In chapter 18, God explains the payments through gifts and offerings, given to Aaron and his sons (the priests), and the Levites for their work and responsibilities associated with the Tabernacle.
The chapter begins with God telling Aaron that him, his sons, and his relatives from the Levi tribe are responsible for the sanctuary, which is the Tabernacle of the Covenant. “Bring your relatives of the tribe of Levi to assist you and your sons as you perform the sacred duties in front of the Tabernacle of the Covenant. But as the Levites go about their duties under your supervision, they must be careful not to touch any of the sacred objects or the altar. If they do, both you and they will die. The Levites must join with you to fulfill their responsibilities for the care and maintenance of the Tabernacle, but no one who is not a Levite may officiate with you.” (Numbers 18:2-4)
The Lord continues by saying, “I myself have chosen your fellow Levites from among the Israelites to be your special assistants. They are dedicated to the Lord for service in the Tabernacle. But you and your sons, the priests, must personally handle all the sacred service associated with the altar and everything within the inner curtain.” (Numbers 18:6-7)
God informed Aaron that the priesthood was Aaron’s special gift of service, and anyone other than Aaron and his sons, the priests, who came too close to the sanctuary would be put to death.
At this point, God explains all of the offerings presented to the Lord belong to Aaron, his sons, and family. “I have put the priests in charge of all the holy gifts that are brought to me by the people of Israel. I have given these offerings to you and your sons as your regular share. You are allotted the portion of the most holy offerings that is kept from the fire.” (Numbers 18:8-9) These include grain, sin, and guilt offerings; offerings presented by the Israelites; harvest gifts...olive oil, wine, and all the firstfruits of the land, and the meat of cattle, sheep, and goats.
God then informs Aaron that the priests will not receive any inheritance of land, nor will the Levites. The Lord said to Aaron, “As for the tribe of Levi, your relatives, I will pay them for their service in the Tabernacle with the tithes from the entire land of Israel….The Levites will receive no inheritance of land among the Israelites, because I have given them the Israelites’ tithes.” (Numbers 18:21-24)
The Lord then told Moses, “Say this to the Levites: “When you receive the tithes from the Israelites, give a tenth of the tithes you receive--a tithe of the tithe--to the Lord as a gift.” The Lord continues by saying, “....you must present the Lord’s portion to Aaron the priest.” (Numbers 18:26-28)
Ok, Let’s unpack this for a minute. The very first question that comes to mind for me is “What does Moses get?” He is the MAN! What’s his portion? Aaron and his sons, the priest, and family get the best of all the offerings. The Levites, who are building and breaking down the Tabernacle each time, must get paid. So they get the tithes. Ok, that makes sense. In addition, Aaron also gets a tenth of the tithes that the Levites receive. Ok, so Aaron and his family are getting fed and paid for all of their priestly duties. Ok, that makes sense, but what about Moses? Just in the process of writing this, an idea came to mind...maybe Moses gets the land. It says in verse 20 and 23, that the priest and Levites will receive no inheritance of land. However, Moses is a Levite and Aaron's brother, so he at least gets fed. We need some help!
Sounds like another homework assignment. As usual, if anyone knows, finds out, or has relevant information to share, please place a comment.
Lord, thank you for your Word today! Help us to recognize the special gift of service you have given each of us, and give us the courage to embrace and walk in it. We love you!
“May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
….AND MAY WE ALL PRACTICE THIS WITH ONE ANOTHER.
Lol! He actually gave me some insight on the land situation this morning. In my reading, I found out that Moses was responsible for dividing the land amongst the 12 tribes of Israel, according to clan size (population). As mentioned in this chapter, the Levites did not receive an inheritance of land, and since Moses is a Levite...no land for Moses. Maybe that changes later in the book.
Humm...great questions. Let me know what the Lord reveals to you! Too deep for me! :)