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Order for the Tabernacle
Levi had three sons and it was from the heirs of this tribe that the priests as well as those tasked with maintaining the tabernacle were conscripted.
The eldest son of Levi was named Kohat (Numbers 3:27–32; 4:1–20). The Nasi (president, leader) of this clan was Elizaphan, son of Uzziel.
- High priests who served in the Mishkan came from Aharon, grandson of Kohat.
- Duties: Ark of the Testimony, table of bread of the Presence, menorah, altars, utensils of the sanctuary, the veil.
- Their responsibility was the “touch points” between Heaven and mankind.
Levi’s second son was Gershon (Numbers 3:21–26; 4:21–28). The Nasi of this clan was Eliasaph, son of Lael.
- Duties: Tabernacle tent, its covering, screen for the doorway to the tent, curtains of the court around the tent, screen for doorway to the court and all the cords that go with it.
- Their responsibility to cover the powerful otherness of God in the Mishkan, protecting the people outside from their own curiosity, arrogance or ignorance.
In Romans 8:15 (cf. Galatians 4:6) we learned that the Spirit transforms us to long for a Father–child connection with Heaven, as adopted full members of the family.
“For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’”
Romans 8:15 NASB
This adoption without condemnation for those who allow Messiah to draw them near to God (Rom. 8:1) comes from living “by the Spirit … putting to death the deeds of the body” (Rom. 8:13).
This route to the Presence via the Messiah involves daily humbling ourselves (memorialized on Pesakh and Yom Kippur) because of Yeshua’s faithful service (Rom. 8:16).
In Hebrews 10:19–22 we learned that our High Priest Yeshua gives us complete Kippurim (“coverings,” i.e., atonement) so we can confidently go through the veil before the face of the Father.
But we must teach ourselves and those we influence to kareb (“draw near”) with reverence and repentance.
“Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”
Hebrews 10:19–22 NASB
The confident yet repentant reverence unveiled in Hebrews 10:19–22 is also beautifully taught in Qohelet (Ecclesiastes):
“Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil. Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few. For the dream comes through much effort and the voice of a fool through many words.”
Ecclesiastes 5:1–3 NASB
This seems to connect the קרבן qorban (“that which draws near,” “offering”) with listening to God.
“When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, But he who restrains his lips is wise.”
Proverbs 10:19 NASB
Cities large and small across the U.S. erupted with anger and violence this week [early June 2020], sparked by the death of George Floyd on May 25 in a Minneapolis police incident that’s headed to court. [Update: One officer was convicted in April 2021 of second-degree murder, and the other officers are pending trial.]
Like with any group, there are those who are self-governed and those who aren’t. And the actions of those who don’t keep their emotions in check stain the “name” of the organizations they serve, be they government, police, military, nonprofit, house of worship or business.
There are a number of warnings in the Torah and rest of the TaNaKh about keeping one’s heart in check, especially when justice is involved, as we see recorded in Ex. 23:1-7 and Proverbs 1:8-19.
Levi’s youngest son was Merari (Numbers 3:33–37; 4:29–33). Their Nasi was Zuriel, son of Abihail.
- Duties: Frames of the Mishkan (bars, pillars, sockets, all its equipment) and the court (pillars, sockets, pegs and cords).
- Their responsibility was to provide the framework for the coverings.
It could have been easy to have Gershon put up the frames and the coverings.
Just as textiles require different skills and attention than framing and mechanics, so too those who serve as the “backbone” of the Body of Messiah, keeping its duties functioning are as important as those teaching people about the merciful holiness of God and His Messiah.
Messiah’s apostle Paul seems to riff on the diverse unity of Israel in his gifts, Body parts and selfless-love message to the congregation in the “melting pot” Greek port city of Corinth (1Corinthians 12–13).
Numbers 6: What is a nazir?
- נָזִיר nazir (H5139 from 5144a): “one consecrated, devoted”
- נָזַר nazar (H5144): verb, “dedicate, consecrate, separate, in religious and ceremonial sense”
- יַפְלִא לִנְדֹּר yafli lindor, “makes a special vow” (NASB) or “separate themselves to a vow” (KJV)
- פלא pala (H6381): verb, “to be wonderful”
- HALOT lexicon: “to be different, conspicuous, curious”
- BDB lexicon: “be surpassing, extraordinary”
- The verb is translated as “makes a difficult vow” (NASB) and “make a singular vow” (KJV) in Lev. 27:2, a chapter talking about the redemption of people, offerings and land dedicated to the LORD.
In Ya’akov’s blessing of his sons, he gave his surpassing blessings to be on the head of Yosef and לְקָדְקֹד נְזִיר אֶחָיו, or “for the scalp of the consecrated one [נזיר nazir] of his brothers” (Gen. 49:26).
