Números 18

Números 18

Click for Numbers Chapters 1-36 Numbers: Journey to God's Rest-Land by Irving Jensen- used by permission Source: Ryrie Study Bible THE BOOK OF NUMBERS "Wilderness Wandering" WALKING Numbers 1-12 WANDERING Numbers 13-25 WAITING Numbers 26-36 Counting & Camping Nu 1-4 Cleansing & Congregation Nu 5-8 Carping & Complaining Nu 9-12 12 Spies & Death in Desert Nu 13-16 Aaron & Levites in Wilderness Nu 17-18 Serpent of Brass & Story of Balaam Nu 21-25 Second Census 7 Laws of Israel Nu 26-30 Last Days of Moses as Leader Nu 31-33 Sections, Sanctuaries & Settlements Nu 34-36 Law & Order Rebellion & Disorder New Laws for the New Order Old Generation Tragic Transition New Generation Preparation for the Journey: Moving Out Participation in the Journey: Moving On Prize at end of the Journey: Moving In At Sinai Mt Sinai To Moab Mt Hor At Moab Mt Nebo En Route to Kadesh (Mt Sinai) En Route to Nowhere (Wilderness) En Route to Canaan (Plains of Moab) A Few Weeks to 2 Months 38 years, 3 months, 10 days A Few Months Christ in Numbers = Our "Lifted-up One" (Nu 21:9, cp Jn 3:14-15) Author: Moses Numbers 18:1 So the LORD said to Aaron, "You and your sons and your father's household with you shall bear the guilt in connection with the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear the guilt in connection with your priesthood. BGT Numbers 18:1 καὶ εἶπεν κύριος πρὸς Ααρων λέγων σὺ καὶ οἱ υἱοί σου καὶ ὁ οἶκος πατριᾶς σου λήμψεσθε τὰς ἁμαρτίας τῶν ἁγίων καὶ σὺ καὶ οἱ υἱοί σου λήμψεσθε τὰς ἁμαρτίας τῆς ἱερατείας ὑμῶν NET Numbers 18:1 The LORD said to Aaron, "You and your sons and your tribe with you must bear the iniquity of the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you must bear the iniquity of your priesthood. NLT Numbers 18:1 Then the LORD said to Aaron: "You, your sons, and your relatives from the tribe of Levi will be held responsible for any offenses related to the sanctuary. But you and your sons alone will be held responsible for violations connected with the priesthood. ESV Numbers 18:1 So the LORD said to Aaron, "You and your sons and your father's house with you shall bear iniquity connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear iniquity connected with your priesthood. NIV Numbers 18:1 The LORD said to Aaron, "You, your sons and your father's family are to bear the responsibility for offenses against the sanctuary, and you and your sons alone are to bear the responsibility for offenses against the priesthood. KJV Numbers 18:1 And the LORD said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father's house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood. YLT Numbers 18:1 And Jehovah saith unto Aaron, 'Thou, and thy sons, and the house of thy father with thee, do bear the iniquity of the sanctuary; and thou, and thy sons with thee, do bear the iniquity of your priesthood; LXE Numbers 18:1 And the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying, Thou and thy sons and thy father's house shall bear the sins of the holy things, and thou and thy sons shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood. ASV Numbers 18:1 And Jehovah said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy fathers' house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary; and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood. CSB Numbers 18:1 The LORD said to Aaron, "You, your sons, and your ancestral house will be responsible for sin against the sanctuary. You and your sons will be responsible for sin involving your priesthood. NKJ Numbers 18:1 Then the LORD said to Aaron: "You and your sons and your father's house with you shall bear the iniquity related to the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity associated with your priesthood. NRS Numbers 18:1 The LORD said to Aaron: You and your sons and your ancestral house with you shall bear responsibility for offenses connected with the sanctuary, while you and your sons alone shall bear responsibility for offenses connected with the priesthood. Thou: Nu 17:3,7,13 Heb 4:15 shall bear: To counterbalance the high honour conferred on Aaron and his family, and to allay the fears and abate the envy of the people, it is here declared, that the priest must bear the blame of everything which was not properly conducted in the sanctuary. Nu 18:22 Nu 14:34 Ex 28:38 Lev 22:9 Isa 53:6,11 Eze 3:18,19 Ac 20:26,27 Heb 13:17 1Pe 2:24 Numbers 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Aaron is Attentive to Adonai! YAHWEH SPEAKS DIRECTLY TO AARON SAYING GUARD THE SANCTUARY! The KEY WORD in Numbers 18 is give or gift - 10x - Nu 18:6 Nu 18:8 Nu 18:9 Nu 18:10 Nu 18:11 Nu 18:12 Nu 18:19 Nu 18:28 Nu 18:29 Nu 18:32. See Wiersbe's practica summary which emphasizes this key word. God takes care of His own. If He promised to give a rich land to the multitude of His people, He would also give good things to the chosen servants of His house. -- Jensen Irving Jensen - When the Israelites would finally enter Canaan and appropriate the land and its fruit for a perpetual inheritance, there would have to be an understanding as to what lot and provision fell to those serving in the things of God’s sanctuary, since they would own no land to produce a living. What would their inheritance be? It was at this point in the experiences of the Israelites that God revealed His plans for them, as He spoke through Aaron (18:1–24) and Moses (18:25–32). First, the very office of priesthood was a gift of grace. This was cited by God later in His words to Aaron: “You and your sons are to discharge your priestly duties in everything, from that which pertains to the altar to that which is inside the veil. Be sure to perform it, for the office of the priesthood is a gift which I am giving you” (Nu 18:7, Berkeley Version). The office was said to have the character of a gift, evidently because the priest’s intimate fellowship with God was a privilege accorded not for works done, but wholly by the grace of God. Second, God gave His ministers a spirit of responsibility for the critical task to which they had been called. The priests Aaron and his sons, together with those of his father’s house (of the family of Kohathites), were bearing the iniquity of the sanctuary and of their own priesthood (Nu 18:1). If there was atonement for any sin or defilement whatever—whether in the gifts or offerings themselves, in the people, in the priests, or in the Levites—that atonement applied only as the priests faithfully discharged their duties. The ultimate work of the priests was “that there be wrath no more upon the children of Israel” (Nu 18:5). Third, God gave His ministers the gift of helpers. Concerning the Levites taken from the children of Israel (chaps. 