Go and teach all nations -Numbers 3:5-13

Go and teach all nations

Numbers 3:5-13

The duties of Levi’s tribe - Aaron and his sons appointed as priests
v5 The LORD said to Moses,
v6 ‘Bring Levi’s tribe to Aaron the priest. They must help him.
v7-8 They must work for him and all the Israelites in God’s Tent. They will be responsible for everything in God’s Tent. They will take care of it. They will carry on these duties on behalf of the Israelites.
v9 Give Levi’s tribe to Aaron and his sons. So they will be the Israelites who belong completely to him.
v10 Appoint Aaron and his sons as priests. Anyone else who tries to do the priests’ duties will die.’
v11-13 Also, the LORD said to Moses, ‘I have chosen Levi’s tribe from the other Israelites. Levi’s tribe will belong to me in a special way. I had decided that the Israelites’ first-born sons would belong to me. Also, I had decided that all their first-born male animals would belong to me. I made this decision when I let the Egyptians’ first-born sons die. But now I have decided that Levi’s tribe will belong to me, instead of the Israelites’ first-born sons. Levi’s tribe are mine. I am the LORD!’
Comment:
Verses 5-10 - Aaron and his sons were the priests. The rest of Levi’s tribe acted as their servants. These servants helped the priests to look after God’s Tent. They had two main duties. Whenever the Israelites travelled, Levi’s tribe had to take down God’s Tent. Then they had to carry the parts as they travelled. This was heavy work!
Also, they had to look after God’s Tent always. If any of the other Israelites came too near to God’s Tent, that person would die. Then God would not punish all the Israelites because one person had not obeyed him (see Numbers 1:53; 16:40; 25:8).
Verses 11-13 - Before they escaped into the desert, the Israelites were slaves in the country called Egypt. Moses had asked the king of Egypt to let the Israelites go free. But the king had refused. So God had allowed 10 bad things to happen to the Egyptians (Exodus chapters 7-11). For example, their main river had changed into blood. And many insects had eaten their crops. Finally, all the Egyptians’ first-born sons had died. But all the Israelites’ first-born sons had remained alive. When this happened, the king of Egypt let the Israelites go free.
The Israelites’ first-born male animals and also their first-born sons belonged to God. They had to redeem both their animals and their sons (Exodus 13:1-2; chapters 11 to 13; 22:29-30; 34:19-20). (To redeem means to buy back by means of a sacrifice or a payment).
But when God was giving the Law to Moses, the Israelites made an idol. They worshipped it. Only Levi’s tribe were loyal to God (Exodus chapter 32). So God wanted Levi’s tribe to serve him, instead of the other Israelites’ first-born sons. And so Levi’s tribe served God instead of the Israelites’ first-born sons.
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Text from the EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary - used with permission - © 2009, Wycliffe Associates (UK) - For more information about EasyEnglish Publications, visit their website: www.easyenglish.info.

Go and teach all nations