|
The BibleTruth.cc Torah Study Series Parashat Bamidbar "In the Wilderness" Bamidbar [Numbers] 1:1-4:20 rB:īd>miB. Yahuwah spoke to Mosheh "in the wilderness" of Sinai.Theme The theme of Sefer Bamidbar is as the name infers - its about the traveling of the sons of Yisrael in the wilderness. Parashat Bamidbar begins this book by laying out the order of the tribes of Israel in the camp and in their marching, as well as the duties of the priests and Lewites in transporting the Tent of Meeting during these travels. Sedarim The Place of Lewi Among the Tribes The Order of Encampment and Order of Marching The Duties and Census of the Lewites The Redemption of All Firstborn by the Lewites The Sons of Kohath and their Duties Prophetic Pictures in this Week's Torah Portion Prophetic End Time Shadows in the Torah Parashah The
Census of All Yisrael
1:1 Yahuwah spoke to Mosheh in the Tent of Appointment in the Desert
of Sinai on the first day of the second month of the second year after
the sons of Yisrael came out of Mitzrayim. He said: 2 "Take a census of
the whole community of the sons of Yisrael by their clans and families,
listing every man by name, one by one. 3 You and Aharon are
to number by their divisions all the men in Yisrael twenty years old or
more who are able to serve in the army. 4 One man from each
tribe, each the head of his family, is to help you. 5 These are the
names of the men who are to assist you: from Re'uven, Elizur son of
Shedeur; 6 from Shim'on,
Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai; 7 from Yehudah,
Nahshon son of Amminadab; 8 from Issachar,
Nethanel son of Zuar; 9 from Zebulun,
Eliab son of Helon; 10 from the sons of
Yoseph: from Ephraim, Elisha'ma son of Ammihud; from Manasseh, Gamaliel
son of Pedahzur; 11 from Benjamin,
Abidan son of Gideoni; 12 from Dan, Ahiezer
son of Ammishaddai; 13 from Asher,
Pagiel son of Ocran; 14 from Gad,
Eliasaph son of Deuel; 15 from Naphtali,
Ahira son of Enan." 16 These were the
men appointed from the community, the leaders of their ancestral tribes.
They were the heads of the clans of Yisrael. 17 Mosheh and Aharon
took these men whose names had been given, 18 and they called
the whole community together on the first day of the second month. The
people indicated their ancestry by their clans and families, and the men
twenty years old or more were listed by name, one by one, 19 as Yahuwah
commanded Mosheh. And so he counted them in the Desert of Sinai: 20 From the
descendants of Re'uven the firstborn son of Yisrael: All the men twenty
years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by
name, one by one, according to the records of their clans and families. 21 The number from
the tribe of Re'uven was 46,500. 22 From the
descendants of Shim'on: All the men twenty years old or more who were
able to serve in the army were counted and listed by name, one by one,
according to the records of their clans and families. 23 The number from
the tribe of Shim'on was 59,300. 24 From the
descendants of Gad: All the men twenty years old or more who were able
to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of
their clans and families. 25 The number from
the tribe of Gad was 45,650. 26 From the
descendants of Yehudah: All the men twenty years old or more who were
able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records
of their clans and families. 27 The number from
the tribe of Yehudah was 74,600. 28 From the
descendants of Issachar: All the men twenty years old or more who were
able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records
of their clans and families. 29 The number from
the tribe of Issachar was 54,400. 30 From the
descendants of Zebulun: All the men twenty years old or more who were
able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records
of their clans and families. 31 The number from
the tribe of Zebulun was 57,400. 32 From the sons of
Yoseph: From the descendants of Ephraim: All the men twenty years old or
more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according
to the records of their clans and families. 33 The number from
the tribe of Ephraim was 40,500. 34 From the
descendants of Manasseh: All the men twenty years old or more who were
able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records
of their clans and families. 35 The number from
the tribe of Manasseh was 32,200. 36 From the
descendants of Benjamin: All the men twenty years old or more who were
able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records
of their clans and families. 37 The number from
the tribe of Benjamin was 35,400. 38 From the
descendants of Dan: All the men twenty years old or more who were able
to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of
their clans and families. 39 The number from
the tribe of Dan was 62,700. 40 From the
descendants of Asher: All the men twenty years old or more who were able
to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of
their clans and families. 41 The number from
the tribe of Asher was 41,500. 42 From the
descendants of Naphtali: All the men twenty years old or more who were
able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records
of their clans and families. 43 The number from
the tribe of Naphtali was 53,400. 44 These were the
men counted by Mosheh and Aharon and the twelve leaders of Yisrael, each
one representing his family. 45 All the sons of
Yisrael twenty years old or more who were able to serve in Yisrael's
army were counted according to their families. 46 The total number
was 603,550. 47 The families of
the tribe of Levi, however, were not counted along with the others. The Book of Numbers begins the
record of the travel of Yisrael through the desert by identifying the
nation by tribes and the number of fighting men in each tribe.
