OUR FATHER WHO SET APART THOSE WHO SERVE IN HIS TABERNACLE

Numbers chapter 3 verses 11 - 12 says this;

The Lord also said to Moses,  “I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of the first male offspring of every Israelite woman. The Levites are mine, 

This passage describes a role substitution that was instructed by the Lord. Verse 13 continues like this;

for all the firstborn are mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal. They are to be mine. I am the Lord.”

In this passage, the Lord reminds us of how He struck down the firstborn sons of  Egypt and when He did so, He also claimed for Himself every firstborn son among the Israelites.

The Lord, when He set apart a people to serve as a priestly tribe for the service of the tabernacle,  substituted the firstborn sons of the whole of the nation of Israel with all the sons of the tribe of Levi.

All the firstborn sons of  Isreal at that time added up to 22,273. All the sons of Levi added up to 22,000.

To make up for the difference of 273, Israel had to collect 5 santuary shekels to give to the house of Aaron to redeem each additional son according to the word of the Lord to Moses for the additional service that the Levites would have to perform while shorthanded.

The Lord had designated the firstborn sons of all Israel as His own but substituted them with all the sons of the tribe of Levi so that a specific tribe could have its role tailored for priesthood and for which they all could be raised from childhood to specialize in. 

This would be more streamlined than having firstborn sons from each tribe leaving their families to serve in the tabernacle and being surrounded by the people in their own families who were not dedicated to the tabernacle and its care.

Furthermore, the tribe of Levi were assigned to live in the areas directly adjacent to the tabernacle and so the whole tribe, involved in the work of the tabernacle, could be close to it and be able to regulate the space surrounding it.

This reflects the priesthood under the new covenant which is a people called apart from the rest of the people as described by the apostle Peter in his first epistle chapter 2 verse 9;

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Amen.

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