Chapter Eight
Setting Up the Lampstand
8:1 Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to Aaron and say to him, When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand.” 3 And Aaron did so: he set up its lamps in front of the lampstand, as the LORD commanded Moses. 4 And this was the workmanship of the lampstand, hammered work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was hammered work; according to the pattern that the LORD had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.
God tells Moses to have Aaron set up the seven lamps on the lampstand to direct the light towards the front of the lampstand (in the direction of the table). Moses did not make the lampstand himself, he commissioned the construction of the lampstand (and provided oversight) based on the pattern given to him on Mount Sinai[1].
The Cleansing and Atonement of the Levites
8:5 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 6 “Take the Levites from among the people of Israel and cleanse them. 7 Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of purification upon them, and let them go with a razor over all their body, and wash their clothes and cleanse themselves.
Since the Levites were responsible for the transportation and logistics of the Tabernacle, they needed to be ceremonially cleansed and their sins atoned for, although the process was not as involved as what the priests had to experience. God outlines the cleaning process: they are to be sprinkled with water, they are to shave, and wash their clothes, then they will be clean.
They were to be sprinkled with the water of purification (Hebrew “mě’[2] ḥǎṭ·ṭāṯ,”[3] literally “water of sin”). As one would expect there are several interpretations regarding this verse. One viewpoint would be to interpret it in light of already knowing the contents of Numbers chapter 19, which refers to the “water of impurity” (Hebrew ‘nid·dā(h)’),[4] water used to purify people (see Numbers 19:9, 21; 31:23). The word ‘ḥǎṭ·ṭāṯ’ can also be translated or defined as:
2403. חַטָּאת ḥaṭṭāʾṯ: A feminine noun meaning sin, transgression, sin offering, punishment. The word denotes youthful indiscretions (Ps. 25:7); evil committed against another (Gen. 50:17); trespasses against God (2 Chr. 33:19; Ps. 51:2[4]; Amos 5:12); a general state of sinfulness (Isa. 6:7); and the specific occasion of sin, particularly in reference to idolatry (Deut. 9:21; Hos. 10:8). It also implies an antidote to sin, including purification from ceremonial impurity (Num. 19:9, 17); the sacrificial offering for sin (Ex. 29:14; Lev. 4:3); and the punishment for sin (Lam. 4:6; Zech. 14:19). In the story of Cain and Abel, sin appears as a creature, ready to pounce, lurking “at the door” of Cain’s heart (Gen. 4:7).[5]
The water was probably not from the bronze laver as that water was reserved for the priests (see Exodus 30:17-21), however, it could also be ordinary water, as used to wash the priests prior to their consecration (see Exodus 29:4; Leviticus 8:6). Then they were to shave themselves, the text states that they were to shave their entire body, followed by washing their clothes. Then they will be ceremonially clean.
8:8 Then let them take a bull from the herd and its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you shall take another bull from the herd for a sin offering. 9 And you shall bring the Levites before the tent of meeting and assemble the whole congregation of the people of Israel. 10 When you bring the Levites before the LORD, the people of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites, 11 and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD as a wave offering from the people of Israel, that they may do the service of the LORD. 12 Then the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to the LORD to make atonement for the Levites. 13 And you shall set the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and shall offer them as a wave offering to the LORD.
For atonement they were to offer one bull with the appropriate grain offering for a burnt offering[6] and one bull as a sin offering. But first Moses was to bring all the people of Israel in front of the Tabernacle. While everyone is arriving, he was to have the Levites assemble in front of the crowd. The other tribes were to lay their hands on the Levites (undoubtedly just their representatives, see Exodus 29:10, 15, 19; Leviticus 1:4). Then Aaron was to offer the Levites as a wave offering from the people of Israel. It is unknown what that involved as the wave offering was typically lifted (elevated) and waved before God, not practical for a large group of people. But as one commentator put it, they were being offered as “living sacrifices,”[7] which provides an interesting analogy and comparison to Romans 12:1.[8]
The Levites were then to lay their hands on the heads of the two bulls (see also Exodus 29:10) and the priests were to make atonement for all of the Levites through these sacrifices. Then once again the Levites were to be offered as a wave offering by Aaron and his sons to YHWH.
8:14 “Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the people of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine. 15 And after that the Levites shall go in to serve at the tent of meeting, when you have cleansed them and offered them as a wave offering. 16 For they are wholly given to me from among the people of Israel. Instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the people of Israel, I have taken them for myself. 17 For all the firstborn among the people of Israel are mine, both of man and of beast. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I consecrated them for myself, 18 and I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel. 19 And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the people of Israel, to do the service for the people of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement for the people of Israel, that there may be no plague among the people of Israel when the people of Israel come near the sanctuary.”
The Levites, as a tribe, were now ‘spiritually’ separate from the other tribes and were now considered a possession of God’s. Once cleansed, the Levites could then serve God at the Tabernacle.