Note that the entire nation was numbered, each man by name. The
men, but not the women and children, were numbered and counted because
the man, as head of the household, represents his household before the
rest of the nation (see my article,
Order in the Body of
Messiah, for a thorough examination of the headship of man in the
household). The fact that each man was numbered
by name indicates that Yahuwah knows by name all who belong to him.
This should be a comfort to his people to know that the Almighty, who "numbers
the stars and knows them each by name" (see Isaiah 40:26), also
knows and numbers those who belong to him. The head of each of the tribes was
to assist Mosheh in the numbering of their people. And, though we
aren't given a detailed list of the entire nation by name in this
account, we are given the names to the heads of the tribes who
accomplished the census. But then we are told not to include
the Lewites in the census because theirs is to be a unique place of
service to Yahuwah. They do not fight with the other men, but they
are in charge of the work of the Tent of Meeting.
The Place of Lewi Among the
Tribes 48 Yahuwah had said
to Mosheh: 49 "You must not
count the tribe of Levi or include them in the census of the other sons
of Yisrael. 50 Instead, appoint
the Levites to be in charge of the tabernacle of the Testimony-- over
all its furnishings and everything belonging to it. They are to carry
the tabernacle and all its furnishings; they are to take care of it and
encamp around it. 51 Whenever the
tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever the
tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall do it. Anyone else who
goes near it shall be put to death. 52 The sons of
Yisrael are to set up their tents by divisions, each man in his own camp
under his own standard. 53 The Levites,
however, are to set up their tents around the tabernacle of the
Testimony so that wrath will not fall on the Congregation of the sons of
Yisrael. The Levites are to be responsible for the care of the
tabernacle of the Testimony." 54 The sons of
Yisrael did all this just as Yahuwah commanded Mosheh. The Lewites provide a barrier or
"cushion" around the Tent of Meeting so that the other sons of Yisrael
do not get too close to the Holy Place and "wrath fall" on the
congregation. The Lewites are also in close proximity to the
Tabernacle so that they can perform their work as needed.
The Order of
Encampment and Order of Marching
2:1 Yahuwah said to Mosheh and Aharon: 2 "The sons of
Yisrael are to camp around the Tent of Appointment some distance from
it, each man under his standard with the banners of his family." 3 On the east,
toward the sunrise, the divisions of the camp of Yehudah are to encamp
under their standard. The leader of the people of Yehudah is Nahshon son
of Amminadab. 4 His division
numbers 74,600. 5 The tribe of
Issachar will camp next to them. The leader of the people of Issachar is
Nethanel son of Zuar. 6 His division
numbers 54,400. 7 The tribe of
Zebulun will be next. The leader of the people of Zebulun is Eliab son
of Helon. 8 His division
numbers 57,400. 9 All the men
assigned to the camp of Yehudah, according to their divisions, number
186,400. They will set out first. 10 On the south will
be the divisions of the camp of Re'uven under their standard. The leader
of the people of Re'uven is Elizur son of Shedeur. 11 His division
numbers 46,500. 12 The tribe of
Shim'on will camp next to them. The leader of the people of Shim'on is
Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. 13 His division
numbers 59,300. 14 The tribe of Gad
will be next. The leader of the people of Gad is Eliasaph son of Deuel. 15 His division
numbers 45,650. 16 All the men
assigned to the camp of Re'uven, according to their divisions, number
151,450. They will set out second. 17 Then the Tent of
Appointment and the camp of the Levites will set out in the middle of
the camps. They will set out in the same order as they encamp, each in
his own place under his standard. 18 On the west will
be the divisions of the camp of Ephraim under their standard. The leader
of the people of Ephraim is Elisha'ma son of Ammihud. 19 His division
numbers 40,500. 20 The tribe of
Manasseh will be next to them. The leader of the people of Manasseh is
Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. 21 His division
numbers 32,200. 22 The tribe of
Benjamin will be next. The leader of the people of Benjamin is Abidan
son of Gideoni. 23 His division
numbers 35,400. 24 All the men
assigned to the camp of Ephraim, according to their divisions, number
108,100. They will set out third. 25 On the north will
be the divisions of the camp of Dan, under their standard. The leader of
the people of Dan is Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. 26 His division
numbers 62,700. 27 The tribe of
Asher will camp next to them. The leader of the people of Asher is
Pagiel son of Ocran. 28 His division
numbers 41,500. 29 The tribe of
Naphtali will be next. The leader of the people of Naphtali is Ahira son
of Enan. 30 His division
numbers 53,400. 31 All the men
assigned to the camp of Dan number 157,600. They will set out last,
under their standards. 32 These are the
sons of Yisrael, counted according to their families. All those in the
camps, by their divisions, number 603,550. 33 The Levites,
however, were not counted along with the other sons of Yisrael, as
Yahuwah commanded Mosheh. 34 So the sons of
Yisrael did everything Yahuwah commanded Mosheh; that is the way they
encamped under their standards, and that is the way they set out, each
with his clan and family. The twelve tribes were to camp
around the Tabernacle, three tribes in each of the four directions.
They were to always set up camp in this way to maintain order in the
Body. Those four sides of the Tabernacle were represented by these
four tribes: Yehudah, Re'uven, Ephraim and Dan. The nation was to set out in their
travels in the following order: First, from the east side, the tribe of
Yehudah, and then Issachar and then Zebulon. Next, from the south
side, Re'uven, then Shimon and then Gad. Next, the Tent of
Appointment along with the Lewites in order of their encampment around
the Tabernacle sets out. After the Lewites, from the west, the
ribe of Ephraim sets out, and then Manasseh, and then Benjamin.
And finally, from the north side, the tribe of Dan follows them, and
then Asher with Naphtali closing out the ranks. By doing this, everyone identified
with their tribal flag and could be identifies as belonging to a certain
tribe. This also was an efficient way of maintaining order in
their travels. Aharon's Sons
3:1 This is the account of the family of Aharon and Mosheh at the
time Yahuwah talked with Mosheh on Mount Sinai. 2 The names of the
sons of Aharon were Nadab the firstborn and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 3 Those were the
names of Aharon's sons, the anointed priests, who were ordained to serve
as priests. 4 Nadab and Abihu,
however, fell dead before Yahuwah when they made an offering with
unauthorized fire before him in the Desert of Sinai. They had no sons;
so only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of
their father Aharon. Aharon and his sons are listed here,
because they would be the only ones who were permitted to minister in
the Tabernacle. Nadab and Avihu were his firstborn and second
sons, but they were killed when they deviated from the prescribed
ministry in the Set-Apart Place. So, his other sons, Eleazer and
Ithamar would serve as priests for Israel during the life time of their
father.
The Duties and Census of
the Lewites
5 Yahuwah said to Mosheh, 6 "Bring the tribe
of Levi and present them to Aharon the priest to assist him. 7 They are to
perform duties for him and for the whole community at the Tent of
Appointment by doing the work of the tabernacle. 8 They are to take
care of all the furnishings of the Tent of Appointment, fulfilling the
obligations of the sons of Yisrael by doing the work of the tabernacle. 9 Give the Levites
to Aharon and his sons; they are the sons of Yisrael who are to be given
wholly to him. 10 Appoint Aharon
and his sons to serve as priests; anyone else who approaches the
sanctuary must be put to death." 11 Yahuwah also said
to Mosheh, 12 "I have taken the
Levites from among the sons of Yisrael in place of the first male
offspring of every Yisraelite woman. The Levites are mine, 13 for all the
firstborn are mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Mitzrayim, I
set apart for myself every firstborn in Yisrael, whether man or animal.
