Numbers 8: Arrangement of the Lamps
1 And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “Speak to Aaron, and say to him, ‘When you arrange the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand.’” 3 And Aaron did so; he arranged the lamps to face toward the front of the lampstand, as the Lord commanded Moses. 4 Now this workmanship of the lampstand was hammered gold; from its shaft to its flowers it was hammered work. According to the pattern which Yahweh had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.
According to the Word of Yahweh God, the seven lamps were to be arranged to give light to the front of the lampstand, wherein was the golden table and the loaves of bread. Herein the priests did commune as a type of the New Testament believer. Outside of the holy of holies was the golden altar representing the prayers of the saints, lit from the bronze altar of sacrifice; and inside was was golden table with the shewbread, representing the communion of the saints. They all drew light from the seven lamps turned to the front of the lampstand.
"Observe here who was expressly appointed to the office of lighting the lamps; it was Aaron... [And yes! It is] JESUS our Almighty Aaron, that sends to us the HOLY SPIRIT, as the FATHER'S gift, to enlighten the souls of his people, and as the fruit and effect of his own ascension-gifts to his church. Hence David saith, Thou LORD wilt light my candle. Psalms 18:28. Dearest JESUS! thou art both the light, and the life of thy people, and in thy light, shall we see light. Psalms 36:9.” (Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary)
“It is not a little remarkable, that the candlestick is the only part of the furniture of the tabernacle introduced in this place. We have nothing about the golden altar, nothing about the golden table. The candlestick alone is before us, and that not in its covering of blue and of badgers' skins, as in chapter 4, where it, like all the rest, is seen in its travelling dress. It is here seen lighted, not covered. It comes in between the offerings of the princes, and the consecration of the Levites, and sheds forth its mystic light according to the commandment of the Lord. Light cannot be dispensed with in the wilderness, and therefore the golden candlestick must be stripped of its covering, and allowed to shine in testimony for God, which, be it ever remembered, is the grand object of everything, whether it be the offerings, as in the case of the princes; or the dedication of our persons, as in the case of the Levites. It is only in the light of the sanctuary that the true worth of anything or any one can be seen… Why have we not the golden altar, with its cloud of incense, here? Why not the pure table, with its twelve loaves? Because neither of these would have the least moral connection with what goes before, or what follows after. But the golden candlestick stands connected with both, inasmuch as it shows us that all liberality and all work must be viewed in the light of the sanctuary, in order to ascertain its real worth… In our progress through the Book of Numbers, we have just read the account of the large-hearted liberality of the great heads of the congregation, on the occasion of the dedication of the altar; and we are about to read the record of the consecration of the Levites; but between the one and the other, the inspired penman pauses, in order to let the light of the sanctuary shine on both.” (C. H. Mackintosh's Notes on the Pentateuch)
"All true testimony on the part of believers will draw attention to the person of Christ, who, being today in heaven, is the Sustainer of testimony, as the lampstand sustained the light. Our true testimony is that of Christ risen and glorified at the right hand of God. It is only as we look upon Him that we are sustained in our walk on earth.
Interestingly we are reminded in verse 4 that the workmanship of the lampstand was totally of hammered gold, all made of one piece. There was no acacia wood involved in this, for it does not in any way symbolize the humanity of the Lord Jesus, but His glory as the eternal God [yet beaten and bruised for us]. For just as life is completely divine, so is light in its manifestation of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. We need the light for our entire path on earth.” (L. M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible)
“The seven lights in the candlesticks point out the seven Spirits of God, the Holy Ghost being thus termed, Revelation 3:1, from the variety and abundance of his gifts and influences; seven being used among the Hebrews to denote any thing full, complete, and perfect. A candlestick or lamp without oil is of no use; oil not burning is of no use. So a Church or society of religious people without the influence of the Holy Ghost are dead while they have a name to live; and if they have a measure of this light, and do not let it shine by purity of living and holy zeal before men, their religion is neither useful to themselves nor to others. Reader, it is possible to be in the Church of God and not be of that Church; it is possible to have a measure of the Spirit and neither profit nor be profited. Feel this dreadful possibility, and pray to God that thou be not a proof of it.” (Adam Clarke)
“The commandment is a lamp (Proverbs 6:23). The Scripture is a light shining in a dark place (2 Peter 1:19). And a dark place indeed even the Church would be without it, as the tabernacle without the lamps, for it had no window in it. Now the work of ministers is to light these lamps, by expounding and applying the Word of God. The priest lighted the middle lamp from the fire of the altar; and the rest of the lamps he lighted one from another : which signifieth that the fountain of all light and knowledge cometh from Christ.. ’To what end the lamps were lighted; that they might give light over against the candlestick, i.e., to the part of the tabernacle where the table stood, with the shewbread upon it, over against the candlestick. They were not lighted like tapers in an urn, to burn to themselves, but to give light to the other side of the tabernacle, for therefore candles are lighted (Matthew 5:15). The lights of the world, the lights of the Church, must shine as lights. Therefore we have light, that we may give light.’ (Matthew Henry)” (The Biblical Illustrator) ... for as says Messiah of Israel:
“No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.” (Luke 8:16-18)
Numbers 8: Morning Repost— Cleansing and Offering of the Levites
5 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 6 “Take the Levites from among the children of Israel and cleanse them ceremonially. 7 Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purification on them, and let them shave all their body, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean. 8 Then let them take a young bull with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you shall take another young bull as a sin offering. 9 And you shall bring the Levites before the tabernacle of meeting, and you shall gather together the whole congregation of the children of Israel. 10 So you shall bring the Levites before the Lord, and the children of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites; 11 and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord like a wave offering from the children of Israel, that they may perform the work of the Lord. 12 Then the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the young bulls, and you shall offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to the Lord, to make atonement for the Levites.
