Chapter 8 (Continued) (There is currently no audio for this lesson.)

The Sanctification and Offering of the Levites (Continued)

2. THE LIGHTING OF THE LAMPS (Numbers 8:1-4 [1] And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, [2] Speak unto Aaron and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick. [3] And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick, as the LORD commanded Moses. [4] And this work of the candlestick was of beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, was beaten work: according unto the pattern which the LORD had shewed Moses, so he made the candlestick.
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3. The Candlestick
3. The symbols (Continued)
2. The branches (Continued)
1. The branches are a picture of God’s people.
2. Its source
1. The branches find their source in the candlestick.
2. God’s people find their source for all things in Jesus Christ.  We are brought into this source by new birth just as a branch comes forth as new life.
3. Its connection
1. The branches would not exist apart from the shaft or candlestick itself.
2. Believers can bear no fruit and would not exist apart from the Vine (John 15:4-5 [4] Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. [5] I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
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4. The branches signify humanity.  The gold is royalty.  The difference being that Christ is the Son of God by His own existence, however, we become sons of God by the new birth.
5. The seven churches of Revelation are pictured by candlesticks (Revelation 1:12And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
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6. Notice the unity of the candlestick.  It has several branches, but is one candlestick (Exodus 25:31And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.
   See All...; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 [12] For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. [13] For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
   See All...).  This reminds us of the dual nature of the church.
1. Ye are the body (1 Corinthians 12:27Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
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2. We are all baptized into one body (1 Corinthians 12:13For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
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3. The oil and the lamps
1. The oil is a picture of the Holy Spirit.
2. Power
1. The oil is provided so that the lamps can give forth light.
2. The Holy Spirit is our source of power and fruit in this world.
3. Oil and the Holy Spirit compared (taken from Preaching from the Types and Metaphors of the Bible by Benjamin Keach)
1. Softening agent
1. Oil is of a softening and mollifying nature, good for all hard places in the body. The prophet complains that the sores of Judah were not mollified with ointment (Isaiah 1:6From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.
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2. The Spirit softens a hard heart and brings down those swellings of pride and vainglory which naturally are in the souls of men and women, making them willing and pliable to the will of God.
2. Healing agent
1. Oil is of a healing nature. The Samaritan poured oil and wine into the wounds of the man who fell among thieves (Luke 10:34And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
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2. The Spirit opens the heart and searcheth into every corner thereof; it is said to search all things: there is no sin or secret corruption, but it will find it out, and when it hath softened and mollified the heart and conscience, it will in a gracious manner heal it.
3. Separation
1. Oil will hardly, if at all, mingle with other liquid things; it is observed, put into what you please, it will not be kept under, but will get uppermost.
2. The Spirit of God will never mingle, nor become one with the flesh; the Spirit is from above, and desires to be uppermost in the heart; it will not be under the command of sin nor Satan.
4. The lamps may very well be connected to the seven spirits (Revelation 1:4John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
   See All...; Revelation 3:1And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
   See All...; Revelation 4:5And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
   See All...; Revelation 5:6And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
   See All...; Isaiah 11:2And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
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1. Rest
2. Wisdom
3. Understanding
4. Counsel
5. Might
6. Knowledge
7. Fear of the Lord
8. Also notice that Isaiah 11:1And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
   See All... is a reference to Jesus Christ as the Branch.
3. THE SETTING APART OF THE LEVITES (Numbers 8:5-22 [5] And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, [6] Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them. [7] And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean. [8] Then let them take a young bullock with his meat offering, even fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin offering. [9] And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together: [10] And thou shalt bring the Levites before the LORD: and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites: [11] And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of the LORD. [12] And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks: and thou shalt offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, unto the LORD, to make an atonement for the Levites. [13] And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for an offering unto the LORD. [14] Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine. [15] And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for an offering. [16] For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me. [17] For all the firstborn of the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast: on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself. [18] And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel. [19] And 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 tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary. [20] And Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, did to the Levites according unto all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did the children of Israel unto them. [21] And the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as an offering before the LORD; and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them. [22] And after that went the Levites in to do their service in the tabernacle of the congregation before Aaron, and before his sons: as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they unto them.
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1. The Cleansing of the Levites (Numbers 8:5-7 [5] And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, [6] Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them. [7] And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean.
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1. Chosen based on family or natural birth (Numbers 8:6Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.
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2. Cleansed (Numbers 8:6-7 [6] Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them. [7] And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean.
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1. Sprinkled with the water of purifying
2. Shave all of their flesh
3. Wash their clothes
2. The Provisions for the Levites (Numbers 8:8Then let them take a young bullock with his meat offering, even fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin offering.
