Numbers 7:1-89

The Old Testament Book of Numbers

In the Desert

Numbers

Marion Adams

Chapter 7

The leaders bring gifts to *God’s Tent – Numbers 7:1-89

v1 As soon as Moses had set up *God’s Tent, he *dedicated it to the *LORD. He *dedicated everything, the *altar, the furniture and all the equipment. v2-3 Then the 12 leaders of *Israel’s *tribes came to *God’s Tent. They brought gifts for the *LORD. These men were the leaders of the people whom they had counted. They brought 6 strong carts and 12 *oxen. There was a cart from every two leaders and an *ox from every leader.

v4 The *LORD said to Moses, v5 ‘Accept these gifts. Levi’s *tribe can use them for the work at *God’s Tent.’

v6 So Moses gave the carts and the *oxen to Levi’s *tribe. v7 He gave 2 carts and 4 *oxen to Gershon’s *clan for their work. v8 He gave 4 carts and 8 *oxen to Merari’s *clan for their work. Ithamar the priest, Aaron’s son, was their leader. v9 But Moses did not give anything to Kohath’s *clan. They were responsible for the *sacred objects. They had to carry the *sacred objects on their shoulders.

v10 The 12 leaders also brought *offerings when Moses *dedicated the *altar. v11 The *LORD said to Moses, ‘For a period of 12 days, the leaders must give their *offerings. Each leader must give his *offering on a different day.’

v12-83 Each leader brought the same gifts:

• A plate and a basin that people had made from silver. The plate weighed 1.5 *kilograms. The basin weighed almost 1 *kilogram. They had weighed the silver by the official weight (see note on Numbers 3:47). Both the plate and the basin had *grain offerings in them, of flour and oil.

• A small dish that people had made from gold. It weighed 110 *grams. It was full of *incense.

• A young *bull, an adult male sheep and a male sheep that was a year old. These were for the *burnt offerings.

• A male goat for the *sin offering.

• Two *bulls, 5 adult male sheep, 5 male goats, and 5 male sheep that were one year old. These were for the *peace offerings.

The 12 leaders gave their *offerings on different days, in this order.

1. Nahshon (Amminadab’s son) from Judah’s *tribe.

2. Nethanel (Zuar’s son) from Issachar’s *tribe.

3. Eliab (Helon’s son) from Zebulun’s *tribe.

4. Elizur (Shedeur’s son) from Reuben’s *tribe.

5. Shelumiel (Zurishaddai’s son) from Simeon’s *tribe.

6. Eliasaph (Deuel’s son) from Gad’s *tribe.

7. Elishama (Ammihud’s son) from Ephraim’s *tribe.

8. Gamaliel (Pedahzur’s son) from Manasseh’s *tribe.

9. Abidan (Gideoni’s son) from Benjamin’s *tribe.

10. Ahiezer (Ammishaddai’s son) from Dan’s *tribe.

11. Pagiel (Ocran’s son) from Asher’s *tribe.

12. Ahira (Enan’s son) from Naphtali’s *tribe.

v84-88 So when Moses *dedicated the *altar, the 12 leaders brought all the gifts in the list below.

12 plates and 12 basins that people had made from silver. Their total official weight (see note on Numbers 3:47) was 27.6 *kilograms.

12 small dishes that people had made from gold. They were each full of *incense. Their total official weight was 1.32 *kilograms.

12 *bulls, 12 adult male sheep and 12 male sheep who were one year old, for the *burnt offerings, and the proper *grain offerings.

12 male goats for the *sin offerings.

24 *bulls, 60 adult male sheep, 60 male goats, and 60 male sheep that were one year old. These were for the *peace offerings.

v89 Whenever Moses needed to speak to the *LORD, he went into *God’s Tent. He heard the *LORD’s voice. The voice came from above the cover which was on the top of the *Ark. On the lid, there were two models of *angels. The voice came from between these models. And the *LORD spoke with Moses.

Verses 1-89 This is the longest chapter in the *Old Testament, apart from Psalms 119. The original text repeats the same list of gifts 12 times, once for each leader. However, to make it easier to read, there is just one list of gifts in our translation of verses 12-83.