They are to be mine. I am Yahuwah." 14 Yahuwah said to
Mosheh in the Desert of Sinai, 15 "Count the
Levites by their families and clans. Count every male a month old or
more." 16 So Mosheh counted
them, as he was commanded by the word of Yahuwah. 17 These were the
names of the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. 18 These were the
names of the Gershonite clans: Libni and Shimei. 19 The Kohathite
clans: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. 20 The Merarite
clans: Mahli and Mushi. These were the Levite clans, according to their
families. 21 To Gershon
belonged the clans of the Libnites and Shimeites; these were the
Gershonite clans. 22 The number of all
the males a month old or more who were counted was 7,500. 23 The Gershonite
clans were to camp on the west, behind the tabernacle. 24 The leader of the
families of the Gershonites was Eliasaph son of Lael. 25 At the Tent of
Appointment the Gershonites were responsible for the care of the
tabernacle and tent, its coverings, the curtain at the entrance to the
Tent of Appointment, 26 the curtains of
the courtyard, the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard surrounding
the tabernacle and altar, and the ropes-- and everything related to
their use. 27 To Kohath
belonged the clans of the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites and
Uzzielites; these were the Kohathite clans. 28 The number of all
the males a month old or more was 8,600. The Kohathites were responsible
for the care of the sanctuary. 29 The Kohathite
clans were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle. 30 The leader of the
families of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel. 31 They were
responsible for the care of the ark, the table, the lampstand, the
altars, the articles of the sanctuary used in ministering, the curtain,
and everything related to their use. 32 The chief leader
of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aharon, the priest. He was appointed
over those who were responsible for the care of the sanctuary. 33 To Merari
belonged the clans of the Mahlites and the Mushites; these were the
Merarite clans. 34 The number of all
the males a month old or more who were counted was 6,200. 35 The leader of the
families of the Merarite clans was Zuriel son of Abihail; they were to
camp on the north side of the tabernacle. 36 The Merarites
were appointed to take care of the frames of the tabernacle, its
crossbars, posts, bases, all its equipment, and everything related to
their use, 37 as well as the
posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs and
ropes. 38 Mosheh and Aharon
and his sons were to camp to the east of the tabernacle, toward the
sunrise, in front of the Tent of Appointment. They were responsible for
the care of the sanctuary on behalf of the sons of Yisrael. Anyone else
who approached the sanctuary was to be put to death. 39 The total number
of Levites counted at Yahuwah's command by Mosheh and Aharon according
to their clans, including every male a month old or more, was 22,000. The Lewites (Levites), were to be in
charge of the work of the Tent of Appointment. They were to be
given to Aharon and his sons to serve them in the care and handling of
the Tabernacle. Lewi had three sons, Gershon, Kohath and Merari,
from whom came all 22,000 Lewites at the time of the journeys of Israel
through the wilderness. Just as the twelve tribes had their
assigned location for camping around the Tabernacle, which we saw above,
the Lewites, too, had their assignments. The tribe of Gershon
camped on the west side (behind) the Tent of Appointment. The
tribe of Kohath camped on the south side. And Merari camped on the
north side. To round it out, Mosheh and Aharon and their families
camped on the east side of the Tabernacle.
The Redemption
of All Firstborn by the Lewites
40 Yahuwah said to Mosheh, "Count all the firstborn
Yisraelite 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 sons of Yisrael, and the
livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the livestock
of the sons of Yisrael. I am Yahuwah." 42 So Mosheh counted
all the firstborn of the sons of Yisrael, as Yahuwah commanded him. 43 The total number
of firstborn males a month old or more, listed by name, was 22,273. 44 Yahuwah also said
to Mosheh, 45 "Take the Levites
in place of all the firstborn of Yisrael, and the livestock of the
Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites are to be mine. I am
Yahuwah. 46 To redeem the 273
firstborn sons of Yisrael 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 sons of Yisrael to Aharon and his
sons." 49 So Mosheh
collected the redemption money from those who exceeded the number
redeemed by the Levites. 50 From the
firstborn of the sons of Yisrael he collected silver weighing 1,365
shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel. 51 Mosheh gave the
redemption money to Aharon and his sons, as he was commanded by the word
of Yahuwah. Here is given to us the explanation
as to why the Lewites were taken into the service of the Tabernacle.
In the account of the exodus from Mitrayim, the tenth plague was the
death of the firstborn whose houses were not protected by lamb's blood.
On account of Yahuwah protecting all the firstborn of Yisrael, he
required all Yisrael to dedicate their firstborn to him: After Yahuwah brings you into the land of
the Canaanites and gives it to you, as he promised on oath to you and
your forefathers, you are to give over to Yahuwah the first offspring of
every womb. (Shemot 13:11-12) But instead of the firstborn of all
Yisrael, Yahuwah told them that the Lewites would be a ransom for all
the firstborn of Yisrael. Thus, the Lewites were dedicated to his
service, instead of the firstborn of Yisrael. The difference in
the number of Lewites from the number of firstborn in the census would
be paid for at five shekels per head.
