Tag Archive | Levites

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 57

Feb26
Day 57.  Reading Numbers 7. 

Read the scripture for today. What do you learn about God? Share what you learn with others.

Numbers 7.

Israel’s offerings at the Tabernacle’s Consecration.

Wow!  Where did they get all that stuff?

The chiefs of Israel from each tribe approached and brought their offerings before the LORD, for the service of the Levites.  They brought six wagons and twelve oxen to pull them. 

Two were given to the Levite family of Gershon. (Remember this family was responsible for carrying the fabrics of the Tabernacle and Tabernacle courtyard when they moved from place to place.)

Four were give to the Levite family of Merari. (They were responsible for carrying all the pillars, posts, rails, bases, etc. of the Tabernacle and courtyard when they moved.)

NO WAGONS & OXEN were given to the Kohathites.  They were responsible for carrying the holy furnishings of The Tabernacle and courtyard.  THEY carried these items on their shoulders, using poles threaded through rings on each item… never touching them, for they were holy.

Next, each tribe brought an offering for the use of the Levites and their families. Here is what EACH tribe brought (one per day for twelve days):

  • 1 silver plate weighing 130 shekels
  • 1 silver basin of 70 shekels (both filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering)
  • 1 golden dish of 10 shekels (filled with incense)  
  • 1 bull
  • 1 ram
  • 1 male lamb (these all were for burnt offerings)
  • 1 male goat (for a sin offering)
  • 2 oxen
  • 5 more rams
  • 5 more male goats
  • 5 more male lambs (these all were for peace offerings)

EACH TRIBE (12) offered these things for the dedication of the Tabernacle & altar (YOU do the math!) 

Then, when Moses went into the Tabernacle to speak to the LORD, he heard “the voice” speaking to him from the Mercy Seat that was on the Ark of the Covenant, between the two cherubim, AND IT SPOKE TO HIM…..

.

What the LORD said we will discover tomorrow in chapter 8.

 

2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, days 145

May24

   Day 145—We are in our FIFTH month of Bible reading. Are you loving God more each day? What are you learning about Him?  Share in the comments section.

   Day 145 –  1 Chronicles 23 – 25, (David “setting his house in order”)

Surprise! We will be reading more genealogies today (and in chapters 26-27)

These genealogies are specific to the tribe of Levi and are part of King David’s plans for the “House of God” that he so yearns to build.  His son, Solomon, will do it, but David took pleasure in making the plans and collecting the building materials. And now, he revels in setting up the care, maintenance, and worship in the Temple once it is finished. 

Chapter 23. “When David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel,” reads verse one.  That’s all. But we’ll read much more about Solomon’s coronation later.  For now, David’s heart and eyes are on the future House of God (which I think he can “picture” perfectly in his mind’s eye).

He gathers all the leaders in Israel, the priests and Levites, and presents his plans.  There are 38K Levites.  “Twenty-four thousand of them will be in charge of the work in the house of the LORD.” Another 6K will be officers and judges, 4K will be gatekeepers, and the remaining 4K will offer praises to the LORD with instruments and songs. 

He then goes into detail, including the names of tribe leaders and their descendants. 

Chapter 24. “The divisions of the sons of Aaron were these. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. But Nadab and Abihu died before their father and had no children, so Eleazar and Ithamar became priests.  With the help of Zadok of the sons of Eleazar and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar (priests during David’s time), David organized them according to the appointed duties in their service.”

Chapter 25. “David and the chiefs of the service also set apart for the service the sons of Asaph, and of Herman, and of Jeduthun (Ethan), who prophesied (wrote inspired songs) with lyres, with harps and with cymbals.” 

David then lists all those who did the work and their duties in “music ministry,” as well as the order in which they would serve. 

The King was nothing but organized in this! 

 

#2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 117

Apr26

    Day 117—We have been reading the Bible daily for a third of the year.   What have you learned about God? About yourself?

Day 117 – 1 Chronicles 6 – (the genealogies of the priestly tribe of Levi)

Reading all these unusual-sounding names may be difficult and boring, but the lists were crucial to Israel. After they were exiled to Babylon for 70 years (verse 15) and returned, they needed to know where their portion of land was located. They needed to keep track of the kingly line in Judah, through which the Messiah would come. And the Levites needed to know their portion of work in the newly built temple.

The three priestly clans of Levi are listed: Kohath, Gershom, and Merari. From Numbers 4, we read about each having their work in the Tabernacle service and in the packing up and carrying of the parts of it when they “wandered in the wilderness.”

It’s interesting to see that the prophet Samuel was a Kohathite. By God’s specific choice, he was able to offer sacrifices even though he was not a descendant of Aaron. (Verses 22-28)

Also interesting are the men David chose to be in charge of “the service of song” in the house of the LORD after the Ark rested there. He chose one from each of the Levite clans: Herman, a Kohathite, Asaph, of Gershom, and Ethan of Merari. (Verses 31-48) Yesterday we read three of the songs written by Asaph. Asaph wrote twelve in all (Psalms 50, 73-80).  Herman wrote Psalm 88, and Ethan wrote Psalm 89.

#2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 69

Mar9

    Day 69—  Now that we’ve passed Day 66, it’s 100% likely that we have established a “habit.” So CELEBRATE our habit of daily Bible reading! We are in the THIRD month so far! Praise God!

   Day 69 – Numbers 35 – 36 (Provisions for Levites, manslayers, young women)

God does not forget about the Levites and their material possessions. In Chapter 35, He tells Moses to assign 48 cities with some pastureland around them – within the Promised (and Bonus) Land – for the Levites to live and care for the animals & equipment they have. They are evenly distributed throughout small & large tribes.

Six of these cities – evenly spaced in the land – were to be Cities of Refuge, safe places for a person who accidently killed someone to run to and have safety from the diseased person’s Avenger (nearest male relative). The manslayer would need to live within the city from then on.  If he stepped outside, the Avenger could legally kill him.  He had to stay there until the High Priest died, a sort of atonement for the killed one. These were not prisons, more like a “witness-protection” locations today.

But God also makes it clear, that if a person intentionally, pre-meditatively, kills someone, his life would be required of him from the family Avenger. He could NOT seek a City of Refuge.

Chapter 36 revisits the case of women survivors in a man’s family, perhaps losing their inheritance in the Promised Land by marrying outside the tribe.  The problem was solved when Moses commanded the women in these cases to marry withing their tribe.  No inheritance could be transferred from one tribe to another.

These two last-minute situations (murder and marriage) were solved while the people were still camped on the plains of the conquered Moab, East of the Jordan River.  The NEXT book – Deuteronomy – is Moses reaffirming and repeating and clarifying all the laws and rules of God for the people, and challenging them to keep them and be blessed, or fail to obey and be cursed, before they officially stepped into Canaan.

#2024GOAL – Reading Through The Bible Chronologically, day 55

Feb24

    Day 55 —  We are still in the second month, but we’ve begun a new book! We’ve been reading for over a 1/12 of a year! Praise God! I hope that it’s become a GOOD habit that will continue.

   Day 55 – Numbers 3 – 4 (Counting Levites for service, delegating duties)

Yesterday, only the other twelve tribes of Israel were counted (20 years and up) for military service. Today the Levites will be counted in two ways.

Numbers 3. First, every male Levite from 1 month up was to be counted and dedicated to God in place of all of Israel’s first born sons. The slight overage in number of first born sons from the other tribes would each pay the “redemption money” of five sanctuary shekels to Aaron and his sons. In this way the whole of Israel would have a part in the religious activities and service to God.

Chapter 4.  Secondly, the Levites were to be counted according to their clans (the three sons of Levi), all of the men from 30 years old to 50 years old, and be given specific duties in the care and service and transport of the Tabernacle.

The Kohathites were to be in charge of the Most Holy things – all the “furniture” in the Tabernacle itself and the courtyard.  When the camp set out, Aaron and his two sons would go into the Tabernacle and cover the holy pieces with different colored cloths and goat skins. When this all was done. The Kohathites would carry these things by their poles (taking extreme care not to touch them themselves).

       Aaron’s son, Eleazar the priest, would be in charge of the holy oil for light and for anointing, and the holy incense, as well as have oversight of the packing of all that is in the Sanctuary and its vessels.

The Gershonites would be in charge of packing up and carrying all the curtains and coverings and cords of the Tabernacle as well as all the hangings of the outer court.

The Merarites (largest of the three clans) would be in charge of packing and carrying the frames, bars, pillars, bases, and pegs of the Tabernacle and outer courtyard.

       Aaron’s son, Ithamar, the priest would oversee the Gershonites and Merarites in packing up & carrying of the curtains, linens & skin coverings, as well as the frames, pillars, bases, etc.

All would be done “decently and in order” according to the exact instructions of the LORD to Moses.