Numbers 18 Bible Study And Devotional: A Fascinating Tanakh Bible Study on Priestly Duties, Tithes, and Offerings
Context and Overview
After the confirmation of Aaron's priesthood in Numbers 17, Numbers 18 outlines the specific responsibilities and privileges of the priests and Levites. This chapter provides detailed instructions about their roles, their relationship with the sanctuary, and the support they receive from the community.
Structure of Numbers 18
1. Verses 1-7: Duties of Priests and Levites
2. Verses 8-20: Offerings for the Priests
3. Verses 21-32: Tithes for the Levites
Detailed Study
Verses 1-7: Duties of Priests and Levites
1 The LORD said to Aaron, “You, your sons and your family are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons alone are to bear the responsibility for offenses connected with the priesthood. 2 Bring your fellow Levites from your ancestral tribe to join you and assist you when you and your sons minister before the tent of the covenant law. 3 They are to be responsible to you and are to perform all the duties of the tent, but they must not go near the furnishings of the sanctuary or the altar. Otherwise both they and you will die. 4 They are to join you and be responsible for the care of the tent of meeting—all the work at the tent—and no one else may come near where you are. 5 “You are to be responsible for the care of the sanctuary and the altar, so that my wrath will not fall on the Israelites again. 6 I myself have selected your fellow Levites from among the Israelites as a gift to you, dedicated to the LORD to do the work at the tent of meeting. 7 But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift. Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death.”
Analysis:
- Responsibility:
The priests, led by Aaron and his sons, bear the primary responsibility for the sanctuary and the priesthood. Any offenses related to these areas fall upon them.
- Assistance:
The Levites assist the priests in their duties but are not allowed to approach the most sacred areas (the furnishings and the altar). This distinction preserves the sanctity and order of the priesthood.
- Division of Labor:
This clear delineation of duties helps maintain order and prevents unauthorized access to holy areas, which could invoke God's wrath.
Verses 8-20: Offerings for the Priests
8 Then the LORD said to Aaron, “I myself have put you in charge of the offerings presented to me; all the holy offerings the Israelites give me I give to you and your sons as your portion, your perpetual share. 9 You are to have the part of the most holy offerings that is kept from the fire. From all the gifts they bring me as most holy offerings, whether grain or sin or guilt offerings, that part belongs to you and your sons. 10 Eat it as something most holy; every male shall eat it. You must regard it as holy. 11 “This also is yours: whatever is set aside from the gifts of all the wave offerings of the Israelites. I give this to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share. Everyone in your household who is ceremonially clean may eat it. 12 “I give you all the finest olive oil and all the finest new wine and grain they give the LORD as the firstfruits of their harvest. 13 All the land’s firstfruits that they bring to the LORD will be yours. Everyone in your household who is ceremonially clean may eat it. 14 “Everything in Israel that is devoted to the LORD is yours. 15 The first offspring of every womb, both human and animal, that is offered to the LORD is yours. But you must redeem every firstborn son and every firstborn male of unclean animals. 16 When they are a month old, you must redeem them at the redemption price set at five shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. 17 “But you must not redeem the firstborn of a cow, a sheep or a goat; they are holy. Splash their blood against the altar and burn their fat as a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the LORD. 18 Their meat is to be yours, just as the breast of the wave offering and the right thigh are yours. 19 Whatever is set aside from the holy offerings the Israelites present to the LORD I give to you and your sons and daughters as your perpetual share. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the LORD for both you and your offspring.” 20 The LORD said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them; I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelites.”
Analysis:
- Provision:
The priests are provided for through the offerings presented by the Israelites. This includes parts of the grain, sin, and guilt offerings, as well as the firstfruits and dedicated items.
- Consumption:
Only those who are ceremonially clean within the priest's household may eat the holy offerings, emphasizing the need for purity.
- Inheritance:
Unlike the other tribes, the priests and Levites do not receive a territorial inheritance. Instead, their portion comes from the Lord and the offerings of the people, signifying a unique and direct dependence on God for their sustenance.
Verses 21-32: Tithes for the Levites
21 “I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the tent of meeting. 22 From now on the Israelites must not go near the tent of meeting, or they will bear the consequences of their sin and will die. 23 It is the Levites who are to do the work at the tent of meeting and bear the responsibility for any offenses they commit against it. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. They will receive no inheritance among the Israelites. 24 Instead, I give to the Levites as their inheritance the tithes that the Israelites present as an offering to the LORD. That is why I said concerning them: ‘They will have no inheritance among the Israelites.’” 25 The LORD said to Moses, 26 “Speak to the Levites and say to them: ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a tenth of that tithe as the LORD’s offering. 27 Your offering will be reckoned to you as grain from the threshing floor or juice from the winepress. 28 In this way you also will present an offering to the LORD from all the tithes you receive from the Israelites. From these tithes you must give the LORD’s portion to Aaron the priest. 29 You must present as the LORD’s portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you.’ 30 “Say to the Levites: ‘When you present the best part, it will be reckoned to you as the product of the threshing floor or the winepress. 31 You and your households may eat the rest of it anywhere, for it is your wages for your work at the tent of meeting. 32 By presenting the best part of it you will not be guilty in this matter; then you will not defile the holy offerings of the Israelites, and you will not die.’”
Analysis:
- Tithes:
The Levites receive the tithes from the Israelites as their inheritance for their service in the tent of meeting.
- Responsibility:
The Levites are to present a tenth of their received tithes as an offering to the Lord, which is then given to the priests.
- Provision:
This system ensures that both the priests and Levites are provided for while maintaining the holiness and purity of the offerings.
Themes and Lessons
1. Sacred Responsibility:
The roles of the priests and Levites come with significant responsibility, emphasizing the importance of proper service and reverence for the sanctuary.
2. Divine Provision:
God provides for His servants through the offerings and tithes of the people, highlighting a system of mutual dependence and support within the community.
3. Holiness and Purity:
The requirements for ceremonial cleanliness and the proper handling of offerings underscore the need for holiness in approaching God.
Reflection
- Service and Stewardship:
Those who serve in spiritual capacities are called to high standards of responsibility and stewardship.
- Community Support:
The community's role in supporting its spiritual leaders through tithes and offerings fosters a sense of shared commitment and care.
- Divine Order:
Recognizing and respecting God's order and provision leads to a harmonious and blessed community.
Numbers 18 provides a detailed framework for the roles and sustenance of the priests and Levites, emphasizing the importance of holy service and community support in maintaining the sanctity and well-being of the Israelite nation.
