man child, the man child had to be redeemed.
Num 18:16
“ And those who are to be redeemed of them, from a month old shall you redeem, according to your estimation, for the money of five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary (the same is twenty gerahs).”
The cost of redeeming a male child was to be five shekels. That was lower than the price of a male slave, and probably represented the slave price of a male child.
Num 18:17
“ But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, you (thou) shall not redeem. They are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar, and shall burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a pleasing odour to Yahweh.”
If it was ox, sheep or goat it had to be offered as a sacrifice, and its blood sprinkled on the altar. Its fat was to be burned, as the fat of any offering always was, as a pleasing odour to Yahweh. There could be no redemption.
Num 18:18
“ And their flesh shall be yours, as the wave-breast and as the right thigh, it shall be yours (thine).”
The flesh of the offering of the firstling then belonged to the priest, along with the wave-breast and the contribution-thigh which always went to the priests unless the offering was a whole burnt offering.
Num 18:19
“ All the heave-offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer to Yahweh, have I given you, and your sons and your daughters with you, as a portion for ever. It is a covenant of salt for ever before Yahweh to you and to your seed with you.”
So all contribution offerings which were of holy things, and therefore ‘most holy’, were to be given to the priests as a portion for ever. This was a covenant of salt before Yahweh, that is a covenant which would be preserved and could not weaken or decay. It was for ever.
Num 18:20
‘And Yahweh said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel.” ’
And this would be the priests’ lot because they would have no inheritance in the land. They would have no portion in the land. Yahweh would be their inheritance and their portion.
This teaches us that those who would serve Christ fully should have no portion in this life. If they prosper they should look on all in which they prosper as God’s and only to be used under His commandment. They should receive their food as God provides, and utilise all that they have to further His work and purposes. When a supposed man of God accumulates wealth for himself and lives a wealthy lifestyle he thereby debars himself from true service for God.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Num 18:1 And the LORD said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father’s house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.
Num 18:1
Num 18:32, “And ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, when ye have heaved from it the best of it: neither shall ye pollute the holy things of the children of Israel, lest ye die.”
A good illustration of this violation by the priestly office is the two sons of Eli. See 1Sa 2:12-17.
1Sa 2:12, “Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.”
Num 18:15 Every thing that openeth the matrix in all flesh, which they bring unto the LORD, whether it be of men or beasts, shall be thine: nevertheless the firstborn of man shalt thou surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem.
Num 18:15
Num 18:26 Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the LORD, even a tenth part of the tithe.
Num 18:26
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
The Office of the Priests and Levites
v. 1. And the Lord said unto Aaron, v. 2. And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, v. 3. And they shall keep thy charge, v. 4. And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the Tabernacle of the Congregation for all the service of the Tabernacle; and a stranger, v. 5. And ye shall keep the charge of the Sanctuary and the charge of the altar, v. 6. And I, behold, I have taken your brethren, the Levites, from among the children of Israel; to you they are given as a gift for the Lord to do the service of the Tabernacle of the Congregation. v. 7. Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest’s office for everything of the altar,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
EXPOSITION
STATUS AND REVENUES OF PRIESTS AND LEVITES (Num 18:1-32).
Num 18:1
The Lord spake unto Aaron. This clear and comprehensive instruction as to the position and support of the sons of Aaron on the one hand, and of the Levites on the other, may very naturally have been given in connection with the events just narrated. There is, however, no direct reference to those events, and it is quite possible that the only connection was one of subject-matter in the mind of the writer. That the regulations which follow were addressed to Aaron directly is a thing unusual, and indeed unexampled. The ever-recurring statement elsewhere is, “the Lord spake unto Moses,” varied occasionally by “the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron” (as in Num 2:1; Num 4:1; Num 19:1); but even where the communication refers to things wholly and peculiarly within the province of Aaron, it is usually made to Moses, and only through him to his brother (see e.g; Num 8:1-3). This change in the form of the message may point to a later date, i.e; to a time subsequent to the gainsaying of Korah, when the separate position of Aaron as the head of a priestly caste was more fully recognized than before, and he himself somewhat less under the shadow of his greater brother. Thou and thy sons and thy father’s house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary. Aaron’s father’s house, according to the analogy of Num 17:2, Num 17:3, Num 17:6, was the sub-tribe of the Kohathites, and these had charge (to the exclusion of the other Levites) of the sanctuary, or rather sacred things. See on Num 4:15. This mention of the Kohathites in connection with the sanctuary is an incidental proof that these instructions were given in view of the wanderings in the wilderness, for after the settlement in Canaan no Levites (as such) came into contact with the sacred furniture. It is not easy to define exactly the meaning of “shall bear the iniquity ( ) of the sanctuary.” The general sense of the phrase is, “to be responsible for the iniquity,” i.e; for anything which caused displeasure in the eyes of God, “in connection with the sacred things and the service of them;” hence it meant either to be responsible for such iniquity, as being held accountable for it, and having to endure the penalty, or as being permitted and enabled to take such accountability on oneself, and so discharge it from others. This double sense is exactly reflected in the Greek word , as applied to our Lord (Joh 1:29). The priests, therefore (and the Kohathites, so far as they had anything to do with the sanctuary), were responsible for all the unholiness attaching or accruing to it, not only by reason of all offences committed by themselves, but by reason of that imperfection which clung to them at the best, and made them unworthy to handle the things of God. In a further and deeper sense they might be said to be vicariously responsible for all the iniquity of all Israel, so far as the taint of it affected the very sanctuary (see on Exo 28:38; Le Exo 16:16). The iniquity of your priesthood. The responsibility not only for all sinful acts of omission and commission in Divine service (such as those of Nadab and Abihu, and of Korah), but for all the inevitable failure of personal holiness on the part of those who ministered unto the Lord. This responsibility was emphatically recognized and provided for in the rites of the great day of atonement.
Num 18:2
Thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi. The Levites generally, as distinguished from the Kohathites in particular (see on Num 3:1-51). That they may be joined unto thee. , a play upon the name Levi (see on Gen 29:34). But thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness. The Hebrew has only , which may be rendered, “And thou and thy sons with thee (shall be),” &c; or more naturally read with what goes before, “that they may minister unto thee; both thee and thy sons with thee,” &c. The Septuagint and the Targums appear to favour the former rendering, but it is not evident what distinction could be drawn between priests and Levites as to the mere fact of being before the tabernacle.
Num 18:3
They shall keep thy charge, &c. See on Num 3:7, Num 3:8. That neither they, nor ye also, die. This warning does not seem to refer to the danger of the Kohathites seeing the sacred things (Num 4:15), but of the other Levites coming near them; the further warning, “nor ye also,” is added because if the carelessness or profanity of the priest led to sacrilege and death in the case of the Levite, it would be laid to his charge (cf. Num 4:18).
Num 18:4
A stranger. , i.e; one not a Levite, as in Num 1:51.
Num 18:5
That there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel. As there had been ill the case of Korah and his company, and of the many thousands who had fallen in consequence.
Num 18:6
I have taken your brethren the Levites. See on Num 3:9; Num 8:19.
Num 18:7
Shall keep your priests’ office for everything of the altar, and within the vail. That the Levites were made over to Aaron and his sons to relieve them of a great part of the mere routine and drudgery of their service was to be with them an additional and powerful motive for doing their priestly work so reverently and watchfully as to leave no excuse for sacrilegious intrusion. The altar (of burnt offering) and “that within the vail (cf. Heb 6:19) were the two points between which the exclusive duties of the priesthood lay, including the service of the holy place. A service of gift. A service which was not to be regarded as a burden, or a misfortune, or as a natural heritage and accident of birth, but to be received and cherished as a favour accorded to them by the goodness of God.
Num 18:8
And the Lord spake unto Aaron. The charge and responsibility of the priests having been declared, the provision for their maintenance is now to be set forth. The charge, , as in Num 18:5, &c.; but here it means “the keeping” for their own use (cf. Exo 12:6). Mine heave offerings. . The possessive pronoun marks the fact that these did not belong to the priest in the first instance, although they naturally came to be looked on as his perquisites (cf. 1Sa 2:16), but were a gift to him from the Lord out of what the people had dedicated. The word terumoth must here be understood in its widest sense, as including everything which the Israelites dedicated or “lifted” of all their possessions, so far as these were not destroyed in the act of offering. Of all the hallowed things. The genitive of identity: “consisting of all the hallowed things.” By reason of the anointing. Rather, “for a portion,” (see on Le Num 7:35). The Septuagint has , “as an honour,” or peculium.
Num 18:9
Reserved from fire, i.e; from the sacrificial altar. Every oblation of theirs. As specified in the following clauses. The burnt offering is not mentioned because it was wholly consumed, and only the skin fell to the priest. The sin offerings for the priest or for the congregation were also wholly consumed (Le Num 4:12, Num 4:21), but the sin offerings of private individuals, although in no case partaken of by the offerers, were available for the priests (Le Num 6:26), and this was the ordinary case.
Num 18:10
In the most holy place thou shalt eat it. . Septuagint, . This expression is somewhat perplexing, because it stands commonly for the holy of holies (Exo 26:33). As it cannot possibly have that meaning here, two interpretations have been proposed.
1. That it means the court of the tabernacle, called “the holy place” in Le Num 6:16, Num 6:26; Num 7:6, and there specified as the only place in which the meat offerings, the sin offerings, and trespass offerings might be eaten. There is no reason why this court should not be called “must holy,” as well as “holy;” if it was “holy” with respect to the camp, or the holy city, it was “most holy” with respect to all without the camp, or without the gate.
2. That the expression does not mean “in the most holy place,” but “amongst the most holy things,” as it does in Num 4:4, and above in Num 4:9. A distinction is clearly intended between the “most holy things,” which only the priests and their sons might eat, and the “holy things,” of which the rest of their families might partake also. It is difficult to decide between these renderings, although there can be no doubt that the “most holy” things were actually to be consumed within the tabernacle precincts.
Num 18:11
And this is thine. Here begins a second list of holy gifts which might be eaten at home by all members of the priestly families who were clean; they included
(1) all wave offerings, especially the wave breast and heave shoulder of the peace offerings;
(2) all first-fruits of every kind;
(3) all that was devoted;
(4) all the first-born, or their substitutes. The first and third must have been very variable in amount, but the second and fourth, if honestly rendered, must have brought in a vast amount both of produce and of revenue. With all the wave offerings. Rather, “in all the wave offerings,” as in Num 18:8.
Num 18:12
All the best. Literally, “all the fat” (cf. Gen 45:18).
Num 18:14
Everything devoted. . Septuagint, , all deodands, or things vowed (see on Le 27:28).
Num 18:16
From a month old. Literally, “from the monthly child,” as soon as they reach the age of one month. According to thine estimation. See on Le Num 5:15; Num 27:2-7. It would seem that the priest was to make the valuation for the people, since each first-born or firstling was separately claimed by God, and had to be separately redeemed; but at the same time, to prevent extortion, the sum which the priest might assess was fixed by God. For the money of five shekels. About seventeen shillings of our money (see Num 3:47). It is extremely drill cult to estimate the number of first-born, but it is evident that in any ease a large income must have accrued to the priests in this way. No value is here set upon the firstlings of unclean beasts; in the most usual ease, that of the ass, the rule had been laid down in Exo 13:13; and in other cases it was apparently left to the discretion of the priests, subject to the right of the owner, if he saw fit, to destroy the animal rather than pay for it (see Le 27:27).
Num 18:17
But the firstling of a cow, &c. Only those things which were not available for sacrifice could be redeemed; the rest must be offered to him that claimed them. The first-born of men belonged partially to both classes: on the one hand, they could not be sacrificed, and therefore were redeemed with money; on the other hand, they could be dedicated (being clean), and therefore had been exchanged for the Levites.
Num 18:18
The flesh of them shall be thine, as the wave breast and as the right shoulder are thine. This is on the face of it inconsistent with the direction given in Deu 15:19, Deu 15:20, that the flesh of the first-lings should be eaten by the offerers in the holy place (cf. also Deu 12:17, Deu 12:18). Two explanations have been proposed.
1. That the firstlings were given to the priest in the same sense as the peace offerings, i.e; only as regarded the breast and shoulder, while the rest went to the offerer. This, however, does obvious violence to the language, and is not supported by the Septuagint.
2. That as the priest was bound to consume the firstlings with his family, and could not sell them, he would be certainly disposed to invite the offerer to join him in the sacred meal. This may have been usually the case, but it was entirely within the option of the priest, and could scarcely be made the basis of a direct command, like that of Deu 15:19, still less of an indirect assumption, like that of Deu 12:17, Deu 12:18, that the firstlings stood upon the same footing as free-will offerings and heave offerings. It is easier to suppose that the law was actually modified in this, as in some other particulars.
Num 18:19
All the heave offerings of the holy things. Those, viz; enumerated from Num 18:9. It is a covenant of salt for ever. Septuagint, (cf. 2Ch 13:5). Salt was the natural emblem of that which is incorruptible; wherefore a binding alliance was (and still is) made by eating bread and salt together, and salt was always added to the sacrifices of the Lord.
Num 18:20
Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land. The priests had of necessity homes wherein to live when not on duty, but they had no territory of their own in the same sense as Jews of other tribes. I am thy part and thine inheritance. Septuagint, . This is not to be explained away, as if it meant only that they were to live “of the altar.” Just as the priests (and in a lesser sense all the Levites) were the special possession of the Lord, so the Lord was the special possession of the priests; and inasmuch as all the whole earth belonged to him, the portion of the priests was, potentially in all cases, actually for those who were capable of realizing it, infinitely more desirable than any other portion. The spiritual meaning of the promise was so clearly felt that it was constantly claimed by the devout in Israel, irrespective of their ecclesiastical status (cf. Psa 16:5; Lam 3:24, &c.).
Num 18:21
All the tenth. The tithe of all fruits and flocks had been already claimed absolutely by the Lord (Le 27:30, 32). It is probable indeed that the giving of tithes had been more or less a matter of obligation from time immemorial. Abraham had paid them on one memorable occasion (Gen 14:20), and Jacob had vowed them on another (Gen 28:22). From this time forth, however, the tithes were formally assigned to the maintenance of the Levites, in return for their service.
Num 18:22
Lest they boar sin, and die. . Septuagint, . In the sense of incurring sin, and the consequent wrath and death.
Num 18:23
And they shall bear () their iniquity. The Levites were to take the responsibility of the general iniquity so far as approach to the tabernacle was concerned. They have no inheritance. Like the priests, they had homes and cities, and they had pasturages attached to these cities, but no separate territory.
Num 18:24
As an heave offering. This means nothing more than an “offering” apparently. It is not to be supposed that any ritual was observed in the giving of tithes.
Num 18:25
And the Lord spake unto Moses. This part of the instruction alone is addressed to Moses, probably because it determined a question as between priests and Levites to the advantage of the former, and therefore would not have come well from Aaron.
Num 18:26
Ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the Lord, even a tenth part of the tithe. Thus the principle of giving a tenth part of all to God was carried out consistently throughout the whole of his people.
Num 18:28
Ye shall give thereof the Lord’s heave offering to Aaron the priest. The Levites tithed the people, the priests tithed the Levites. At this time the other Israelites were nearly fifty times as numerous as the Levites, and therefore they would have been exceptionally well provided for. It must be remembered, however, that the Levites would naturally increase faster than the rest, not being exposed to the same dangers; and still more that tithes are never paid at all fully or generally, even when of strict legal obligation. A glance along the history of Israel after the conquest will satisfy us that at no time could the people at large be trusted to pay their tithes, unless it were during the ascendancy of the Maccabees, and afterwards under the influence of the Pharisees (cf. Mal 3:9, Mal 3:10). The Levites, indeed, appear in the history of Israel as the reverse of an opulent or influential class. It was no doubt much easier for the sons of Aaron to obtain their tithes from the Levites; and as these were very numerous in proportion, and the tithes themselves were only a part of their revenues, the priests should have been, and in later times certainly were, sufficiently rich. If they were devout they no doubt spent much on the service of the altar and of the sanctuary.
Num 18:30
Thou shalt say unto them, i.e; to the Levites. When they had dedicated their tithe of the best part, the rest was theirs exactly as if they had grown it and gathered it themselves.
Num 18:32
Ye shall bear no sin. . They would not incur any guilty responsibility by enjoying it as and where they pleased. Neither shall ye pollute the holy things of the children of Israel, lest ye die. This seems to be the tree translation, and it conveyed a final warning. See Le Num 22:2 for one very obvious way in which the Levites might pollute “holy things.”
HOMILETICS
Num 18:1-32
RESPONSIBILITIES AND PRIVILEGES OF GOD’S SERVANTS
We have in this chapter, spiritually, the status of those who are and , as being the inheritance of the Lord, and (in this world) “having nothing, and yet possessing all things.” Much that has been considered under the head of Num 3:1-51, Num 4:1-49, and Num 8:1-26 is applicable here. Consider, therefore
I. THAT A HEAVY RESPONSIBILITY WEIGHED UPON PRIEST AND LEVITE IN RESPECT OF THE SANCTUARY, OF WHICH THEY HAD THE CHARGE AND THE HANDLING. Whatever pollution came upon it was chargeable upon them in the double sense,
(1) that if due to them, they should suffer for it;
(2) that whether due to them or not, they should be bound to purge it by atonement.
Even so all the faithful in Christ Jesus are deeply responsible for all the shame, reproach, and disparagement which comes upon that temple which is themselves (Eph 2:22; 1Ti 3:15; Heb 3:6), and that in the following senses:
1. So far as such evils may be due to their own sin or carelessness (Mat 18:6, Mat 18:7; Rom 14:15, Rom 14:16; 1Co 10:32; 2Co 6:3; 1Th 5:22).
2. So far as the evil can be undone or counteracted by their own piety and zeal (Mat 5:16; Php 2:15, Php 2:16; 1Pe 2:12).
3. If this cannot be, then at least to this extent, that they bear it on their heart in sorrow and in prayer (Eze 9:4; Dan 9:20; 1Co 12:25, 1Co 12:26; 2Co 11:29). Nothing is worse than the complacency with which Christians regard the scandals of religion, although such are often due in part to themselves, or might in part be cured by their own efforts, or should at least be a cause of inward grief and humiliation to them as members of Christ.
II. THAT A SIMILAR RESPONSIBILITY ATTACHED TO THE PRIESTHOOD IN RESPECT TO ALL FAULTS AND IMPERFECTIONS ATTENDING ITS EXERCISE. Even so it is no light or trivial thing to have received an unction from the Holy One, making us, in any sense of the words, priests unto God. There are no vain titles in the kingdom of heaven to gratify man’s love of distinction; whatever we have is a dispensation committed unto us (1Co 9:17); any ministry in discharged, made a scandal or offence, is ruin to the soul (1Co 4:2; Col 4:17; 1Ti 4:16; Rev 3:2, Rev 3:15, Rev 3:16).
III. THAT THEY WERE UNDER SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY TO WATCH THEIR WATCH AND OBSERVE THE DUTIES OF THEIR OFFICE ABOUT THE SANCTUARY AND THE ALTAR, lest wrath should come upon the people. Even so the custodians of Divine truth are under special obligation to guard most carefully and reverently the two doctrines of Jesus in heaven (“that within the vail,” Heb 6:19, Heb 6:20) and of Jesus upon the cross (Heb 9:14), lest, either being tampered with, damage should accrue to the souls of men.
