NUMBERS
CHAPTER 3
Aaron and his sons minister in priest’s office—Levites chosen to do service of tabernacle—They are the Lord’s, replacing firstborn of all families of Israel—Their number, charge, and service set forth.
1 THESE also are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the LORD spake with Moses in mount Sinai.
2 And these are the names of the sons of Aaron; Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests which were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest’s office.
4 And Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD, when they offered strange fire before the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children: and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest’s office in the sight of Aaron their father.
6 Bring the tribe of Levi near, [ Remember these were the ones that answered Moses when he Asked "who is on the Lords side, let him come unto me." back in Ex 32:26 and it was the tribe of Levi that answered so. ] and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him.
7 And they shall keep his charge, [ The tribe of Levi will be the ones who are responsible to perform the duties of taking care of the tabernacle, and administering the required daily sacrifices... The rest of the children of Israel will not have the priesthood - such they can still participate in the ordinances, but they cannot administer the ordinances of the priesthood. Before this point all of Israel had the priesthood for administration, and now the priesthood is given only to the tribe of Levi. ] and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle. [ So this in essence meant that rest of Israel was restricted in holding the priesthood, in priesthood administration from that time forward. The tribe of Levi was the only tribe given priesthood responsibilities. We learn through the Joseph Smith Translation that the Lord further instructed Moses, “I will take away the priesthood out of their midst; therefore my holy order, and the ordinances thereof, shall not go before them” (JST, Exodus 34:1). ]
8 And they [ The tribe of Levi, the ones who responded that they were on the Lords side when Moses asked back in Ex. 32:26. ] shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. [ The tribe of Levi is now given sole responsibility(verse 9) to administer the priesthood and the service of the tabernacle. ]
9 And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons: they [ Levi and his sons. ] are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel. [ Are the only ones out of all of Israel that have the priesthood from this time forward. ]
10 And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest’s office: [ This restriction that has taken place is one of administration, not participation. All of Israel could participate at the temple by bringing their sacrifices and keeping the law of Moses, but they must WAIT for the priests of Levi to perform the sacrifice, they could no longer do it for themselves. They just couldn’t administrate in the priesthood.
This is the reference to "I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all of the firstborn". These levites will now going forward hold the office of the Priest to administer to the people, prior to this point the first born in each family was given to God to be a priest and hold the priesthood. But at this point it all stops.
This is right at the time that they did not choose to sanctify themselves to go up onto the mountain and meet God, as a result they lost what the Lord wanted to give them; that being the Higher Priesthood and the endowment. So they really cut themselves off from what they could have had. ] and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
12 And I, behold, I [ Again a personal relationship with what is happening. ] have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn [ Anciently every firstborn was the one that belonged to God. They were the ones who previous to this where to administer the priesthood. But here God is taking the priesthood from the rest of Israel and giving it to the tribe if Levi. This is not the only time that God has witheld the administration of the priesthood from men. Was this not what Rebecca says, of what value will be my life if Jacob marries the daughters of Heth? Her purpose will have failed if they can’t hold that priesthood, to hold that patriarchal priesthood. (Gen. 27:46) ] that openeth the matrix [ The womb. ] among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine; [ So the Levities are taking the place of every first born who belongs to God, and his service. This is giving us insight into what the right of the firstborn is. When the Children of Israel rejected the higher law, they rejected being obedient to the higher law. Moses drew a line in the sand and challenged any and all who accepted the Lord to come on his side of the line – and only the Levites stepped over the line (Ex 32:26). In consequence of this, the Lord restricted all of the Tribes of Israel from holding the Priesthood except for the Tribe of Levi. The Old Law was that the firstborn male in every family would become the priest to administer the Gospel and the ordinances of salvation. After the Lord restricted the Priesthood to only the Levites, the old law was done away. The Priesthood would descend only through the family line of the Levites. We see this information repeated again in Num. 8:15. ]
13 Because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, [ I purchased your first born on the day of the passover because I saved them. They were bought with the price of the Lamb without blemish. ] both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the LORD.
15 Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them.
20 And the sons of Merari by their families; Mahli, and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to the house of their fathers.
21 Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimites: these are the families of the Gershonites.
22 Those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, even those that were numbered of them were seven thousand and five hundred.
25 And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation shall be the tabernacle, and the tent, the covering thereof, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,
26 And the hangings of the court, and the curtain for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and by the altar round about, and the cords of it for all the service thereof.
27 ¶ And of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izeharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites: these are the families of the Kohathites.
28 In the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were eight thousand and six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary.
30 And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.
31 And their charge shall be the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister, and the hanging, and all the service thereof.
32 And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of them that keep the charge of the sanctuary.
33 ¶ Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari.
34 And those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand and two hundred.
35 And the chief of the house of the father of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail: these shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle northward.
36 And under the custody and charge of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the vessels thereof, and all that serveth thereto,
38 ¶ But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
39 All that were numbered of the Levites, which Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the LORD, throughout their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty and two thousand.
[ So we have a total of 22,000 males in te tribe of Levi. ]
40 ¶ And the LORD said unto Moses, Number all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.
[ Number all of the first borns in all of Israel. ]
41 And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am the LORD) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; [ Since the first born of every family belongs to me I am willing to take a vicarious offerring, accepting people by proxy. ] and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel.
43 And all the firstborn males by the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those that were numbered of them, were twenty and two thousand two hundred and threescore and thirteen.
[ So there where 22,273 first born males in all of Israel, or that many who belonged to the Lord. ]
45 Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, [ Interesting how the Numbers worked out 22,000 each way. So the Lord takes the Levites in full time service to him instead of the first born in every family. ] and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD.
46 And for those that are to be redeemed of the two hundred and threescore and thirteen of the firstborn of the children of Israel, which are more than the Levites;
[ So when the math was done there were 273 more that were owed to the Lord. Symbolic that the Lord does know every detail, every individual that is needed for his work is a counted for. ]
47 Thou shalt even take five shekels apiece by the poll, after the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them: (the shekel is twenty gerahs:)
48 And thou shalt give the money, wherewith the odd number of them is to be redeemed, [ Randsom money is accepted for and in place of the physical delivery of the 274 first born males. To be used by Aaron to sustain the tabernacle. ] unto Aaron and to his sons.
49 And Moses took the redemption money of them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites: