Numbers 8 Summary: A Concise Overview in 5 Minutes

Numbers 8 Summary - A Quick Overview

WHEN:

• This chapter discusses the completion of the Tabernacle and the dedication of those who would be working in-and-around it, which Exodus 40 tells us occurred on the 1st day of the 1st month in the 2nd year after Israel left Egypt. Therefore, these events may have occurred prior to the events we read about in the earlier chapters which began in the 2nd month (Numbers 1:1). This is not a problem, as the book of Numbers never claims to be in chronological order.

• The year was approximately 1490-1489 B.C.

CHARACTERS:

• Moses – Moses was selected by God to lead the Israelites to Canaan. God spoke directly to Moses and Moses communicated God’s words to the people.    

• Aaron – The High Priest of Israel. He was Moses’ brother and born into the tribe of Levi.

• Families of the Levites – Kohathites, Gershonites, and Merarites. They served the Lord by caring for the Tabernacle and the holy things.

WHERE:

• According to the book of Leviticus and Numbers 3:1, the Israelites were camped in the wilderness of Sinai, near Mount Sinai.

OUTLINE:

• THE GOLDEN LAMPSTAND (8:1-4):

  • God spoke to Moses and instructed Aaron to set up the golden lampstand in the Tabernacle.

  • The 7 lamps were to face forward to shine their light in front of the lampstand.

  • The whole lampstand was made from hammered gold.

• THE CLEANSING OF THE LEVITES (8:5-22):

  • God told Moses to cleanse the Levites before they began their special service to the Lord at the Tabernacle. 

  • They were to be sprinkled with “water of purification,” shave their bodies, and wash themselves and their clothes.

  • The Israelites were to lay their hands on the Levites and offer them to the Lord as a wave offering.

  • Afterwards, two bulls were to be sacrificed, one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, along with a grain offering.

  • This ceremony was done to separate the Levites for their service to God.

  • The Levites served God in place of the firstborn of the Israelites (Exodus 13:2).

• AGE LIMIT FOR LEVITES WHO SERVED AT THE TABERNACLE (8:23-26):

  • Those who qualified to “do duty in the service of the tent of meeting” were those between the ages of 25 and 50.

  • At the age of 50, a Levite was required to retire from service.

APPLICATION:

• If you have a good memory, you’ll remember Numbers 4:3 set the age limit for Levites serving at the Tabernacle from 30-50 years old.

• Why does Numbers 8 set the age range from 25-50? Is this a contradiction?

• It’s hard to imagine the author of Numbers making such an obvious blunder with these chapters so close together.

• It seems more likely the author had different kinds of service in mind for the different ages. It may have been that those age 25-29 served a kind of apprenticeship in which they were allowed to perform some duties but were not able to serve in full capacity until the age of 30.

DIAGRAM OF THE CAMP OF ISRAEL:

DIAGRAM OF THE TABERNACLE: