2BC BIBLE STUDY NOTES

Wednesday in the Word

Second Baptist Church

January 15, 2020

Numbers 18

1. As we recall from the previous lessons, the authority and leadership of Moses and Aaron was challenged by a large group of leaders many of whom were Levites. These men were given great responsibility in the community but somehow felt that their prominent roles in the community were not good enough. One of the things that we understand about God is that God prefers humble leadership. God isn't really fond of folks who are arrogant and who don’t have a servant's mindset. Severe judgment fell upon those leaders who questioned the leadership of Moses and Aaron. We need to be clear, those 250 leaders didn't have a justification for questioning Moses and Aaron, and they just wanted to be in charge. It isn’t wrong to question leadership when leadership does questionable things. Those 250 rebellious leaders had seen God's hand and heard God's voice. They were not rejecting Moses and Aaron; they were rejecting God's wisdom. Since there was such an uproar about the leadership of Aaron and the Levites, God reaffirms the duties and responsibilities of the Priest and Levites. It is important to recognize that all of our duties are important to the kingdom of God. God will speak to the harmony of their work and how unity is the key.

2. Verses 1-7. The Lord speaks to Aaron and gives him some crucial instructions because he is the leader of the holy sanctuary. God is putting the entire responsibility for the sanctuary and priesthood on Aaron and his sons. They have to be good managers and make sure that the other priests and fellow Levites follow God's instructions to a tee. Aaron himself was of the tribe of Levi. While only he and his descendants were given the priesthood, the whole tribe of Levi had a special calling to help Aaron and the priests. The priests and the Levites are to work together on the outside of the tent of meeting, but only the Priest can enter the tent of meeting. God lets Aaron know that any offenses by the Levites will cause death to both priest and Levites. God is making it important for the Priest and the Levites to operate together and in harmony. God is holding the priest accountable to keep God's wrath from falling again on the community. God never gives authority without accountability; the two always go together. God tells Aaron that the priesthood is a gift. We should see our various responsibilities as gift. When God gives you a responsibility it should be views as a gift to be treasured. When you treasure something, you are extremely grateful to the giver.

3. Verses 8-19. God begins to spell out the benefits of being a priest since the priest will not be able to have any land or inheritance from the land. Land was the most valuable commodity for people in an agricultural/agrarian community. Not having land was something that many of the priests would view has a negative. The priest have to be solely dedicated to serving in the temple and making sure that sacrifices were being made daily for the people. This work was so important that they couldn't do anything else. What they could look forward to was the fact that they could eat and enjoy the parts of the sacrifices that were not to be completely burned up. The work of the priest was dirty, hard and labor intensive, but they could enjoy some of the food that was offered. They had a great duty and a nice benefit for their almost constant work. This was a concession for their lack of a land allotment. The offerings were brought to God as part of the peace offering (Exodus 29:28, Leviticus 7:14), a Nazirite's consecration offering (Numbers 6:20), and for thanksgiving (Numbers 15:19-21). In the offering, a choice portion of the animal (the breast or the thigh) was heaved or waved before the LORD. Afterwards, that choice portion of the meat was for the priest and his family, and was considered holy - so it had to be eaten in the holy place. The priest also received portions from the grain offering and sin offering and trespass offering; gifts of oil, wine, and grain, and ripe fruit from the firstfruits offering were also to be given to the priests. Firstborn and firstfruits were "risky" giving; your land might not yield much more produce, and your cow or ewe might not give birth again - yet the first still belonged to God, and was given to the priests. God promised to bless this giving of the first fruits and firstborn in faith: Honor the LORD with your possessions and with the firstfruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine. (Proverbs 3:9-10). This was how the priesthood was supported in Israel. The firstborn was brought to the tabernacle, either to be given or redeemed with money; it also belonged to the priest. All of these belonged to the priests, and it was vitally important that the children of Israel fulfill their obligation to bring these things - God calls it a covenant of salt forever. Salt speaks of purity, of preservation, and of expense. So, a covenant of salt is a pure covenant in that it was unchangeable.

4. Verse 20. While the priests had the right to receive much, he also was deprived of inheritance in their land; they had no permanent portion of land given to them, because God said I am your portion and your inheritance. "the LORD is my portion!" O LORD, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot (Psalm 16:5). My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever (Psalm 73:26). I cried out to You, O LORD: I said, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living" (Psalm 142:5). When God is our portion, He is our inheritance - our hope, who we trust for our future. We are satisfied in Him. Since we are all a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9), we all have the LORD for our portion.

5. Verses 21-32. The Levites were not given an allotment of land for an inheritance, but were given the tithes from all of Israel (see Deuteronomy 14). Food and livestock that was set aside as a first fruit offering and tithe belonged to the Levites as their food. There were certain parts of the offerings that were set aside for the priest, and the tithes were set aside for the Levites. The Levites were to take a tenth (best part) of the tithes that they received and offer it to the Lord as their offering. Of those tithes that the Levites offer, the priest can take their share as well. The other 90% of the tithes given could be eaten by the Levites for this was their wage.

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