Numbers - Chapter 18

Numbers 18.1 And the LORD said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father’s house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood. Numbers 18.2 And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness. Numbers 18.3 And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die. Numbers 18.4 And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you. Numbers 18.5 And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar: that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel. Numbers 18.6 And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the LORD, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. Numbers 18.7 Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest’s office for everything of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given your priest’s office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. Numbers 18.8 And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given thee the charge of mine heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by an ordinance for ever. Numbers 18.9 This shall be thine of the most holy things, reserved from the fire: every oblation of their’s, every meat offering of their’s, and every sin offering of their’s, and every trespass offering of their’s which they shall render unto me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons. Numbers 18.10 In the most holy place shalt thou eat it; every male shall eat it: it shall be holy unto thee. Numbers 18.11 And this is thine; the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel: I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: every one that is clean in thy house shall eat of it. Numbers 18.12 All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the LORD, them have I given thee. Numbers 18.13 And whatsoever is first ripe in the land, which they shall bring unto the LORD, shall be thine; every one that is clean in thine house shall eat of it. Numbers 18.14 Every thing devoted in Israel shall be thine. Numbers 18.15 Every thing that openeth the matrix in all flesh, which they bring unto the LORD, whether it be of men or beasts, shall be thine: nevertheless the firstborn of man shalt thou surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem. Numbers 18.16 And those that are to be redeemed from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to thine estimation, for the money of five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs. Numbers 18.17 But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem; they are holy: thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savour unto the LORD. Numbers 18.18 And the flesh of them shall be thine, as the wave breast and as the right shoulder are thine. Numbers 18.19 All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the LORD, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the LORD unto thee and to thy seed with thee. Numbers 18.20 And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel. Numbers 18.21 And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. Numbers 18.22 Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin, and die. Numbers 18.23 But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance. Numbers 18.24 But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave offering unto the LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto them, Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance. Numbers 18.25 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Numbers 18.26 Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the LORD, even a tenth part of the tithe. Numbers 18.27 And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the corn of the threshingfloor, and as the fulness of the winepress. Numbers 18.28 Thus ye also shall offer an heave offering unto the LORD of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the LORD’s heave offering to Aaron the priest. Numbers 18.29 Out of all your gifts ye shall offer every heave offering of the LORD, of all the best thereof, even the hallowed part thereof out of it. Numbers 18.30 Therefore thou shalt say unto them, When ye have heaved the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted unto the Levites as the increase of the threshingfloor, and as the increase of the winepress. Numbers 18.31 And ye shall eat it in every place, ye and your households: for it is your reward for your service in the tabernacle of the congregation. Numbers 18.32 And ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, when ye have heaved from it the best of it: neither shall ye pollute the holy things of the children of Israel, lest ye die.

Numbers : Chapter 18

The Duties and Rights of Priests According to Numbers Chapter 18

Numbers chapter 18 teaches us the duties and rights of priests and Levites, revealing how God provides for His devoted servants. This foundational text describes not only the responsibilities of priests, but also the support offered to them through tithes and offerings.

The Sacredness of the Tabernacle Service

This chapter places particular emphasis on the sanctity of the tabernacle service and the necessity of the Levites' separation to fulfill this divine task. Numbers 18 addresses essential themes such as stewardship, ministerial support, and the importance of exclusive dedication to God's service.

Reflection on Bible Passages

Let's examine five Bible passages that resonate with the themes of service and provision present in this crucial chapter:

1. 1 Corinthians 9:13-14

"Do you not know that those who work in the temple eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of what is offered on the altar? In the same way, the Lord has commanded those who preach the gospel to live according to the gospel." Paul refers to the system of priestly support established in Numbers 18, applying it to ministers of the Gospel.

2. Hebrews 7:5

"Now the law requires that the descendants of Levi who become priests receive tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, even though they are also descendants of Abraham." This verse highlights the tithing system established in Numbers 18 to support the Levites.

3. Nehemiah 10:37

"We will also bring the firstfruits of our dough, of our grain offerings, of the fruit of every tree, of the wine and of the oil to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God, and the tithes of our land to the Levites, for the Levites collect the tithes in all the towns where we work." Nehemiah reaffirms the practices of offering and tithing established in Numbers 18.

4. Ezekiel 44:30

"The best of all the firstfruits and of all their grain offerings, of all their offerings of every kind, shall be the priests'. You shall give the first of your dough to the priest, that a blessing may be upon your house." Ezekiel emphasizes the principle of firstfruits established in Numbers 18.

5. Malachi 3:8-10

"Can a man rob God? Yet you rob me. And they still ask, 'How have we robbed you? In tithes and offerings. You are under a great curse because you rob me; the whole nation robs me. Bring the whole tithe to the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house. Put me to the test,' declares the Lord of hosts, 'and see if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out so many blessings on you that you will have nowhere to store them.'" Malachi reminds us of the importance of respecting tithes and offerings, as established in Numbers 18.

As we seek to understand these passages, we are called to reflect on our own commitment and support for those called to serve in ministry. May the Lord guide us in our dedication and generosity.