Numbers part 8 | In His Light We See Light
The Seven Lamps | Numbers 8:1-4
Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and say to him, When you set up the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand.” And Aaron did so: he set up its lamps in front of the lampstand, as the Lord commanded Moses. And this was the workmanship of the lampstand, hammered work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was hammered work; according to the pattern that the Lord had shown Moses, so he made the lampstand.
Numbers 8:1-4
We have talked about the many typologies in the tabernacle that either foreshadow or allude to the New Testament revelation in Christ. Here, we see some simple lamp stands, and yet lamp stands have more function than simply lighting the tabernacle.
The work of the priests, reading the Torah, offering incense and prayers, and even eating the bread, would all be done in the light of these lamps. The light of the lamps would illuminate the entire process. Even more, it is worth noting there are 7 lamps to light the area—7 being the perfect number. These lamps would go on to represent the Sevenfold Spirit of God who gives us illumination and understanding.
If we look ahead to Isaiah 11:2, we see the sevenfold description of the Holy Spirit. In reference to the Spirit that will be upon the Messiah:
And 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 the fear of the Lord.Isaiah 11:2
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit 1) of the Lord 2) of wisdom 3) of understanding 4) of counsel 5) of might 6) of knowledge, and 7) of the fear of the Lord. He is One Spirit, of course, but each title gives us a facet of Who the Spirit is and what He does.
The lamp stands in the tabernacle are a typology of the Holy Spirit’s work in the life of the believer.
Now, we can take this even further. When we fast forward to Revelation 1, these lamps return, but they are explicitly called the seven churches. But then, in 4:5, there are seven torches that are explicitly called the “Seven spirits of God.” Similarly, in 5:6, John sees the “Lamb who was slain” who had seven eyes and seven horns which “are the seven spirits of God.” The Holy Spirit, the Sevenfold Spirit of God, is active in several places in Revelation because the Lord’s Holy Spirit is active in the life of believers and the Church.
Light, lamps, torches are all part of the Holy Spirit motif that permeates Scripture. When we ask how God opens our eyes, helps us understand, and draws us to fear Him, it is accomplished through the Holy Spirit.
And there is one more function of the Holy Spirit that is connected to the next section of this chapter.
Cleansing of the Levites | Numbers 8:5-22
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the Levites from among the people of Israel and cleanse them. Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of purification upon them, and let them go with a razor over all their body, and wash their clothes and cleanse themselves. Then let them take a bull from the herd and its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you shall take another bull from the herd for a sin offering. And you shall bring the Levites before the tent of meeting and assemble the whole congregation of the people of Israel. When you bring the Levites before the Lord, the people of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites, and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord as a wave offering from the people of Israel, that they may do the service of the Lord. Then the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to the Lord to make atonement for the Levites. And you shall set the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and shall offer them as a wave offering to the Lord.
“Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the people of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine.
Numbers 8:5-14
If this section sounds a bit familiar, it is because the process of consecrating the Levites shares similarities with the Nazirite vow. They are to shave themselves, wash their clothes, and clean their bodies. They then must sacrifice a bull as a sin offering.
An additional step is necessary, here, in order for the people to be part of the consecration. The people are giving the Levites over to God taking them out of “normal society.” Their value is not in agriculture, military, or some other civic duty. They are strictly for the religious duty of helping Israel be obedient and draw closer to the Lord. In the next verses, the Lord explains the Levites are taking the place of the first born among Israel that should have died in the Egyptian plague. In the next chapter, Moses will lead Israel in celebrating the Passover feast again. The price of their salvation is to give the Levites to the Lord.
The principle at work here is not about earning salvation. Israel is already saved. The principle is about joining God in the continuing work of bringing salvation to others. We serve the Lord because He has saved us.
The Levites are being purified and consecrated for service to the Lord in the same pattern that we see the Holy Spirit purify and consecrate us for service.
Now, we don’t shave the heads and bodies of new converts, nor do we sacrifice animals. We do, however, baptize and teach—a more metaphorical approach. Even more so, we understand that it isn’t really us that is doing the purifying. When we surrender to Jesus and are saved, He sends His Holy Spirit to us to purify us from the inside. His same Spirit consecrates us for service.
But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Corinthians 6:11
It is easy to forget the proper order of events when it comes to serving the Lord. We tend to think we have to do the work first, and then God will bless us. It’s the opposite. The Israelites were led out of Egypt first. Then, they were put to work. We are saved first. Then, God puts us to work in the Kingdom.
So, how long does this work continue?
Retirement of the Levites | Numbers 8:23-26
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “This applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall come to do duty in the service of the tent of meeting. And from the age of fifty years they shall withdraw from the duty of the service and serve no more. They minister to their brothers in the tent of meeting by keeping guard, but they shall do no service. Thus shall you do to the Levites in assigning their duties.”
Numbers 8:23-26
For the Levites, they had a fairly specific timeframe. There are actually three different age ranges given in Scripture for how long the Levites should serve. Earlier, in chapter 4, the age was 30-50. Here, it is 25-50. Later, in Ezra and Chronicles (written after the Exile), the age is dropped to 20. Commentators believe the age in the post-exilic period has to do with less Levites available for service. The age had to drop in order to have enough men to do the jobs. In Numbers, some have suggested the differing ages point to differing traditions, but it seems very unlikely later redactors would allow such a blatant discrepancy within a few chapters. Timothy Ashley (in NICOT: Numbers) suggests the age is bumped up after the Abihu and Nadab incident. These two priests would have violated the sanctity of the tabernacle and died fairly shortly after the tabernacle construction. It may be the other priests decided it would be better to have older men serve to avoid future deaths of immature priests.
Regardless, the text gives us a very useful principle for how we can serve in the modern church.
In each stage of life, the Holy Spirit will guide and empower your service in the Kingdom of God.
From birth to adulthood is a “training stage.” We are learning how to live in this world, who we are, and whose we are. This stage is more about people providing for us than it is how we can provide for others, but even still, as children move through this stage, there are opportunities for service. We provide these opportunities through children and youth activities, service projects, and incorporating them into the worship service (as well as others). Sometimes the younger ones will need to remind the older folks they have a place of service, and they will never grow into productive members of the Kingdom, if we don’t give them opportunities to step out in faith.
From young adulthood to vocational retirement is a “working stage.” We are still building our own lives, but we have figured out (for the most part) questions about identity. This stage is the time to build things that will last—family, career, friendships. It is also the stage in which we can provide the most practical service to the Kingdom. At this stage of life, we are old enough to provide for the needs of our church, our community, and our families, but not so old that our health is declining.
If you are in this stage, there is a danger of forsaking Kingdom-building because we are too busy building our own kingdoms. This stage is absolutely a busy time with work, family, extracurriculars, and all the things that go with such things, but be careful you don’t neglect the eternal matters for the temporary ones.
From vocational retirement to death is the “giving stage.” Our careers are done, families grown, and the question is not about what kind of life we will live, but rather what kind of legacy we will leave behind. We can still provide practical service in the church and community, but the phrase “I’m getting too old for this” will start popping up more. But the best act of service is by “keeping guard.” The older Levites would keep guard for the people watching out for those who may be coming to close. They also would be available for guidance and direction.
In this stage, there is the danger of believing you are finished serving. “I’m old! Let the younger folks do stuff!” Yes, it is time for the younger generations to step up, but you are not done. If you have breath, then you can help. Plus, you should remember John’s vision in Revelation includes people actively serving in Heaven, too. Your work will continue even after physical death.
Whatever stage of life you find yourself, go to the Lord and ask His Holy Spirit to guide and empower your service in the Kingdom. Ask Him, “What is my next step?” And then go and do!