These events happened one month before the *census in Numbers 1:1-4. The list of men and *tribes is in the same order as in Numbers 2:1-34. Each leader brought the same gifts. Each *tribe was equally important to God. Perhaps the author repeated the list 12 times to show this. The list of the leaders reminds us that God knows every person’s name. Every person is special to God.

The leaders gave carts and *oxen to transport *God’s Tent. They gave objects for the priests to use in *God’s Tent. The objects were beautiful and practical, too. Also, the leaders brought animals to offer as *sacrifices.

The gifts and *offerings were very expensive. But the leaders were happy to give them. The *Hebrew word for *offering is from a word that means ‘to come near’ to someone or something. When the leaders brought gifts to *God’s Tent, they brought them near to God.

*God’s Tent was the special place where God met with the *Israelites. But we know that God does not live in one place only. He is everywhere.

God spoke to Moses in *God’s Tent, when Moses stood by the *Ark. Although the *Ark was very holy, God did not live in it! Verse 89 reminds us of this. When God spoke, his voice came from above the *Ark.

Gold covered the *Ark on the inside and the outside. On the top, there was a big piece of gold. There was a model of an *angel at each end. God’s voice came from between these *angels.

Today, we do not have to go to a special place to meet God. We can meet God by means of his son, Jesus *Christ. When we pray to Jesus, we are talking to God. Jesus brings God’s message to us also, by means of the *Holy Spirit. We can pray to Jesus wherever we are. We can speak to him at any time.

dedicate ~ to say that something belongs to someone for a special purpose.
LORD ~ a special name for God that his people use. In Hebrew, it is Yahweh. This name means something like ‘I am’ or ‘always alive’.

Lord ~ one who rules. God is the Lord who rules everyone.

Hebrew ~ the language of the *Jews.
altar ~ a special table where the priests burned animals or other gifts as a *sacrifice to God (or, to a false god).
Israel ~ the Israelites and their nation.'ox/oxen ~ a strong farm animal; a type of cow or *bull. (Oxen is the plural of ox.)'ox/oxen ~ a strong farm animal; a type of cow or *bull. (Oxen is the plural of ox.)
sacred ~ special for God. ‘Sacred’ means that something is separate from other things, for God’s purposes only.
kilogram ~ 1000 grams.

gram ~ a measurement of weight today. 28 grams make one ounce. 1000 grams make one kilogram.
gram ~ a measurement of weight today. 28 grams make one ounce. 1000 grams make one kilogram.

kilogram ~ 1000 grams.
incense ~ a substance that people make from plants. It has a good smell when people burn it.
sin ~ the nature of all people since Adam chose not to obey God. People’s lives are not acceptable to God because of sin. ‘Sins’ are states, attitudes and acts that are not acceptable to God. A person sins whenever that person is guilty of a sin.
peace ~ a calm and content attitude, even when there are problems.
Ark ~ a wooden box that contained things that were special to the Israelites. God said that he would meet his people at the Ark. It was a *symbol that God was there in a special way.

Israel ~ the Israelites and their nation.

'Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible; the *Jews’ holy book. The writers wrote this before the life of Jesus.
census ~ an official list which records the number of people in a particular place.
Hebrew ~ the language of the *Jews.
Christ ~ a title for Jesus. It means ‘the person whom God anointed’. This means that God chose him to save us from the results of our sins.

anoint ~ to pour oil over a person. This shows that God has chosen that person for a special purpose.

sin ~ the nature of all people since Adam chose not to obey God. People’s lives are not acceptable to God because of sin. ‘Sins’ are states, attitudes and acts that are not acceptable to God. A person sins whenever that person is guilty of a sin.
holy ~ what God is like. God’s character: perfect, completely good with nothing bad in it. Separate from sin.

sin ~ the nature of all people since Adam chose not to obey God. People’s lives are not acceptable to God because of sin. ‘Sins’ are states, attitudes and acts that are not acceptable to God. A person sins whenever that person is guilty of a sin.