Numbers 8:1-13 / Instructions for Worship
Scripture
1 The Lord said to Moses,
2 “Speak to Aaron and say to him, ‘When you set up the lamps, see that all seven light up the area in front of the lampstand.’”
3 Aaron did so; he set up the lamps so that they faced forward on the lampstand, just as the Lord commanded Moses.
4 This is how the lampstand was made: It was made of hammered gold—from its base to its blossoms. The lampstand was made exactly like the pattern the Lord had shown Moses.
5 The Lord said to Moses:
6 “Take the Levites from among all the Israelites and make them ceremonially clean.
7 To purify them, do this: Sprinkle the water of cleansing on them; then have them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes. And so they will purify themselves.
8 Have them take a young bull with its grain offering of the finest flour mixed with olive oil; then you are to take a second young bull for a sin offering.
9 Bring the Levites to the front of the tent of meeting and assemble the whole Israelite community.
10 You are to bring the Levites before the Lord, and the Israelites are to lay their hands on them.
11 Aaron is to present the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering from the Israelites, so that they may be ready to do the work of the Lord.
12 “Then the Levites are to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, using one for a sin offering to the Lord and the other for a burnt offering, to make atonement for the Levites.
13 Have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons and then present them as a wave offering to the Lord.
Scripture Summary
God instructs Moses on setting up the lamps in the tabernacle and consecrating the Levites for service. Aaron arranges the lamps to illuminate the area before the lampstand. The Levites undergo purification through washing, shaving, and sacrifices. They are presented before the Lord as a living offering, dedicated to assist the priests in their duties within the tabernacle.
Memory verse
When Moses finished setting up the tabernacle, he anointed and consecrated it and all its furnishings. He also anointed and consecrated the altar and all its utensils.—Numbers 7:1
Reflection
Moses also receives detailed instructions on how to prepare the Levites for service. Before they can begin their work in the tent of meeting, the Levites must be ceremonially clean. They must purify themselves and present a series of offerings to God. Then, the Levites themselves become the offering, dedicated as people who are to serve the Lord full-time. Though this ritual cleansing is no longer necessary today, God still calls us to serve Him with pure and clean hearts. While all of God’s people are called to be holy before Him, those who work in His house full-time are to be especially diligent in their pursuit of purity and holiness so that they may serve God and His people well. How are we made clean today as we serve God? Pray for those around you who serve full-time in God’s house, that He will keep them pure and help them live holy lives.
“Jesus makes hard things holy things and evil things redeemed things through his blood.” – Sarah Walton
Prayer
Father, I praise You because You are a holy God who cares about the state of our hearts. Thank you for making detailed and careful provision for our purification through Jesus Christ. Give me ears to hear Your instructions as I serve You and Your people. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Essay
The Responsibilities of Service
For many years, I resisted the call to serve the Lord full-time because I was aware of verses like Hebrews 13:17: “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.” I imagined myself standing before God and having to give an account to Him for every person that I might have served or affected in ministry. As a pastor’s daughter, I was also aware of the ways in which ministry could be a burden rather than a joy, and I was not eager to bear the responsibilities and challenges of serving full-time. The Levites could easily have focused on the challenges of serving God. They could have lamented about their exacting and physically demanding responsibilities, as well as the standards of ritual purity that were required of them. Perhaps they were fearful, as I was, about the consequences they would face if they did not do their job well. However, they undoubtedly recognized the privilege they had in serving God and His people. Like the eleven other tribes, most of us are not in full-time ministry, but we can serve the Lord by using our gifts and talents in our families, schools, jobs, and churches. We can also pray for those who do serve full-time. We can recognize the responsibilities they carry and pray that they serve the Lord and His people well with the humility and purity of heart that Christ exemplified.
Written by Ahreum Kim