IV. THAT THE OFFICE OF THE PRIESTS WAS “A SERVICE OF GIFT.” Even so every office in the Church of God is a service, for there is no such thing as a sinecure in the kingdom of heaven; and it is a service of gift, because it is not a matter of earthly honor, or of pay, or of human choice, or even of personal aptness, but of free grace and gift on the part of Goda trust conferred, a bounty bestowed.
V. THAT THE PRIESTS “WERE PARTAKERS WITH THE ALTAR.” Even so hath the Lord ordained, &c. (1Co 9:13, 1Co 9:14).
Consider again, with respect to the Levites
I. THAT THEY WERE GIVEN TO AARON TO “WATCH HIS WATCH” AND “THE WATCH OF ALL THE TABERNACLE.” Even so are all the kindred of Christ given unto him to be his soldiers and servants to keep his watches, and to be the guardians of his spiritual house until he come again (Mar 13:35-37; 1Co 16:13; Eph 5:15; Rev 16:15).
II. THAT WHILE EVER WATCHFUL AND ON THE ALERT, THEY MUST NOT INTRUDE UPON THE SACRED THINGS OF THE SANCTUARY? OR THE ALTAR, ON PAIN OF DEATH.
Even so it is fatal presumption and loss of spiritual life when men leave their practical duties to “intrude” by vain speculation into “those things which they have not seen” in the heavenly state; or when they pry curiously into the unrevealed mysteries of the cross, “which things the angels desire to look into,” yet forbear, because it is not given them to understand (Col 2:18; 1Pe 1:12).
Consider again, with respect to Aaron and the people at large
I. THAT EVERY OBLATION OR OFFERING OF THEIRS WAS GIVEN TO AARON. Even so everything which the piety or gratitude of man freely offers to God has been made over to Christ, as the High Priest of our profession, by an indefeasible title (Mat 11:27; Mat 28:18; 1Co 3:23).
II. THAT THE FIRST AND BEST (THE FAT) OF EVERYTHING was TO BE GIVEN TO GOD AND TO AARON. Even so ought every faithful person to dedicate the first and best of all he has (or is) to the Lord and his Christ. It is a fearful thing to put him off with the odds and ends of our time, the gleanings of our mind and thought, the stray coins of our wealth.
III. THAT EVERYTHING UNDER A BANA VOW, OR CURSEWAS GIVEN TO AARON. Even so does every soul devoted to destruction, every soul under the curse, belong to Christ, because he was made a curse for us, and devoted himself to death and wrath for our redemption; wherefore all souls are his, being given unto him of the Father for his portion.
IV. THAT ALL THE PEOPLE WERE TO PAY TITHES TO THE LEVITES, AND THE LEVITES THEMSELVES TO AARON, and thus the principle was doubly maintained that a tenth part of all was due to God for the support of religion. Aaron did not pay tithes, because he was the figure of Christ himself. Even so all good Christian people are bound, not of necessity to give an exact and literal tenth, but certainly no less than that, unless they think that their obligation to God is less than that of the Jews. This may be enforced by the following considerations:
1. We are as much beholden for all we have to the mere bounty of Providence as the Jews.
2. We are in at least as much danger of covetousness as they.
3. We are much more in the practice of luxury and superfluity than they.
4. We are more distinctly called to a voluntary choice of (comparative) poverty than they (Mat 13:22; Mat 19:23; 1Ti 6:6-10).
5. There is more need of abundant offerings now than then, because we have all the world to evangelize, instead of a single temple with its services to maintain.
6. Our giving should be more ample, just because it is left to the holy impulse of faith and love. God has refrained from demanding a tenth in order that we might freely givemore (Mal 3:10; Mat 26:13; Act 2:45; Act 20:35; Phm 1:19, &c.).
V. THAT THE LEVITES, HAVING “HEAVED FROM THE BEST” OF ALL THEY RECEIVED, WERE THEN TO ENJOY THE REMAINDER WITH A CLEAR CONSCIENCE. Even so the servants of Christ, when they have dedicated (and only when) the best of all they havetime, money, talents, opportunities, influenceto the direct service of Christ, may enjoy the good things which fall to them with singleness and gladness of heart (Luk 11:41; Act 2:46; 1Ti 6:18; and cf. 1Ki 17:13 sq.).
Consider again, with respect to priests and Levites
THAT THEY HAD NO INHERITANCE AMONGST THE TRIBES, BUT THE LORD WAS THEIR PORTION AND THEIR INHERITANCE. Even so hath the Lord given unto us no inheritance in this world, because he himself is ours, as we are his. We do indeed have (most of us) many things richly to enjoy, but these are Dot our own, as the world counts its good things its own, but are only lent for an uncertain season (Luk 16:11, Luk 16:12what we have here is “another man’s,” as distinguished from “our own”); and that we have anything at all is only of indulgence, not of right, nor of promise (Mat 19:21; Luk 12:33; Joh 16:33; Act 14:22 b; Jas 2:5); and, further, whatever we have we hold only on condition of giving it up at once, without complaint or astonishment, if called thereunto (Luk 14:26; Heb 10:34; Jas 1:10; Rev 3:17; Rev 12:11). Nevertheless, we are not poor, though having nothing; but rich beyond compare, having the Pearl of great price, and the Treasure (albeit “hid” for the present, Col 2:3), and the bright and morning Star (2Pe 1:19 b), and in him all things indeed (1Co 3:21, 1Co 3:22; 2Co 4:18; Rev 3:20; cf. Gen 15:1 b; Psa 16:5; Psa 73:26, &c.).
Consider again, with respect to sacrifice
THAT CERTAIN THINGS MOST HOLY MIGHT BE CONSUMED ONLY WITHIN THE SACRED PRECINCTS BY THE PRIESTS THEMSELVES; OTHERS HOLY, BUT NOT SO HOLY, AT HOME BY ALL MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY. Even so there are things pertaining to the one sacrifice for sin with which none may intermeddle but the priest himself of the sacrifice; others which may be shared in common amongst all members of the family of Christ. Or, in another sense, there are aspects of the atonement which can only be made our own in a religious solitude and retirement, and which are profaned by being brought abroad; others, again, which befit the common and social life of Christian people, always providing that no “uncleanness,” i.e; no unrepented sin, hinder them from having part or lot therein.
HOMILIES BY E.S. PROUT
Num 18:1-7
THE RESPONSIBILITY OF AUTHORITY
Recent assaults on the priesthood give occasion for a reaffirmation of its prerogatives. Lest this should tend unduly to elate the family of Aaron, the same Divine oracle which confirms to them their distinguished privileges insists on their grave responsibilities.
I. THE DISTINGUISHED PRIVILEGES OF THE PRIESTS.
1. The priest’s office is described as “a service of gift,” conferred by God himself (Heb 5:4).
2. It was confined to the family of Aaron (Num 18:2).
3. It had special duties into which not even the priests’ kindred, the Levites, might intrude (Num 18:3; Num 4:4-15).
4. The priests had authority over the Levites as their ministers (Num 18:2), and over the people in a variety of ways: teachers (Le Num 10:11); mediators of blessing (Num 6:22-26; Deu 21:5); judges (Deu 17:8-13); sanitary officers (Lev 13:1-59, Lev 14:1-57).
5. Provision was made for their daily wants, that they might “attend upon the Lord” without distraction (Num 18:8-15).
6. They were thus, as mediators, the means of averting wrath from the nation (Num 18:5).
II. THEIR GRAVE RESPONSIBILITIES. Lest Aaron’s “pride” should “bud” (Eze 7:10), even as his rod had, and the priests should be exalted above measure through the abundance of their privileges, they are reminded of some of their responsibilities.
1. The priests and their father’s house (the Levites or Kohathites) had to “bear the iniquity of the sanctuary” (cf. Exo 28:38). Some errors might be atoned for, but they were responsible for any profanation of the tabernacle.
2. The priests alone had to “bear the iniquity of their priesthood.” An annual atonement provided (Le Num 16:6), but not for such willful transgressions as Nadab’s, or for gross neglect (e.g; Le Num 22:9).
3. They had a responsibility in regard to the Levites, not to allow them to intrude into the priest’s office, that neither they nor ye also die” (Num 18:3).
4. The neglect of these duties might be fatal to others as well as to themselves (Num 18:3, Num 18:5).
These two truths admit of various applications.
1. To Christian rulers, to statesmen called to the duty of governing a country on Christian principles, but incurring tremendous responsibility thereby. Illustrate from the history of Jeroboam (cf. Jer 45:5; Luk 12:48).
2. To Christian teachers (1Ti 3:1, yet Jas 3:1). The burden of responsibility quite to account for the “Nolo Episcopari.” Yet where God calls to the honour he will give strength and grace for the burden.P.
Num 18:20
GOD, THE BEST INHERITANCE
The tribe of Levi was left out in the division of the land. Some of its members might have wished to be landowners rather than Levites. Yet their loss was a special privilege, for they were selected that they might “come nigh to God,” and serve in his tabernacle. God who called them did not forget them. They received houses, gardens, pasture lands (Num 35:1-8), and tithes (Num 18:21), and were commended to the care and sympathy of the nation (Deu 12:12, Deu 12:14, Deu 12:27-29). Just so, under the gospel, those called to give up their lives to the service of God, though they may not have even manses or glebes, are provided for by God through the law of Christ (1Co 9:13, 1Co 9:14), and are commended to the care of his people (Gal 6:6; 1Th 5:12, 1Th 5:13). Let no young Christians who hear God’s call to be pastors, evangelists, or missionaries hesitate to obey it. They may have many trials and heart-aches, but they know God’s word: “Them that honour me I will honor.” Their experience may be that of the Apostle’s (Luk 22:35), for their Master’s promise stands good (Mat 19:29). But the privilege of the Levites may be enjoyed by all God’s servants who can say with David, “The Lord is the portion of my inheritance.”
I. THE CHRISTIAN‘S INHERITANCE. Wisdom is needed in choosing an earthly inheritance or investing our “portion” of this world’s goods. It may be invested in a freehold, embarked in a business venture, spent on one’s own education, or squandered in riotous living. Much more is wisdom needed in regard to the soul’s inheritance. Other portions allure some: modern idolatries, worldly wealth or ease (Psa 17:14; Isa 57:6). But the Christian, like a loyal Levite, prefers God without the land to the land without God. He has committed his soul entirely to God. He has no second spiritual portion to fall back upon if this should fail him. Of this he has no fear. He has accepted God’s offer to be his God and his portion, and he can say 2Ti 1:12.
II. THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND PRIVILEGES OF HAVING SUCH AN INHERITANCE. The grave responsibilities of the Levites have their parallel in the entire consecration needed from every Christian (Psa 119:57; Tit 2:14). But we need not shrink from our responsibilities when we remember our privileges. The two things most needed in our inheritance are safety and sufficiency.
1. Safety. If God is our portion, he himself is our security (Deu 33:27). When be invited us to take him as our portion, it was because he took us as his inheritance (Deu 32:9; Isa 43:1; 1Co 3:23).
“Be thou my God, and the whole world is mine.
Whilst thou art Sovereign, I’m secure;
I shall be rich till thou art poor;
For all I hope and all I fear, heaven, earth, and hell, are thine.”
2. Sufficiency. So was it with the Levites (verse 21, &c.), David (Psa 16:6), Jacob (cf. Gen 28:21; Gen 48:15, Gen 48:16), and so is it with all Christians. In God they have sufficiency for both spiritual wants (Joh 1:16; 1Co 3:21, 1Co 3:22; Jas 4:6) and temporal also (Psa 84:11, Psa 84:12; Mat 6:33; Php 4:19).
We can thus recommend God as the best portion for all.
1. A good portion for the young, who, like those born heirs to an estate, are entitled to this inheritance if they will claim it.
2. A good marriage portion. IllustrationRuth, who brought Boaz an excellent portion (Rth 1:16, Rth 1:17; Rth 2:11, Rth 2:12).
3. A good inheritance in troublous times when banks and companies are failing. None of these vicissitudes in our inheritance (Deu 32:31).
4. A good inheritance in reserve (Lam 3:24). That hope cannot be disappointed; the heirs of God know that “still there’s more to follow” (Psa 31:19).
5. A good inheritance on a dying bed. Then all earthly inheritance daily drop in value to the proprietor, and at last “flesh and heart fail.” But the Christian can say Psa 73:26. Because God has been the “portion of his inheritance” he can add Psa 16:8, Psa 16:9, Psa 16:11.P.
HOMILIES BY D. YOUNG
Num 18:1
THE INIQUITY OF THE SANCTUARY AND PRIESTHOOD
It is full of significance that this provision for the iniquity of the sanctuary and priesthood stands first among the regulations of this chapter. Though God had separated Aaron, and in recent transactions exalted and glorified him, he had not thereby made it an easy or certain thing to serve in this office of priest as in all respects one was required to serve. God had called Israel to be his own people, and honoured them, but they were very perverse in all their ways. It is therefore far from wonderful that Aaron and the Levites, being of the same flesh and blood as rebellious Israel, should have fallen short in the holy service to which they were appointed. That rebellious spirit Korah, who was a Kohathite, shows how much iniquity could attach to the sanctuary; and the iniquity of the priesthood is amply shown in Aaron’s conduct when he made the golden calf, and joined Miriam in her envious outbreak against Moses. But even apart from such capital instances of transgression, we may be sure there was continual iniquity both in sanctuary and priesthoodthings done too often in a formal, listless way, priest and Levite alike conscious that the heart was not always in the work. It was necessary to provide also for imperfections in the offerings. The animals without blemish were only relatively so, not blemished so far as the contributors knew, the very pick, doubtless, of the flocks and herds. There was sincerity of purpose, but there could not be completeness of knowledge. Hence we are led to consider
I. THE INEVITABLE SHORTCOMINGS IN OUR HOLIEST SERVICES. Considering how much we fall short even in our relations to men, how deficient in equity, benevolence, and gratitude, we may well feel that the iniquity of our religion must be a very large and serious matter indeed. In relation to God, bow ignorant is the understanding, how dull the conscience, how languid are the affections! What formality and preoccupation in the worship! how apt we are to turn it as far as we can into mere selfish pleasure, from music or eloquence! And when in the mercy of God we become more sensitive to his claims, more spiritually-minded, better able to estimate rightly this present evil world, then also we shall see our shortcomings in a clearer light. Faults that are not noticeable in the dim light of this world’s ethics become not only manifest, but hideous and humiliating, when the light that lighteth every man coming into the world shines upon them. The holier we become, the humbler we become; the nearer we draw to God, the more conscious we are of the difference between him and us. We neither repent nor believe as we ought. Praise, prayer, meditation, good works, gospel efforts, all are seen to be not only imperfect, but lamentably so.
II. THE PECULIAR DANGERS WHICH BESET THOSE ENGAGED IN SPECIAL SERVICE. The Levites, however reverently they might at first bear the ark and the holy vessels, would gradually and insensibly contract a sort of indifference. The burdens would become like other burdens, thoughtlessly and mechanically borne. It is no easy matter for such as have to exhibit God’s truth to an indifferent world to keep above indifference themselves. All the more reason, therefore, that they should be on their guard. There must needs be iniquity both in priesthood and sanctuary, but woe either to Aaron or his sons, or any Kohathite who presumed on this as an excuse for relaxing from the strictest attention. Though we cannot attain entire perfection, we are bound to labour on, getting more and more out of mediocrity and formality. Remember the humility, caution, and self-distrust with which Paul invariably speaks of his own attainments, ever magnifying the grace of God, ever confessing his need of Divine support, and the instant failure and danger which come from its withdrawal. Formality in any special work which God may require from his people, say, the exposition and enforcement of his truth, is ruinous. Christian work can never come to appear impossible, but it must never cease to appear difficult. It must always require attention, concentration, self-denial, and patience. It was a saying of J.J. Gurney, “The ministry of the gospel is the only thing I know which practice never makes easy.”
III. THE DIFFUSIVE, PENETRATIVE POWER OF SIN. It is not so much as assumed that iniquity of the sanctuary and priesthood could be guarded against. However much was done in this direction, something would be left undone, needing to be provided for in the way of atonement. Sin is working in us and against us even when we are not conscious of it. It is a vain thing to make out that there is not much after all of sin in us, that it is a stage of weakness, ignorance, and imperfection out of which we shall naturally grow.Y.
Num 18:2-7
AARON AND HIS HELPERS
I. AARON HAD MANY HELPERS. No less than a whole tribe of Israel, 22,000 in number (Num 3:39). And if it be said, “What work could be found about the tabernacle for so many?” the answer is given in the portioning out of the work among the three great divisions of the tribe. The Levites were not around Aaron like the embellishments of a court, merely to impress the vulgar mind. They were there for workreal, necessary, honourable, beneficial work. A great deal of it might seem humble, but it could not be done without. So notice how Jesus gathered helpers around himself. It was one of the earliest things he did. He gave them also great power, such as to heal diseases, raise dead persons, and cast out demons; that thus they might authenticate the gracious and momentous message with which he had intrusted them. And in the course of ages how the helpers have increased in numbers and in variety of service! Doubtless when Israel settled in Canaan, and the Levites became distributed over the land, it was found that they were not at all too numerous for the religious requirements of the people. Christ is the center and the guide of an immense amount of spiritual industry; nevertheless, the cry goes out that many more hearts and hands might be engaged helping the Divine Saviour of men (Joh 4:35-38). It will be a long time before the Church has occasion to complain, with respect to labourers together with God, that the supply exceeds the demand. The householder had work to be done in his vineyard even at the eleventh hour.
II. THESE HELPERS MUST BE DULY QUALIFIED. They must all be of the tribe of Levi. Levi was taken in place of the first-born of Israel, and when the first-born were numbered it was found that they somewhat exceeded the number of qualified persons among the Levites. But God did not make up the deficiency by taking from other tribes; he kept the tabernacle service within the limits of Levi, and provided for a ransom instead (Num 3:39-51). The service was thus to be a matter of inheritance. Aaron and his sons had their portionKohathite, Gershonite, Merarite, each had his own field of work, and was not to transgress it. Strangers were cautioned against putting unauthorized hands on the tabernacle. It was as real a violation of the sanctuary for a common Israelite to touch even a peg of the tabernacle as to intrude within the veil itself. So we should ever look with great jealousy and carefulness on the qualifications for serving Jesus. There have been great hindrances, occasions for blasphemy, because unclean hands have not only meddled with holy things, but kept them long in charge. The service of Jesus should go down by spiritual inheritance. We take care in affairs of this world that there shall be due apprenticeship and preparation, ascertained fitness, the tools intrusted to those who can handle them, and surely there is equal if not greater need in the supremely important affairs of Christ’s kingdom. Spiritual things should eve, be in charge of those who have spiritual discernment.
