Today's devotion Nu 3:40-51
Context: God has called Moses to lead a census of the Hebrews. He gave specific instructions about those who are to be counted and those who should help with the administration of the census. God told each tribe where to camp in relation to the temple. He has also given specific instructions to the different clans of Levi regarding their jobs around the temple.
Despite the text spent as a result of the census, there is a lot of meaty stuff in today's reading. A couple of highlights:
- God told each clan of Levi specifically what their jobs would be. Wouldn't you like a note in the mail telling you what to do? Of course, I know that if I was told to do something I'd rebel and want to do something else...
- I wonder how long it took to count 603, 550 men?
- Did you realize that the Levites aren't counted among the Twelve Tribes? Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, were each given tribal status, bringing the number of tribes to twelve (Juday, Issachar, Zebulun, Reuben, Simeon, Gad, Ephraim, Manasseh, Benjamin, Dan, Asher, Naphtali). The Levites are set apart from the other tribes.
- Look at verses 3:40-51-
40 The LORD said to Moses, "Count all the firstborn Israelite males who are a month old or more and make a list of their names. 41 Take the Levites for me in place of all the firstborn of the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites. I am the LORD."
42 So Moses counted all the firstborn of the Israelites, as the LORD commanded him. 43 The total number of firstborn males a month old or more, listed by name, was 22,273.
44 The LORD also said to Moses, 45 "Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites are to be mine. I am the LORD. 46 To redeem the 273 firstborn Israelites who exceed the number of the Levites, 47 collect five shekels for each one, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. 48 Give the money for the redemption of the additional Israelites to Aaron and his sons."
49 So Moses collected the redemption money from those who exceeded the number redeemed by the Levites. 50 From the firstborn of the Israelites he collected silver weighing 1,365 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel. 51 Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, as he was commanded by the word of the LORD. (NIV - taken from www.biblegateway.com)
God took the firstborn of the Egyptians in punishment for their resistance, but he saved the firstborn of the Hebrews on Passover. Now he has set the firstborn aside in his service, but instead of taking each one away from his own family he sets the Levites into service in their place. Levi wasn't the firstborn of the twelve sons of Jacob (he was third -- Leah's boy). I can't find any text that says he was special or deserved this distinction. In fact, he and Simeon killed all the Shechemites in revenge of their sisters' rape. Their father's final blessing cursed their anger and cruel fury, and he stated that they'd be scattered in Israel.
Yet, from this beginning God pulled the descendants of Levi aside and gave them a place of special honor among their relatives. If he can do this with people who had such a violent beginning, what can he do with us?
- I can't finish these chapters without mentioning that Chapter 5:11-31 never fails to frustrate me...what about the men in this situation? Both the other who might be involved in the sin and the one who brought his wife in for such treatment if he was wrong...
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