Numbers 18:1-7

Numbers 18:1-7

[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.  [2] And thy brethren  also of the tribe  of Levi,  the tribe  of thy father,  bring  thou with thee, that they may be joined  unto thee, and minister  unto thee: but thou and thy sons  with thee shall minister before  the tabernacle  of witness.  [3] And they shall keep  thy charge,  of all the tabernacle:  only they shall not come nigh  the vessels  of the sanctuary  and the altar,  that neither they, nor ye also, die.  [4] And they shall be joined  unto thee, and keep  the charge  of the tabernacle  of the congregation,  for all the service  of the tabernacle:  and a stranger  shall not come nigh  [5] And ye shall keep  the charge  of the sanctuary,  and the charge  of the altar:  that there be no wrath  any more upon the children  of Israel.  [6] And I, behold, I have taken  your brethren  the Levites  from among  the children  of Israel:  to you they are given  as a gift  for the LORD,  to do  the service  of the tabernacle  of the congregation.  [7] Therefore thou and thy sons  with thee shall keep  your priest's office  for every thing  of the altar,  and within  the vail;  and ye shall serve:  I have given  your priest's office  unto you as a service  of gift:  and the stranger  shall be put to death. 

What does Numbers 18:1-7 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

God evidently gave these instructions to Aaron ( Numbers 18:1). They deal with the boundary lines between Israelites who were not Levites, Levites, and priests.
The priestly office carried great responsibility as well as great privilege. The priests bore the guilt of what all the Israelites did as well as what they themselves did. The sacrifices, of course, covered this guilt.
God gave the Levites to the priests as their assistants to help them with certain aspects of the work of the sanctuary ( Numbers 18:6). Outsiders, non-priests, and Levites could not intrude on the priestly office or they would die ( Numbers 18:7).
"The study of the cultic use of qrb/ngs demonstrates that its meaning goes beyond simple, physical approach to the more abstract amplifications: "have access to," "be admitted to," "be associated with." In prohibitions ... it means "encroach."" [1]
"A key phrase of this chapter is "I give you" ( Numbers 18:7; cf. Numbers 18:12; Numbers 18:19; Numbers 18:26, etc.). God takes care of His own." [2]