III. THOSE QUALIFIED WERE THEREBY PLACED UNDER OBLIGATION TO SERVE. As the service was confined to Levi, so every Levite, not otherwise disqualified, had to take part in it. There was nothing else for a Levite to do than serve God in connection with the sanctuary. He had no land; he was a substitute for others in holy service, and therefore they had to provide him with the necessaries of life. Thus his way in life was made clear; there was no need to consult personal inclination, and no room for reasonable doubt. And so, generally speaking’, what service God expects from us we may be sure he will signify in the clearest manner. If we allow personal inclination to be the great prompter and decider, there is very little we shall do. Many there are whose personal inclinations lead them into some sort of connection with the Church of Christ, and keep them there, yet they never enter into anything like real service. They have a name to serve, yet are only idly busy. Personal inclination is a very small factor in Christian service, at least at the beginning, else Christ would not have been so urgent in his demands for self-denial. Not much, of course, can be done without love; but duty, the sense of what we ought to do, is to be the great power at the beginning. Those who have had the five talents from God may have to appear in his presence to be judged, conscious that not only have the talents been lost to him, but used so selfishly as rather to have gained five talents besides in worldly possessions, influence, and reputation. It is a monstrous sin to use God’s property for the low, injurious aims of self. “Power,” said John Foster, “to its very last particle, is duty.”
IV. THOUGH THEY WERE HELPERS OF AARON, THEY COULD NOT BE HIS SUBSTITUTES. When the priest dies, it is not some experienced and sagacious Levite who can take his place; the priesthood is to be kept in the priest’s own family. The hand cannot supply the place of the head. Take away the priest, and the head is gone. Aaron, if it had been necessary, could have stooped to do the humblest Levitical service, but not even the highest of the Kohathites could enter within the veil. And thus must the helpers of Christ ever look on him as separated by his nature and person to a work which no other human being can do. lie did indeed himself take up the work of the Baptist at one time, preaching repentance (Mat 4:17), and he also at times became his own apostle in proclaiming the gospel; but to his own peculiar work neither Baptist nor apostle could rise. Whatever responsibility be laid on us, we are only helpers at best. Let no admiration we feel for the achievements of the men famous in Church history allow us to forget that their work has been really Christian and beneficial just in proportion as they made themselves secondary and subordinate to Christ. We do not sufficiently appreciate the service of any Christian, unless as we trace in it the sustaining and guiding power of Christ himself. In the Church one generation goeth and another cometh, but Christ abideth for ever.Y.
Num 18:8-20
THE PROVISION FOR THE PRIESTS
Already, upon different occasions, something has been said as to parts of certain offerings being reserved for Aaron and his sons (Exo 29:28, Exo 29:31-33; Le Exo 2:3, Exo 2:10; Exo 6:16-18, Exo 6:26, Exo 6:29, &c.), and now in this passage the whole question of how the priests were to be provided for is taken up and answered. It was a fitting occasion, seeing that priestly duties had just been laid down, so exacting and exclusive in their demands. When a man is called away from the ordinary business of life, where he is as it were naturally provided for by the fruits of his industry, it must always be an anxious question as to how he shall be supported. If the priests, along with the holding of their priestly office, had been able to farm or trade there would have been no need to point out a special means of support. But since the priest was to be wholly given to tabernacle service, it was right not only to assure him beforehand of the necessaries of life, but to point out to him something of the way in which they were to be provided.
I. THE SUPPORT OF THE PRIESTS WAS CLOSELY CONNECTED WITH THE FAITHFUL DISCHARGE OF THEIR OFFICE. They were provided for in the very act of carrying out their priestly duties. Forsaking the appointed service of God at his altar, they found themselves forsaken of his providence. He might have continued for them some miraculous provision by manna or otherwise, if such a course had seemed fitting; but he rather arranged it that in faithful waiting upon the altar their support should come from day to day. Faithfulness was required of them, first of all, in keeping the people instructed and reminded as to all the offerings required. An omitted offering might mean an impoverished priest. Faithfulness also was required in being continually at the altar. It was the appointed place for the people to give and for the priest to receive. There was no call for him to go on mendicant expeditions round the land, or lean upon the suggestions of his own prudence in order to make sure of daily bread. When he went to the altar it was as to a table provided by rite Lord himself. So when God manifestly calls any of us to special service, our very faithfulness in the service will bring a sufficient supply for all our need. If we leave the path of duty we leave the path of Providence.
II. THIS MODE OF PROVISION TENDED TO BIND PRIESTS AND PEOPLE CLOSER TOGETHER. The priest, while in some respects separated from the people by an impassable harrier, was in others united by an indissoluble bond. Standing before them as an anointed one, with awful and peculiar powers, treading unharmed where the first footstep of a common Israelite would have wrought instant death, he nevertheless appeared at the same time dependent for his bodily sustenance on the regular offerings of the people. Thus the priest was manifested as one of themselves. There was everything in this remarkable mingling of relations to keep the people from presumption and the priest from pride. Their dependence on him was not more manifest than his dependence on them. Thus, also, we observe in many and touching ways how dependent our Saviour was on those whom he came to save. He threw himself, as no one ever before or since, on the hospitality of the world, manifesting that there were real needs of his humanity which he looked even to sinful men to supply. And may we not well suppose that even in his glory Jesus is not only a giver to men, but a receiver from them? May it not be that by our fidelity and diligence in respect of the living sacrifice we are ministering a very real satisfaction to the glorified Jesus?
III. As this provision required faithfulness in the discharge of duty, so also it required FAITH IN GOD. If he had said he would provide manna or some direct miraculous gift, such an intimation would have been easier to receive than the one actually made. That which has to come to us indirectly, gives occasion for a greater trial of faith than what has to come directly. The food of these priests was to flow through a circuitous and, to judge by late experience, not very promising channel. Had not these very people, whose offerings were to support the priests, only lately shown their contempt for Aaron and unbelief as to the reality of his office? How then should they be the channels of God’s providence? Thus the opportunity for faith comes in. Looking towards man, all is unlikely; looking through man to God, all appears certain and regular. God will make his own channels, in places we think unlikely, for those who put their trust in him. He knew that, stubborn and unsympathetic as the people now were, yet the day would come when their offerings might be looked for with a reasonable confidence. We are very poor judges by ourselves of what is likely or unlikely. The Divine arrangements, perplexing as they may appear on the surface, have in all cases a basis of knowledge and power which it is our wisdom humbly and gratefully to accept.
IV. This provision EVIDENTLY GUARDED AGAINST ANYTHING LIKE EXTORTION. The people themselves knew exactly how the priests were to be provided for. And this was no small matter, seeing that in course of time the holy priesthood became in the hands of arrogant and grasping men an occasion for priestcraft. Priests learned only too soon the power of an ipse dixit over superstitious and timid minds. But God does not allow the authority of an ipse dixit to any but himself. The priest was bound by a written and definite commandment which lay open to the perception of every one who had to do with him. All these offerings, of which he had a certain part, were to be presented in any ease. They were not presented in order that he might be provided for, but, being presented, they gave occasion sufficiently to provide for him. The people were to feel that he was being supported by a reasonable service.
V. THERE WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO GIVE IN A RIGHT SPIRIT. If any one had a grudging and fault-finding disposition there was certainly opportunity for him to exercise it. He could say, not without plausibility in the ears of like-minded men, that the priests were managing things very cleverly, so as to be provided for at the public expense. Misrepresentation is not a very difficult thing to achieve if certain considerations, and these alone, are brought into view. God’s appointments for the support of the priesthood: were a standing trial of the people’s views with respect to it. Misrepresentations cannot be escaped, but woe to those who, without troubling fully and honestly to understand the thing of which they speak, are the authors of misrepresentations. The priesthood itself was a Divine, a necessary, and a beneficial institution, and every devout Israelite would count it a joy to support it, even though particular holders of the office might be very unworthy men. We must honour and support every Divine appointment, and that all the more if the persons appointed show themselves insensible to the duties laid upon them.Y.
Num 18:19
A COVENANT OF SALT
God has defined the provisions for the priesthood, and indicated in what certainty and sufficiency they would come. He also indicates the permanency of the supply. The things given would be given to Aaron and to his sons and daughters with him by a statute for ever. Everything was done to make and keep the priesthood separate, and prevent those who had it from being tempted into the ordinary business of life, by fear lest they should lack sufficient support. And still further to emphasize the solemnity of the pledge, God adds this peculiar and suggestive expression: “It is a covenant of salt for ever.” Dr. Thomson, in The Land and the Book,’ tells us that it is a habit still common among the Bedawin, and probably coming from the remotest times, for host and guest to eat together. This is said to be bread and salt between them, and constitutes a pledge of protection, support, and fidelity even to death. Thus we may understand God saying to Aaron, and through him to the long succession of priests, “There is bread and salt between us.” But we must also go back and consider Le Num 2:13. All the meat offerings presented to God were to be seasoned with salt. When presented, a part was burnt,as it were, eaten by God himself,and the remainder he returns to the priest for his own use. Thus there are mutual pledges of fidelity. God is the guest of the priest, and the priest in turn the guest of God. In this way God lifted a social custom to a holy use. We cannot but notice in the second chapter of Leviticus that while some things are mentioned as constituents of the meat offering, viz; oil and frankincense, and others as excluded, viz; leaven and honey, a special emphasis is laid on the presence of salt. A special significance was to be indicated by that presence, and it agrees with this that when Ezra was going up from Babylon, furnished by Artaxerxes with all he might require for sacrifice, the salt is given without prescribing how much (Num 7:22). We must, however, look further back than social customs even, to find the reason why salt was present in this covenant. Social customs, could they be traced back, rise, some of them at least, out of religious ordinances. Why was salt chosen as the symbol? It is something to notice that salt gives flavour to that which is insipid. God’s gifts may easily pall and become worthless if his presence is not associated with them; with the sense of that presence they cannot but be grateful. But the chief service of salt is to preserve that which is dead from decay. Salt will not bring back life, but it will hinder putrefaction. Under the old covenant God did not give life, though he was preparing to give it; but at the same time he did much to preserve the world, dead in trespasses and sins, from corpse decay, while he made ready in the fullness of time to bring back the dead to life. Thus the covenant with men through types and shadows was emphatically a covenant of salt. And the same may he said of the new covenant through the great reality in Christ Jesus. There is an element of salt in this covenant also. “Ye are the salt of the earth,” said Christ to his disciples in the great and honourable burden of service which he laid on them. Indeed, what we call the old and the new covenant are really but shapes of that great covenant between God and man made in the very constitution of things. God, creating man in his own image, and planting within him certain powers and aspirations, is thereby recording the Divine articles in the covenant; and man also, by the manifestations of his nature, by his recognition of conscience, even by his idolatries and superstitions, and gropings after God, testifies to his part in the covenant. And in this covenant all true disciples are as the salt, the solemn, continuous pledge from God to the world that he does not look on it as beyond recovery. Be it the part of all disciples then to keep the savour of the salt that is in them. “Walk in wisdom towards them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be array with grace, seasoned with salt” (Col 4:5, Col 4:6). It rests with us to honour God’s covenant of salt and make it more and more efficacious.Y.
Fuente: The Complete Pulpit Commentary
Num 18:1. And the Lord said unto Aaron God, having by the foregoing miracles vindicated the honour and authority of the priesthood, now lets Aaron know, probably by the hand of Moses, the importance of his office, wherein he was to behave with great care and circumspection; and withal he again declares the duty of the Levites, as distinct from that of the priests, from Num 18:1 to Num 18:8 and from thence proceeds to state what maintenance he had settled upon both for their encouragement in doing their duty. The bearing the iniquity of the sanctuary, and of the priesthood, means, that it should be upon them to bear the punishment of any profanations, either of the one, or the other, through their neglect.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
FIFTH SECTION
The more Definite Signification of the Priesthood and of the Services of the Levites. Rights and Duties
Num 18:1-32
1And the Lord said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy fathers house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood. 2And thy brethren also 1of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee 2 shall minister before the tabernacle of 3witness. 3And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die. 4And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the 4tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you. 5And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar; that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel. 6And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the Lord, to do the service of the 5tabernacle of the congregation. 67Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priests office for everything of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given your priests office unto you as a service of 7gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
8And the Lord spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given thee the charge of mine heave offerings 8of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them 9by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, 10by an ordinance for eNum Num 18:9 This shall be thine of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of theirs, every 11 meat offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every 12trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons. 10In the most holy place shalt thou eat it; 11every male shall eat it: it shall be holy unto thee. And this is thine; the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel: I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, iby a statute 12for ever: every one that is clean in thy house shall eat of it. All the 13best of the oil, and all the lbest of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which 13they 14shall offer unto the Lord, them have I given thee. 15 And whatsoever is first ripe in the land, which they shall bring unto the Lord, shall be thine; every one that is clean in thine house shall eat of it. 14Every thing devoted in Israel shall be thine. 15Every thing that openeth the matrix in all flesh, which they bring unto the Lord, whether it be of men or beasts, shall be thine: nevertheless the firstborn of man shalt thou surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem. 1616And those that are to be redeemed from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to thine estimation, for 17the money of five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs. 17But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem; they are holy: thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and shalt burn their fat 18 for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savour unto the Lord. 18And the flesh of them shall be thine, as the wave breast and as the right shoulder 19are thine. 19All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the Lord, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, iby a statute for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the Lord unto thee and to thy seed with thee. 20And the Lord spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.
21And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, 20for their service which they serve, even the service of the dtabernacle of the congregation. 2122Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the dtabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, 22and die. 2323But the Levites shall do the service of the dtabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance. 24But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they 24offer as a heave offering unto the Lord, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.
25And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 25 26Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up a heave offering 27of it for the Lord, even a tenth part of the tithe. And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the corn of the threshing floor, and as the fulness of the winepress. 28Thus ye also shall voffer a heave offering unto the Lord of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the Lords heave offering to Aaron the priest. 29Out of all your gifts ye shall voffer every heave offering of the Lord, of all the 26best thereof, even the hallowed part thereof out of it. 30Therefore thou shalt say unto them, When ye 27have heaved the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted unto the Levites as the increase of the threshing floor, and as the increase of the winepress. 31And ye shall eat it in every place, ye and your households: for it is your reward for your service in the 28tabernacle of the congregation. 32And ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, when ye xhave heaved from it the best of it: neither shall ye pollute the holy things of the children of Israel 29lest ye die.
EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL
By the saving atonement that Aaron accomplished by his offering of incense as symbol of the sympathetic high-priestly intercession, and with which he stood between the living and the dead, and by the blossoming of Aarons rod alone effected thereby [!], the priesthood for the entire Old Testament is established as a fact; in other words, the centre of the host of God, as the sanctuary of the holy nation. From the great fact Moses now draws its ideal meaning, the idea of the priesthood, according to which it has by its sympathy to bear on its heart the iniquities of the nation, even the iniquities of the Levites, and the rights and special duties resulting to the priests and Levites from this fundamental obligation.
Our section accordingly subdivides into the following parts: 1) The entire priestly raceespecially the high-priest and his sons as atoning mediators, with whom the Levites shall serve as assistants, Num 18:1-3 a. 2) The limits of the Levitical calling (which the rebellion of Korah would have broken down), especially the limits for the non-Levites, under threat of the divine wrath (death penalty), if they are not observed, Num 18:3 b5. 3) The divine good-pleasure in discriminating between the Levites and priests. The Levites are made a gift to the Aaronites, to the Aaronites also the priesthood is presented. They all together constitute the personel of the sanctuary, into which no stranger (. Lev 22:10), no one that is not a Levite, no layman, may presume to intrude without incurring the death-penalty. For the whole nation indeed is holy, only the priests are sanctified individually, even the Levites individually are only cleansed, conditionally clean are all that are not unclean, Num 18:6-7; Num 18:4) The priestly right of sustenance. It consists a. in the heave-offerings, of the sacrifices of Israel, of which only Aaron and his sons may eat, Num 18:8-10; b. in the heave-offerings of the wave-offerings (the levies of the taxes) which Aaron and his sons and daughters may eat together, the whole of the priestly families, on condition that the individuals are in a state of purity, Num 18:11. 5) Specification of the latter income: The first-fruits of oil, new wine, corn, and all fruits of the land: the vows (that devoted to God, ), the first-born, except that the first, born of men and of unclean beasts must be ransomed with five shekels, and that the blood and the fat of the sacrificial beasts must go to the altar; In addition the wave breast and the shoulder of the thank-offering. Thus it is established forever (a covenant of salt), Num 18:12 to Num 19:6) The last reward of the priests is conditioned on a divine renunciation, and is great for the individual priest in proportion as he exercises renunciation; he shall not possess a fixed inheritance in Israel; on the contrary, Jehovah Himself will be his inheritance (as vice versa he is to be the clerus of Jehovah in a particular sense), Num 18:20. 7) The revenues of the Levites. In return for their official service they shall receive the tithes that all Israelites are to pay. On the other hand they are in their service to join in bearing the guilt of Israel, and must make no claim to an inheritance of land. But beside, they must pay tithes to the priests of their tithes as a heave-offering to Jehovah, and indeed of all they must give the very best. There is a delicate distinction observed in that the words of Jehovah in Num 18:23 are addressed directly to Aaron, who, as mediator of Israel, does not in this business need the mediation of Moses, since it especially concerns his duty, and his rights were already established before; whereas to the Levites Jehovah speaks by Moses when He enjoins that they shall pay the tenth of the tithes to the priests. Moreover the considerate expression is employed: Ye shall give it as a heave-offering for Jehovah to the priest Aaron, Num 18:21-32.
Num 18:1-3 a. A discrimination is made between a wider and a narrower sphere of the priestly calling to make atonement. The guilt of the Sanctuary is the guilt that is brought on the Sanctuary; not merely offences against laws for the priests and against the sacred utensils (Knobel), nor even the uncleannesses and defects that attached to those that stood in the sanctuary and even to their gifts (for that there was the great Day of Atonement), but all assaults on the central Sanctuary, corruptions of worship, such as the murmuring congregation had given example of; while the high-priestly atonement of Aaron gave an example of bearing (atoning for) the guilt. To the wider sphere of those that make atonement all the Levites are to belong; they must all jointly feel with an interceding soul what is sinfully done against the priestly institution; but what is done sinfully within this institution Aaron and his sons are to take upon their hearts. Thus the sphere of high-priestly compassion concentrates toward the New Testament. Let thy brethren approach with thee in so far that they cleave to thee ( conformably to ). They shall do service to thy service and to the service of the whole Tabernacle. This ordinance of the priestly atonement is the foundation of the whole section, Heb 5:1 sqq.
Num 18:3-5. The trespass of the Levites on the sacred utensils would bring mortal guilt not only on themselves, but also on the priests that suffered it.
Num 18:6-7. The bright side of the Levitical and Aaronic calling. The Levites are made a gift to the Aaronites, and likewise the priesthood is made a gift to them. Their priesthood therefore rests on a double gift of the free grace of God, and in them the Levites too receive a gift. On every hand original claims of right are excluded.
Num 18:8-10. First class of priestly revenues. Heave-offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel.Of the meal-offerings; of the small sin-offerings and guilt-offerings; of all the priests receive their definite portion; of the burnt-offerings of course only the hide. The heave-offerings fell to the priests as out of the fire, so to speak, sacrificial fire; therefore they were very holy, and might only be eaten in the (very holy) fore-court by the high-priest and his sons. The expression: I give to thee the charge, , Num 18:8, is referred here to the notion , part, portio. But any way, the high-priest was under obligation to maintain the right to the definite revenues.
