Numbers 8

1 And the Lorde spake vnto Moses saynge:

2 speake vnto Aaron and saye vnto hym: when thou puttest on the lampes se that they lighte all seuen apon the forefront of the candelsticke.

3 And Aaron dyd euen so and put the lampes apon the forefrot of the candelsticke as the Lorde commaunded Moses

4 and the worke of the candelsticke was of stiffe golde: both the shaft and the floures thereof. And accordinge vnto the visyon whiche the Lorde had shewed Moses euen so he made the candelsticke.

5 And the Lorde spake vnto Moses sayenge:

6 take the leuites from amonge the childern of Israel and clense them.

7 And this doo vnto them when thou clensest them sprinckle water of purifyenge apon them and make a rasure to runne alonge apon all the fleshe of them and let them washe their clothes and then they shall be cleane.

8 And let them take a bollocke and his meatofferynge fyne floure myngled with oyle: and another bollocke shalt thou take to be a synneofferynge.

9 Than brynge the leuites before the tabernacle of witnesse and gather the hole multitude of the chyldern of Israel together.

10 And bringe the leuites before the Lorde and let the childern of Israel put their handes apon the leuites.

11 And let Aaron heue the leuites before the LORDE for an heueofferynge geuen of the childern of Israel ad the let them be appoynted to wayte apon the seruyce of the Lorde.

12 And let the leuites put their handes vpo the heedes of the bollockes and then offer them: the one for a synneofferynge and the other for a burntofferynge vnto the Lorde to make an attonement for the leuites.

13 And make the leuites stonde before Aaron and hys sonnes and heue them to be a heueofferynge vnto the Lorde.

14 And thou shalt separate the leuites from amonge the childern of Israel that they be myne:

15 and after that let them goo and do the seruice of the tabernacle of witnesse. Clense them and waue them

16 for they are geuen vnto me from amonge the childre of Israel: for I haue taken them vnto me for all ye firstborne that ope any matrice amoge the childern of Israel.

17 For all the fyrstborne among the childern of Israel are myne both man and beest: because the same tyme that I smote the fyrstborne in the lande of Egipte I sanctyfyde them for my selfe:

18 and I haue taken the Leuites for all the fyrstborne amonge the childern of Israel

19 and haue geuen them vnto Aaron and his sonnes from amonge the childern of Israel to doo the seruyce of the childern of Israel in the tabernacle of witnesse and to make an attonement for the chyldern of Israell that there be no plage amonge the childern of Ysraell yf they come nye vnto the sanctuary.

20 And Moses and Aaron and all the congregacion of the childern of Israel dyd vnto the leuites acordynge vnto all that ye Lorde commaunded Moses.

21 And the leuites purifyed them selues and wasshed their clothes. And Aaron waued them before ye Lorde and made an attonement for them to clense them.

22 And after that they went into doo their seruyce in the tabernacle of wytnesse before Aaron and his sonnes. And acordinge as the Lorde had commaunded Moses as concernynge the leuites euen so they dyd vnto them.

23 And the Lorde spake vnto Moses sayenge:

24 this shalbe the maner of the leuites: from xxv. yere vppwarde they shall goo in to wayte vppon the seruyce in the tabernacle of witnesse

25 and at fyftye they shall ceasse waytynge apon the seruyce thereof and shall laboure no moare:

26 but shall ministre vnto their bretheren in the tabernacle of witnesse and there wayte but shall doo no moare seruyce. And se that thou doo after this maner vnto the leuites in their waytynge tymes.

Numbers 8 Commentary

Chapter 8

The lamps of the sanctuary. (1-4) Consecration of the Levites, and their service. (5-26)

Verses 1-4 Aaron himself lighted the lamps, thus representing his Divine Master. The Scripture is a light shining in a dark place, ( 2 Peter. 1:19 ) the tabernacle, which had no window, would have been without the lamps. The work of ministers is to light these lamps, by expounding and applying the word of God. Jesus Christ is the only Light of our dark, sinful world; and by his atonement, by his word and the Holy Spirit, he diffuses light around.

Verses 5-26 Here we have directions for the solemn ordination of the Levites. 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. The Levites must be cleansed. They must be clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. Moses must sprinkle the water of purifying upon them. This signifies the application of the blood of Christ to our souls by faith, that we may be fit to serve the living God. God declares his acceptance of them. All who expect to share in the privileges of the tabernacle, must resolve to do the service of the tabernacle. As, on the one hand, none of God's creatures are his necessary servants, he needs not the service of any of them; so none are merely honorary servants, to do nothing. All whom God owns, he employs; angels themselves have their services.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 8

In this chapter orders are given for the lighting the seven lamps of the candlestick, Nu 8:1-4; and for the consecration of the Levites to their office, by a purification of them, Nu 8:5-8; by a separation of them from the children of Israel, and the imposition of their hands on them, and of the hands of the Levites on the offerings offered for them, Nu 8:9-15; and being thus given to the Lord, and claimed as his, instead of the firstborn of Israel, they are given to Aaron and his sons to do service in the tabernacle, Nu 8:16-22; and their age at which they were to enter into service and cease from it is fixed, Nu 8:23-26.