Saturday, February 27, 2010

February Twenty Seven

Just saying....I am glad to be out of Leviticus. You know when you write a word and it just doesn't look like it is spelled correctly? It is spelled correctly but it for some odd reason looks.... odd. Well I am going to use this analogy for the typing the word Leviticus. I have typed it over and over and it looks fine but what my problem is my fingers want to type Levuccis sooo...phew. Numbers is easy to type. yay.

Oraganization for Israel's camp/Numbers 2:1-34
It just amazes me that there were this many people. 32 In summary, the troops of Israel listed by their families totaled 603,550.

Levites appointed for service/Numbers 3:1-13
I am still amazed, again, only Aaron and the two sons to be as preists over 100k people. I know churches with 4-5000 that people think are "too big" when we do not have all of these rituals. It must have been just WOW.
These sons of Aaron were anointed and ordained to minister as priests. 4 But Nadab and Abihu died in the Lord’s presence in the wilderness of Sinai when they burned before the Lord the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded. Since they had no sons, this left only Eleazar and Ithamar to serve as priests with their father, Aaron.
Okay now I understand that there was help...
9 Assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They have been given from among all the people of Israel to serve as their assistants
I am confused here. I remember God taking Egypts first born. I remember God saying that the first born belong to him. But don't we all belong to him? What does it mean and what does it mean "substitutes for all the firstborn"?
11 And the Lord said to Moses, 12 “Look, I have chosen the Levites from among the Israelites to serve as substitutes for all the firstborn sons of the people of Israel. The Levites belong to me, 13 for all the firstborn males are mine. On the day I struck down all the firstborn sons of the Egyptians, I set apart for myself all the firstborn in Israel, both of people and of animals. They are mine; I am the Lord.”

The Census of the Levites/Numbers 3: 14-39
My other days questions on how they moved the Tabernacle etc. Is now explained. The sad way I envision it is see how fast a circus or fair sets up and tears down within days. Now I understand how organized it was and how many people worked on it and it makes sense.:)

39 When Moses and Aaron counted the Levite clans at the Lord’s command, the total number was 22,000 males one month old or older.

Redeeming the firstborn sons/Numbers 3:40-51
I am hoping this is clarified. Do the rest of the Israelites not have to worry about the firstborn "rule" anymore?
40 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now count all the firstborn sons in Israel who are one month old or older, and make a list of their names. 41 The Levites must be reserved for me as substitutes for the firstborn sons of Israel; I am the Lord. And the Levites’ livestock must be reserved for me as substitutes for the firstborn livestock of the whole nation of Israel.”
HELP~ Did they "buy" back the sons from God???? I am still unclear on this.
44 Then the Lord said to Moses, 45 “Take the Levites as substitutes for the firstborn sons of the people of Israel. And take the livestock of the Levites as substitutes for the firstborn livestock of the people of Israel. The Levites belong to me; I am the Lord. 46 There are 273 more firstborn sons of Israel than there are Levites. To redeem these extra firstborn sons, 47 collect five pieces of silver[g] for each of them (each piece weighing the same as the sanctuary shekel, which equals twenty gerahs). 48 Give the silver to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for the extra firstborn sons.”49 So Moses collected the silver for redeeming the firstborn sons of Israel who exceeded the number of Levites. 50 He collected 1,365 pieces of silver[h] on behalf of these firstborn sons of Israel (each piece weighing the same as the sanctuary shekel). 51 And Moses gave the silver for the redemption to Aaron and his sons, just as the Lord had commanded.

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