Num 18:11-19. Second more general class of revenues (see Lev 7:33). The wave-breast and the heave-shoulder, and also the first-fruit of every sort (Deu 8:8; Deu 26:2, etc.). Every thing devoted by a vow (see Lev 27:28). The Cherem in the broader sense, what is consecrated to God.
Num 18:20. Between the renunciation of the inheritance in land, and the corresponding renunciation of the priests and Levites, and their immeasurable reward, there exists an intimate connection. The first particular is the condition of the second, not the second merely a consolation with reference to the first. Of late much has been said of the inferior support of the clergy, very little of the great spiritual indemnity. Of course Jehovah was also the inheritance of the priest and of the Levite only pre-eminently. The Levites receive no possession of land (Num 26:62; Deu 12:12; Deu 14:27; Jos 14:3). Their portion is Jehovah (Deu 10:9; Deu 18:2 sqq.). In and with Jehovah they possess every thing. This fundamental law for all the pious is concentrated and illustrated by the priesthood.
Num 18:21-32. The tithes that the Levites receive must in turn be regarded as if they were their natural acquisition in fruits of the land, Num 18:27. In this sense they are to pay their dues to the priests, and that, too, the best of what they received. On the other hand, what they receive must be assured to them as much as if it were the yield of a harvest field belonging to them, Num 18:30. Therefore they may also take their food any place as they like. The heathen priests were many times better cared for, especially the Egyptian priests with their great landed possessions; on which subject see Keil, in loc. How fearfully the possession of land by a priestly class can burden a country and people is taught us by the Manus mortua of the Middle Ages. But now-a-days men have the assurance to say that the medival chief priest needs a whole territory in order to be able to take care of his office, whereas, now and then, he certainly takes care of it zealously in his fashion without territory.
HOMILETICAL HINTS
Chap. 18. The faithful care and protection of the Sanctuary should guard against the judgments of God on the congregation of Israel. The revenues of the priestly race in their spiritual significance. The tithes to the Levites a fundamental form of Israelitish taxes, levies and collections. Hence not to be imposed again in a legal way on the Christian obligation to pay taxes.
The tenth of the tenth a heave-offering for the priests. Thus the members of the church that are most alive are the best supporters of the official pastorate. Care was thus taken that the priests did not receive these revenues directly from the people. Necessity for suitable forms of dues for the clergy.
Footnotes:
[1]omit of.
[2]shall be.
[3]testimony.
[4]Tent of Meeting.
[5]Tent of Meeting.
[6]And.
[7](i.e. as an office presented to them by God).
[8]as for all the hallowed things, unto thee, etc.
[9]for a portion.
[10]for dues forever.
[11]meal-offering.
[12]guilt-offering.
[13]Heb. fat.
[14]give.
[15]The first ripe fruits of all that is in their.
[16]And its ransom (as regards the ransom), from a month on (when it is a month old) thou shalt ransom, etc.
[17]five silver shekels.
[18]as a fire-sacrifice.
[19]it shall be.
[20]in return for.
[21]And no more shall (omit henceforth).
[22]Heb. to die.
[23]But the (tribe) Levi, he shall do, etc.
[24]heave.
[25]And to the Levites thou shalt speak.
[26]Heb. fat.
[27]omit have.
[28]Tent of Meeting.
[29]nor die.
Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange
CONTENTS
This chapter contains some interesting particulars relating to the priesthood, and the service of the Levites: together with the appointed portion for both.
Num 18:1
Do I not see here in the appointment of the high priest, bearing the iniquity both of the sanctuary and priesthood, a strong type of the LORD JESUS, in his priestly office, bearing the iniquity both of his people and their most holy things? see Isa 53:6 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
VI
AFTERMATH OF THE BREACH OF THE COVENANT AT KADESH-BARNEA
Numbers 16-19
In the last chapter I discussed Kadesh-barnea and the great breach of the covenant that took place there. The section from Numbers 16-19 inclusive gives us the aftermath of that breach, all taking place at Kadesh-barnea before they set out on their wilderness wanderings for more than thirty-eight years.
The first case that we have before us is the great revolt against God, Moses, and Aaron. The parties to this revolt are Korah and a number of Levites. The issue that they made was that they were entitled not only to the honor of being Levites but to the priesthood which God had said belonged to Aaron’s family alone. They combined with three famous Reubenites whose camp was next to them. These Reubenites had an entirely different grievance, viz.: That Moses had taken them out of the land flowing with milk and honey and had not brought them into a promised land, and when Moses summoned them to appear, they refused positively to come. The third element of this great triple conspiracy consisted of 250 of the princes of Israel. These 250 claimed that they had as much right to the priestly functions as the tribe of Levi and proved themselves with brazen censers and demanded that they, as heads of tribes, should minister before God. Now these three elements united and said to Moses and Aaron, “You take too much to yourselves; all the Lord’s people are holy.” And Moses proposed a test that God should determine between them, and commanded the 250 princes who wanted to exercise the Levitical and priestly functions to fill their censers with incense and come before the Lord to see what the Lord would do. And he commanded the people on the next day to separate themselves from Korah, Dathan and Abiram. When the people had separated themselves from these leaders, he said, “The test is this: If these men die a natural death, God has not sent me, but if an earthquake opens its mouth and swallows them up alive in the sight of all the people, that is proof that God has sent me and not them.” And instantly the earth yawned and in the sight of all the people, they went down. The test for the 250 princes of Israel was that a fire would go out from God and destroy them, which it did.
But this, instead of convincing the people, made the rebellion spread all over the camp. They did not like that thirty-eight years of wandering, and the entire congregation of Israel charged Moses with killing the people of the Lord. Immediately Moses commanded Aaron to light a censer and move among the people, because a plague from God was going out, and by the time Aaron could make intercession, moving among the stricken people with that censer, over 14,000 of them had died of the plague. Keep before your eyes the elements of this conspiracy and the three proofs from God.
The result of this was that perfect despair came to the people. It is expressed at the end of the seventeenth chapter: “And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone. Every one that cometh near, that cometh near unto the tabernacle of Jehovah, dieth; shall we perish, all of us?” Moses now determined, upon another sign, and another tie that would prevent the people from going to pieces in their despair. He commanded each tribe to bring a rod, and Aaron to bring a rod, and they put the thirteen rods before the Lord on the ark and let God show them by an unmistakable miracle who was to retain the leadership of the people as to the priestly function. The result was that Aaron’s rod budded, blossomed and bore almonds in one night and the others remained as they were. God then commanded that the rod with those full-grown almonds should be put in the ark as a lasting memorial of his decision. We do not know how long that rod stayed there, but when the ark was opened in the days of Solomon, the rod was not there. It was probably taken out when the ark was captured by the Philistines.
Num 18 is devoted to a provision for the Levites. Every word of that chapter is based upon this idea: The Levites shall have no inheritance in the land. They belong to God. They shall not depend for their support upon secular work of any kind. Provision for their food is set forth in certain offerings here mentioned. Their permanent support was the tithe, one-tenth of all products being devoted to the Levites.
Num 19 closes this incident. Part of it is a new provision for cleansing away the defilement of sin. You see there is a guilt of sin, a bondage of sin and there is a defilement of sin. The guilt of sin is the condemnation that comes upon the sinner because he has sinned. The bondage of sin is the evil nature that constantly prompts him to sin. The defilement of sin is quite a different thing from either of the others. To show you the difference, let us suppose a man to be justified. That would take away the guilt of sin, but if salvation stops there, he would have in him an evil nature that would prompt him to sin and he would have the defilement that comes from sin. Suppose that you not only justify him, but that you also regenerate him. Give him an impulse that prompts to good and yet the defilement of sin will cling to him, and he would be in a pitiable condition, like the pure mind of a modest woman, compelled to live in constant touch with shameful things. It would be hell to her.
No author has more powerfully set forth that thought than Eugene Sue in his Mysteries of Paris. The daughter of a great prince of Germany had been stolen when she was a baby and had been reared in the slums of Paris and all her life had known only the vile defilement of crime. Her father found her, and not having been touched with the defilement of sin, she became one of the most beautiful princesses of Europe, but she died of a broken heart because she never could forget the scenes through which she had passed as a girl.
Now, Num 19 is to make a great provision for cleansing from a defilement of sin. More than once have I told you that in regeneration there are two constituent elements, one a change of the carnal mind, the imparting of a new nature; and second, the cleansing of the defilement of sin. And it takes these two to make regeneration. Here you come to the original, typical provision for cleansing from defilement. Hence the importance of this chapter. The provision was that a red heifer should be taken. Not a white hair must be on her. And she should be taken outside the camp and put to death, and burned with red cedar wood, the red signifying blood, while this burning went on, threads of scarlet cloth should be thrown into the fire, scarlet signifying blood. When she was burned the ashes should be gathered up and put in a clean place so as to provide permanent cleansing. In order to liquefy these ashes and keep them they were to be mixed with rain water, making a liquid lye and this was to be kept on hand all the time. Then a bunch of hyssop, whose wood is red, was to be used for sprinkling this lye.
When we come to the prophecies, you have the combination of the cleansing with the water of purification, typifying blood, combined with a changing of the nature. There God says, “I will gather you from all countries where you have been scattered and I will sprinkle the water of purification upon you and you shall be clean.” That typified the application of the blood of Christ. “Then I will take away your stony heart and give you a heart of flesh and I will put my spirit within you.” That is the other part of regeneration. When you come to the symbolic interpretation of Heb 9 , we have this language: “If the ashes of the heifer sanctified to the cleansing of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ cleanse your conscience from evil works to serve the living God?”
In a debate with a Methodist preacher upon that subject, I gave this challenge: “In the Bible from Genesis to Revelation no man can find where God ever commanded a prophet, priest, or preacher to sprinkle, or to pour, just water on man, beast or thing as a moral, ceremonial, or religious rite.” I gave them a day to find a passage and they popped up all over the house and said they could find a lot of them. It brought about the greatest amazement that ever took place in their community. They went to their concordance for “sprinkle” and “pour.” Next day a man came up and said, “I have found it in Eze 36:25 , ‘I will sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean.’ ” I replied, First, that sprinkling, whatever it is, God does it, and he does not command man to do it. Second, that was not just water, but that was the water of purification which was made out of the ashes of the red heifer which typified the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ which is applied by the Holy Spirit when a man believes on Jesus Christ. A man is not only justified when he believes, but he is also cleansed. He is not only cleansed but he is regenerated.” I then traced the thing all through the Bible. Another man arose and quoted what John has to say, “I indeed baptize you with water.” I said in reply, “Baptize does not mean to sprinkle or pour.” But he said, “It says ‘with.’ ” And I replied, “But that is not the translation of the Greek word. The Greek word is en and that means ‘in.’ ” It expresses nothing beyond the means or instrument when it is translated ‘with.’ Finally, Baptists baptize with water, not with oil, not with sand, and they use a great deal more of it than you do.”
Now, don’t forget the deep and solemn significance of Num 19 , that it was a type of that part of regeneration which accomplished the cleansing away of the defilement of sin by the application of the blood of Christ to the believer. Nineteen preachers out of twenty, in discussing regeneration, confine themselves merely to the change of nature.
That closes up the case entirely at Kadesh-barnea, and the next division of the book of Numbers covers thirty-eight years, the great period of silence the scriptural references to which are few and far between: (1) In this book we have the itinerary only, (Num 33:19-49 ); (2) They did not circumcise their children, (Jos 5:5-6 ); (3) They did not offer sacrifices at the tent, (Jer 7:22 ; Amo 5:25-26 ); (4) They worshiped idols, (Act 7:43 ) ; (5.) All the generation from 20 years old up died in the wilderness, (1Co 10:5 ). That period is typical. When Jesus Christ established his church, there was the glorious missionary period of the apostolic days for more than two centuries and then the church went into the wilderness. That is what we are told in the book of Revelation, and no man has been able to put the surveyor’s chain over that period of time in that wilderness.
It baffles all the students of church history. Some of them will tell you that there was no church during that time. But there was a church then, as there was a church in the antitype, and it did not perish. To illustrate: Imagine a long, zigzag river, running into a dark mountain where it is hidden from human sight. Suppose you drop a chip in the river on the upper side of the mountain, and after a while down yonder a hundred miles on the other side you see the same chip come out. You know then that the path of its motion has been continuous. In speaking about the succession of the church of Jesus Christ during the Dark Ages, that is my description of it. God in his mercy has hidden the steps of that period, just as he hides it here.
Num 20 is thirty-eight years from the time of Num 19 . They are back at Kadesh-barnea now, in the first month of the fortieth year. Heretofore all my discussions on the book of Numbers have been confined to the second year, commencing with the setting up of the tabernacle on the first day of the first month. From Num 20 to the end of Numbers is ten months’ time, and Deuteronomy covers the other two months, necessary to complete the forty years to the time they step down into the water to cross the Jordan River.
QUESTIONS
1. Give an account of Korah’s revolt against God, Moses, and Aaron, the parties, the issue, who combined with them, their grievance, Moses’ challenge and result, the third element of the conspiracy, their issue, their demand, the charge of all the elements combined, Moses’ proposed test, the result, and the memorial of this sin.
2. What effect upon the congregation of the Children of Israel, the punishment, and how stayed?
3. State clearly the three elements of this conspiracy and the three proofs from God.
4. Give the incidents of Aaron’s rod, its purpose and history.
5. To what is the 18th chapter devoted, and upon what idea based?
6. What is the water of purification, and how prepared?
7. Distinguish between the guilt of sin, the bondage of sin and the defilement of sin.
8. Regeneration consists of what, and what element of regeneration is typified by this water of purification? Give full explanation, using the following scriptures: Psa 51:2 ; Eze 36:25 ; Zec 13:1 ; Joh 3:5 ; Eph 5:26 ; Tit 3:5 ; Heb 9:13 .
9. The long period of silent wandering is typical of what?
Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible
Num 18:1 And the LORD said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father’s house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.
Ver. 1. Shall bear the iniquity, ] i.e., The punishment of whatsoever iniquity is done in the sanctuary. Sin and punishment come under one name, as being tied together with chains of adamant: where the one dines, the other will sup; where the one is in the saddle, the other will be upon the crupper. Nemo crimen gerit in pectore qui non idem Nemesin in tergo. Sin doth as naturally draw and suck judgments to it, as the loadstone doth iron, or turpentine fire.
The iniquity of your priesthood.
a Comment. in Matt.
b Bellum Hussiticum, p. 9.
c Hom., 3. in Act.
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.
said. See note on Num 3:40.
Aaron. Jehovah “spoke” again to Aaron in Num 18:8 and Num 18:20.
iniquity. Hebrew. ‘avah. App-44.
Chapter 18
In chapter eighteen God said in verse six,
I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given a gift to the LORD, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation ( Num 18:6 ).
And he goes on and speaks of the wages that were to be paid to the priests. As the people were to give a tenth of what they had to the temple and a tenth of the tenth was to go to the family of Aaron as the ministering priest within the temple. The rest of it was to be divided among the rest of the Levites. And so this form of pay and all for those who were ministering and doing the service of the Lord was ordained and that is the whole congregation of Israel bringing a tenth and then a tenth of that tenth going unto Aaron.
And then the meat that was to be theirs of the sacrifices that were brought, the meat that was to be given unto Aaron and to his family. And the Lord said,
it is a covenant of salt for ever before the LORD unto thee and to thy seed with thee. [verse nineteen] and the LORD said unto Aaron, You’re not going to have any inheritance in the land or among the children of Israel for I am thy part and thine inheritance ( Num 18:19-20 ).
That’s beautiful to me. The Lord said you’re not gonna inherit any of the land because “I am your inheritance”.
“
Once more we find a repetition of sundry laws which had a direct bearing on the events recorded, and the reason is explicitly stated in the words, “That there be wrath no more upon the children of Israel.”
The repeated affiliation of the fact of divine appointment as to the position in service of Aaron and the sons of Levi is an arresting and suggestive matter. Observe such sentences as these: “I give you the priesthood as a service of gift” (verse Num 18:7);”I have given them (all the wave-offerings) unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, as a portion for ever” (verse Num 18:11); “I am thy portion and thine inheritance among the children of Israel” (verse Num 18:20); “I have given (the tithe) to the Levites” (verse Num 18:24).
Thus it was made clear that appointment to the priesthood and possession of its privileges and its peculiar relationship to God, together with provision for the sustenance of all those appointed were by direct divine government and according to divine purpose.
It was finally provided that of the tithe, which &as the divinely appointed portion of the Levites, a tithe was to be by them specifically offered to God.
8. Priesthood and Iniquity and the Recompense of the Priesthood
CHAPTER 18
1. The iniquity borne by the priesthood (Num 18:1-7)
2. The recompense of the priests (Num 18:8-19)
3. The inheritance of the priests (Num 18:20-32)
Aaron, thou and thy sons and thy fathers house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary, and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood. This is evidently in answer to the question, Shall we be consumed with dying? (Num 17:13) The ministry of the priests and the Levites keeping the charge of the tabernacle and the charge of the altar that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel (verse 5). The priesthood which had been the object of rebellion was to be their security. If it had not been for the priestly service they would have all been consumed by the wrath of God. Christ is again here in view, He who ever liveth and intercedeth for His own people; Jesus Christ the righteous, who is the propitiation for our sins. He bore the iniquity and the wrath Himself.
The recompense of the priests is fully described in the second section of this chapter. In conclusion of it we read, It is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord unto thee and to thy seed with thee. It is an indissoluble and inviolable covenant. The recompense of the priest and his house must be applied to the reward which Christ has, the joy which is His and His people, His house, sharing it with Him. The two sections harmonize beautifully. Aaron had no inheritance in the land. His inheritance is the Lord. I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel. The Levites had no inheritance in the land, but received tithes. Aarons was the better portion, and such is ours in Christ.
bear
i.e. be responsible for every neglect or offence relation to. CF. Exo 28:38. (See Scofield “Exo 28:38”).
Thou: Num 17:3, Num 17:7, Num 17:13, Heb 4:15
shall bear: To counterbalance the high honour conferred on Aaron and his family, and to allay the fears and abate the envy of the people, it is here declared, that the priest must bear the blame of everything which was not properly conducted in the sanctuary. Num 18:22, Num 14:34, Exo 28:38, Lev 22:9, Isa 53:6, Isa 53:11, Eze 3:18, Eze 3:19, Act 20:26, Act 20:27, Heb 13:17, 1Pe 2:24
Reciprocal: Lev 10:17 – to bear Num 3:38 – keeping Num 31:30 – keep the Deu 10:8 – time the Lord 1Sa 2:28 – And did I 1Ch 6:48 – brethren 1Ch 15:2 – to minister 1Ch 16:4 – minister 1Ch 23:13 – separated 2Ch 13:10 – the priests Eze 4:4 – thou shalt bear Eze 18:20 – bear Joh 1:29 – taketh Heb 5:1 – for men Heb 5:4 – General Heb 9:28 – to bear
The Laws of the Priesthood
Num 18:1-14
INTRODUCTORY WORDS
It is most interesting to study the method of God in caring for those who labor in the Lord. This will be the theme of today. However, we think we had best give some thoughts in general, upon the dignity, the duties, and the glory of being especially called to serve the Lord in the office of priest or pastor.
1. While it is true that every believer has a task for God, it is also true that the Lord has created special offices for chosen representatives. The only truly Scriptural church is where everybody is at work for God, and where there is a work for everybody. However, there are some who give their whole time to definite service.
