Numbers 8:4

_AND AARON DID SO; HE LIGHTED THE LAMPS THEREOF OVER AGAINST THE CANDLESTICK, AS THE LORD COMMANDED MOSES._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

1-4 Aaron himself lighted the lamps, thus representing his Divine Master. The Scripture is a light shining in a dark place, 2 Peter 1:19. A dark place even the church would be without it; as the tabernacle, which had no window, would have been without the lamps. The work of ministers is to light these lamps, by expounding and applying the word of God. Jesus Christ is the only Light of our dark, sinful world; and by his atonement, by his word and the Holy Spirit, he diffuses light around....

Verse Numbers 8:4. _THIS WORK OF THE CANDLESTICK, C._] See many curious particulars relative to this candlestick, See Clarke on Ex 25:31 and _"_Exodus 25:39_"_. The _candlestick_ itself was an emblem of the _Church_ of Christ the _oil_, of the graces and gifts of the Spirit of God; and the _light_, of those gifts and graces in _action among men_. See Revelation 1:12-66. God builds his Church and sends forth his Spirit to dwell in it, to sanctify and cleanse it, that it may be shown unto the world as his _own_ workmanship. The _seven_ lights in the candlesticks point out the _seven Spirits of God_, the Holy Ghost bei...

The actual lighting of the lamps (compare the marginal references) was to be done to set forth symbolically the special presence which God had now Numbers 7:89 actually established among His people....

EXPOSITION THE LIGHTING OF THE LAMPS (Numbers 8:1). NUMBERS 8:1 THE LORD SPAKE UNTO MOSES. It does not appear when. The attempt of modern commentators to find a real connection between this section and the offering of the princes or the consecration of the Levites is simply futile. Such connection may be imagined, but the same ingenuity would obviously be equally successful if this section had been inserted in any other place from Exodus 37:1, to the end of this book. The more probable explanation will be given below....

AND THIS WORK OF THE CANDLESTICK [WAS] OF BEATEN GOLD,.... As it is also said to be; Exodus 25:31; and Exodus 25:36: UNTO THE SHALT THEREOF, UNTO THE FLOWERS THEREOF, [WAS] BEATEN WORK; of which, see Exodus 25:31; ACCORDING UNTO THE PATTERN WHICH THE LORD HAD SHOWED MOSES; when on Mount Sinai with him: SO HE MADE THE CANDLESTICK; that is, ordered it to be made, and took care that it was made exactly to the pattern he had of it; otherwise Bezaleel was the artificer; and so the Targum of Jonathan here expresses him by name....

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

DIRECTIONS RELATING TO THE CANDLESTICK. An account of the candlestick (really a lampstand) is contained in Exodus 25:31 *. NUMBERS 8:2. LIGHTEST: render as in _mg._ (and so in Numbers 8:3). GIVE LIGHT. CANDLESTICK: _ i.e._ illuminate the opposite (N.) wall of the Holy Place, the candlestick being on the S. side. FLOWERS: flower-like ornaments....

UNTO. Some codices, with Samaritan Pentateuch, The Targum of Onkelos Manuscript, and The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel read "and unto"....

_The Lampstand_ The golden lampstand (not -candlestick" E.VV. [Note:.VV. The English Versions, i.e. Authorised and Revised.]) stood in the Holy Place, on the south side, i.e. on the left of one entering from the court. It was the only source of light in the Tabernacle, the Holy of Holies being in darkness. The religious conceptions attaching to it in the time of the writer may be seen from Zechariah 4:1-6 a, Zechariah 4:10 b Zechariah 4:14. The full description of the lampstand is given in Exodus 25:31-40....