This phrase — “to the head of Yosef and to the head of the consecrated one of his brothers” — Moshe repeated for the tribes of Yosef — Ephraim and Manasseh — in Deut. 33:16 as the 12 tribes prepared to enter the Land.
The vow was extraordinary — “holy is he [the person] to the LORD” (Numbers 6:8).
Breaches of this vow, even unintentional, were remedied with sin and guilt offerings at God’s House (Numbers 6:10, 13, etc.).
Rules for the nazir
Nazirite was forbidden during the period of the vow from:
- Eating and drinking certain things.
- חֹמֶץ יַיִן וְחֹמֶץ שֵׁכָר — The decay/sourness/corruption of wine and hard beverages (Num. 6:3).
- Grape matter of any kind — skins, seeds, dried or fresh grapes, juice, wine (vv. 3–4).
- Cutting the hair (Numbers 6:5).
- Touching a corpse, even that of family (Numbers 6:6–7) and even if it was by accident (Numbers 6:9).
The status of a nazir is somewhat confusing:
- The nazir is a sort of priest, but not a priest. The nazarite commission is special.
- The rite of the nazir was available to both men and women.
The hair is a covering that grows of itself.- It’s almost like a field that grows of its own doing. It’s not something that we don’t plant ourselves.
- The nazir had to live separate from death.
Annunciation of Shimshon (Samson), the nazir judge of Yisrael
The haftarah (parallel passage) for Nasso (Judges 13:2–25) focuses on the life of the most famous nazir not only in the TaNaKHebrew acronym for Torah, Nevi’im (Prophets) and Ketuvim (Writings) but probably in the entire Bible, Samson.
Shimshon was a nazir from his conception, but even his mother had to live as a nazir while she carried Samson in her womb.
Shimshon didn’t take this vow. It was taken for him. His role from birth was to liberate the Israelites from the Philistines.
Samson’s parents, mostly his mother, had a profound connection with the Angel of the Lord. Their conversations with him changed their lives forever.
Shimshon’s mother was one of eight women recorded in Scripture who was barren and miraculously conceived a son dedicated to the LORD for a special purpose.
Shimshon was not just a deliverer but he was also a living parable, a Messianic figure to teach us a little bit about the Messiah.
Shimshon was also a reminder to the children of Israel that they were supposed to be a special people.
And even if they wondered away from that mission or forgot themselves, they could come back to themselves and be restored.
However, there is also a famous Nazir in the New Testament.
Acts 21: Apostle Paul the nazir
If the completion of the Nazir vow was to be undertaken at the House of God, what does this suggest about the worship of God outside of Israel?
“Iesous said to her, ‘Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.’ ”
John 4:21–24
There are, however, rabbinical discussions in the Mishnah about Nazir vows outside the Land:
“He who [while overseas] took a vow to be a Nazir for a long spell and completed his spell as a Nazir, and afterward came to the Land [of Israel] — the House of Shammai say, ‘He is a Nazir for thirty days.’ And the House of Hillel say, ‘He is a Nazir as from the very beginning.’ ”
m.Nazir 3:6
Considering that Yeshua’s corrections tended to get at the intent of the Torah that the School of Hillel largely subscribed to, this consideration of a Nazir vow undertaken abroad not being completed until done so at the Temple may explain the Yerushalayim leadership’s directive to Paul to participate in the “closing ceremonies” with four Nazirs (Acts 21:17–24).
What can it say about our worship of God through His appointed times today?
Numbers 6:22–27: Aaronic benediction
“ ‘So they shall invoke [literally, “put”] My name on the sons of Israel, and I then will bless them.’ ”
Numbers 6:27 NASB
One of the characteristics of those on whom the Name is put is unity, as explained by the Messiah.
“‘I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are.’”
John 17:11 NASB
In our recent Pentecost study, we saw that on that Shavuot just after Yeshua’s return to Heaven part of the teshuah (turning back) to the derekh (way) of God was to be washed “in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins” (Acts 2:38). With that cleansing comes commission (“receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”) for service to the Kingdom on Earth.
Numbers 7: Readying the Mishkan for service
In Exodus 40, we saw another angle on the commissioning of the dwelling place of the Presence, and how the LORD filled the place (Ex. 40:34). Numbers 7 echoes that account.
This bestowing of gifts for the Mishkan follows the Aaronic blessing.
The LORD prepared Israel for service, and now like Abraham, Israel must heed the LORD’s call to lech lecha! (go forth!).
Likewise, will we respond to the LORD’s call with “here I am, send me” or “send someone else”?
Summary: Tammy
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