There is a passage in First Corinthians which runs like this: “God hath set some in the Church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles,” etc.
There is a similar passage in Eph 4:1-32 : “And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for (or, unto) the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ.”
Thus all have something to do, but some have a special phase of ministry.
2. What then is the special work of a chosen group such as are noted above? Apostles are men sent of God, commissioned to a special fellowship with the Lord and leadership among the saints. The church does not often recognize this calling, nevertheless “apostles” are named by the Spirit as a designated group. There are evangelists. These are men sent out to evangelize the lost, emphasizing those messages of salvation, and fundamental doctrines, which lead to conversion and consecration. Pastors are the shepherds of the flock; teachers are expounders of the deep things of God; prophets are those who deal in the realm of coming things, opening up the Scriptures as to the things which are about to come to pass, and the things which await us in the ages to come.
3. These servants of the Lord are usually called for a whole-time service; that is, they have been separated from the walks of business and the toils of the day. For this cause they are to be supported by the saints who have other means of livelihood.
4. There is a dignity in the special offices of the church. We mean that both God and men expect of them certain things which are not asked of what we call the laity. This dignity in no wise lowers the moral and ethical relations which befall all saints.
The dignity of the men separated unto God for apostles, pastors, evangelists, etc., lies in their special calling. They are shepherds who lead the flock in the ways of God. They are men who stand before God in behalf of the people, bringing to Him the needs of the saints. They also stand before the people to tell them of God.
This is no small matter. These called ones should never magnify themselves. However, they may well magnify their office. They should deeply feel the responsibilities that lie upon them, as well as the privileges which are theirs. To be called to a special nearness to God is wonderful; to be called to a gracious ministry toward others is blessed.
To be chosen a king, or a president, or any representative to represent and safeguard the interests of the people is, indeed, a great honor; yet, to be called to be an ambassador of Heaven, sent of God, is a far greater honor, and a greater responsibility as well.
I. THE PRIESTS SHALL BEAR THE INIQUITY OF THE PEOPLE (Num 18:1)
1. There is a Divine law of retribution. In our last study we saw how God slew Korah, and Abiram, and Dathan, and all that appertained to them. He also came in judgment upon the men who walked with them in their rebellion.
God now commands Aaron that he, and his sons, and his house, shall bear the iniquities of the people, and also of the priesthood.
What does this mean? It certainly means that the priesthood were to be quick to discern any defection among the people of God, any sin that lurked in their hearts, and any rebellion that asserted itself.
They were to do more than recognize that sin. They were at once to bear their iniquity. They were to hasten to the Lord with sacrifices that God might have mercy upon the sinners.
God does not, and cannot, overlook sin. Therefore atonement must be made. The Cross must be recognized, and the Blood of Christ must be the basis of forgiveness.
2. The responsibility and burden of a people’s sin falls upon the priests. Take the church as it is today. The Lord, whether He is speaking of the good or the evil in the churches, addresses the pastor. Here it is: “Unto the angel of the Church of Ephesus write.” The messenger of the church, the pastor, is the one held for the conduct of the flock.
3. Where there is wrongdoing or evil among saints the pastor must not only warn the people but he must at once seek to cover them with the Blood of the Cross. He must lead them to repentance. If he warns them not, and fails to get them under the Blood, God’s wrath will fall, and he himself will be held as guilty. Of old it was written: “If thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.”
II. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE SANCTUARY (Num 18:5)
Our key verse reads this way: “And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar: that there be no wrath any more upon the Children of Israel.”
1. There is but one way to be kept from wrath, and that way is to be found in the sanctuary. It is there, in the way of the altar, that safety lies. Sin must be judged; and death is the judgment of the Lord against sin-all sin, any sin.
“The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” “The wages of sin is death.” How then can. God be just and justify the ungodly? How can God keep the sinner that he die not, when God has said he shall die? The answer is in the verse we are now studying. That is the objective of the sanctuary, and the altar.
There is where the blood was sprinkled, and there is where God can save from wrath. Why? That will be the theme now before us.
2. Why the sanctuary and the altar can avert wrath. It is because the altar stood for the substitutionary work of Christ. It was there that the Lord Jesus suffered, the Just for the unjust; it is there that the sinner is cleansed from all iniquity, and made the righteousness of God in Him.
He who would take the shedding of the Blood of Christ out of his Bible, takes the hope of salvation out of his life.
He who would deny the efficacy of the sacrificial shedding of the Blood of Christ, denies the only way that God can redeem the wicked. There is none other name given under heaven, and among men, whereby we must be saved.
God Himself gave command to Aaron that the charge of the sanctuary and the altar must be kept, that wrath come no more upon Israel.
3. God is not willing that any should perish. That is the reason that Christ died for all men; and whosoever will may come. The way of salvation is open to all. However, that way must be entered; that Blood must be accepted, else the wrath of God must fall.
III. A SPECIAL TRIBE SET APART TO BE PRIESTS (Num 18:6)
1. The Lord sets aside one tribe out of ten for priests. The Lord knew that men needed to be taught in the ways of God. Therefore He separated the Levites to do this ministry. They were to serve all the people as instructors and guides in Divine things.
In our day, the day of the church, God also sets apart special men called for special service. In most churches, at all ordination services, where young men are set apart for the ministry, they are carefully examined as to their call to preach. This means that the churches themselves recognize that the Lord is the great Head of His Church, and that He appointeth over it whomsoever He will.
2. The Lord separates the men He calls from all other avenues of life. These men are taken from their brethren. They are taken out of the commercial and educational line, to serve the Lord in spiritual things.
We mean that pastors and evangelists, and the like, are chosen of God to be a peculiar people, dedicating themselves wholly unto Divine things and service. They have too much to do, in things spiritual, to be tied down with things temporal.
3. The Lord separates these men as a special gift to His Churches. This is the way our key verse reads: “To you they are * * a gift for the Lord, to do the service of the Tabernacle of the congregation.”
This was true in Israel, it is true in the Churches. “And God hath set some in the Church.” They are placed in the Churches by Him. God then says, “All things are yours,” and He specializes on Paul, Apollos, Cephas, etc., and adds that they “are yours.”
IV. A CALL TO KEEP OUR TRYST (Num 18:7)
“Thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest’s office.” We can almost hear Paul, saying to Timothy, “Keep that which is committed to thy trust.”
1. It is no light matter to be called into the service of the Lord, as minister of the Word. It is a tryst of honor, and it is a tryst well worth the “keeping.” We need to magnify our office. We need to comprehend its sacred significance. We need to weigh well its obligations both to God and to men.
God does, indeed, hold the minister responsible for the faithful and full deliverance of the Word which He has given unto him.
Perhaps some people who claim to have no special call to preach the Gospel, or to become pastors of flocks, may feel that they are not included in this particular study. It will be well, however, for them to observe that even those who are not called to full-time ministry have, at least, a vital place in the Word and work of God. They, too, should take most seriously their obligations as Christians, for, in truth, all saints have a calling to serve the Lord.
2. It is no small dignity, and is a sacred trust, which God has given to saints. It demands our very best in living and in serving. Let no Christian feel that he is called to a trifling, insignificant task. Let him the rather realize that he is a representative of a high and Heavenly court.
To be in service for the Lord of lords is a marvel of glory. It is something that calls upon us to stretch every nerve. Others may do many things which we may not do. They may go to many places where we may not go.
We have intrusted to us a flag of matchless beauty and pureness. We must keep it white and never allow it to drag in the dust.
V. THE SPECIAL ANOINTING (Num 18:8)
1. A special and hallowed commitment. The words we wish you to observe are these: “I also have given thee the charge of Mine heave offerings of all the hallowed things.”
To us also God has given a sacred charge. To Timothy God said, through Paul, “O Timothy, keep that which is committed to. thy trust.” God has given us the Word of reconciliation. That Word we are to preach, and to preach it faithfully.
God has also given us a special service, and we are to redeem the time. To loiter and waste the moments is to prove faithless to our commitment.
God has also given unto us to bear His Name, without reproach. We should not do anything that will cast shame on that Name of all names. We are Christians. Let us then live like Him.
2. A special anointing for a special service. Here is the statement of our verse; “Unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing.” The high priest, Aaron, and his sons, had received a special anointing with oil for this ministry.
We may take two special lessons from all this for ourselves:
(1) We have an anointing from the Holy One. This anointing is from the Spirit. Let no one, whether minister or layman, dare to undertake work for God without a certainty that the anointing of the Holy Spirit is upon him.
The anointing of the Spirit means first that we have a special power for service given unto us; it means, secondly, that we have a particular approval from the Lord, a recognition of our Divine calling to serve.
(2) We have an anointing from men. It is customary for the brethren of the ministry to ordain men, whom they approve, as called of God. This is done by them only after a careful examination of each candidate as to their regeneration, their call to preach, and their orthodoxy or fidelity to the faith.
VI. THE PROVISION FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE PRIESTHOOD (Num 18:12-13)
1. The priests gave up any possibility of making money, or of raising produce or cattle. What was true in the days of the priesthood, is true today in the church of God, and among the ministry. The pastor, the evangelist, the teacher of the Word, steps aside from all business pursuits, and from all money making. This they give up for Christ’s sake, and for the sake of those whom they serve.
2. The priests were, therefore, to be cared for by the offerings of the rest of the people. The key verse is plain: “All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the Lord, them have I given thee.”
There is no doubt about God’s care of the Old Testament priesthood. Now, let us consider if God has made a similar provision for the ones who minister in the Gospel today. We call your attention to several New Testament statements:
(1) “If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?” (1Co 9:11).
(2) “They which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel” (1Co 9:14).
(3) “They which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar” (1Co 9:13).
These three will suffice. In the last Scripture quoted, the Spirit refers to the care of present-hour laborers in the Gospel, on the basis of the care of the priests of other days.
With what gratitude did Paul speak of the saints who met his need, and were “careful” of him. He said, “I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice, acceptable, wellpleasing unto God.”
Certainly no one would accuse Paul of being after the money, and yet Paul did profoundly appreciate the offering of the saints in his hour of need.
VII. GOD IS THE PART OF THOSE WHO SERVE HIM (Num 18:20-21)
1. The Levites had no part in the land. Everyone else among the twelve tribes possessed their portion of land, but the Levites to whom was given the spiritual ministrations had no land. They were called to serve the Lord, unencumbered with earthly cares. They could not properly attend to the spiritual things, if they were buried beneath the load of other serving. Let the ministers of today take heed to this. Too many pastors and teachers are giving far, too great a portion of their time to farm or business pursuits. They daddle here and there in making money, and as a result they have no time for prayer and the many other tasks that befall the true preacher.
2. The Lord was their part and their inheritance. The words ring out so clearly, and so forcefully. “I am thy Part and thine Inheritance among the Children of Israel.”
Could any of us desire a richer portion than Him? If He is ours, then all things are ours, for all things are His.
When Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lift up mine hand unto the Lord, the Most High God, the Possessor of Heaven and earth, that I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich.” Then the Lord appeared unto Abraham and said, “I am thy Shield, and thy exceeding great reward.”
Let us trust in the Lord in all our ways, for He will neither forget nor forsake us.
3. The Lord gave the Levites the tithe in Israel for their inheritance. This tithe of everything was for their service which they served, even for the service of the Tabernacle.
We grant that the tithe is not restated in the Epistles; however, proportionate giving is stated; and under grace the saints of today should by no means fall beneath the tithe or tenth part, commanded among Israel.
Let there be an equality, not in the amount that saints shall give, but in the proportion they give.
AN ILLUSTRATION
In our ministry as priests of God, let us seek to glorify Him, and not ourselves:
A careless, unconverted worldling, being persuaded by a friend to go and hear a great gospel preacher, was asked next flay: “And what did you think of the preacher?” “I did not think anything of him,” was the reply. Then noticing the disappointed and astonished look on his friend’s face, he added, with tears in his eyes: “I could not think anything of him: I could only think of the Christ he was lifting up before our eyes-the Christ who is now my Saviour.” “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me” (Joh 12:32).
Num 18:1. The Lord said unto Aaron Probably by Moses. Having, by the foregoing miracles, vindicated the honour and authority of the priesthood, God now lets Aaron know the importance of his office, wherein he was to behave with great care and circumspection, and withal he again declares what was the duty of the Levites, as distinct from that of the priests, from Num 18:1 to Num 18:8. And from thence he proceeds to tell them what maintenance he had settled upon both, for their encouragement in doing their duty. Thou and thy sons shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary Shall suffer the punishment of all the usurpations, or pollutions of the sanctuary, or the holy things, by the Levites, or any of the people, because you have power from me to keep them all within their bounds. Thus the people are, in good measure, secured against their fears. Also they are informed that Aarons high dignity was attended with great burdens, having not only his own but the peoples sins to answer for; and therefore they had no such reason to envy him, if the benefits and dangers were equally considered. The iniquity of your priesthood That is, of all the errors committed by yourselves, or by you permitted in others, in things belonging to your priesthood.
Num 18:1. Thou and thy sons shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary. You, and you only, shall be responsible for all breaches and errors in the holy pavilion: the levites might assist in labours, but not touch the holy things. We find old Eli and young Samuel watching by night. The sanctuary being a figure of heaven and all the offices of Christ, the hallowed types must not be marred by the touch of unhallowed hands. This however has nothing to do with the liberty of prophesying, which was left open to men of any tribe. Yet the pastors of the seven churches of Asia bore the iniquity of the people, and are blamed and menaced for all their faults. By consequence, no mere layman should give the Lords supper, neither should any canon compel a minister to give it to any man who lives in known and wilful sin.
Num 18:14. Every thing devoted shall be thine; whether by blessing or cursing. The Lord having so amply provided for the priesthood, the sons of Aaron were not to follow secular trades of barter and gain, profit and loss. It is a pity to see a minister of religion working, except in the culture of his garden; because a man should give himself wholly to the ministry. And note well: he who detains a thing once devoted to the Lord, detains also the curse.
Num 18:17. The firstling of a cow. shor, a bull or bullock, as it is translated in Deu 33:17. The Chaldee is tor or taur, agreeing with the Greek , and the Latin taurus. The paucity of words in the Hebrew text does not always distinguish the species of the genus: cow is therefore the proper reading in this place.
Num 18:19. A covenant of salt; that is, incorruptible; for the word of the Lord is clean, and abideth for ever. See on Lev 2:13; 2Ch 13:5.
REFLECTIONS.
The Lord having prescribed the priests and the levites their several branches of duty, and having prohibited the approach of any stranger to his altar, thought proper to guard the ritual code by sentencing the invader to die. This he would not have done, had not the holy sanctuary been figurative of the heavenly glory. The violation of the first covenant was death; and the second death is denounced against all those who despise the gospel. Hence the Lord has awfully guarded the glory of his covenant and grace. Let every one therefore in the church of God be mindful of his salvation and his calling, for life and death are before him.
That Aaron and his household might be grateful, holy and diligent, the Lord most amply provided for his maintenance. The Levites gave him a tenth of all their tithes: and considering their number, it was a princely portion. Neh 10:38-39. The free-will offerings, including those arising from vows, provided him and all the families with food. They had the redemption money of persons and of beasts, of the firstlings of the cattle. They had the appointed share in all the sin and trespass-offerings; but of these, whatever remained not eaten was burnt upon the altar. The skin of every burnt-offering was also the priests. Besides these they had cities to dwell in, and gardens to the extent of five hundred yards around, in the suburbs. The Lord satiated the soul of the priest with fatness, and delighted the people with his goodness. Jer 31:14. What an account must those ministers give to God whom he has thus blessed with revenues, if they do not seek to be holy; to devote their time and talents to his service, and their superfluities to the poor. What an account must rich men give, if they suffer the families of diligent ministers to languish and want.
The levites, as well as the priests, being amply invested with the tenths, were commanded to give to the altar its just share. If the ministers of religion who preach devotion be not devout; if they who preach charity be not liberal, they must, according to the 1st and the 32nd verse, bear the iniquity of the sanctuary. And oh, how difficult are sins of this nature to be purged; yet hypocrisy in religion is a crime that men will scarcely ever forgive. Oh Lord, clothe thy priests with salvation; let the people around them share in the glory of righteousness, and may the beauty of holiness forever adorn thy courts.
Numbers 17 – 18
These two chapters form a distinct section in which we have presented to us the source, the responsibilities, and the privileges of priesthood. Priesthood is a divine institution. “No man taketh this honour unto Himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.” This is made manifest, in a most striking manner, in chapter 17. “The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, speak unto the children of Israel, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes according to the house of their fathers twelve rods: write thou every man’s name upon his rod. And thou shalt write Aaron’s name upon the rod of Levi: for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers. And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the testimony, where I will meet with you. And it shall come to pass, that the man’s rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you. And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one, according to their father’s houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.” Verses 1-6.
What matchless wisdom shines in this arrangement! How completely is the matter taken out of man’s hands and placed where alone it ought to be, namely, in the hands of the living God! It was not to be a man appointing himself, or a man appointing his fellow; But God appointing the man of His own selection. In a word, the question was to be definitively settled by God Himself, so that all murmurings might be silenced for ever, and no one be able again to charge God’s high priest with taking too much upon him. the human will had nothing whatever to do with this solemn matter. The twelve rods, all in a like condition, were laid up before the Lord; man retired and left God to act. There was no room, no opportunity, because there was no occasion, for human management. In the profound retirement of the sanctuary, far away from all man’s thinkings, was the grand question of priesthood settled by divine decision; and, being thus settled, it could never again be raised.
“And Moses laid up the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness. And it came to pass that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.” striking and beautiful figure of Him who was “declared to be the Son of God with power by resurrection from the dead!” The twelve rods were all alike lifeless; but God, the living God, entered the scene, and, by that power peculiar to Himself, infused life into Aaron’s rod, and brought it forth to view, bearing upon it the fragrant fruits of resurrection.
Who could gainsay this? The rationalist may sneer at it, and raise a thousand questions. Faith gazes on that fruit-bearing rod, and sees in it a lovely figure of the new creation in the which all things are of God. Infidelity may argue on the ground of the apparent impossibility of a dry stick budding, blossoming, and bearing fruit in the coarse of one night. But to whom does it appear impossible? To the infidel – the rationalist – the sceptic. and why? Because he always shuts out God. Let us remember this. Infidelity invariably shuts out God. Its reasonings are carried on and its conclusions reached in midnight darkness. There is not so much as a single ray of true light in the whole of that sphere in which infidelity operates. It excludes the only source of light, and leaves the soul wrapped in the shades and deep gloom of a darkness that may be felt.
It is well for the young reader to pause here, and deeply ponder this solemn fact Let him calmly and seriously reflect on this special feature of infidelity-rationalism – or scepticism. It begins, continues, and ends with shutting out God. It would approach the mystery of Aaron’s budding, blossoming, fruit bearing rod with a godless, audacious “How?” This is the infidel’s great argument. He can raise ten thousand questions; but never settle one. He will teach you how to doubt, but never how to believe. He will lead you to doubt everything; but gives you nothing to believe.