3 and 4), God said to the priests, “To you they are a gift … to do the service of the tent of meeting” (Nu 18:6). The phrase “joined unto thee” (Nu 18:2) indicates that the Levites were intimate helpers and were to serve the priests in their charges. Fourth, God gave His ministers every provision for earthly needs. Since the priests and Levites would not be receiving land in Canaan from which to draw a livelihood, other than that of the Levite cities (see Nu 35), God designated that their income should be taken from the gifts and offerings brought to God in the sanctuary (Nu 18:8–32). Verse 8 identifies in general the source of income: “I have given thee the charge [keeping] of my heave-offerings,” the phrase “heave-offerings” being used here to include all the holy gifts brought to God in the offerings. This is borne out in the words of God which followed, identifying such gifts: meal offerings, sin offerings, trespass offerings, oil, vintage, grain, fruits, everything placed under a ban (Nu 18:14; cf. Lev. 27:28), and the firstborn of man and beast, the former being redeemed by money. The Levites, on the other hand, were to receive as their reward for service all the tithe of the land which the Israelites were to give to God according to the regulations described by Leviticus 27:30–33+. Of this tithe, the Levites were to return a tenth to the Lord (Nu. 18:25–32) as their offering to God. Last, God gave the gift of Himself to His ministers. This was the greatest of all His gifts. In fact, God’s arrangement with the priests and Levites was such that they would be continually reminded of this. They were not to receive an inheritance of any portion of the land of Canaan, because their special portion was God Himself: “I am thy portion and thine inheritance among the children of Israel” (Nu 18:20). And since it was true that in one sense God was the spiritual portion of the people as well, it must be interpreted here that there were unique blessings of fellowship with God afforded His ministers which the people could not share. The people’s immediate dependence for provision was on the soil; the priests’ and Levites’ immediate dependence was on the effective functioning of worship in God’s sanctuary (for if there were no worshipers, there would be no gifts and tithes). Stated another way, “the worship (cultus) of Him is infinitely fuller of delight, and far more productive, than the cultivation (cultus) of any soil.” In Nu 17:12-13+ we read "Then the sons of Israel spoke to Moses, saying, “Behold, we perish, we are dying, we are all dying! “Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the LORD, must die. Are we to perish completely?”" After questioning Aaron's right to be priest (Korah's rebellion), they budding of Aaron's rod finally convinced Israel that Aaron's priesthood was valid, but they now fear going near the tabernacle because they think they will die. And in fact they are correct that they could not approach the Tent of Meeting, so here in chapter 18 God emphasizes that they do have one who can approach the Tabernacle for them. And so we see the rationale for the discussion of the Aaronic priesthood in this chapter. Yahweh was mercifully providing the people a legitimate priesthood. He was showing them grace in light of their fear of dying should they approach the Tabernacle. Aaron would be their intermediary. UBS Handbook has a good introduction to this chapter - It is noteworthy that Numbers 18 comes directly after Numbers 16–17, in which Aaron’s authority was contested and confirmed. As is clear from Nu 18:1, God addresses Aaron alone for the first time in this book (so Alter, page 773). (It is only in this chapter and in Lev 10:8 that God speaks directly to Aaron alone [so Olson, page 114].) Most of the regulations in this chapter have been mentioned before (see Nu 3:1–4:49; Nu 8:5–26). But Numbers 18 does not intend to refer back to those earlier passages. Rather, its role is to highlight Aaron’s authority after chapters 16–17, perhaps now in the hearing of the new generation of Israelites who would enter the land of Canaan one day. The priests and Levites formed the first and second line of protection around the Tent of Meeting against death by the wrath of God. So this chapter appears to respond to the people’s fearful outcry at the end of chapter 17, which may be rendered “Anyone who even comes near the Tabernacle of the LORD will die! Are we all doomed to die?” (Nu 17:13+). UBS titles Numbers 18 - Duties and income of priests and Levites - below is the division Duties of Priests and Levites (Nu 18:1–7) The Share of the Priests (Nu 18:8–20) The Share of the Levites (Nu 18:21–24) The Levites’ Tithe (Nu 18:25–32) Wenham says "God’s reply to the people’s frightened cries (Nu 17:12–13) is given direct to Aaron." (TOTC-Nu) Ronald Allen has a similar comment - The lament of the people in Nu 17:12–13+ was a genuine expression of distress; grievous sins against the holy meeting place of the Lord and his people would be judged with death. It was only in the mercy of the Lord in providing a legitimate priesthood that there could be any hope for deliverance from judgment. Modern readers are not always aware that the Lord’s provision of the priesthood was an aspect of his grace. Without proper priests doing their work effectively, there would be only death among the sinning community. Psalm 99:6 (SEE BELOW) points to the grace of God in providing priests for his people. The provision of the Great Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ (Heb 4:14+), is in line with this work of his grace. (EBC) Psalm 99:6+ Moses and Aaron were among His priests, And Samuel was among those who called on His name; They called upon the LORD and He answered them. --