Numbers 7; Numbers 8; Mark 4:21-41

1 When Moses finished setting up the Holy Tent, he gave it for service to the Lord by pouring olive oil on the Tent and on everything used in it. He also poured oil on the altar and all its tools to prepare them for service to the Lord.

2 Then the leaders of Israel made offerings. These were the heads of the families, the leaders of each tribe who counted the people.

3 They brought to the Lord six covered carts and twelve oxen -- each leader giving an ox, and every two leaders giving a cart. They brought these to the Holy Tent.

4 The Lord said to Moses,

5 "Accept these gifts from the leaders and use them in the work of the Meeting Tent. Give them to the Levites as they need them."

6 So Moses accepted the carts and the oxen and gave them to the Levites.

7 He gave two carts and four oxen to the Gershonites, which they needed for their work.

8 Then Moses gave four carts and eight oxen to the Merarites, which they needed for their work. Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest, directed the work of all of them.

9 Moses did not give any oxen or carts to the Kohathites, because their job was to carry the holy things on their shoulders.

10 When the oil was poured on the altar, the leaders brought their offerings to it to give it to the Lord's service; they presented them in front of the altar.

11 The Lord told Moses, "Each day one leader must bring his gift to make the altar ready for service to me."

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83 Each of the twelve leaders brought these gifts. Each leader brought one silver plate that weighed about three and one-fourth pounds, and one silver bowl that weighed about one and three-fourths pounds. These weights were set by the Holy Place measure. The bowl and the plate were filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering. Each leader also brought a large gold dish that weighed about four ounces and was filled with incense. In addition, each of the leaders brought one young bull, one male sheep, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and two oxen, five male sheep, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old for a fellowship offering. On the first day Nahshon son of Amminadab brought his gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Judah. On the second day Nethanel son of Zuar brought his gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Issachar. On the third day Eliab son of Helon brought his gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Zebulun. On the fourth day Elizur son of Shedeur brought his gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Reuben. On the fifth day Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai brought his gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Simeon. On the sixth day Eliasaph son of Deuel brought his gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Gad. On the seventh day Elishama son of Ammihud brought his gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Ephraim. On the eighth day Gamaliel son of Pedahzur brought his gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Manasseh. On the ninth day Abidan son of Gideoni brought his gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Benjamin. On the tenth day Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai brought his gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Dan. On the eleventh day Pagiel son of Ocran brought his gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Asher. On the twelfth day Ahira son of Enan brought his gifts. He was the leader of the tribe of Naphtali.

84 So these were the gifts from the Israelite leaders when oil was poured on the altar and it was given for service to the Lord: twelve silver plates, twelve silver bowls, and twelve gold dishes.

85 Each silver plate weighed about three and one-fourth pounds, and each bowl weighed about one and three-fourths pounds. All the silver plates and silver bowls together weighed about sixty pounds according to a weight set by the Holy Place measure.

86 The twelve gold dishes filled with incense weighed four ounces each, according to the weight set by the Holy Place measure. Together the gold dishes weighed about three pounds.

87 The total number of animals for the burnt offering was twelve bulls, twelve male sheep, and twelve male lambs a year old. There was also a grain offering, and there were twelve male goats for a sin offering.

88 The total number of animals for the fellowship offering was twenty-four bulls, sixty male sheep, sixty male goats, and sixty male lambs a year old. All these offerings were for giving the altar to the service of the Lord after the oil had been poured on it.

89 When Moses went into the Meeting Tent to speak with the Lord, he heard the Lord speaking to him. The voice was coming from between the two gold creatures with wings that were above the lid of the Ark of the Agreement. In this way the Lord spoke with him.

1 The Lord said to Moses,

2 "Speak to Aaron and tell him, 'Put the seven lamps where they can light the area in front of the lampstand.'"

3 Aaron did this, putting the lamps so they lighted the area in front of the lampstand; he obeyed the command the Lord gave Moses.

4 The lampstand was made from hammered gold, from its base to the flowers. It was made exactly the way the Lord had showed Moses.

