Numbers 8:20

_AND MOSES, AND AARON, AND ALL THE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, DID TO THE LEVITES ACCORDING UNTO ALL THAT THE LORD COMMANDED MOSES CONCERNING THE LEVITES, SO DID THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL UNTO THEM._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

20._And Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation _The Levites also are now inaugurated for the performance of their duties, but in their proper order, because their condition was inferior. Here it must be noted that the sons of Moses and their descendants were placed in this lower rank, and excluded from all expectation of the priesthood. Hence the ingratitude of the whole people, and especially of the tribe of Levi, was all the more base, when they presumptuously sought the honor from which Moses had shut out his children for ever. It was then no ordinary act of obedience in him to execute what God had appointed respecting the Levites. Aaron is here mentioned, because he consecrated the Levites in right of his priesthood. As regards the people, their consent is merely commended, because they agreed to what was the pleasure of God. But this virtue in them only increased their ignominy...

5-26 Here we have directions for the solemn ordination of the Levites. All Israel must know that they took not this honour to themselves, but were called of God to it; nor was it enough that they were distinguished from others. All who are employed for God, must be dedicated to him, according to the employment. Christians must be baptized, ministers must be ordained; we must first give ourselves unto the Lord, and then our services. The Levites must be cleansed. They must be clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. Moses must sprinkle the water of purifying upon them. This signifies the application of the blood of Christ to our souls by faith, that we may be fit to serve the living God. God declares his acceptance of them. All who expect to share in the privileges of the tabernacle, must resolve to do the service of the tabernacle. As, on the one hand, none of God's creatures are his ne...

The Levites could only undertake their duties Numbers 3; Numbers 4 after the formal exchange of the Levites for the first-born Numbers 3:44. The distinction between the “consecration” of the priests Leviticus 8 and the less solemn “purification” Numbers 8:21 of the Levites is marked. These rites of purification are similar to those incumbent on the priests of Egypt. Numbers 8:7 Water of purifying -

EXPOSITION THE HALLOWING OF THE LEVITES (Numbers 8:5-4). NUMBERS 8:5 THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES. At some time subsequent to the command given in Numbers 3:6-4, and no doubt before the passover. NUMBERS 8:6 AND CLEANSE THEM. Before they actually entered upon their new duties they were to be solemnly hallowed. This hallowing, however, is not called קַדֵּשׁ, as is that of the priests ...

AND MOSES AND AARON, AND ALL THE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL,.... The several parties concerned in the consecration of the Levites: these DID TO THE LEVITES ACCORDING UNTO ALL THAT THE LORD COMMANDED MOSES, SO DID THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL UNTO THEM: which, as Jarchi notes, is said to the praise of them that did it, and of what was done by them; everything was done that was ordered, and in the manner in which it was prescribed; Moses sprinkled, or ordered to be sprinkled, the water of purification on them, and set them before the tabernacle, and before the Lord; the children of Israel laid their hands on them, and Aaron waved them, offered the sacrifices for them....

Numbers 8:5. _And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them._ These men were to be the servants of God; they are the type of God's elect, a people set apart unto divine service, to be zealous for good works. «Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.» That is just the way that God the Holy Ghost takes Christians out of the main of mankind, and cleanses them. Numbers 8:7. And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean. Then let them take a young bullock with his meat of offering, even fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou take for a

6. THE CONSECRATION OF THE LEVITES CHAPTER 8 _ 1. The lighting of the candlestick (Numbers 8:1)_ 2. The consecration of the Levites (Numbers 8:5) 3. The charge to the Levites repeated (Numbers 8:23) The candlestick is the type of Christ as in the sanctuary, that is, Christ in glory. The lighting of the seven lamps introduced in the beginning of the wilderness book is of blessed meaning. The seven lamps were to illuminate the candlestick of beaten gold, throw their light upon the candlestick so that the gold and beautiful workmanship might be seen. The oil in the seven lamps represents the Holy Spirit. Spiritually applied we have the picture here of the Spirit of God shedding light upon Chri

THE PURIFICATION OF THE LEVITES. This differed from that of the priests (Exodus 29, Leviticus 8), for the Levites (_a)_ were only sprinkled with water instead of being washed altogether and anointed with oil; (_b)_ merely washed their ordinary garments instead of being clad in special garments. The shaving of all their hair was in pursuance of the belief mentioned on p. 216: if ceremonial impurity infected the person at all, it would exist in a concentrated form in the hair. The ceremonies described in Numbers 8:10 could obviously be only performed symbolically: _cf._ Exodus 29:24. NUMBERS 8:13. THOU: here and in Numb

_The Levites_ Numbers 8:5. Their purification and dedication, Numbers 8:23. The age of service. The passage is an expansion of Numbers 3:5-13, with the addition of the rite of purification. The Levites are inferior to the priests, and are therefore merely cleansed from the ceremonial pollution of ordinary life, while the priests receive something higher, an actual quality which the Hebrews called -holiness," i.e. not moral excellence, but separation, exclusiveness (Exodus 29; Leviticus 8)....