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1. Burnt offering – A young bullock
2. Meat offering – Fine flour mingled with oil
3. Sin offering – A young bullock
3. The Presentation of the Levites (Numbers 8:9-10 [9] And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together: [10] And thou shalt bring the Levites before the LORD: and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites:
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1. Bring children of Israel together
2. Bring the Levites before the Lord
3. Put their hands on the Levites
4. The Purpose of the Levites (Numbers 8:11And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of the LORD.
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1. A living sacrifice (Numbers 8:11And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of the LORD.
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2. To do the service of the Lord (Numbers 8:11And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of the LORD.
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3. To do the service of the tabernacle (Numbers 8:15And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for an offering.
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5. The Possession of the Levites (Numbers 8:14-18 [14] Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine. [15] And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for an offering. [16] For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me. [17] For all the firstborn of the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast: on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself. [18] And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.
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1. Called out from among the congregation to be God’s (Numbers 8:14Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine.
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2. Reminder of the Passover (Numbers 8:17-18 [17] For all the firstborn of the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast: on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself. [18] And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.
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6. The Gift of the Levites (Numbers 8:19And 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 tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary.
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7. The Security Offered by the Levites (Numbers 8:19And 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 tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary.
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1. Made atonement for the children of Israel
2. That no plague would be among the children of Israel
8. The Obedience of God’s People (Numbers 8:20-22 [20] And Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, did to the Levites according unto all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did the children of Israel unto them. [21] And the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as an offering before the LORD; and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them. [22] And after that went the Levites in to do their service in the tabernacle of the congregation before Aaron, and before his sons: as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they unto them.
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1. Did all that the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites (Numbers 8:20And Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, did to the Levites according unto all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did the children of Israel unto them.
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2. Levites were purified (Numbers 8:21And the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as an offering before the LORD; and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them.
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3. Levites washed their clothes (Numbers 8:21And the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as an offering before the LORD; and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them.
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4. Aaron offered them before the Lord (Numbers 8:21And the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as an offering before the LORD; and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them.
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5. Aaron made atonement for them (Numbers 8:21And the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as an offering before the LORD; and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them.
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6. Levites went in to do their service (Numbers 8:22And after that went the Levites in to do their service in the tabernacle of the congregation before Aaron, and before his sons: as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they unto them.
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4. THE SERVICE OF THE LEVITES (Numbers 8:23-26 [23] And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, [24] This is it that belongeth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: [25] And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more: [26] But shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge.
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1. The Early Years
1. Beginning at 25 years old they would begin to wait on the service of the tabernacle.
2. This part of the ministry was strenuous work.  This explains why this part of their ministry ended at 50.
2. The Latter Years
1. At 50 they would cease waiting on the service.
2. There are some who use this to prove that the age of 50 is the age when preachers ought to retire.
3. This is not accurate, for the Levites did not even retire completely.
4. Numbers 8:26But shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge.
   See All... says that the Levites would then “minister with their brethren in the tabernacle.”
5. A Levite at age 50 was an experienced Levite who had much to offer.  Their time might be better spent training others than using all of their time performing every little duty of the Levites.
5. A COMPARISON OF THE LEVITES AND BELIEVERS IN THE AGE OF GRACE
1. A Baptist Distinctive
1. The Acronym
1. B – Biblical authority
2. A – Autonomy of the local church
3. P – Priesthood of the believer
4. T – Two ordinances
5. I – Individual soul liberty
6. S – Saved, baptized church membership
7. T – Two offices in the church
8. S – Separation of church and state
2. The priesthood of the believer (1 Peter 2:5Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
   See All..., 9-10; Revelation 1:6And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
   See All...; Revelation 5:10And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
   See All...; Revelation 20:6Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
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1. We have direct access to God (Romans 5:2By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
   See All...; Ephesians 2:18For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
   See All...; Hebrews 10:19-20 [19] Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, [20] By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
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1. Note:  We actually have more access than the Levites because they could not go into the holy of holies.  The Lord Jesus Christ has given us complete access by bringing in a better hope (Hebrews 7:19For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.
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2. We offer sacrifices to God.
1. Our own lives (Romans 12:1-2 [1] I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. [2] And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
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2. Prayers (Revelation 8:3And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
   See All...; Psalm 141:2Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
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3. Praise or thanks (Hebrews 13:15By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
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4. Giving (Philippians 4:18
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3. We are all equal in Christ (1 Corinthians 12:20-27 [20] But now are they many members, yet but one body. [21] And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. [22] Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: [23] And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. [24] For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked. [25] That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. [26] And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. [27] Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
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1. Christ is the Head (Ephesians 1:22And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
   See All...; Colossians 1:18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
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2. We are the body (Ephesians 1:23Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
   See All...; Colossians 1:18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
   See All...; Colossians 2:19And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
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3. There is no such thing in the New Testament as clergy and laity.  This is Romish terminology and not scriptural.
4. We are a kingdom of priests (Revelation 1:6And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
   See All...; Revelation 5:10And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
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4. We are directly responsible to God (Romans 14:12So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
   See All...; 2 Corinthians 5:10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
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