Journal Through the Bible: Week 21 Tuesday

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Numbers chapter 3

Now that the rest of the people have been counted and organized into camps by tribes God turned His attentions back to the tribe of Levi for final instructions which included a census of the males of the tribe, including infants as young as 1 month!

Does God make any promises in this chapter?

• The inferred promise is that God would accept the substitution of the Levites for the firstborns of the people.

Does this chapter teach anything about Jesus?

• Just as the Levites took the place of the firstborns of the people in the service of God, Jesus became the substitute for each of us.
• The number of the overall firstborns was higher than the males of the tribe of Levites but God considered the substitution to be equal. As has been said, "We owed a debt we could not pay while Jesus paid a debt He did not owe." That is pictured by the Levites being taken on behalf of the firstborn of the people.

Does this chapter teach anything about yet-future events?

• None really, but just as the Levites were counted as substitutes for the firstborn, we will someday stand redeemed before God because Jesus counted as our substitute.

Does God issue any commands?

• The men of the tribe of Levi were to present themselves to Aaron in order to be counted and given duty assignments for the service of the tabernacle. They were to be given for Aaron's service in the place of all the firstborns of the Israelites (see Exodus 22:29 and Exodus 34:20). A stranger was not officiate in the priests' offices.
• The males from the age of one month and upward were to be numbered in the census of the Levitical tribe.
• The people of the family of Gershon were to encamp to the west of the tabernacle. They were put in charge of the courtyard hangings and textiles of the tabernacle.
• The people of the family of Kohath were to encamp on the south of the tabernacle. They were put in charge of the the ark, the table, the candlestick, the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary.
• The people of the family of Merari were to encamp on the north side of the tabernacle. They were in charge of the boards, pillars, sockets, pins, cords, and various tabernacle vessels.
• Moses, Aaron, and Aaron's sons, Eleazer and Ithamar, were to encamp to the east of the tabernacle.
• A census and tally of all the firstborn males of all the people was taken and then the tribe of Levi and their cattle were substituted for the obligations of the firstborns of the people and cattle of the other tribes. The people were to pay the redemption money to the treasury for the upkeep of the tabernacle and the priests.