Numbers 8:1-26 - Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

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Bible Comments

Numbers 8:7. Water of purifying, or the water of sin, made with the ashes of the red heifer. Numbers 19:9.

Numbers 8:19. To do the service. The great and awful work of expiation belongs solely to the priests; but the levites, exempt from military duty, did all the laborious work, and aided the priests no doubt in carrying forth the ashes from under the altar. They had an arduous duty also in assembling the congregation of the Lord. Besides this they kept the gates of the sanctuary, and watched in courses by night. In the temple an officer went round at pleasure, to see that every levite was awake and doing his duty. If he found a man asleep he opened his lantern, and set fire to his clothes, striking him at the same time a severe blow with his staff, lest he should be burnt to death. A further punishment followed from the ridicule of his companions. One would ask, what is that cry? And another would answer, It is the cry of a beaten levite, whose coat is burnt. This custom assigns a reason for that singular expression in the Revelation: Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments: Revelation 16:15.

Numbers 8:26. To keep the charge, and do no service. Aged ministers, cool, wise, and experienced in the work of the Lord, were to maintain truth, and give paternal checks to the novelties and untried ardours of youth.

REFLECTIONS.

When Aaron had lighted the seven lamps, the dark tabernacle exhibited a scene of illumination and joy becoming the presence and glorious pavilion of the Most High. So in the spiritual sanctuary, the Lord God and the Lamb are the light of the place; and all his ministers and saints shine by reflection, in the glory of righteousness and truth. The body of this candlestick was one piece of beaten gold, to show that the churches and their ministers are one body, and one spirit in the Lord; and that living in him, they every moment receive light and heat from the source of all good. The bowls, knops and flowers, seem to shadow forth the adornings of God our Saviour in the gifts and graces of his Holy Spirit.

We have next the separation and cleansing of the levites, which was virtually the same as the priests. They were sprinkled with the water of separation they washed and shaved their flesh they put on clean raiment they were purified with the blood of bullocks slain for sin. The congregation of the elders lay their hands upon their heads, ordaining them a sort of perpetual deacons unto God, and as a nation of firstborn sons to his glory. A heave-offering of thanksgiving was swung round, to mark the extent of their ministry, east, west, north and south; and in this they were a true figure of the ministers of Jesus Christ, sent to preach the gospel to every creature. Lastly, they began their ministry with humility, being probationers from the age of twenty five to thirty. And what, on the one hand, could excite men to purity of heart more than all these ceremonial cleansings; and what on the other, could expose them to greater contempt among the people than to see them after all, habituated to drunkenness, to covetousness, and other corrupt affections? To men so degenerate our Saviour said, Woe unto you scribes and pharisees, hypocrites; for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within ye are full of bribery and excess. Let all christian ministers hear this sentence, and be sanctified to God.

It is somewhat remarkable that the service of the levites, should here be called a military service in the work of the tabernacle. It surely taught them the great exertions they should use against idolatry and vice; and the watchings and zeal they should show by day and by night for the advancement and glory of the true religion. In this view we seem to hear St. Paul saying to all preachers, as to Timothy, War a good warfare; fight the good fight of faith; lay hold on eternal life. Unless we fight out of the pulpit, as well as preach in it against the vices of the age, we shall not succeed in the arduous conflict.

The Lord graciously provided that the worn out levite should retire from hard labour at the age of fifty, or at least that he should not be required to do any thing unsuited to his strength; nor was his portion of the tenths taken away. Let all christians learn hence, that their aged ministers are not to want bread. If they cry under the pressure of hunger or cold, the Lord will surely make their quarrel his own, and avenge their wrongs.

Related Commentaries of Numbers 8:1

Numbers 8:1-26

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

2 Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick.

3 And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick, as the LORD commanded Moses.

4 And this work of the candlestick was of beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, was beaten work: according unto the pattern which the LORD had shewed Moses, so he made the candlestick.

5 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

6 Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.

7 And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shavea all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean.

8 Then let them take a young bullock with his meat offering, even fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin offering.

9 And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together:

10 And thou shalt bring the Levites before the LORD: and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites:

11 And Aaron shall offerb the Levites before the LORD for an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of the LORD.

12 And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks: and thou shalt offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, unto the LORD, to make an atonement for the Levites.

13 And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for an offering unto the LORD.

14 Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine.

15 And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for an offering.

16 For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.

17 For all the firstborn of the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast: on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself.

18 And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.

19 And I have given the Levites as a giftc to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary.

20 And Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, did to the Levites according unto all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did the children of Israel unto them.

21 And the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as an offering before the LORD; and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them.

22 And after that went the Levites in to do their service in the tabernacle of the congregation before Aaron, and before his sons: as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they unto them.

23 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

24 This is it that belongeth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation:

25 And from the age of fifty years they shall ceased waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more:

26 But shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge.