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Texts -- Numbers 18:4-32 (NET)

Context
18:4 They must join with you, and they will be responsible for the care of the tent of meeting , for all the service of the tent , but no unauthorized person may approach you. 18:5 You will be responsible for the care of the sanctuary and the care of the altar , so that there will be no more wrath on the Israelites . 18:6 I myself have chosen your brothers the Levites from among the Israelites . They are given to you as a gift from the Lord , to perform the duties of the tent of meeting . 18:7 But you and your sons with you are responsible for your priestly duties , for everything at the altar and within the curtain . And you must serve . I give you the priesthood as a gift for service ; but the unauthorized person who approaches must be put to death .”
The Portion of the Priests
18:8 The Lord spoke to Aaron , “See , I have given you the responsibility for my raised offerings ; I have given all the holy things of the Israelites to you as your priestly portion and to your sons as a perpetual ordinance . 18:9 Of all the most holy offerings reserved from the fire this will be yours: Every offering of theirs, whether from every grain offering or from every purification offering or from every reparation offering which they bring to me, will be most holy for you and for your sons . 18:10 You are to eat it as a most holy offering; every male may eat it. It will be holy to you. 18:11 “And this is yours: the raised offering of their gift , along with all the wave offerings of the Israelites . I have given them to you and to your sons and daughters with you as a perpetual ordinance . Everyone who is ceremonially clean in your household may eat of it. 18:12 “All the best of the olive oil and all the best of the wine and of the wheat , the first fruits of these things that they give to the Lord , I have given to you. 18:13 And whatever first ripe fruit in their land they bring to the Lord will be yours; everyone who is ceremonially clean in your household may eat of it. 18:14 “Everything devoted in Israel will be yours. 18:15 The firstborn of every womb which they present to the Lord , whether human or animal , will be yours. Nevertheless , the firstborn sons you must redeem , and the firstborn males of unclean animals you must redeem . 18:16 And those that must be redeemed you are to redeem when they are a month old , according to your estimation , for five shekels of silver according to the sanctuary shekel (which is twenty gerahs ). 18:17 But you must not redeem the firstborn of a cow or a sheep or a goat ; they are holy . You must splash their blood on the altar and burn their fat for an offering made by fire for a pleasing aroma to the Lord . 18:18 And their meat will be yours, just as the breast and the right hip of the raised offering is yours. 18:19 All the raised offerings of the holy things that the Israelites offer to the Lord , I have given to you, and to your sons and daughters with you, as a perpetual ordinance . It is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord for you and for your descendants with you.”
Duties of the Levites
18:20 The Lord spoke to Aaron , “You will have no inheritance in their land , nor will you have any portion of property among them– I am your portion and your inheritance among the Israelites . 18:21 See , I have given the Levites all the tithes in Israel for an inheritance , for their service which they perform – the service of the tent of meeting . 18:22 No longer may the Israelites approach the tent of meeting , or else they will bear their sin and die . 18:23 But the Levites must perform the service of the tent of meeting , and they must bear their iniquity . It will be a perpetual ordinance throughout your generations that among the Israelites the Levites have no inheritance . 18:24 But I have given to the Levites for an inheritance the tithes of the Israelites that are offered to the Lord as a raised offering . That is why I said to them that among the Israelites they are to have no inheritance .”
Instructions for the Levites
18:25 The Lord spoke to Moses : 18:26 “You are to speak to the Levites , and you must tell them, ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe that I have given you from them as your inheritance , then you are to offer up from it as a raised offering to the Lord a tenth of the tithe . 18:27 And your raised offering will be credited to you as though it were grain from the threshing floor or as new wine from the winepress . 18:28 Thus you are to offer up a raised offering to the Lord of all your tithes which you receive from the Israelites ; and you must give the Lord’s raised offering from it to Aaron the priest . 18:29 From all your gifts you must offer up every raised offering due the Lord , from all the best of it, and the holiest part of it.’ 18:30 “Therefore you will say to them, ‘When you offer up the best of it, then it will be credited to the Levites as the product of the threshing floor and as the product of the winepress . 18:31 And you may eat it in any place , you and your household , because it is your wages for your service in the tent of meeting . 18:32 And you will bear no sin concerning it when you offer up the best of it. And you must not profane the holy things of the Israelites , or else you will die .’”

Pericope

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Bible Dictionary

  • Priest

    [smith] The English word is derived from the Greek presbyter , signifying an "elder" (Heb. cohen). Origin. --The idea of a priesthood connects itself in all its forms, pure or corrupted, with the consciousness, more or less distinct ...
    [nave] PRIEST. Before Moses Melchizedek, Gen. 14:18; Heb. 5:6, 10, 11; 6:20; 7:1-21. Jethro, Ex. 2:16. Priests in Israel before the giving of the law, Ex. 19:22, 24. Called angel, Eccl. 5:6. Mosaic Ex. 28:1-4; 29:9, 44; Num....

  • TITHE

    [ebd] a tenth of the produce of the earth consecrated and set apart for special purposes. The dedication of a tenth to God was recognized as a duty before the time of Moses. Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek (Gen. 14:20; Heb. 7:6...
    [isbe] TITHE - tith (ma`aser; dekate): The custom of giving a 10th part of the products of the land and of the spoils of war to priests and kings (1 Macc 10:31; 11:35; 1 Sam 8:15,17) was a very ancient one among most nations. That ...

  • CRITICISM

    [isbe] CRITICISM - (The Graf-Wellhausen Hypothesis) I. PRELIMINARY 1. Thesis 2. Historical Perspective 3. Inspiration and Criticism II. THE LEGISLATION 1. Groups 2. Covenant Code 3. The Sanctuary 4. Kinds of Sacrifice 5. Sacrifice ...

  • LAW IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

    [isbe] LAW IN THE OLD TESTAMENT - || I. TERMS USED 1. Torah ("Law") 2. Synonyms of Torah (1) Mitswah ("Command") (2) `Edhah ("Witness," "Testimony") (3) MishpaTim ("Judgments") (4) Chuqqim ("Statutes") (5) Piqqudhim ("Precepts") II...

  • Exodus

    [ebd] the great deliverance wrought for the children of Isreal when they were brought out of the land of Egypt with "a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm" (Ex 12:51; Deut. 26:8; Ps 114; 136), about B.C. 1490, and four hundre...

  • PRIESTS AND LEVITES

    [isbe] PRIESTS AND LEVITES - (kohen, "priest"; nothing is definitely known as to the origin of the word; Lewi, "Levite," on which see LEVI): I. DIFFERENT VIEWS OF THE HISTORY 1. The Old View 2. The Graf-Wellhausen View 3. Mediating...

  • EZEKIEL, 2

    [isbe] EZEKIEL, 2 - II. Significance of Ezekiel in Israel's Religious History. Under the first head we will consider the formal characteristics and significance of the book; and the examination of its contents will form the subject...

  • LAW OF MOSES

    [smith] It will be the object of this article to give a brief analysis of the substance of this law, to point out its main principles, and to explain the position which it occupies in the progress of divine revelation. In order to do...

  • Consecrated Things

    [nave] CONSECRATED THINGS, laws regarding, Lev. 27; Num. 18:8-32. See: Firstborn; Firstfruits.

  • Levites

    [smith] (descendants of Levi). Sometimes the name extends to the whole tribe, the priests included, (Exodus 6:25; Leviticus 25:32; Numbers 35:2; Joshua 21:3,41) etc; sometimes only to those members of the tribe who were not priests, ...
    [nave] LEVITES The descendants of Levi. Set apart as ministers of religion, Num. 1:47-54; 3:6-16; 16:9; 26:57-62; Deut. 10:8; 1 Chr. 15:2. Substituted in the place of the firstborn, Num. 3:12, 41-45; 8:14, 16-18; 18:6. Religious ...

  • Offerings

    [nave] OFFERINGS Offered at the door of the tabernacle, Lev. 1:3; 3:2; 17:4, 8, 9; of the temple, 2 Chr. 7:12; 1 Kin. 8:62; 12:27. All animal sacrifices must be eight days old or over, Lev. 22:27. Must be salted, Lev. 2:13; Ezek....

  • SACRIFICE, IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, 2

    [isbe] SACRIFICE, IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, 2 - V. The Mosaic Sacrificial System. 1. The Covenant Sacrifice: The fundamental function of Moses' work was to establish the covenant between Israel and God. This important transaction took ...

  • TITHE OR TENTH

    [smith] the proportion of property devoted to religious uses from very early times. Instances of the use of tithes are found prior to the appointment of the Levitical tithes under the law. In biblical history the two prominent instan...

  • Levite

    [ebd] a descendant of the tribe of Levi (Ex. 6:25; Lev. 25:32; Num. 35:2; Josh. 21:3, 41). This name is, however, generally used as the title of that portion of the tribe which was set apart for the subordinate offices of the sanc...

  • WAVE OFFERING

    [smith] This rite, together with that of "heaving" or "raising" the offering was an inseparable accompaniment of peace offerings. In such the right shoulder, considered the choicest part of the victim, was to be ("heaved," and viewed...

  • Minister

    [nave] MINISTER, a sacred teacher. Index of Sub-topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-topics; Call of; Character and Qualifications of; Charge Delivered to; Courage of; Duties of; Duties of the Church to; Emoluments of; Faithful, Instanc...

  • Tithes

    [nave] TITHES Paid by Abraham to Melchizedek, Gen. 14:20; Heb. 7:2-6. Jacob vows a tenth of all his property to God, Gen. 28:22. Mosaic laws instituting, Lev. 27:30-33; Num. 18:21-24; Deut. 12:6, 7, 17, 19; 14:22-29; 26:12-15. C...

  • GIFT

    [ebd] (1.) An gratuity (Prov. 19:6) to secure favour (18:16; 21:14), a thank-offering (Num. 18:11), or a dowry (Gen. 34:12). (2.) An oblation or proppitatory gift (2Sa 8:2,6; 1Ch 18:2,6; 2Ch 26:8; Ps. 45:12; 72:10). (3.) A bribe t...
    [isbe] GIFT - gift (mattanah, minchah, shochadh; doron, dorea, chairisma): In Gen 25:6; Ex 28:38; Nu 18:6,7,29; Ezek 20:26, etc., mattanah, "a gift," is so rendered; minchah, an offering or present, used especially of the "meat off...

  • Salt

    [ebd] used to season food (Job 6:6), and mixed with the fodder of cattle (Isa. 30:24, "clean;" in marg. of R.V. "salted"). All meat-offerings were seasoned with salt (Lev. 2:13). To eat salt with one is to partake of his hospitali...
    [isbe] SALT - solt (melach; halas, hals): Common salt is considered by most authorities as an essential ingredient of our food. Most people intentionally season their cooking with more or less salt for the sake of palatability. Oth...
    [smith] Indispensable as salt is to ourselves, it was even more so to the Hebrews, being to them not only an appetizing condiment in the food both of man, (Job 11:6) and beset, (Isaiah 30:24) see margin, and a valuable antidote to th...
    [nave] SALT Lot's wife turned into a pillar of, Gen. 19:26. The city of Salt, Josh. 15:62. The valley of salt, 2 Sam. 8:13; 2 Kin. 14:7. Salt sea, Gen. 14:3; Num. 34:12; Deut. 3:17; Josh. 3:16; 12:3; 15:2. Salt pits, Zeph. 2:9....

  • First-born, Redemption of

    [ebd] From the beginning the office of the priesthood in each family belonged to the eldest son. But when the extensive plan of sacrificial worship was introduced, requiring a company of men to be exclusively devoted to this minis...
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Hymns

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  • [Num 18:29] Our Best

Questions

  • Rehoboam reigned over one and Jeroboam over ten. (I Kings 11:31-35,12:21.) The tribe of Levi was not counted because it had no land possessions (Num. 18:20-24), except cities for dwellings, with their outlying fields for past...
  • I'm going to copy some articles on this subject, but let me give you my summation of all of them. In the Old Testament, the firstborn son was the one who normally received a double inheritance, and was the one who would inher...
  • Curtis Mitchell's article in Bibliotheca Sacra, Vol 147 #588 Oct 1990 answers this question well. The Practice of Fasting in the New Testament Is religious fasting a legitimate practice for today? If it is, how and wh...

Sermon Illustrations

Meaning of Tithe

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • Jacob blessed all 12 of his sons and foretold what would become of each of them and their descendants. He disqualified Reuben, Simeon, and Levi from leadership and gave that blessing to Judah. He granted the double portion to...
  • To formulate a statement that summarizes the teaching of this book it will be helpful to identify some of the major revelations in Numbers. These constitute the unique values of the book.The first major value of Numbers is th...
  • I. Experiences of the older generation in the wilderness chs. 1-25A. Preparations for entering the Promised Land from the south chs. 1-101. The first census and the organization of the people chs. 1-42. Commands and rituals t...
  • The end of chapter 10 is the high point of the Book of Numbers spiritually. The beginning of chapter 11 records the beginning of the spiritual decline of Israel that resulted in God's judging the nation. He postponed the fulf...
  • Having received their sentence from the Lord, the people then presumptuously proceeded to go up on their own to take the land (vv. 40-42)."They are like children who had broken a valuable vase and decided to make it better' b...
  • Moses recorded few events during the years of Israel's wandering in the wilderness, but those he did preserve have instructive value. Most important among them is the rebellion of Korah's group against Moses and Aaron, and Go...
  • A complete and comprehensive explanation of the official duties and revenues of the priests and Levites appropriately follows the confirmation of Aaron's priesthood. This was God's reply to the frightened cries of the people ...
  • Here begins the fourth and last leg of the Israelites' journey from Egypt to the Promised Land.1. From Egypt to Sinai (Exod. 12-19)2. From Sinai to Kadesh (Num. 11-12)3. From Kadesh back to Kadesh--38 years of wilderness wand...
  • The writer now recorded the fulfillment of God's instructions to Moses that Israel should destroy the Midianites (25:16-18). In this account, the aftermath of the battle receives more attention than the battle itself. Evident...
  • The Book of Numbers is a lesson in the importance of trust and obedience. The Israelites frequently failed to trust and obey God in the hours of their trials, and consequently God postponed His blessing. Most of them never en...
  • There was a yearly tithe (vv. 22-27) and an additional three-year tithe (vv. 28-29) in Israel. The Israelites were to invite the Levites to the celebration at the tabernacle when the Israelites consumed the yearly tithe (v. 2...
  • The Levites lived as sojourners among the other Israelites. While they had their own cities, they did not possess land and inheritances as the other Israelites did. However the privilege of serving God as they alone could was...
  • When the Israelites entered the land they were to bring a special offering of firstfruits they harvested from the land to Yahweh at the tabernacle (cf. 14:22-27). It was to be an expression of their gratitude to God for fulfi...
  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • Ahab had a problem of perception similar to Obadiah's (v. 17; cf. v. 7). The real source of Israel's troubles was Ahab and Omri's disregard of the Mosaic Covenant and their preference for idolatry (Deut. 6:5)."This was a crim...
  • Had Elijah still been alive on the earth Elisha could not have exercised authority as his successor. In this chapter note the parallels between the succession of the prophets and the succession of the kings that the writer re...
  • Archaeologists debate the site of Baal-salishah. In obedience to the Mosaic Law the man in view brought Elisha his offering of first-fruits to honor God by giving this offering to His servants (Num. 18:13; Deut. 18:4). This s...
  • Verses 1 and 2 of chapter 23 provide an outline for what follows in chapters 23-27 but in reverse order. After David appointed Solomon as his coregent in 973 B.C., he began the preparations the writer described here.David ada...
  • Abijah generally did not please God (1 Kings 15:3). However there was the instance the Chronicler recorded in which he spoke out in favor of the temple, the priests, and the Levites against the apostate Jeroboam and Israel.Th...
  • The Chronicler gave us much more information about Uzziah than we have in Kings (2 Kings 15:1-7). Uzziah ("Yahweh is strong") was evidently the king's throne name and Azariah ("Yahweh helps") his personal name.Uzziah, as his ...
  • The king organized the priests and Levites again into the divisions David had specified. Evidently Hezekiah's predecessors had not observed these divisions. He also instituted tithing again as the Mosaic Law commanded (cf. Le...
  • These men returned but could not serve as priests until the high priest could determine that they were indeed descendants of Aaron (cf. Num. 16:40; 18:9-10). Perhaps the high priest did this using the Urim and Thummim if thes...
  • Shemaiah claimed to have received a prophecy from God (v. 12). He tried to scare Nehemiah into thinking that assassins were after him so he would seek sanctuary inside the temple. The Mosaic Law prohibited anyone but priests ...
  • 3:19 Jeremiah prayed that the Lord would remember his affliction and bitterness (cf. Job 13:15).3:20-21 He himself remembered something that gave him hope.3:22 The prophet remembered that the Lord's loyal love (Heb. hesed) ne...
  • 20:10-12 So the Lord led the Israelites out of Egypt and into the wilderness. At Mount Sinai He gave them statutes and ordinances that would result in their welfare if they obeyed them, namely, the Mosaic Law. He also gave th...
  • 43:18 The Lord told Ezekiel what to do when the construction of the altar was complete.538The purpose of this altar was to receive the burnt offerings that people would bring to the Lord and to receive the blood of those anim...
  • 44:15-16 The Levites from Zadok's branch of the priestly family, however, would have special privileges since Zadok and his sons had served the Lord faithfully in the past (cf. 40:46; 1 Sam. 2:35; 2 Sam. 8:17; 15:24-29; 1 Kin...
  • 7:14 Amos replied that he was not a prophet by his own choosing; he did not decide to pursue prophesying as a career. Neither had he become a prophet because his father had been one. In Amos' culture it was common and expecte...
  • Whereas the emphasis in Malachi's argument shifts at this point somewhat from the sins of the priests to their possible fate, there is a continuing emphasis on their sins. In the preceding section (1:6-14) the cultic activity...
  • The Lord had said that Israel's earlier history was a time when the priests and the people of Israel pleased Him (v. 4). Now He said that those early days were short-lived (cf. Exod. 32:7-9). In contrast to His faithfulness (...
  • The emphasis in this section is Simeon's prediction of Jesus' ministry (cf. 1:67-79). He pointed out the universal extent of the salvation that Jesus would bring and the rejection that He would experience.2:22-24 Under Mosaic...
  • Luke now gave a specific instance of what he had just described in verses 34 and 35. This reference to Barnabas is significant because it introduces him to the reader. Barnabas becomes a major character in Acts later. Further...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • I have given your priest's office unto you as a service of gift.'--Num. 18:7.ALL Christians are priests, to offer sacrifices, alms, especially prayers; to make God known to mean....
  • The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup; Thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.'--Psalm 16:5-6.WE read, in the law which created the priestho...
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