5 The Lord said to Moses,

6 "Take the Levites away from the other Israelites and make them clean.

7 This is what you should do to make them clean: Sprinkle the cleansing water on them, and have them shave their bodies and wash their clothes so they will be clean.

8 They must take a young bull and the grain offering of flour mixed with oil that goes with it. Then take a second young bull for a sin offering.

9 Bring the Levites to the front of the Meeting Tent, and gather all the Israelites around.

10 When you bring the Levites before the Lord, the Israelites should put their hands on them.

11 Aaron will present the Levites before the Lord as an offering presented from the Israelites. Then the Levites will be ready to do the work of the Lord.

12 "The Levites will put their hands on the bulls' heads -- one bull will be a sin offering to the Lord, and the other will be a burnt offering, to remove the sins of the Levites so they will belong to the Lord.

13 Make the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons and present the Levites as an offering to the Lord.

14 In this way you must set apart the Levites from the other Israelites; the Levites will be mine.

15 "Make the Levites pure, and present them as an offering so that they may come to work at the Meeting Tent.

16 They will be given completely to me from the Israelites; I have taken them for myself instead of the firstborn of every Israelite woman.

17 All the firstborn in Israel -- people or animals -- are mine. When I killed all the firstborn in Egypt, I set the firstborn in Israel aside for myself.

18 But I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn in Israel.

19 From all the Israelites I have given the Levites to Aaron and his sons so that they may serve the Israelites at the Meeting Tent. They will help remove the Israelites' sins so they will belong to the Lord and so that no disaster will strike the Israelites when they approach the Holy Place."

20 So Moses, Aaron, and all the Israelites obeyed and did with the Levites what the Lord commanded Moses.

21 The Levites made themselves clean and washed their clothes. Then Aaron presented them as an offering to the Lord. He also removed their sins so they would be pure.

22 After that, the Levites came to the Meeting Tent to work, and Aaron and his sons told them what to do. They did with the Levites what the Lord commanded Moses.

23 The Lord said to Moses,

24 "This command is for the Levites. Everyone twenty-five years old or older must come to the Meeting Tent, because they all have jobs to do there.

25 At the age of fifty, they must retire from their jobs and not work again.

26 They may help their fellow Levites with their work at the Meeting Tent, but they must not do the work themselves. This is the way you are to give the Levites their jobs."

21 Then Jesus said to them, "Do you hide a lamp under a bowl or under a bed? No! You put the lamp on a lampstand.

22 Everything that is hidden will be made clear and every secret thing will be made known.

23 You people who can hear me, listen!

24 "Think carefully about what you hear. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you, but God will give you even more.

25 Those who have understanding will be given more. But those who do not have understanding, even what they have will be taken away from them."

26 Then Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is like someone who plants seed in the ground.

27 Night and day, whether the person is asleep or awake, the seed still grows, but the person does not know how it grows.

28 By itself the earth produces grain. First the plant grows, then the head, and then all the grain in the head.

29 When the grain is ready, the farmer cuts it, because this is the harvest time."

30 Then Jesus said, "How can I show you what the kingdom of God is like? What story can I use to explain it?

31 The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, the smallest seed you plant in the ground.

32 But when planted, this seed grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants. It produces large branches, and the wild birds can make nests in its shade."

33 Jesus used many stories like these to teach the crowd God's message -- as much as they could understand.

34 He always used stories to teach them. But when he and his followers were alone, Jesus explained everything to them.

35 That evening, Jesus said to his followers, "Let's go across the lake."

36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him in the boat just as he was. There were also other boats with them.

37 A very strong wind came up on the lake. The waves came over the sides and into the boat so that it was already full of water.

38 Jesus was at the back of the boat, sleeping with his head on a cushion. His followers woke him and said, "Teacher, don't you care that we are drowning!"

39 Jesus stood up and commanded the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind stopped, and it became completely calm.

40 Jesus said to his followers, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

41 The followers were very afraid and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"