Study 3 · Study 3 - Gifts and Sacriﬁces Numbers 18 V2 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,

LEV TES THEY SHALL BE MINE

THE

Gifts and Sacrifices

Study 3


THE •  A larger inheritance – (A double portion)

•  A special paternal blessing

•  The role of family leadership

•  An honoured place at mealtimes

Privileges of the Firstborn

- Gifts and SacrificesStudy 3


THE

Exodus 13 V2, 15 Importance of the firstborn is declared at

the Passover (Cp also 22v29) Exodus 19 V6 The tribes are declared to be a ‘Kingdom of

Priests’ V22 Priests mentioned here cannot be specifically

associated with the tribe of Levi or the family of Aaron as neither had been chosen yet.

Further Role of the Firstborn



THE

Exodus 24 V5 These young men appear not to be related to

Levi in any special way either. It’s most probable they are the firstborns from among all the tribes

Exodus 31 V2-6 Even the two specially ordain craftsmen for

the tabernacle furniture were not from Levi – but from Judah and Dan

Further Role of the Firstborn



THE

Exodus 32 V29 ‘Consecrate yourselves’

Made up of two words Heb mala =‘To fill’ Heb yad = ‘open hands’

•  A hand symbolises ALL the work a man can do •  They were to fill their hands with Yahweh's work

The Consecration of the Levites



THE

Leviticus 8 V22 The Ram of consecration or ‘filling up’ V27 Put it in Aaron and his son’s ‘hands’ and

waved V28 God received it as a burnt offering Note: An unusual element of this burnt offering is

that God gave it back to Moses and the priests

V29 Moses – Breast meat V31 The priests – All the rest and basket of bread

The Consecration of the Priests



THE

Numbers 3 V39 Levites are numbered – 22,000 V41 Levites are to be taken instead of firstborn V43 Firstborn males are numbered – 22,273 V46-47 The extra 273 are to be redeemed by

paying 5 shekels for each

The Formal Consecration of the Levites



THE

Numbers 8 V7 Levites washed V8 2 bullocks – sin offering and burnt offering V10 All Israel to put their ‘hands’ on the Levites V11 Levites waved before Yahweh V12 Levites put their hands on the offerings V14 Thus the Levites will be mine V16 For they are ‘Wholly Given’ to me




THE

Give – No More Take


Numbers 8 V16 For they are ‘Wholly Given’ to me

Heb = Given, given •  The Levites were all about Give, Give, Give

A DIRECT CONTRAST TO Genesis 34 V28-29 They TOOK their sheep, oxen, assess, that which was in the city, that in the field, their wealth, their children and their wives, EVEN ALL… •  Levi had once been only about Take, Take, Take


THE ‘Take’ the Levites

Num 3v12,41,45; Num 8v6

‘Separate’ the Levites Num 8v14

They shall be ‘mine’ Num 3v12,13,45; Num 8v14




THE

Numbers 8 V7 Levites washed V8 2 bullocks – sin offering and burnt offering V10 All Israel to put their ‘hands’ on the Levites V11 Levites waved before Yahweh V12 Levites put their hands on the offerings V14 Thus the Levites will be mine V16 For they are ‘Wholly Given’ to me V19 Yahweh gives them back as a Gift to Aaron

and his sons




THE

Given As A Gift


Numbers 3v9 Thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and his sons: They are wholly given unto him…

Numbers 8v19 I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons Numbers 18v6 I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for Yahweh…


THE

Joined To Yahweh


Numbers 18 V2 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 to minister unto thee… V4 And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle… •  Joined = the meaning of Levi’s name •  No longer joined to Simeon


THE

Acts 27 V22 ‘There shall be no loss of life’

“Redeemed” Num 3v46 V23 ‘Whose I am’

“They shall be mine” Num 3v12 V23 ‘Whom I serve’

“To do the service” Num 3v7 V24 ‘God hath GIVEN THEE ALL them that sail

with thee’ “Wholly given unto Aaron ” Num 3v9

Paul’s Journey to Rome



THE

Acts 27 V37 There just happened to be 276 people

aboard. Accounting for Paul, Luke and Aristarchus that left 273 unredeemed persons.

(cp Numbers 3v43 – 273 Firstborns required

redemption by paying the price of 5 shekels)

Paul’s Journey to Rome



THE

Numbers 10

V35 Moses’s prayer as they dismantle the tabernacle and start moving

V36 Moses’s prayer as they stop and re-erect it

again

The First Work of the Levites



THE

Psalm 68

V1 A direct quote of Numbers 10v35 when the ark began to move

V16 A description of the place Yahweh always intended to end up dwelling in – Mt. Zion

V17 David quotes Numbers 10v36 – the prayer for when the ark came to ‘rest’

David Brings Up The Ark



THE

David Brings Up The Ark


Psalm 68 V18 What began at Sinai will happen again at Mt. Zion

1. God ascended on Mt. Sinai – Seeking to dwell with Israel

2. Taken captivity captive – Egyptians drowned 3. Received gifts of men – Roth = gifts consisting of

men (Levites – Num 8v16) 4. The rebellious also – Levi hadn’t always been

acceptable 5. Now Yahweh could dwell among them


THE

Ephesians 4 V3-6 God is a unit – that’s why there is only one

body, hope, faith etc V7 But there are many of us – and each one has

been given varying degrees of the gift of Christ

To highlight how this happens Paul quotes from Psa 68 V8 Gave gifts unto men – (Note the difference:-

‘gave’ instead of ‘received’)

Paul Exhorts the Ephesians



THE

Received and Gave


Psa 68v18 He…received gifts of men NUMBERS 8v16

‘Wholly given unto me’ Eph 4v8

He…gave gifts unto men NUMBERS 8v19 ‘I have given them as a gift to Aaron’


THE

He gave himself unconditionally to Yahweh Psalm 40 V6-7 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire;

mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering thou hast not required. Then said I, Lo I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will O God: yea thy law is within my heart.

The Lord Jesus Christ



THE

He gave himself unconditionally to Yahweh Isaiah 50 V4-5 He wakeneth morning by morning. He

wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. Yahweh hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious




THE

Yahweh could then give him back to help us John 3 V16 For God so loved the world, that he gave His

only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life




THE


John 17 V6 The men which thou gave me V6 Thine they were – Thou gave them to me V9 I pray only for them who thou gave to me, for

they are thine V11 Keep those whom thou gave to me V12 I have lost none whom thou gave me except

the Son of perdition (Son of wastefulness – he belonged to someone else; he was someone else’s son not God’s. Therefore he was not God’s to give to Christ)

The Lord’s Prayer in the Upper Room


THE


John 17

V11 That they may be one as we are (i.e. joined together – Levi = to be joined)

V20- 26 The Lord extends his request to include

any who believe on him as did the disciples “That they ALL may be ONE”

The Lord’s Prayer in the Upper Room


THE

Lessons For Us


•  Have we given ourselves totally and unconditionally to Yahweh (a burnt offering)

•  Can Yahweh give us back as a gift to our families and ecclesia's or are we not His to give.

•  Do we fill our hands with Yahweh’s goodness for the benefit of His other children

•  When the world looks at us can they see that we are separated to God, that we belong to Him.


THE


End

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Study 3 · Study 3 - Gifts and Sacriﬁces Numbers 18 V2 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,