Why should we care about ancient instructions issued to the clans of Levi on how they were to function in a Tabernacle that no longer exists? A vow that can’t be completely fulfilled without the Temple? Judicial processes for jealous husbands that carry no legal weight today?
The Torah reading נָשֹׂא Naso (“carry, take” a census, Num. 4:21-7:89) teaches that part of the “wilderness” believer’s boot camp is to learn to be eager to step up for service.
As the Torah reading בהעלתך Beha’alotcha begins, the menorah and the Levites are dedicated to God’s service, and the Tabernacle is ready for business. However, this reading is permeated with all sorts of ingratitude and complaining, from the people complaining about the manna to Miriam and Aaron complaining about Moses. God doesn’t put up with any of it. Whether it’s sending down a consuming fire or a plague, God doesn’t put up with people grumbling about His provision.
Numbers 8 is very short, but there’s a lot of meat in here to digest. This chapter details the dedication of the Levites for service to the Tabernacle. The Levites were exchanged in place of the first-born sons of all Israel, and they were appointed to serve the High Priest and assist him in running the Tabernacle. The Torah is a picture showing us how God runs His kingdom.
The throne of the Kingdom of God is the “mercy seat.” That is the seat of His power. Aaron enters into God’s presence once a year (Yom haKippurim, the Day of Atonement), but he has to enter in with a spoon of burning incense. Without it, Aaron would have died. Our High Priest, Yeshua, entered the most holy place without the incense. He tore the veil, entered in and died.
Even if you aren’t a literal descendant of Aaron this chapter is about you. If you are joined to the High Priest Messiah Yeshua, you are joined, in a spiritual sense to the priestly Levites. Numbers 3 tells you how.
Is this of any value to us in the 21st century? Just as in Leviticus 21, Leviticus 22 is about the function and lifestyle of the High Priest in the physical plane. I want to reiterate this to try to not move this in the 21st century. Imagine you were living in Moshe: You were only a year beyond Mitsraim (Egypt), and you are learning this for the first time.
The last two chapters of Deuteronomy contain Moses’ final blessings and prophecies for the 12 tribes of Israel then a description of his death, a passage he didn’t write. There are no curses here. God, through Moshe, is uplifting the people.
This section could be titled, “The Three Stories of Rebellion”: of a man collecting firewood on Shabbat, of Korah, of two families of the tribe of Reuben. God dealt with each rebellion in a different way. All imprinted in the minds of the people over and again God was the one in charge, and it was God’s prerogative to choose Moses and Aaron.