Such, beloved reader, is infidelity. It is of Satan who ever has been, is, and will be, the great question raiser. Wherever you trace Satan, you will always find him raising questions. He fills the heart with all sorts of “ifs” and “hows,” and thus plunges the soul in thick darkness. If he can only succeed in raising a question, he has gained his point. But he is perfectly powerless with a simple soul that just believes that God Is, and God HAS SPOKEN. Here is faith’s noble answer to the infidels questions – its divine solution of all the infidel’s difficulties. Faith always brings in the very One that infidelity always shuts out. It thinks with God; infidelity thinks without Him.
Hence, then, we would say to the Christian reader, and specially to the young Christian, never admit questions when God has spoken. If you do, Satan will have you under his foot in a moment. Your only security against him is found in that one impregnable, immortal sentence, “It is written.” It will never do to argue with him on the ground of experience, of feeling, or of observation; it must be absolutely and exclusively on the ground of this – that God is, and that God has spoken. Satan can make no hand of this weighty argument at all. It is invincible. Everything else he can shiver to pieces; but this confounds him and puts him to flight at once.
We see this very strikingly illustrated in the temptation of our Lord. the enemy, according to His usual way, approached the blessed One with a question – “If thou be the Son of God.” How did the Lord answer Him? Did He say,” I know I am the Son of God – I have had a testimony from the opened heavens, and from the descending and anointing Spirit – I feel, and believe, and realise that I am the Son of God?” No; such was not His mode of answering the tempter. How then? “It is written.” Such was the thrice repeated answer of the obedient and dependent Man; and such must be the answer of every one who will overcome the tempter.
Thus, in reference to Aaron’s budding rod, if any inquire, “How can such a thing be? It is contrary to the laws of nature; and how could God reverse the established principles of natural philosophy?” Faith’s reply is sublimely simple. God can do as He pleases. The One who called worlds into existence, could make a rod to bud, blossom, and bear fruit in a moment. Bring God in, and all is simple and plain as possible. Leave God out, and All is plunged in hopeless confusion. The attempt to tie up – we speak with reverence – the Almighty Creator of the vast universe, by certain laws of nature, or certain principles of natural philosophy, is nothing short of impious blasphemy. It is almost worse than denying His existence altogether. It is hard to say which is the worse, the atheist who says there is no God, or the rationalist who maintains that He cannot do as He pleases.
We feel the immense importance of being able to see the real roots of all the plausible theories which are afloat at the present moment. The mind of man is busy forming systems, drawing conclusions, and reasoning in such a manner as virtually to exclude the testimony of holy scripture altogether, and to shut out God from His own creation. Our young people must be solemnly warned as to this. They must be taught the immense difference between the facts of science, and the conclusions of scientific men. A fact is a fact wherever you meet it, whether in geology, astronomy, or any other department of science; but men’s reasonings, conclusions, and systems are another thing altogether. Now, scripture will never touch the facts of science; but the reasonings of scientific man are constantly found in collision with scripture. Alas! alas! for such men! And when such is the case we must, with plain decision, denounce such reasonings altogether, and exclaim with the apostle, “Let God be true, and every man a liar.”
Gladly would we dwell upon this point though it be a digression, for we deeply feel its seriousness. But we must, for the present, be content with solemnly urging upon the reader the necessity of giving to holy scripture the supreme place in his heart and mind. We must bow down, with absolute submission, to the authority of, not “Thus saith the Church” – “Thus say the fathers” – “Thus say the doctors;” but “Thus saith the Lord” “It is written.” This is our only security against the rising tide of infidelity which threatens to sweep away the foundations of religious thought and feeling throughout the length and breadth of Christendom. None will escape save those who are taught and governed by the word of the Lord. May God increase the number of such!
We shall now proceed with our chapter.
“and Moses brought out all the rods from before the Lord unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod. And the Lord said unto Moses, Bring Aaron’s rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not. and Moses did so: as the Lord commanded Him, so did he.” Verses 9-11.
Thus the question was divinely settled. Priesthood is founded upon that precious grace of God which brings life out of death. This is the source of priesthood. It could be of no possible use for man to take any one of the eleven dead rods and make it the badge of the priestly office. All the human authority under the sun could not infuse life into a dead stick, or make that stick the channel of blessing to souls. And so of all the eleven rods put together; there was not so much as a single bud or blossom throughout the whole. But where there were precious evidences of quickening power – refreshing traces of divine life and blessing – fragrant fruits of efficacious grace – there and there alone was to be found the source of that priestly ministry which could carry not only a needy but murmuring and rebellious people through the wilderness.
And here we may naturally inquire, “What about Moses’ rod? Why was it not amongst the twelve?” The reason is blessedly simple. Moses rod was the expression of power and authority. Aaron’s rod was the lovely expression of that grace that quickens the dead, and calls those things that be not as though they were. Now, mere power or authority could not conduct the congregation through the wilderness. Power could crush the rebel; authority might strike the sinner; but only mercy and grace could avail for an assembly of needy, helpless, sinful men, women, and children. The grace that could bring almonds out on a dead stick, could bring Israel through the wilderness. It was only in connection with Aaron’s budding rod that Jehovah could say, “Thou shalt quite take away the murmurings of the children of Israel from me, that they die not.” The rod of authority could take away the murmurers; but the rod of grace could take away the murmurs.
The reader may refer, with interest and profit, to a passage in the opening of Hebrews 9. in connection with the subject of Aaron’s rod. The apostle, in speaking of the ark of the covenant, says,” wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant.” This was in the wilderness. The rod and the manna were the provisions of divine grace for Israel’s desert wanderings and desert need. But, when we turn to 1 Kings 8: 9, we read, “There! was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.” The wilderness wanderings were over, the glory of Solomon’s day was sending forth its beams over the land, and hence the budding rod and the pot of manna are omitted, and nothing remains save that law of God, which was the foundation of His righteous government in the midst of His people.
Now, in this we have an illustration, not only of the divine accuracy of scripture, as a whole but also of the special character and object of the Book of Numbers. Aaron’s rod was in the ark during its wilderness wanderings. Precious fact! Let the reader seek to lay hold of its deep and blessed significance. Let him ponder the difference between the rod of Moses and the rod of Aaron. We have seen the former doing its characteristic work in other days and amid other scenes. we have seen the land of Egypt trembling beneath the heavy strokes of that rod. Plague after plague fell upon that devoted scene, in answer to that outstretched rod. We have seen the waters of the sea divided in answer to that rod. In short, the rod of Moses was a rod of power, a rod of authority. But it could not avail to hush the murmurings of the children of Israel; nor yet to bring the people through the desert. Grace alone could do that; and we have the expression of pure grace – free, sovereign grace – in the budding of Aaron’s rod.
Nothing can be more forcible, nothing more lovely. That dry, dead stick was the apt figure of Israel’s condition, and indeed of the condition of every one of us by nature. There was no sap, no life, no power. One might well say, “What good can ever come of it?” none whatever, had not grace come in and displayed its quickening power. So was it with Israel, in the wilderness; and so is it with us now. How were they to be led along from day to day? How were they to be sustained in all their weakness and need? How were they to he borne with in all their sin and folly? The answer is found in Aaron’s budding rod. If the dry dead stick was the expression of nature’s barren and worthless condition; the buds, blossoms, and fruit set forth that living and life-giving grace and power of God on which was based the priestly ministry that alone could bear the congregation through the wilderness. Grace alone could answer the ten thousand necessities of the militant host. Power could not suffice. authority could not avail. Priesthood alone could supply what was needed; and this priesthood was instituted on the foundation of that efficacious grace which could bring fruit out of a dry rod.
Thus it was as to priesthood of old; and thus it is as to ministry now. All ministry in the Church of God is the fruit of divine grace – the gift of Christ, the Church’s Head. There is no other source of ministry whatsoever. From apostles down to the very lowest gifts, all proceed from Christ. The grand root principle of all ministry is embodied in those words of Paul to the Galatians in which he speaks of himself as “An apostle, not of man, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead.” Galatians 1: 1.
Here, be it noted, is the sublime source from whence all ministry emanates. It is not of man, or by man, in any shape or form. Man may take up dry sticks and shape and fashion them according to His own will; and he may ordain and appoint, and call them by certain high-sounding, official titles. But of what use is it? We may justly say, They are only dry, dead sticks.
“Where is there a single cluster of fruit Where is there a single blossom? Nay., where is there one solitary bud? “Even one bud will suffice to prove that there is something divine. But in the absence of this there can be no living ministry in the Church of God: It is the gift of Christ and that alone that makes a man a minister. Without this it is an empty assumption for any one to set himself up, or be set up by others to be a minister.
Does the reader thoroughly own this great principle? Is it as clear as a sunbeam to his soul? has he any difficulty respecting it? If so, we entreat him to seek to divest his mind of all preconceived thoughts, from what source soever derived; let will rise above the hazy mists of traditional religion; let him take the New Testament, and study as in the immediate presence of God, 1 Corinthians 12, 1 Corinthians 14; and also Ephesians 4: 7-18. In these passages he will find the whole subject of ministry unfolded; and from them he will learn that all true ministry, whether it be apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors, or evangelists, all is of God – all flows down from Christ the exalted Head of the Church. If a man be not possessed of a bona fide gift from Christ he is not a minister. Every member of the body has a work to do. the edification of the body is promoted by the proper action of all the members, whether prominent or obscure, “comely” or “uncomely.” In short, all ministry is from God, and not from man; it is by God, and not by man. There is no such thing in scripture as a humanly ordained ministry. All is of God.
We must not confound ministerial gifts with office or local charge. We find the apostles, or their delegates, ordaining elders and appointing deacons; But this was quite a distinct thing from ministerial gifts. ‘Those elders and deacons might possess and exercise some specific gift in the body; the apostle did not ordain them to exercise such gift, but only to fulfil the local charge. The spiritual gift was from the Head of the Church, and was independent of the local charge altogether.
It is most necessary to be clear as to the distinction between gift and local charge. There is the utmost confusion of the two things throughout the entire professing church,, and the consequence is that ministry is not understood. The members of the body of Christ do not understand their place or their functions. Human election, or human authority in some shape or another, is deemed essential to the exercise of ministry in the Church. But there is really no such thing in scripture. If there be, nothing is easier than to produce it. We ask the reader to find a single line, from cover to cover of the New Testament in which a human call, human appointment, or human authority, has anything whatsoever to do with the exercise of ministry in its very fullest range. We boldly assert there is no such thing.* Ah, no; blessed be God, ministry in His Church is “not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead.” “God hath set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased Him.” (1 Cor. 12: 18) “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. wherefore He saith, When he ascended up on High, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men…..and he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith. and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Ephesians 4: 7-13.
{*Even in the matter of appointing deacons, in Acts 6, we see it was an apostolic act. “Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.” ‘The brethren were allowed to select the men, inasmuch as it was their money that was in question. But the appointment was divine. And this, be it remembered, had reference merely to the business of deacons who were to manage the Church’s temporal affairs. But as regards the work of evangelists, pastors, and teachers, it is wholly independent of human choice and human authority, and rests simply upon the gift of Christ, Ephesians 4: 11.}
Here all the grades of ministerial gift are placed on one and the same ground, from apostles down to evangelists and teachers. They are All given by the Head of the Church and, when bestowed, they render the possessors responsible, at once, to the head in heaven, and to the members on earth. The idea of any possessor of a positive gift from God waiting for human authority, is as great an insult to the divine majesty as if Aaron had gone with his blooming rod in his hand, to be ordained to the priesthood by some of his fellows. Aaron knew better. He was called of God, and that was quite enough for him. and so now, all who possess a divine gift are Called of God to the ministry, and they need nothing more save to wait on their ministry, and cultivate their gift.
Need we add that it is vain for men to set up to be ministers unless they really do possess the gift? A man may fancy he has a gift, and it may be only a vain conceit of his own mind. It is quite as bad, if not worse, for one man to go to work on the strength of his own foolish imagination, as for another to go on the strength of the unwarrantable authority of his fellows. What we contend for is this – ministry is of God as to its source, power, and responsibility. We do not think that this statement will be called in question by any who are disposed to be taught exclusively by scripture. Every minister, whatever be his gift, should be able, in his measure, to say, “God has put me into the ministry.” But for a man to use this language without possessing any gift, is, to say the least of it, worse than worthless. The people of God can easily tell where there is real spiritual gift. Power is sure to be felt. But if men pretend to gift or power without the reality, their folly shall speedily be manifest to all. All pretenders are sure to find their true level, sooner or later.
Thus much as to ministry and priesthood. The source of each is divine. The true foundation of each lies in the budding rod. Let this be ever borne in mind. Aaron could say,” God put me into the priesthood;” and if challenged for his proof, he could point to the fruit-bearing rod. Paul could say, “God put me into the ministry;” and when challenged for his proof, could point to the thousands of living seals to his work. Thus it must ever be in principle, whatever be the measure. Ministry must not be merely in word or in tongue; but in deed and in truth. God will not know the speech, But the power.
But, ere we turn from this subject, we deem it most necessary to impress upon the reader the importance of distinguishing between ministry and priesthood. The sin of Korah consisted in this, that, not content with being a minister, he aimed at being a priest; and the sin of Christendom is of the same character. Instead of allowing ministry to rest upon its own proper New Testament basis, to exhibit its proper characteristics, And discharge its proper functions, it is exalted into a priesthood, a sacerdotal caste, the members of which are distinguished from their brethren by their style of dress and certain titles. There is no foundation whatsoever for these things in the New Testament. According to the plain teaching of that blessed book, all believers are priests. Thus, in Peter we read, “But ye [not merely the apostles, but all believers] are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood.” (1 Peter 2: 9) so also in Revelation “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father.” (1 Peter 1: 5, 6) God, in pursuance of the truth set forth in the foregoing passages, we find the Apostle Paul, by the Holy Ghost, exhorting the Hebrew believers to draw nigh, and enter with boldness into the very holiest of all. (Heb. 10: 19-22) And further on he says, “By him therefore [i.e., Jesus let us offer The sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name. But to do good, and to communicate, forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” Hebrews 13: 15, 16.
How marvellous it must have appeared to Jewish saints – to those trained amid the institutions of the Mosaic economy, to be exhorted to enter into a place to which the very highest functionary in Israel could only approach once a year, and that but for a moment! And there to be told that they were to offer sacrifice, that they were to discharge the peculiar functions of the priesthood. All this was wonderful. But thus it is, if we are to be taught by scripture, and not by the commandments, the doctrines, and the traditions of men. All Christians are priests. They are not all apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors, or evangelists; but they are all priests. The very feeblest member of the Church was as much a priest as Peter, Paul, James, or John. We speak not of capacity or spiritual power, but of the position which all occupy in virtue of the blood of Christ. There is no such thing in the New Testament as a certain class of men, a certain privileged caste, brought into a higher or nearer position than their brethren. All this is flatly opposed to Christianity – a bold traversing of all the precepts of the word of God, and the special teachings of our blessed Lord and Master.
Let no one suppose that these things are unimportant. Far from it. They affect the very foundations of Christianity. We have only to open our eyes and look around us in order to see the practical results of this confounding of ministry and priesthood. And we may rest assured that the moment is rapidly approaching when these results will all assume a far more awful character, and bring down the very heaviest judgements from the living God. We have not yet seen the full antitype of “the gainsaying of Core;” but it will soon be manifested: and we solemnly warn the Christian reader to take heed how he lends his sanction to the serious error of mixing up two things so entirely distinct as ministry and priesthood. We would exhort him to take this whole subject up in the light of scripture. we want him to submit to the authority of God’s word, and to abandon everything that is not founded thereon. It matters not what it is; it may be a time-honoured institution; an expedient arrangement; a decent ceremony supported by tradition, and countenanced by thousands of the very best of men. It matters not. If the thing has no foundation in holy scripture, it is an error, and an evil, and a snare of the devil, to entice our souls, and lead us away from the simplicity that is in Christ. For example, if we are taught that there is, in the Church of God, a sacerdotal caste, a class of men, more holy, more elevated, nearer to God, than their brethren – than ordinary Christians; what is this but Judaism revived and tacked on to Christian forms? And what must be the effect of this, but to rob the children of God of their proper privileges as such, and to put them at a distance from Him, and place them under bondage?
We shall not pursue this subject any further just now. Enough, we trust, has been suggested to lead the reflecting reader to follow it up for himself. We only add, and that with special emphasis, let him follow it up only in that light of scripture. Let him resolve, by the grace of God, to lay aside everything which rests not upon the solid and sacred basis of the written word. Thus, and thus alone, can he be preserved from every form of error, and led to a sound conclusion on this most important and interesting question.
The closing lines of chapter 17 furnish a remarkable illustration of how quickly the human mind passes from one extreme to another. “The children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish. Whosoever cometh anything near unto the tabernacle of the Lord shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?” In the preceding chapter, we see bold presumption in the very presence of the majesty of Jehovah, where there should have been profound humility. Here, in the presence of divine grace and its provisions, we observe legal fear and distrust. Thus it is ever. Mere nature neither understands holiness nor grace. At one moment we hearken to such accents as these, “All the congregation are holy;” and the next moment, the word is, “Behold we die, we perish, we all perish.” The carnal mind presumes where it ought to retire; it distrusts where it ought to confide.
However, all this becomes the occasion, through the goodness of God, of unfolding to us, in a very full and blessed manner, the holy responsibility as well as the precious privileges of the priesthood. How gracious it is – how like our God, to turn His people’s mistakes into an occasion of furnishing deeper instruction as to His ways! It is His Prerogative, blessed be His name, to bring good out of evil; to make the eater yield meat, and the strong, sweetness. Thus “the gainsaying of Core” gives occasion for the copious volume of instruction furnished by Aaron’s rod; and the closing lines of chapter 17 call forth an elaborate statement of the functions of Aaron’s priesthood. To this latter we shall now proceed to direct the reader’s attention.
“And the Lord said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons, and thy father’s house with thee, shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary; and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood. All thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring them with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness. And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die. And they shall be joined unto thee, and beep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you. and ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar: that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel. And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the Lord, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest’s office for every thing of the altar, and within the veil; and ye shall serve: I have given your priest’s office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.” Num. 18: 1-7.
Here we have a divine answer to the question raised by the children of Israel,” Shall we be consumed with dying?” “No,” says the God of all grace and mercy. And why not? Because “Aaron and his sons with him shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar; that There be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel.” Thus the people are taught that in that very priesthood which had been so despised and spoken against, they were to find their security.
But we have to notice particularly that Aaron’s sons, and his father’s house are associated with him in His high and holy privileges and responsibilities. the Levites were given as a gift to Aaron, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. They were to serve under Aaron, the head of the priestly house. This teaches us a fine lesson, and one much needed by Christians at the present moment. We all want to bear in mind that service, to be intelligent and acceptable, must be rendered in subjection to priestly authority and guidance. “And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee.” This stamped its distinct character upon the entire range of Levite service. The whole tribe of workers were associated with and subject to the great high priest. All was under his immediate control and guidance. So must it be now, in reference to all God’s workers. All Christian service must be rendered in fellowship with our great High Priest, and in holy subjection to His authority. It is of no value otherwise. There may be a great deal of work done, there may be a great deal of activity; but if Christ be not the immediate object before the heart, if His guidance and authority be not fully owned, the work must go for nothing.