All who came out of Egypt were baptized into the sea; they separated themselves from Egypt land, but they were a mixed multitude (Exo 12:38). The priests and the Levites had their work cut out for them. “Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.” (1 Cor 10-1-15)
Aaron and his sons were the priests to help the individual seeking atonement... and the Levites were to be their helpers. AND “All Israel must know that they took not this honour to themselves, but were called of God to it; nor was it enough that they were distinguished from others. All who are employed for God, must be dedicated to him, according to the employment. Christians must be baptized, ministers must be ordained; we must first give ourselves unto the Lord, and then our services.” (Henry)
“Although the tribe was to be devoted to the divine service, their hereditary descent alone was not a sufficient qualification for entering on the duties of the sacred office. They were to be set apart by a special ceremony, which, however, was much simpler than that appointed for the priests; neither washing nor anointing, nor investiture with official robes, was necessary. Their purification consisted, along with the offering of the requisite sacrifices (Le 1:4; 3:2; 4:4), in being sprinkled by water mixed with the ashes of a red heifer (Nu 19:9), and shaved all over, and their clothes washed--a combination of symbolical acts which was intended to remind them of the mortification of carnal and worldly desires, and the maintenance of that purity in heart...” (Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown) Likewise, we are ceremonial called righteous when we first believe, but as time passes, we must become more and more so.
Ou flesh must be mortified. “Thus must Jesus sprinkle our consciences, ere we can serve the living God.” (Coke) He cleanses by by the washing and regeneration of the Spirit by His Word. “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, et us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:19-22) “Truly so. And how do we use the razor? By rigid self-judgment, day by day; by the stern disallowance of all that is of nature’s growth. This is the true path for all God’s workers in the wilderness. (C. H. Mackintosh.)
13 “And you shall stand the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and then offer them like a wave offering to the Lord. 14 Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be Mine. 15 After that the Levites shall go in to service the tabernacle of meeting. So you shall cleanse them and offer them like a wave offering. 16 For they are wholly given to Me from among the children of Israel; I have taken them for Myself instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the children of Israel. 17 For all the firstborn among the children of Israel are Mine, both man and beast; on the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them to Myself. 18 I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the children of Israel. 19 And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the work for the children of Israel in the tabernacle of meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel, that there be no plague among the children of Israel when the children of Israel come near the sanctuary.”
“Aaron offered them for a wave offering…. This waving must, of course, have been done in symbol and figure. But it was not enough that they were thus waved, they had thereafter to go in to do their service. In other words, they were called to realize actually that which was their position and standing in the sight of God. There is a precise analogy in all this to the work which the Lord Jesus has accomplished for us all. He said, ‘I consecrate Myself, that they also may be consecrated.’ When He offered Himself without spot to God, to do his Father’s will, though it cost Him the agony of Calvary, the heavenly Aaron waved us before God to be his. We were separated by his most precious death, that we should be wholly for God. But what is ours in the great deed of Christ, must become ours by our own choice and deed. We must go in to do the service for which we have been chosen and set apart by the Holy Ghost.
This can only be through the grace of the... Spirit. Ask Him to realize in you the purposes of God: trust Him to keep you trusting: each morning say, ‘Holy Spirit, I rely on Thee to keep me in the current of the Divine purpose.’ Then dare to go forth to do the day’s duties, believing that you may be always engaged in God’s holy service; that in everything, whether you eat, or drink, or whatsoever you do, you do all to the glory of God.” (F B Meyer)
Three days after Passover, the first fruits of the barley harvest (the first crop of the harvest season) was was waived by the priest to be accepted on our behalf. (Levi 23:11)- a picture of Christ. Now the Levites are waived before the Lord. “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-23) We are all called to do our particular services among our brethren, bearing fruit. The laity is a gift from God in doing the work of the ministry in bringing others into a saving relationship with the risen Savior. Let us live out the roles before Jesus— our God and Savior.
20 Thus Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel did to the Levites; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the children of Israel did to them. 21 And the Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes; then Aaron presented them like a wave offering before the Lord, and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them. 22 After that the Levites went in to do their work in the tabernacle of meeting before Aaron and his sons; as the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.
23 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “This is what pertains to the Levites: From twenty-five years old and above one may enter to perform service in the work of the tabernacle of meeting; 25 and at the age of fifty years they must cease performing this work, and shall work no more. 26 They may minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of meeting, to attend to needs, but they themselves shall do no work. Thus you shall do to the Levites regarding their duties.”