Chapter 8
At the end of 7, Moses had gone into the newly set up and consecrated Tent of Meeting, and God speaks to him from the mercy seat.
Aaron sets up the lamps that belong with the lampstand, so that the light they give is directed to the front of the lampstand. Not sure what the significance of this might be. MSB just says this is the description of the first lighting of these lamps.
Cleansing of the Levites. Sprinkled with water, and then they were to shave their bodies. Then they were to wash their clothes and cleanse themselves. Next, a burnt offering with it's grain offering followed by a sin offering. They were offered as a wave offering before the Lord, a "sacrifice" from all of Israel of a part of Israel, sacred to God. Their service in the tent of meeting was required from the age of 25 until 50. After that, they could do guard duty only. A 25 year working career.
2024 - 10 When you bring the Levites before the LORD, the people of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites, ... 12 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. [Num 8:10, 12 ESV]. This seems to be a sort of "transfer" of the sins of the people to the Levites, and then transfer of sin from the Levites to the sin offering and to the burnt offering. Except...the Levites weren't all priests were they? What is the separation here? There were more priests than just Aaron and his sons...or were there? What "title" to the Levites have. Seems a simple question but I can't answer it. Maybe this is the answer: 14 "Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the people of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine. [Num 8:14 ESV].
2024 - The Levites took the place of all the firstborn. They "belonged to God", they were His, he took them. And he gives them to Aaron and his sons to perform the duties and service of the tabernacle. This verse: 19 And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the people of Israel, to do the service for the people of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement for the people of Israel, that there may be no plague among the people of Israel when the people of Israel come near the sanctuary." [Num 8:19 ESV]. I would call making atonement for the people a priestly duty.
2023 - In connection with how the sacrifices "worked", and in connection with how the Lord's Supper symbolizes the way Jesus' death continued in the same manner, look at vss 10-14:
10 When you bring the Levites before the LORD, the people of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites,
11 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.
12 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.
13 And you shall set the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and shall offer them as a wave offering to the LORD.
14 "Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the people of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine. [Num 8:10-14 ESV]
The sins of the people "transfer" to the Levites, and then the Levites are offered as a sacrifice - in this case a wave offering, but still carrying sins that they are atoning for as they are sacrificed - AND THEN the Levites transfer the sins to the bulls, who shed blood to atone for the sins that the Levites have laid on them to bear. Then the Levites are offered again as a wave offering, this time having "removed" their own sins and those of the people into the bulls that shed blood in atonement. Maybe this will help me better understand the symbolism of the Lord's Supper.
Note that when the people laid their hands on the Levites, there was no sacrifice offered by the people. Transferring sin was not involved here, I don't believe. This was the transfer of the firstborn of Israel to the Levites as God's own tribe forever. But the second time, atonement is made for the Levites - for their own sins rather than the sins of the people. This is because the Levites were dedicated for SERVICE, but NOT as priests. Only the sons of Aaron were priests...I think. Even so, this procedure may add to understanding Christ's sacrifice on the cross, and how it is represented - memorialized - in the Lord's supper.