While still enslaved in Egypt, the Israelites were allowed to leave as a result of the tenth plague when all of the firstborn in Egypt were killed. God had saved the lives of the firstborn of those protected by the Passover Lamb’s blood applied to the doorposts and lintel of their homes (see Exodus 12:7-13). From that time on, God claimed the firstborn of all the animals for Himself (clean animals were to be sacrifices) and the firstborn of the people of Israel were also His and were required to be redeemed (see Exodus 13:2, 11-13). These firstborn children were consecrated by God as His possession (spiritually separated from the others). Now, instead of the firstborn of the people of Israel, He is exchanging them for the entire Levite tribe as His possession. In turn, He will give them as a gift to Aaron and his sons to assist in the work around the Tabernacle which, as God reminds them, provides the necessary atonement for the people of Israel. God then further reminds them that if the atonement would stop it would result in a plague among all the people. Thus, pointing to the importance of the continual and smooth operation of the Tabernacle.
It is interesting to note that in Exodus 13:11-12 the requirement for the firstborn of the people of Israel to be set apart for God would not start until they arrive in the Promised Land. Now God was claiming the Levites now, before they made it to the land of the Canaanites.
8:20 Thus did Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the people of Israel to the Levites. According to all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, the people of Israel did to them. 21 And the Levites purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes, and Aaron offered them as a wave offering before the LORD, and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them. 22 And after that the Levites went in to do their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron and his sons; as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.
Moses, Aaron, Aaron’s sons, and all the people of Israel did as God instructed them to do for the Levites. They were purified, washed their clothes, offered as a wave offering and sacrifices made for their atonement. Once cleansed, they went to Aaron and his sons to begin their work with the Tabernacle.
Considerations
In verse 16, God states that the Levites were wholly given to Him. What does it mean to be a possession of God? After all everything is already God’s, right? Were they slaves? In one sense of the word, yes, they were to do the service they were called to do. But, still allowed to live freely. Christians are similarly owned by Jesus, “knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” (1 Peter 1:18-19, see also Acts 20:28)
What does being a possession of God mean? In the simplest form, it means to be obedient and responsive to God. The Levites weren’t slaves, they were privileged and blessed to be called by God, they each had a role, and God took care of them. Much the same applies to Christians, as they are called to be ambassadors for Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:20).[9] Just as God assigned the vocation of the Levites to work around the Tabernacle, He has assigned Christians around the world in different places doing different things, each being “as Christ” to those around them so that they can find Jesus as their Savior. The roles change, the people are different, but the obedience to God never changes.
Age of Service and Retirement of the Levites
8:23 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “This applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall come to do duty in the service of the tent of meeting. 25 And from the age of fifty years they shall withdraw from the duty of the service and serve no more. 26 They minister to their brothers in the tent of meeting by keeping guard, but they shall do no service. Thus shall you do to the Levites in assigning their duties.”
The age range for the Levites serving God at the Tabernacle was the minimum age of 25 and the maximum of 50 years of age. The Levites could still serve God, such as keeping guard (see Numbers 1:53), but were not allowed to “do service” (Hebrew ‘abōdāh’,[10] physical labor), after reaching the age of fifty.
This section appears to conflict with the age range for Levites stated in chapter four (see Numbers 4:3), which also reads differently than what we read in Ezra, “They appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to supervise the work of the house of the LORD.” (Ezra 3:8b, see also 1 Chronicles 23:3, 24, 27) Similar to the debates regarding the priests (see Considerations after chapter four), there has been a significant amount of discussion through the years as to which one is the correct minimum age for a Levite. Was it 20, 25, or 30? The debate continues; however, it does appear that these apparent conflicting references each have varied circumstances. For example, King David reduced the ages for Levites to serve (see 1 Chronicles 23), plus the Midrash Bamidbar Rabbah offers another potential explanation: “From the age of 25 he came to study the laws of labor and studied for five years, and the son of thirty worked.”[11] There are many possible reasons for the differences and should not automatically be considered an error.
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[1] See commentary under Exodus 25:9.
[2] Strong’s Hebrew 4325.
[3] Strong’s Hebrew 2403.
[4] See commentary under Leviticus 15:19-24.
[5] Baker, W., & Carpenter, E. E. (2003). The complete word study dictionary: Old Testament (p. 330). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.
[6] See commentary under Leviticus 23:16b-21 regarding the grain offering.
[7] Woods, C. M., & Rogers, J. (2006). Leviticus–Numbers (p. 225). Joplin, MO: College Press Pub. Co.
[8] See Considerations under the Introduction to Leviticus.
[9] See also the use of this verse under the Considerations found after Genesis chapter one; Exodus 15:17; 20:21; Introduction to Leviticus; Leviticus 5:11-13; 21:5-6; 23:22.
[10] Strong’s Hebrew 5656.
[11] “Bamidbar Rabbah Rashi.” Accessed May 21, 2019. http://www.daat.ac.il/daat/tanach/parshanut/rashi.htm. Translated to English from Hebrew using Google Translate.