Numbers 8:5-26

Numbers 8:5-26

[5] And the LORD  spake  unto Moses,  saying,  [6] Take  the Levites  from among  the children  of Israel,  and cleanse  [7] And thus shalt thou do  unto them, to cleanse  them: Sprinkle  water  of purifying  upon them, and let them shave  all their flesh,  and let them wash  their clothes,  and so make themselves clean.  [8] Then let them take  a young  bullock  with his meat offering,  even fine flour  mingled  with oil,  and another  young  bullock  shalt thou take  for a sin offering.  [9] And thou shalt bring  the Levites  before  the tabernacle  of the congregation:  the whole assembly  of the children  of Israel  together:  [10] And thou shalt bring  the Levites  before  and the children  of Israel  shall put  their hands  upon the Levites:  [11] And Aaron  shall offer  the Levites  before  the LORD  for an offering  of the children  of Israel,  that they may execute  the service  of the LORD.  [12] And the Levites  shall lay  their hands  upon the heads  of the bullocks:  and thou shalt offer  the one  for a sin offering,  and the other  for a burnt offering,  unto the LORD,  to make an atonement  for the Levites.  [13] And thou shalt set  the Levites  before  Aaron,  and before  his sons,  and offer  them for an offering  unto the LORD.  [14] Thus shalt thou separate  the Levites  from among  the children  of Israel:  and the Levites  shall be mine. [15] And after  that shall the Levites  go in  to do the service  of the tabernacle  of the congregation:  and thou shalt cleanse  them, and offer  them for an offering.  [16] For they are wholly given  unto me from among  the children  of Israel;  instead of such as open  every womb,  even instead of the firstborn  of all the children  of Israel,  have I taken  them unto me. [17] For all the firstborn  of the children  of Israel  are mine, both man  and beast:  on the day  that I smote  every firstborn  in the land  of Egypt  I sanctified  them for myself. [18] And I have taken  the Levites  for all the firstborn  of the children  of Israel.  [19] And I have given  the Levites  as a gift  to Aaron  and to his sons  from among  the children  of Israel,  to do  the service  of the children  of Israel  in the tabernacle  of the congregation,  and to make an atonement  for the children  of Israel:  that there be no plague  among the children  of Israel,  when the children  of Israel  come nigh  unto the sanctuary.  [20] And Moses,  and Aaron,  and all the congregation  of the children  of Israel,  did  to the Levites  according unto all that the LORD  commanded  Moses  concerning the Levites,  so did  the children  of Israel  unto them. [21] And the Levites  were purified,  and they washed  their clothes;  and Aaron  offered  them as an offering  before  the LORD;  and Aaron  made an atonement  for them to cleanse  [22] And after  that went  the Levites  in to do  their service  in the tabernacle  of the congregation  before  Aaron,  and before  his sons:  as the LORD  had commanded  Moses  concerning the Levites,  so did  they unto them. [23] And the LORD  spake  unto Moses,  saying,  [24] This is it that belongeth unto the Levites:  from twenty  and five  years  old  and upward  they shall go in  to wait  upon the service  of the tabernacle  of the congregation:  [25] And from the age  of fifty  years  they shall cease  waiting  upon the service  thereof, and shall serve  [26] But shall minister  with their brethren  in the tabernacle  of the congregation,  to keep  the charge,  and shall do  no service.  Thus shalt thou do  unto the Levites  touching their charge. 

What does Numbers 8:5-26 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

The consecration of the priests had taken place earlier (cf. Leviticus 8). Then the people only looked on ( Leviticus 8:3-4). Now God set apart to His service the whole tribe of Levi that He had taken in place of the first-born sons ( Numbers 8:16-18). This time the people played a role by laying their hands on the Levites ( Numbers 8:10). The Levites stood in the place of the people as their representatives whereas the priests were closer to God and further from the people.
The consecration proceeded after the high priest lit the lamps ( Numbers 8:5-22). After the Levites washed and trimmed their hair (Heb. "abar ta"ar "al) to symbolize and effect cleansing, the Israelites placed their hands on them portraying the transference of responsibility from the first-born sons to them ( Numbers 8:10; Numbers 8:12). Thus the Levites became living sacrifices unto God (cf. Romans 6:13; Romans 12:1-2).
Levites could perform service in the tent of meeting only between the ages of25,50 ( Numbers 8:23-26). Carrying the tabernacle in transit was a task for which there were stricter qualifications (cf. Numbers 4:47) probably because of the dangers connected with this service (cf. Numbers 4:15; Numbers 4:20). As stated above, the Levites had to be30 to50 to carry the tabernacle.
"The distinctive emphasis of this section is that the Levites are nevertheless not remote from the community. Through the laying on of hands they in some sense represent the people at large, and constitute an offering from the people. Unlike the priests they do not receive anointing or special vestments. Like laymen they wash their clothes for the special rites. They are perhaps something of a bridge between priests and people." [1]
"Chapter8 deals with two issues: lamps and Levites. Both the proper setting of the lamps and the distinction of the Levites from the community are further elements in the purification of the nation in preparation for the holy task God had prepared for her.... May one suggest that as the lamps were to be properly focused on the bread of the Presence, so the Levites were to have their proper stance within the community as well?" [2]