The Sons
of Kohath and their Duties
4:1 Yahuwah said to Mosheh and Aharon: 2 "Take a census of
the Kohathite branch of the Levites by their clans and families. 3 Count all the men
from thirty to fifty years of age who come to serve in the work in the
Tent of Appointment. 4 "This is the work
of the Kohathites in the Tent of Appointment: the care of the most holy
things. 5 When the camp is
to move, Aharon and his sons are to go in and take down the shielding
curtain and cover the ark of the Testimony with it. 6 Then they are to
cover this with hides of sea cows, spread a cloth of solid blue over
that and put the poles in place. 7 "Over the table of
the Presence they are to spread a blue cloth and put on it the plates,
dishes and bowls, and the jars for drink offerings; the bread that is
continually there is to remain on it. 8 Over these they
are to spread a scarlet cloth, cover that with hides of sea cows and put
its poles in place. 9 "They are to take
a blue cloth and cover the lampstand that is for light, together with
its lamps, its wick trimmers and trays, and all its jars for the oil
used to supply it. 10 Then they are to
wrap it and all its accessories in a covering of hides of sea cows and
put it on a carrying frame. 11 "Over the gold
altar they are to spread a blue cloth and cover that with hides of sea
cows and put its poles in place. 12 "They are to take
all the articles used for ministering in the sanctuary, wrap them in a
blue cloth, cover that with hides of sea cows and put them on a carrying
frame. 13 "They are to
remove the ashes from the bronze altar and spread a purple cloth over
it. 14 Then they are to
place on it all the utensils used for ministering at the altar,
including the firepans, meat forks, shovels and sprinkling bowls. Over
it they are to spread a covering of hides of sea cows and put its poles
in place. 15 "After Aharon and
his sons have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy
articles, and when the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites are to come
to do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy things or they will
die. The Kohathites are to carry those things that are in the Tent of
Appointment. 16 "Eleazar son of
Aharon, the priest, is to have charge of the oil for the light, the
fragrant incense, the regular grain offering and the anointing oil. He
is to be in charge of the entire tabernacle and everything in it,
including its holy furnishings and articles." 17 Yahuwah said to
Mosheh and Aharon, 18 "See that the
Kohathite tribal clans are not cut off from the Levites. 19 So that they may
live and not die when they come near the most holy things, do this for
them: Aharon and his sons are to go into the sanctuary and assign to
each man his work and what he is to carry. 20 But the
Kohathites must not go in to look at the holy things, even for a moment,
or they will die." In this next and final section of
our portion for this week, we see the call to take a census of the
family of Kohath, the son of Aharon. Only men between thirty and
fifty years old were qualified for the work of the care of the
Sanctuary. "Say of your brothers, 'My
people,' and of your sisters, 'My loved one.' "Rebuke your mother,
rebuke her, for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband. Let her
remove the adulterous look from her face and the unfaithfulness from
between her breasts. Otherwise I will strip her naked and make her
as bare as on the day she was born; I will make her like a desert, turn
her into a parched land, and slay her with thirst. I will not show
my love to her children, because they are the children of adultery.
Their mother has been unfaithful and has conceived them in disgrace. She
said, 'I will go after my lovers, who give me my food and my water, my
wool and my linen, my oil and my drink.' Therefore I will block
her path with thornbushes; I will wall her in so that she cannot find
her way. She will chase after her lovers but not catch them; she
will look for them but not find them. Then she will say, 'I will go back
to my husband as at first, for then I was better off than now.'
She has not acknowledged that I was the one who gave her the grain, the
new wine and oil, who lavished on her the silver and gold-- which they
used for Baal. "Therefore I will take away my grain when it
ripens, and my new wine when it is ready. I will take back my wool and
my linen, intended to cover her nakedness. So now I will expose
her lewdness before the eyes of her lovers; no one will take her out of
my hands. I will stop all her celebrations: her yearly festivals,
her New Moons, her Sabbath days-- all her appointments. I will
ruin her vines and her fig trees, which she said were her pay from her
lovers; I will make them a thicket, and wild animals will devour them.
I will punish her for the days she burned incense to the Baals; she
decked herself with rings and jewelry, and went after her lovers, but me
she forgot," declares Yahuwah. "Therefore I am now going to allure
her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her.
There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of
Achor a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth,
as in the day she came up out of Mitzrayim. "In that day,"
declares Yahuwah, "you will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer
call me 'my master.' I will remove the names of the Baals from her
lips; no longer will their names be invoked. In that day I will
make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and the birds of
the air and the creatures that move along the ground. Bow and sword and
battle I will abolish from the land, so that all may lie down in safety.
I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness
and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in
faithfulness, and you will acknowledge Yahuwah. The theme of ransom
/ redemption is prominent throughout the Torah as it is in this weeks
Torah portion. Redemption is clearly defined in this Torah
portion. It means to "take one as a substitute for another."
The Lewites were taken as a ransom or redemption for all the firstborn
sons among the tribes of Yisrael to serve Yahuwah in the care and
maintenance of the Tabernacle. Messiah Yahusha
served a similar role in his work as the Redeemer of Yisrael. His
death on the tree was as a ransom (substitute) for the nation of
Yisrael, who had earned the death penalty for their sin and rebellion
against their Maker. But Yahusha ransomed his people by taking
upon himself that death penalty by laying down his own life so that we
might live through him.
Prophetic End
Time Shadows in the Torah Parashah |