But, on the other hand, the smallest act of service the meanest work done under the eye of Christ, done with direct reference to Him, has its value in God’s estimation, and shall, most assuredly, receive its due reward. This is truly encouraging, and consolatory to the heart of every earnest worker. The Levites had to work under Aaron. Christians have to work under Christ. We are responsible to Him. It is very well and very beautiful to walk in fellowship with our dear fellow-workmen, and to be subject one to another, in the fear of the Lord. Nothing is further from our thoughts that to foster or countenance a spirit of haughty independence, or that temper of soul which would hinder our genial and hearty co-operation with our brethren in every good work. All the Levites were “joined unto Aaron,” in their work, and therefore they were joined one to another. Hence, they had to work together. If a Levite had turned his back upon his brethren, he would have turned his back upon Aaron. We may imagine a Levite, taking offence at something or other in the conduct of his fellows, and saying to Himself, “I cannot get on with my brethren. I must walk alone. I can serve God, and work under Aaron; but I must beep aloof from my brethren inasmuch as I find it impossible to agree with them as to the mode of working.” But we can easily see through the fallacy of all this. For a, Levite to adopt such a line of action would have produced nothing but confusion. All were called to work together, how varied soever their work might be.
Still, be it ever borne in mind, their work did vary and, moreover, each was called to work under Aaron. There was individual responsibility with the most harmonious corporate action. We certainly desire, in every possible way, to promote unity in action; but this must never be suffered to trench upon the domain of personal service, or to interfere with the direct reference of the individual workman to his Lord. the Church of God affords a very extensive platform to the Lord’s workers. There is ample space thereon for all sorts of labourers. We must not attempt to reduce all to a dead level, or cramp the varied energies of Christ’s servants by confining them to certain old ruts of our own formation. This will never do. We must, all of us diligently seek to combine the most cordial unanimity with the greatest possible variety in action. Both will be healthfully promoted by each and all remembering that we are called to serve together under Christ.
Here lies the grand secret. Together, under Christ! May we bear this in mind. It will help us to recognise and appreciate another’s line of work though it may differ from our own; and, on the other hand, it will preserve us from an overweening sense of our own department of service, inasmuch as we shall see that we are, one and all, but co-workers in the one wide field; and that the great object before the Master’s heart can only be attained by each worker pursuing his own special line, and pursuing it in happy fellowship with all.
There is a pernicious tendency in some minds to depreciate every line of work save their own. This must be carefully guarded against. If all were to pursue the same line, where were that lovely variety which characterises the Lord’s work and workmen in the world? Nor is it merely a question of the line of work, but actually of the peculiar style of each workman. You may find two evangelists, each marked by an intense desire for the salvation of souls, each preaching, substantially, the same truth; and yet there may be the greatest possible variety in the mode in which each one seeks to gain the self-same object. We should be prepared for this. Indeed we should fully expect it. And the same holds good in reference to every other branch of Christian service. We should strongly suspect the ground occupied by a Christian assembly if there were not ample space allowed for every branch and style of Christian service – for every line of work capable of being taken up in individual responsibility to the great Head of the priestly house. We ought to do nothing which we cannot do under Christ, and in fellowship with Him. And all that can be done in fellowship With Christ can surely be done in fellowship with those who are walking with Him.
Thus much as to the special manner in which the Levites are introduced in our chapter, in connection with Aaron and his sons. To these latter we shall now turn for a few moments, and meditate on the rich provision made for them, in the goodness of God, as well as the solemn functions devolving upon them, in their priestly place.
“And the Lord spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given thee the charge of mine heave-offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them, by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by an ordinance for ever. This shall be thine of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of theirs, every meat-offering of theirs; and every sin-offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons. In the most holy place shalt thou eat it; every male shall eat it: it shall be holy unto thee.” Verses 8-10.
Here we have a type of the people of God looked at in another aspect. They are here presented, not as workers, but as worshippers; not as Levites, but as priests. all believers – all Christians – all the children of God, are priests. There is, according to the teaching of the New Testament, no such thing as a priest upon earth, save in the sense in which all believers are priests. A special priestly caste – a certain class of men set apart as priests, is a thing not only unknown in Christianity, but most positively hostile to the spirit and principles thereof. We have already referred to this subject, and quoted the various passages of scripture bearing upon it. We have a great High Priest who has passed into the heavens, for if He were on earth He should not be a priest. (Compare Heb. 4: 14 and 8: 4 “Our Lord sprang Out Of Judah; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.” Hence, therefore, a sacrificing priest on the earth is a direct denial of the truth of scripture, and a complete setting aside of the glorious fact on which Christianity is based, namely, accomplished redemption. If there is any need of spriest now, to offer sacrifice for sins, then, most assuredly, redemption is not an accomplished fact. But scripture, in hundreds of places, declares that it is, and therefore we need no more offering for sin. “But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption.” (Heb. 9: 11, 12) So also, in Heb. 10 we read, “By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” And again, “Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.”
This settles the great question as to priesthood and sacrifice for sin. Christians cannot be too clear or decided in reference to it. It lies at the very foundation of true Christianity, and demands the deep and serious attention of all who desire to walk in the clear light of a full salvation, and to occupy the true Christian position. There is a strong tendency towards Judaism – a vigorous effort to engraft Christian forms upon the old Jewish stem. This is nothing new; But, just now, the enemy seems peculiarly busy. We can perceive a great leaning towards Romanism, throughout the length and breadth of Christendom; and in nothing is the leaning more strikingly apparent than in the institutions of a special priestly order in the Church of God. We believe it to be a thoroughly antichristian institution. It is the denial of the common priesthood of all believers. If a certain set of men are ordained to occupy a place of peculiar nearness and sanctity, then where are the great mass of Christians to stand?
This is the question. It is precisely here that the great importance and gravity of this whole subject are made apparent. Let not the reader suppose that we are contending for some peculiar theory of any particular class or sect of Christians. Nothing is further from our thoughts. It is because we are convinced that the very foundations of the Christian faith are involved in this question of priesthood that we urge its consideration upon all with whom we have to do. We believe it will invariably be found that in proportion as Christians become clear and settled on the divine ground of accomplished redemption, they get further and further away from the Romanism and Judaism of an order of priests in the Church of God. And, on the other hand, where souls are not clear, not settled, not spiritual; where there is legality, carnality and worldliness, there you will find a hankering after a humanly appointed priesthood. Nor is it difficult to see the reason of this. If a man is not himself in a fit state to draw nigh to God, it will be a relief to him to employ another to draw nigh for him. And, most certainly, no man is in a fit state to draw nigh to a holy God who does not know that his sins are forgiven – has not got a perfectly purged conscience – is in a dark, doubting, legal state of soul. In order to come boldly into the holiest of all, we must know what the blood of Christ has done for us; we must know that we ourselves are made priests to God; and that, in virtue of the atoning death of Christ, we are brought so near to God that it is impossible for any order of men to come between. “He hath loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and made us priests unto God and his Father.” (Rev. 1) “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light.” and again, “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2: 5, 9) “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate, forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” Hebrews 13: 15, 16.
Here we have the two great branches of spiritual sacrifice which, as priests, we are privileged to offer, namely, praise to God, doing good to men. The very youngest, the most inexperienced, the most unlettered Christian is capable of understanding these things. Who is there in all the family of God – in all the priestly household of our divine High Priest, who cannot, with his heart, say, “The Lord be praised” And who cannot, with his hand, do good to His fellow? And this is priestly worship, and priestly service – the common worship and service of all true Christians. True, the measure of spiritual power may vary; But all the children of God are constituted priests, one as much as another.
Now in Numbers 18 we are presented with a very full statement of the provision made for Aaron and his house; and, in that provision, a type of the spiritual portion of the Christian priesthood. And surely we cannot read the record without seeing what a royal portion is ours. “Every oblation of theirs, every meat offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons. In the Most holy place shalt thou eat it; every male shall eat it: it shall be holy unto thee.”
It demands a very large measure of spiritual capacity to enter into the depth and meaning of this marvellous passage. To eat the sin offering, or the trespass offering is, in figure, to make another’s sin or trespass one’s own. This is very holy work. It is not every one who can, in spirit, identify himself with the sin of his brother. To do so in fact, in the way of atonement, is, we need hardly say, wholly out of question. There was but one who could do this; and He – adored for ever be His name! – has done it perfectly.
But there is such a thing as making my brother’s sin my own, and bearing it in spirit before God, as though it were my own. This is shadowed forth by Aaron’s sons eating the sin offering, in the most holy place. It was only the sons who did so. “Every male shall eat it.* It was the very highest order of priestly service. “in the most holy place shalt thou eat it.” We need to be very near to Christ in order to enter into the spiritual meaning and application of all this. It is a wonderfully blessed and holy exercise; and it can only be known in the immediate presence of God. How little we really know of this the heart can testify. Our tendency is, when a brother has sinned, to sit in judgement upon him; to take the place of a severe censor, to look upon his sin as a something with which we have nothing whatever to do. This is to fail sadly in our priestly functions. It is refusing to eat the sin offering in the most holy place. It is a most precious fruit of grace to be able so to identify oneself with an erring brother as to make his sin one’s own – to bear it in spirit before God. This truly is a very high order of priestly service, and demands a large measure of the spirit and mind of Christ. It is only the spiritual who really enter into this; and alas! how few of us are truly spiritual! “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” (Gal. 6: 1, 2) May the Lord give us grace to fulfil this blessed “law!” How unlike it is to everything in us! How it rebukes our harshness and selfishness! Oh! to be more like Christ in this as in All beside!
{*As a general principle, the “son” presents the divine idea; the “daughter,” the human apprehension thereof: the male” sets forth the thing as God gives it; the “female” as we realise and exhibit it.}
But there was another order of priestly privilege, not so high as that which we have been considering. “And this is thine: the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel: I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons, and to the daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: every one that is clean in thy house shall eat of it.” Verse 11.
The daughters of Aaron were not to eat of the sin offerings or the trespass offerings. They were provided for according to the utmost limit of their capacity; but there were certain functions which they could not discharge – certain privileges which lay beyond their range – certain responsibilities too weighty for them to sustain. It is far easier to have fellowship with another in the presentation of a thank offering than it is to make his sin our own. This matter demands a measure of priestly energy which finds its type in Aaron’s “sons,” not in his “daughters.” We must be prepared for those varied measures amongst the members of the priestly household. we are all blessed be God, on the same ground; we all stand in the same title; we are all in the same relationship; but our capabilities vary; and while we should all aim at the very highest standard of priestly service, and the very highest measure of priestly capacity, it is of no possible use to pretend to what we do not possess.
One thing, however, is clearly taught in verse 11 and that is, we must be “clean” in order to enjoy any priestly privilege, or eat of any priestly food – clean, through the precious blood of Christ applied to our conscience – clean, through the application of the word, by the Spirit, to our habits, associations, and ways. When thus clean, whatever be our capacity, we have the richest provision made for our souls, through the precious grace of God. Hearken to the following Words: “All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the Lord, them have I given thee. And whatsoever is first ripe in the land, which they shall bring unto the Lord, shall be thine; every one who is clean in thy house shall eat of it.” Verses 12, 13.*
{*Let the reader consider what the moral effect must be of taking the above passage literally and applying it to a certain priestly class in the Church of God: Take it typically and spiritually, and you have a striking and beautiful figure of the spiritual food provided for all the members of the priestly family, which is, in one word Christ in all His preciousness and fullness.}
Here, assuredly, we have a princely portion provided for those who are made priests unto God. They were to have the very best, and the very first of everything which the Lord’s land produced. There was “The wine which maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart.” Psalm 104: 15.
What a figure have we, in all this, of our portion in Christ! The olive, the grape, and the finest of the wheat were pressed and bruised, in order to feed and gladden the priests of God; and the blessed Antitype of all these has, in infinite grace, been bruised and crushed in death, in order that by His flesh and blood, He might minister life, strength, and gladness to His household. He, the precious corn of wheat, fell into the ground and died, that we might live; and the juices of the living vine were pressed to till that cup of salvation of which we drink, now, and shall drink for ever, in the presence of our God.
What, therefore, remains? What do we want, save an enlarged capacity to enjoy the fullness and blessedness of our portion in a crucified, risen, and glorified Saviour? We may well say, “We have all and abound.” God has given us all that even He could give – the very best He had. He has given us His own portion. He has called us to sit down with Himself, in holy, happy fellowship, and feast upon the fatted calf. He has caused our ears to hear, and our hearts, in some small degree, to enter into these most marvellous words, “let us eat and be merry.”
How wonderful to think that nothing could satisfy the heart and mind of God but to gather His people round Himself and feed them with that in which He Himself delights! “Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” (1 John 1) What more could even the love of God do for us than this? And for whom has He done it? For those who were dead in trespasses and sins – for aliens, enemies, guilty rebels – for dogs of the Gentiles – for those who were far from Him, having no hope, and without God in the world – for those who, had we our deserts, should lie now burning in the eternal flames of hell. Oh! what wondrous grace! What profound depths of sovereign mercy! And, we must add, what a divinely precious atoning sacrifice, to bring poor self-destroyed, guilty, hell-deserving sinners into such ineffable blessedness! – to pluck us as brands from everlasting burnings, and make us priests to God! – to take away all our “filthy garments” from us, and cleanse, clothe, and crown us, in His own presence, and to His own praise! May we praise Him! May our hearts and lives praise Him! May we know how to enjoy our priestly place and portion, and to wear our mitre well! We can do nothing better than praise God – nothing higher than to present to Him, by Jesus Christ, the fruit of’ our lips giving thanks to His name. This shall be our everlasting employment in that bright and blessed world to which we are hastening, and where we shall soon be, to dwell for ever with Him who has loved us and given Himself for us – our own blessed Saviour God – to go no more out for evermore.
In verses 14-19 of our chapter we have instruction as to “the firstborn of man and beast.” We may remark that man is placed on a level with the unclean beast. Both had to be redeemed. The unclean beast was unfit for God; and so was man, unless redeemed by blood. The clean animal was not to be redeemed. It was fit for God’s use, and was given to be the food of the entire priestly household – sons and daughters alike. In this we have a type of Christ in whom God can find His perfect delight the full joy of His heart – the only object, throughout the wide universe, in which He could find perfect rest and satisfaction. And – wondrous thought – He has given Him to us, His priestly household, to be our food, our light, our joy, our all in all for ever.*
{*For further remarks on the subject presented to Numbers 18: 14-19, the reader is referred to “Notes on Exodus,” chapter 13 we are anxious to avoid, as much as possible any repetition of what has been gone into in previous volume.}
”Jesus, of thee we ne’er would tire:
The new and living food
Can satisfy our heart’s desire,
And life is in thy blood.’
The reader will notice, in this chapter, as elsewhere, that every fresh subject is introduced by the words, “And the Lord spake unto Moses,” or “unto Aaron.” Thus, from verses 20-32, we are taught that the priests and Levites – God’s worshippers and workers, were to have no inheritance among the children of Israel, but were to be absolutely shut up to God Himself, for the supply of all their need. Most blessed position. Nothing can be more lovely than the picture here presented. The children of Israel were to bring their offerings, and lay them down at the feet of Jehovah, and He, in His infinite grace, commanded His workers to pick up these precious offerings – the fruit of His people’s devotedness – and feed upon them, in His own blessed presence, with thankful hearts. Thus the circle of blessing went round. God ministered to all the wants of His people; His people were privileged to have the rich fruits of His bounty with the priests and Levites; and these latter were permitted to taste the rare and exquisite pleasure of giving back to God of that which had flown from Him to them.
All this is divine. It is a striking figure of that which we should look for in the Church of God now. As we have already remarked, God’s people are presented, in this book, under three distinct phases, namely, as warriors, workers, and worshippers; and in all three they are viewed as in the attitude of the most absolute dependence upon the living God. In our warfare, in our work, and in our worship, we are shut up to God. Precious fact. “All our springs are in Him.” What more do we want? Shall we turn to man or to this world for relief or resource? God forbid! Nay, rather let it be our one grand object to prove, in our entire history, in every phase of our character, and in every department of our work, that God is enough for our hearts.
It is truly deplorable. to find God’s people, and Christ’s servants, looking to the world for support, and trembling at the thought of that support being withheld. Only let us try to imagine the Church of God, in the days of Paul, relying upon the Roman government for the support of its bishops, teachers, and evangelists. Ah! no, dear reader; the Church looked to its divine Head in the heavens, and to the divine Spirit upon earth, for all its need. Why should it be otherwise now? The world is the world still; and the Church is not of the world, and should not look for the world’s gold and silver. God will take care of His people and of His servants, if they will only trust Him. We may depend upon it, God’s gift is far better for the Church than the government gift – no comparison in the estimation of a spiritual mind.
May all the saints of God, and all the servants of Christ, in every place, apply their hearts, earnestly, to the consideration of these things! And may we have grace to confess, practically, in the face of a godless, Christless, infidel world, that the living God is amply sufficient for our every need, not only while passing through the narrow archway of time, but also for the boundless ocean of eternity. God grant it for Christ’s sake!
Num 18:1-7. The Duties of the Levites.The functions of the Levites are here defined in relation both to the priestly order and to the people. In respect of the priests, they are to act as their ministers, and to be responsible for the custody of the Tabernacle, but not for the care of its contents (with which they are forbidden to come in contact). In respect of the people, they are to constitute a fence, safeguarding the laity from the danger attending profanation of the holy things by a near approach to them. The general trend of the passage is in accord with Num 1:49-54, Num 3:5-10, Num 4:15.
Num 18:1. bear . . . priesthood: i.e. bear the consequences of guilt incurred in connexion with it.
Num 18:2. joined: there is a play on the meaning of Levi (see Gen 29:34).
Num 18:4. a stranger: i.e. any non-Levite.
THE SERVICE OF PRIESTS AND LEVITES
(vs.1-7)
God now impresses on Aaron the seriousness of the priestly service to which he and his sons were separated. They were to bear the iniquity of the sanctuary, and the iniquity of their priesthood (v.1). for the place where Israel’s iniquity was to be faced was the sanctuary and the men charged with facing it were the priests. This was no light matter. They must therefore know what sacrifices were necessary for whatever sin arose in the congregation. Korah wanted the outward position as high priest, but how little did he understand that this would involve his bearing the iniquity of the sanctuary, a humbling, sobering work.
Also, others of the tribe of Levi (called Levites) were to be linked with the priests in order to serve them (v.2). This service involved the temporal needs of the priests, but was limited to this: they must not approach the furniture of the tabernacle or the altar (v.3). Thus their service is shown to be completely distinct from worship. Today too, worship and service must be kept distinctly separate. While all believers are both priests and servants, yet we must be careful not to confuse the functions of one with the other.
An outsider, that is, one not of the tribe of Levi, was not to come near to them (v.4). Such coming near of course has to do with one’s interfering in the service of the tabernacle. He must not dare to do such a thing.
The priests and Levites must give proper attention to the duties of the sanctuary and of the altar, in order that God’s wrath would be averted from the children of Israel (v.5). they were therefore intermediaries on behalf of Israel, the priests being responsible to offer the proper sacrifices at the proper time, and the Levites furnishing such help as was needed to carry out every necessary function. At the present time, all believers being priests, they have the honor of being intercessors for all mankind (1Ti 2:1).
