04-Numbers 007-008

Numbers 7

vv.4-9

Two carts and four oxen he gave to the sons of Gershon

·         The family of Gershon received two carts with their four oxen; they had the responsibility of transporting the fabrics of the tabernacle (Numbers 4:25-26).

Four carts and eight oxen he gave to the sons of Merari

·         The family of Merari received four carts with their eight oxen; they had the job of transporting the boards and pillars of the tabernacle (Numbers 4:31-32).

But to the sons of Kohath he gave none

·         The family of Koath received no carts, and no oxen; they were to carry the holy furniture of the tabernacle (Numbers 4:4), and were to carry all things on their shoulders - so, to remove the temptation to disobey, Moses gave them no carts!

The offerings of the tribal leaders

·         Each leader brought:

o        a silver platter

§         each full of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering

o        a gold pan with incense

o        a bull

o        a ram

o        a male lamb

o        a young goat

o        two oxen

o        five rams

o        five adult goats

o        and five more lambs.

·         Each silver plate weighed about three pounds, each silver bowl about two pounds, and a gold shovel about four ounces.

Numbers 8

vv.1-3

the lampstand

·         These three verses at the beginning of the chapter, given right before the cleansing and dedication of the Levites, seems to be out-of-place, sort of randomly dropped in there for no good apparent reason.

o        But we know that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God (II Timothy 3:16), so these verses, too, have been designed by God

o        And their specific placement & timing I think are important.

o        We’re given a very important lesson, I think, in these verses.

·         The Levites were the servants of the Tabernacle – corresponding to the servants of the Church in the NT context (and Rev. 1, the Lampstand is a picture of the Church, so I’m on pretty solid ground here).

o        A high and holy calling, but one that you can easily get caught up in and burned out in.

§         The Levites needed to be reminded that the work was really not up to them, but they were just to serve as vessels for God’s grace

§         Just like us in the NT era.

o        The Lampstand (described in Exodus 25) did not have any capacity in itself to produce light – it could want to really really badly all day long – but it had to have lamps placed on it that themselves give light.

§         All the lampstand could do was hold up the light to extend its reach and make it more visible

§         Even then, it needed to be constantly trimmed and filled with oil so that it would provide constant light.

·         Just like believers!

o        We don’t have any capacity in ourselves to do what God’s called us to do

o        All we can do is be vessels for God’s grace

o        And we need to be continually “trimmed” and continually “filled” with the oil of the Holy Spirit.