Page 228 - The MacArthur Daily Bible

TN_03_MacArthur_Bible_March.qxd 8/8/03 14:43 Page 209

MARCH 3
40 years,they only moved camp about 40 times.Spending about a year in each campsite allowed for
some normal life without creating a permanent settlement. This preserved some grazing for the
herds while keeping the people’s pollution to a manageable amount. Each census was meant to be
an accurate accounting of God’s people.They ought to be taken at face value.

MARCH 3 attend to their priesthood; but the outsider
who comes near shall be put to death.”
Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:
11
12 “Now behold, I Myself have taken the Levites
Numbers 3:1–4:49
from among the children of Israel instead of
Now these are the records of Aaron and every firstborn who opens the womb among
3 Moses when the LORD spoke with Moses the children of Israel. Therefore the Levites
on Mount Sinai. And these are the names of shall be Mine, because all the firstborn are
13
2
the sons of Aaron: Nadab, the firstborn, and Mine. On the day that I struck all the firstborn
Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. These are the in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all
3
names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast.
priests, whom he consecrated to minister as They shall be Mine: I am the LORD.”
priests. Nadab and Abihu had died before the 14 Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the
4
LORD when they offered profane fire before Wilderness of Sinai, saying: “Number the
15
the LORD in the Wilderness of Sinai; and they children of Levi by their fathers’ houses, by
had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar min- their families; you shall number every male
istered as priests in the presence of Aaron from a month old and above.”
their father. 16 So Moses numbered them according to
the word of the LORD, as he was commanded.
These were the sons of Levi by their names:
17
18
Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. And these are
the names of the sons of Gershon by their fam-
3:1 Aaron and Moses. Because Aaron and his 19
sons are emphasized in this chapter, Aaron is ilies: Libni and Shimei. And the sons of
named first. Mount Sinai. The Lord had first Kohath by their families: Amram, Izehar,
20
communicated to Moses His choice of Aaron Hebron, and Uzziel. And the sons of Merari by
and his sons as priests in Exodus 28:1–29:46, their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the
while he was in the midst of the cloud on Mt. families of the Levites by their fathers’ houses.
21 From Gershon came the family of the
Sinai (Ex. 24:18).
Libnites and the family of the Shimites; these
22
3:4 Eleazar and Ithamar. All of the future were the families of the Gershonites. Those
priests of Israel under the Mosaic Covenant who were numbered, according to the num-
were descendants of these two sons of Aaron. ber of all the males from a month old and
Eleazar and his descendants would later be above—of those who were numbered there
singled out for great blessing (see Num. were seven thousand five hundred. The fami-
23
25:10–13). lies of the Gershonites were to camp behind the
tabernacle westward. And the leader of the
24
father’s house of the Gershonites was
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Eliasaph the son of Lael. The duties of the
5 25
“Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present children of Gershon in the tabernacle of meet-
6
them before Aaron the priest, that they may ing included the tabernacle, the tent with its
serve him. And they shall attend to his needs covering, the screen for the door of the taber-
7
and the needs of the whole congregation nacle of meeting, the screen for the door of
26
before the tabernacle of meeting, to do the the court, the hangings of the court which are
work of the tabernacle. Also they shall attend around the tabernacle and the altar, and their
8
to all the furnishings of the tabernacle of cords, according to all the work relating to
meeting, and to the needs of the children of them.
Israel, to do the work of the tabernacle. And 27 From Kohath came the family of the Am-
9
you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his ramites, the family of the Izharites, the family
sons; they are given entirely to him from of the Hebronites, and the family of the
among the children of Israel. So you shall Uzzielites; these were the families of the Ko-
10
appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall hathites. According to the number of all the
28
209