The Lord further says that He Himself had given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons (v.6). In a similar way servants of the Lord today are given as gifts to the Church of God (Eph 4:7-12) to serve the saints of God, not in temporal affairs, as did the Levites, but in their spiritual needs.
Therefore, with their temporal needs cared for, the priests were freed to occupy themselves with their proper priestly functions, which occupation is also said to be a gift for service (v.7). An outsider who dared to infringe on this priestly service would be punishable by death.
OFFERINGS SHARED BY THE PRIESTS
(vs.8-20)
The offerings of the children of Israel were to be offered fully and thoroughly to God, not to the priests, just as every gift given to the Lord’s servants today should be given primarily as to the Lord Himself, and therefore received as from the Lord. Yet the priests were given the responsibility to take charge of the offerings, a trust that called for faithful adherence to God’s clear instructions.
The heave offerings, being heaved in symbolizing the resurrection of Christ, were given to the priests (v.8). Also, all grain offerings, after a part was burned as a sweet aroma to the Lord (Lev 2:2), were eaten by the priests. Every sin offering, except those whose blood was brought into the sanctuary (Lev 16:27), and all trespass offerings, were also to be eaten by the priests. Of course, in every case, the blood, the fat and other inwards were burned, for God had His part first. The heave offerings and the wave offerings (implying the resurrection and ascension of the Lord) were only part of the meal or animal offerings (Lev 7:14; Lev 7:30; Lev 7:32). These were given to Aaron and his sons (v.11).
More than this, all the best of the oil, wine and grain, the first fruits offered to the Lord, were given to the priests also, as well as every devoted thing, including the firstborn of men or animals (v.13). Yet they were not to keep the humans, but redeem them, and also unclean animals, which could not be offered. Of course the owner would be responsible to bring the sacrifice for their redemption, which in verse 16 is seen to be five shekels of silver. The priests would receive this.
But the firstborn of the clean animals were to be sacrificed, God first receiving His part, then the priests privileged to eat the flesh. The blood was sprinkled and the fat burned in respect for God’s rights.
These provisions for the priests were necessary since they had no inheritance in the land, as did the other tribes. They were to realize that God was their portion and inheritance. We may wonder if they understood and appreciated this as they ought. But what of ourselves today? Being priests, believers have no earthly inheritance, but even now God is our portion and inheritance, and we have the wonderful prospect of an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, unfading, reserved in heaven (1Pe 1:4).
THE LEVITES SUPPORTED BY TITHES
(vs.21-24)
The Levites did not share in the offerings, but God provided for them in His requiring tithes (one tenth of income) from all Israel. This was a fair return for the work they were given. It was their work alone: others of the children of Israel were not to come near to take any part in the service God had given the Levites, no more than they were to infringe on the service of the priests (v.22). In their measure the Levites also were to “bear their iniquity,” that is, to take the responsibility for the iniquity of the children of Israel as identified with the priests, who of course alone could offer the sacrifices for that iniquity (v.23).
The tithes were necessary for their support since they, as well as the priests, had no inheritance among the children of Israel. They were scattered among the tribes, rather than having any property for their own tribe (v.24).
LEVITES ALSO PAYING TITHES
(vs.25-32)
However, in receiving tithes, the Levites were not exempted from paying tithes. When the tithes were brought in from the other tribes, then the Levites were to offer to God a heave offering of one tenth of the tithes (v.26). In our present day of grace no law is given as to tithing. Instead the measure of our giving is “as he may prosper” (1Co 16:2) or “as he purposes in his heart” (2Co 9:7). The amount is left to the spiritual exercises of each individual. Support may he given, as to the Lord, from the people of God, to the need of the Lord’s servants. The servant is to be just as exercised as they in reference to his using funds for the sake of the Lord, and be glad to give as the Lord prospers him.
This heave offering of the Levites would have the same value as the firstfruits of grain or of the winepress (v.27). Being a heave offering, it emphasizes the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, presented to God on a level above mere earthly things. While it was offered to God, it was given to Aaron, a type of the Lord Jesus, presented to God on a level above mere earthly things. While it was offered to God, it was given to Aaron, a type of the Lord Jesus (v.28). Thus all of our material offerings are given as to the Lord Himself, whatever may be the way He disposes of them.
These tithes were to he taken from the best of that which the Levites received (v. 29), an important principle for us, for the Lord is always worthy of the best. When this was done, then the Levites were left at liberty to use the rest as their own food, together with their households (vs.30-31). But verse 32 emphasizes that they must not dare to profane the holy gifts of which they were put in charge. God must be first, and any infraction of His rights would be punishable by death.
18:1 And the LORD said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father’s house with thee shall bear {a} the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.
(a) If you trespass in anything concerning the ceremonies of the sanctuary of your office, you will be punished.
The service and income of the priests and Levites ch. 18
A complete and comprehensive explanation of the official duties and revenues of the priests and Levites appropriately follows the confirmation of Aaron’s priesthood. This was God’s reply to the frightened cries of the people in Num 17:12-13.
". . . the modern reader comes to chapters 18-19 with a sense of foreboding; what, we may wonder, is in these chapters for me? The answer to that question is fivefold:
"1. The reader of Scripture needs to have general knowledge about the major institutions of the biblical period just for Scripture to make sense.
"2. Our understanding of the true worship of God begins with the sense that he controls and directs true worship; who the priests are and how they function are first his concerns. This means that worship is not a game where we may make up the rules as we play.
"3. A general knowledge of the work of the priests in the Hebrew Bible gives many insights to the modern reader as to the interests of God in our own worship. Often we think of worship in terms of what we like and appreciate. This misses the mark; worship is principally for God’s pleasure.
"4. A general knowledge of the work of priests in the time of Hebrew worship gives the Christian reader significant insights into the priestly work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Book of Hebrews has an intense priestly orientation in its presentation of the Lord Jesus Christ, priest of God in the manner of Melchizedek.
"5. In contrast with the highly regulated, highly strictured patterns demanded of the priests of the Hebrew economy, the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ today has a direct access to God through the Savior that is nearly unbelievable. We are all priests; we can come near the presence of the Lord without an intermediary. Yet our privilege as believer-priests can only really be appreciated against the background of priests in the biblical period." [Note: Allen, p. 850.]
God evidently gave these instructions to Aaron (Num 18:1). They deal with the boundary lines between Israelites who were not Levites, Levites, and priests.
The priestly office carried great responsibility as well as great privilege. The priests bore the guilt of what all the Israelites did as well as what they themselves did. The sacrifices, of course, covered this guilt.
God gave the Levites to the priests as their assistants to help them with certain aspects of the work of the sanctuary (Num 18:6). Outsiders, non-priests, and Levites could not intrude on the priestly office or they would die (Num 18:7).
"The study of the cultic use of qrb/ngs demonstrates that its meaning goes beyond simple, physical approach to the more abstract amplifications: ’have access to,’ ’be admitted to,’ ’be associated with.’ In prohibitions . . . it means ’encroach.’" [Note: Jacob Milgrom, "The Cultic Use of qrb/ngs," in Proceedings of the Fifth World Congress of Jewish Studies, 1:84.]
"A key phrase of this chapter is ’I give you’ (Num 18:7; cf. Num 18:12; Num 18:19; Num 18:26, etc.). God takes care of His own." [Note: Jensen, p. 77.]
TITHES AND CLEANSINGS
Num 18:1-32; Num 19:1-22
1. DUTIES AND SUPPORT OF THE MINISTRY
The statutes of chapter 18, are related to the rebellion of Korah by a clause in Num 18:5, “Ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary and the charge of the altar: that there be wrath no more upon the children of Israel.” The enactments are directed anew against any intrusion into the sacred service by those who are not Levites, and into the priesthood by those who are not Aaronites. It is clearly implied that the ministry of the tabernacle is held under a grave responsibility. The “iniquity of the sanctuary” and the “iniquity of the priesthood” have to be borne; and the Aaronites alone are commissioned to bear that iniquity. The Levites, though they serve, are not to touch the holy vessels lest they die. The priesthood, “for everything of the altar, and for that within the veil,” is given to the Aaronites as a service of gift.
A certain “iniquity,” corresponding to the holiness of the tabernacle and its vessels, attends the service which is to be done by the priests. Their entrance into the sacred tent is an approach to Jehovah, and from His purity there is thrown a defilement on human life. The idea thus represented is capable of fine spiritual realisation. With this embodied in the law and worship, there is no need to look in any other direction for that evangelical poverty of spirit which the better Israelites of an after time knew. Here prophecy found in the law a germ of deep religious feeling which, rising above tabernacle and altar, became the holy fear of Him who inhabits eternity. The creation throughout its whole range, in the very act of receiving existence, comes into contrast with the creative Will and is on a lower moral plane, to which the Divine purity does not accompany it. The seraphim of Isaiahs vision feel this severance to a certain extent. They are so far apart from God that His holiness is not enjoyed unconsciously, as the element of life. It shines above them and determines their attitude and the terms of their praise. With their wings they cover their faces, and they cry to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is Jehovah of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory.” Even they “bear the iniquity” of the great temple of the world in which they minister. On fallen man that iniquity lies with almost crushing weight. “Woe is me!” says the prophet, “for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of hosts.” Thus the soul is brought into that profound consciousness of defect and pollution which is the preparation for reverent service of the Highest. The attribute of holiness remains with God always, and His mercy in forgiving sin in no way detracts from it. The eternity of God sets Him so far above transitory men that He can extend compassion to them. “Art Thou not from everlasting, O Jehovah my God, mine Holy One? We shall not die.” But His touch is, to the sinful earth, almost destruction. When the Lord the God of hosts toucheth the land it melteth, and all that dwell therein mourn. {Amo 9:12} When a people falls from righteousness the Divine holiness burns against it like a consuming fire. “We are all become as one that is unclean, and all our righteousnesses are as a polluted garment: and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities like the wind take us away Thou hast hid Thy face from us, and hast consumed us by means of our iniquities” (Isa 64:6-7).
The idea of the identification with the Holy God of the sanctuary dedicated to Him, so that from the porch of it falls the shadow of iniquity, is still further carried out in Num 18:1, where it is declared that Aaron and his sons shall “bear the iniquity” of their priesthood. The meaning is that the priesthood as an abstract thing, an office held from Jehovah and for Him, has a holiness like the sanctuary, and that the entrance into it of a man like Aaron brings to light his human imperfection and taint. And this corresponds to a consciousness which every one who deals with sacred truth and undertakes the conduct of Divine worship in the right spirit is bound to have. Entering on those exalted duties he “bears his iniquity.” The sense of daring intrusion may almost keep back a man who knows that he has received a Divine call. To the heavenly muse the poet can but reply:-
“I am not worthy even to speak
Of Thy prevailing mysteries;
For I am but an earthly muse
And darken sanctities with song.”
With regard to the Levites whom Aaron is to bring near “that they may be joined unto him,” it is singular that their duties and the restrictions put on them are detailed here as if now for the first time this branch of the sacred ministry was being organised. In the actual development of things this may be true. Difficulties had to be overcome, the nature of the statutes and ordinances had to be explained. Now the time of practical initiation may have arrived. On the other hand, the attempt of Korah to press into the priesthood may have made necessary a recapitulation of the law of Levitical service.
For the support of the Aaronites the heave offerings, “even all the hallowed things of the children of Israel” were to be given “by reason of the anointing.” The meal offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings, as most holy, were to be for the male Aaronites alone: heave offerings of sacrifice, again, “all the wave offerings,” were to be used by the Aaronites and their families, the reservation being made that only those without ceremonial defilement should eat of them. The first-fruits of the oil and vintage and the first ripe of all fruits in the land were other perquisites. Further, the firstborn of man and of beast were to be nominally devoted; but firstborn children were to be redeemed for five shekels, and the firstlings of unclean beasts were also to be redeemed. The children of Aaron were to have no inheritance in the land. In these ways however, and by the payment to the priests of the tenth part of the tithes collected by the Levites, ample provision was made for them.
For the Levites, nine-tenths of all tithes of produce would appear to have been not only sufficient, but far more than their proportion. According to the numbers reported in this book, twenty-two thousand Levites-about twelve thousand of them adult men-were to receive tithes from six hundred thousand. This would make the provision for the Levite as much as for any five men of the tribes. An explanation is suggested that the regular payment of tithes could not be reckoned upon. There would always be Israelites who resented an obligation like this; and as the duty of paying tithes, though enjoined in the law, was a moral one, not enforced by penalty, the Levites were really in many periods of the history of Israel in a state of poverty. It was a complaint of Malachi even after the captivity, when the law was in force, that the tithes were not brought to the temple storehouses. The Deuteronomie laws of tithing, moreover, are different from those given in Numbers. While here we read of a single tithe which is to be for the Levites, which, if paid, would be more than sufficient for them, Deuteronomy speaks of an annual tithe of produce to be eaten by the people at the central sanctuary by way of a festival, to which children, servants, and Levites were to be invited. Each third year a special tithe was to be used in feasting, not necessarily at the sanctuary, and again the Levites were to have their share. It is supposed by some that there were two annual tithings and in the third year three tithings of the produce of the land. But this seems far more than even a specially fertile country could bear. There was no rent to be paid, of course; and if the tithes were used in a festival no great difficulty might be found. But it is clear at all events that more dependence was placed on the free will of the people than on the law; and the Levites and priests must have suffered when religion fell into neglect. Israel was not ideally generous.
2. WATER OF PURIFICATION
The statute of Num 19:1-22 is peculiar, and the rites it enjoins are full of symbolism. It is implied that water alone was unable to remove the defilement caused by touching a dead body; but at the same time the taint was so common and might be incurred so far from the sanctuary that sacrifice could not always be exacted. In order to meet the case an animal was to be offered, and the residue of its burning was to be kept for use whenever the defilement of death had to be taken away.
A red heifer was to be chosen, the colour of the animal pointing to the hue of blood. The heifer was to be free from blemish, a type of vigorous and prolific life. The charge of the sacrifice was to be given to Eleazer the priest, though the high-priest himself might not undertake a duty the performance of which caused uncleanness. The ceremonies must take place not only outside the tabernacle court, but outside the camp, that the intensity of the uncleanness to be transferred to the animal and purged by the sacrifice may be clearly understood. The heifer being slain, the priest takes of its blood and sprinkles it towards the tent of meeting seven times, in lieu of the ordinary sprinkling on the altar. The whole animal is then burnt, and while the flame ascends the virtue of the residuent ashes is symbolically increased by certain other elements. These are cedarwood, which was believed to have special medicinal qualities, and also may have been chosen on account of the long life of the tree; some threads of scarlet wool which would represent the arterial blood, instinct with vital power; and hyssop which was employed in purification.
The priest, having presided at the sacrifice, was to wash his clothes in water and bathe, his flesh and hold himself unclean till the even. The assistant who fed the fire was in like manner unclean. These were both to withdraw; and one who was clean was to gather the ashes of the burning and, having provided some clean vessel within the camp, he was to store up the purifying ashes for future use by the people. Finally, the person who did this last duty, having become tainted like the others, was to wash his clothes and be unclean for the day. The ashes were to be used by mixing them with water to make “water for pollution”; that is, water to take away pollution. Special care was to be exercised that only living water, or water from a flowing stream, should be used for this purpose. It was to be applied to the defiled person, vessel, or tent, by means of hyssop. But, again, the man who used the water of purification in this way was to wash his clothes and be unclean until even.
Here we have an extra-sacerdotal rite, not of worship-for as ordinarily used there was no prayer to God, nor perhaps even the thought of appeal to God. It was religious, for the sense of defilement belonged to religion; but when under the necessity of the occasion any one applied the water of purification, his sense of acting the priestly part was reduced to the lowest point. The efficacy came through the action of the accredited priest when the heifer was sacrificed, it might be a year previously. So, although provision was made for needs occurring far from the sanctuary, no opening was left for any one to claim the power belonging to the sacerdotal.office. And in order to make this still more sure it was enacted (Num 19:21), that though the sprinkled water of purification cleansed the unclean, any one who touched it being himself clean should de facto be defiled. The water was declared so sacred that unless in cases where it was really required no one would be disposed to meddle with it. The sanctity of the tabernacle and the priesthood was symbolically carried forth to the most distant parts of the land. All were to be on their guard lest they should incur the judgment of God by abusing that which had ceremonial holiness and power.
The idea here is in a sense directly opposite to that which we associate with the sacred word, by which Divine will is communicated and souls are begotten anew. To use that word, to make it known abroad is the duty of every one who has heard and believed. He diffuses blessing and is himself blessed. There is no strict law hedging about with precautions the happy privilege of conveying to the sin-defiled the message of forgiveness and life. And yet may we not call to recollection here the words of Paul, “I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage; lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected.” In a spiritual sense they should be clean who bear the vessels of the Lord; and every deed done, every word spoken in the sacred Name, if not with purity of purpose and singleness of heart, involves in guilt him who acts and speaks. The privilege has its accompanying danger; and the more widely it is used in the thousand organisations within and without the Church, the more carefully do all who use it need to guard the sanctity of the message and the Name. “In a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some unto honour, and some unto dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these”-the profane babblings of those who do not handle the word of God aright-“he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, meet for the Masters use, prepared unto every good work.”
3. DEFILEMENT BY THE DEAD
The statute of the water of purification stands closely related to one form of uncleanness, that occasioned by death. When death took place in a tent, every one who came into the tent and every one who was in the tent, every open vessel that had no covering bound upon it, and the tent itself (Num 19:18) were defiled; and the taint could not be removed in less than seven days. Whoever in the open field touched one who had been slain with a sword, or had otherwise died, or touched the bone of a man, or a grave contracted like defilement. For purification the sacred water had to be sprinkled on the defiled person, on the third day and again on the seventh day. Not only the aspersion with sacred water, but, in addition, cleansing of clothes and of the body was necessary, in order to complete the removal of the taint. And further, while any one was unclean from this cause, if he touched another, his touch carried defilement that continued to the close of the day. To neglect the statute of purification was to defile the tabernacle of Jehovah: he who did so was to be cut off from his people.
The law was made stringent, as we have already seen, partly no doubt for the purpose of preventing the spread of disease. And to that extent the preservation of health was presented as a religious duty; for only in that sense can we understand the statement that he who did not purify himself defiled the tabernacle of Jehovah. Yet the stringency cannot be altogether due to this, for a bone or a grave would not often communicate infection. The general principle must be received by way of explanation, that death is peculiarly repugnant to the life of God, and therefore contact with it, in any form, takes away the right of approach to the sanctuary. That this idea goes back to the fall and the death penalty then pronounced might seem a reasonable conclusion. But the same thought does not apply to the defilement connected with birth. If the statute regarding uncleanness by death rested on the connection of death with sin, making “death and mortal corruption an embodiment of sin,” the thought was obscured by many other laws regarding uncleanness. The aim we must believe was to make the theocratic oversight of the people penetrate as many as possible of the incidents and contingencies of their existence.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: Through the Bible Commentary
Fuente: An Exposition on the Whole Bible
Fuente: Gaebelein’s Annotated Bible (Commentary)
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Neighbour’s Wells of Living Water
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Sutcliffe’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Mackintosh’s Notes on the Pentateuch
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible
Fuente: Grant’s Commentary on the Bible
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Expositors Bible Commentary