The Fourth Book of Moses: Numbers

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- Chapter 8 -

(Exodus 25:31–40; Exodus 37:17–24)

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

“Speak to Aaron, and you shall say to him: When you place the seven lamps, let the lampstand be set up on the south side. Therefore, give this instruction: that the lamps should look out from the region opposite the north, toward the table of the bread of the presence; they shall give light opposite that area, toward the area that the lampstand faces.”

And Aaron did so, and he placed the lamps on the lampstand, just as the Lord had instructed Moses.

Now this was the workmanship of the lampstand: it was of ductile gold, both the main shaft and all that originated from both sides of the branches. According to the example that the Lord revealed to Moses, so did he make the lampstand.

Cleansing the Levites

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

“Take the Levites from the midst of the sons of Israel, and you shall purify them

according to this ritual: Let them be sprinkled with the water of illumination, and let them shave off all the hairs of their body. And when they have washed their garments and have been cleansed,(a)

they shall take an ox from the herd, with its libation of fine wheat flour sprinkled with oil; then you shall receive another ox from the herd for sin.

And you shall bring forward the Levites before the tabernacle of the covenant, calling together all the multitude of the sons of Israel.

And when the Levites are before the Lord, the sons of Israel shall place their hands upon them.

And Aaron shall offer the Levites as a gift in the sight of the Lord, from the sons of Israel, so that they may serve in his ministry.

Likewise, the Levites shall place their hands upon the heads of the oxen; you shall make use of one of these for sin, and the other as a holocaust to the Lord, so that you may intercede for them.

And you shall set the Levites in the sight of Aaron and his sons, and you shall consecrate those being offered to the Lord,

and you shall separate them from the midst of the sons of Israel, so that they may be for me.

And after this, they shall enter the tabernacle of the covenant, in order to serve me. And so shall you purify and consecrate them as an oblation to the Lord. For they were given to me as a gift from the sons of Israel.

I have accepted them in place of the firstborn which open every womb in Israel.

For all the firstborn of the sons of Israel, as much from men as from beasts, are mine. From the day when I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I have sanctified them to myself.

And I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the sons of Israel.

And I have delivered them as a gift to Aaron and his sons, from the midst of the people, in order to serve me, for Israel, in the tabernacle of the covenant, and in order to pray for them, lest there be a scourge among the people, if they were to dare to approach to my Sanctuary.”

And Moses and Aaron, and all the multitude of the sons of Israel, accomplished all that the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites.

And they were purified, and they washed their garments. And Aaron lifted them up in the sight of the Lord, and he prayed for them,

so that, having been purified, they might enter to their duties in the tabernacle of the covenant before Aaron and his sons. Just as the Lord had instructed Moses about the Levites, so was it done.

Retirement for Levites

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

“This is the law of the Levites: From twenty-five years and above, they shall enter to minister in the tabernacle of the covenant.

And when they will have completed the fiftieth year of age, they shall cease to serve.

And they shall be the ministers of their brothers in the tabernacle of the covenant, in order to care for the things that have been commended to them, but not to perform the works themselves. So shall you assign the Levites in their duties.”(b)

Footnotes

(a)8:7 Let them be sprinkled with the water of purification:This was the holy water mixed with the ashes of the red cow, Num. 19., appointed for purifying all that were unclean. It was a figure of the blood of Christ, applied to our souls by his holy sacraments.(Challoner)

(b)8:26 This distinction between the roles of Levites and those of Aaron and his sons, the priests, is a similar distinction between the religious and the ordained. God cautions the people of Israel, and their leaders, not to permit Levites to act as if they were priests, lest a great tribulation come upon the people. Similarly, today, some religious and some lay persons are taking roles only fitting for the ordained. So this is a sign that the tribulation is near.(Conte)

(Exodus 25:31–40; Exodus 37:17–24)

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

“Speak to Aaron, and tell him, ‘When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lamp stand.’”

Aaron did so. He lit its lamps to light the area in front of the lamp stand, as the LORD commanded Moses.

This was the workmanship of the lamp stand, beaten work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was beaten work. He made the lamp stand according to the pattern which the LORD had shown Moses.

Cleansing the Levites

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

“Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.

You shall do this to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of cleansing on them, let them shave their whole bodies with a razor, let them wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves.

Then let them take a young bull and its meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil; and another young bull you shall take for a sin offering.

You shall present the Levites before the Tent of Meeting. You shall assemble the whole congregation of the children of Israel.

You shall present the Levites before the LORD. The children of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites,

and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for a wave offering on the behalf of the children of Israel, that it may be theirs to do the service of the LORD.

“The Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to the LORD, to make atonement for the Levites.

You shall set the Levites before Aaron and before his sons, and offer them as a wave offering to the LORD.

Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine.

“After that, the Levites shall go in to do the service of the Tent of Meeting. You shall cleanse them, and offer them as a wave offering.

For they are wholly given to me from among the children of Israel; instead of all who open the womb, even the firstborn of all the children of Israel, I have taken them to me.

For all the firstborn among the children of Israel are mine, both man and animal. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified them for myself.

I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel.

I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the Tent of Meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel, so that there will be no plague among the children of Israel when the children of Israel come near to the sanctuary.”

Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel did so to the Levites. According to all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so the children of Israel did to them.

The Levites purified themselves from sin, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them for a wave offering before the LORD and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them.

After that, the Levites went in to do their service in the Tent of Meeting before Aaron and before his sons: as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them.

Retirement for Levites

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

“This is what is assigned to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall go in to wait on the service in the work of the Tent of Meeting;

and from the age of fifty years they shall retire from doing the work, and shall serve no more,

but shall assist their brothers in the Tent of Meeting, to perform the duty, and shall perform no service. This is how you shall have the Levites do their duties.”