Numbers 10:29

Numbers 10:29 aays, And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Raguel the Midianite, Moses’ father in law, We are journeying unto the place of which the LORD said, I will give it you: come thou with us, and we will do thee good: for the LORD hath spoken good concerning Israel.  Moses told Hobab, his brother-in-law,  that he was going to the land that the LORD had prepared for the people of Israel.  Moses invited Hobab to come with them, and we should invite others to come with us to the heavenly home that God has prepared for His people.  Of  course, the only way they can do this is by accepting Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord.  Verse thirty adds, And he said unto him, I will not go; but I will depart to mine own land, and to my kindred.  Hobab said he wasn't going, but was returning to his own people instead, just as many people today choose to stay with the people of this world instead of accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.  Verse thirty-one states, And he said, Leave us not, I pray thee; forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou mayest be to us instead of eyes.  Moses asked Hobab to stay with them as they were camping in the wilderness, and that God would be with them and insure that they fared well.  Even in the wilderness of the world today, if people refuse to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord the first time we invite them to, we need to continue to invite them to do so.  Verse thirty-two adds, And it shall be, if thou go with us, yea, it shall be, that what goodness the LORD shall do unto us, the same will we do unto thee.  Moses then told Hobab that if he went with them, God would be with him just as He was with the people of Israel, and that he could be of service to them since he was more familiar with the land.  Though God was leading them, just as He does today, He still expects use to us our God given talents to serve Him.  Once we became a follower of Christ, we are all a part of the same family, no matter where we are from in this world.  Verse thirty-three says, And they departed from the mount of the LORD three days’ journey: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them in the three days’ journey, to search out a resting place for them.  Moses and the people of Israel then departed from the mount of the LORD and traveled three days with the Ark of the Covenant going before them.  We should invite others to join us as we journey this earth following God's guidance to our heavenly home, but once He tells us to move, we need to go whether they come with us or not.  We are not told if Hobab went with them or not, and we today may not always know if those that we witness to have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord or not.  Verse thirty-four adds, And the cloud of the LORD was upon them by day, when they went out of the camp.  The cloud of the LORD guided them by day.  Verse thirty-six declares, And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee.  When the cloud was moving, Moses asked God to scatter the enemies of Israel,  and He will scatter our enemies today as we are out doing His work.  Verse thirty-six adds, And when it rested, he said, Return, O LORD, unto the many thousands of Israel.  When the cloud rested, Moses asked God to return to be with His people.   We know that God is always with us today as followers of Christ though the Holy Spirit indwelling us.

Numbers 10:11

Numbers 10:11 says, And it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from off the tabernacle of the testimony.  In the twentieth day of the second month of the second year since leaving Egypt, the cloud moved.  God had things organized before He led them on.  Verse twelve adds, And the children of Israel took their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran.  God led them to the wilderness of Paran by the movement of the cloud, and the people followed.  However and wherever God leads us today we must follow, and when He tells us to stay, we must stay.  Verse thirteen continues, And they first took their journey according to the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.  Though following the cloud, the people of Israel recognized that they were following Moses who was following God's direction.  As Christians today, if we are following anyone, say a preacher or teacher in the church, we better make sure that they are following God's direction in what they preach and teach.  Of course, in order to do this, we must know what God's word says.  Verse fourteen states, In the first place went the standard of the camp of the children of Judah according to their armies: and over his host was Nahshon the son of Amminadab.  The tribe of Judah went first.  Verse fifteen adds, And over the host of the tribe of the children of Issachar was Nethaneel the son of Zuar.  Verse sixteen continues, And over the host of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon.  Then the tribe of Issachar and Zebulun went with them.  This was all done under the direction of God, just as we must work together under God's direction today as followers of Christ.  Verse seventeen concludes, And the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set forward, bearing the tabernacle.  The tabernacle was taken down, and the sons of Gershon and Merari carried it.  Verse eighteen says, And the standard of the camp of Reuben set forward according to their armies: and over his host was Elizur the son of Shedeur. Verse nineteen adds,, And over the host of the tribe of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.  Next, the tribes of Rueben and Simeon moved out, still under God's direction.  We need to have Christians today, wherever we are, to be working under God's directions.  Verse twenty continues, And over the host of the tribe of the children of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel.  Verse twenty-one concludes, And the Kohathites set forward, bearing the sanctuary: and the other did set up the tabernacle against they came.  The Kohathites carried the tabernacle and the others set it up when they got to where God led them.  Verse twenty-two states, And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their armies: and over his host was Elishama the son of Ammihud.  Verse twenty-three adds, And over the host of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.  Verse twenty-four continues, And over the host of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gideoni.  Verse twenty-five says, And the standard of the camp of the children of Dan set forward, which was the rereward of all the camps throughout their hosts: and over his host was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.  Verse twenty-six adds, And over the host of the tribe of the children of Asher was Pagiel the son of Ocran.  Verse twenty-seven continues, And over the host of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan.  Then verse twenty-eight concludes, Thus were the journeyings of the children of Israel according to their armies, when they set forward.  All the people of Israel set out on their journey in the order that God had told them to do.  We today as followers of Christ must set out on our journey as God leads us, and if we do, we will all work together to accomplish His work.

Numbers 10:1

Verse 10:1 says, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse two adds, Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps.  God instructed Moses to make two trumpets out of silver that he would use to call the assembly and for journeying.  The people of Isreal were spread out over a large area, and Moses needed a way to call them all together and to let them know that it was time to move or stop.  Though Moses may have blown the trumpet, God was in charge of when he blew it.  Verse three continues, And when they shall blow with them, all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.  When both trumpets were blown, the people were to gather at the door of the tabernacle.  Verse four concludes, And if they blow but with one trumpet, then the princes, which are heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee.  If only one trumpet was blown, then only the princes of the tribes were to gather with Moses.  God does not call us all the same way, but we must still recognize His call when He does call us.  This was how the trumpets were used to call all the people or just the leaders to Moses.  We today have set times to gather together to worship God, and we also have times when just the church leaders gather together. Both should be under God's direction.  Verse five states, When ye blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward.  Then, when the alarm was blown, the people on the east side were to start forward.  Verse six adds, When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys. When the second alarm was blown, the people on the south side were to start forward,  and blow an alarm for their journeys.  Verse seven continues, But when the congregation is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, But ye shall not sound an alarm.  There was a different sound of the trumpet for when the people were to gather together than there was for when they should move.  I believe that God still lets us know when we need to gather together and when we need to move out into the world.  Verse eight says, And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance for ever throughout your generations.  Aaron's sons, the priests, were to actually blow the trumpets, under the ordinance established by God.  Today, we have preachers who call us together to hear God's word, and it must be done under the ordinances of God.  Of course, we are also sent out into the world to witness for Jesus Christ, and this should also be done under the ordinances, or laws, of God.  Verse nine adds, And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.  God said that if the people of Israel went to war that they were to sound the trumpets and they would be remembered before the LORD, and they would be saved from their enemies.   As Christians, we may need to sound the alarm at certain times or in certain situations today, but we are already spiritually saved forever.  Verse ten concludes,  Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the LORD your God.  They were also to blow the trumpets during their days which were dedicated to worshipping God.  

Numbers 9:15

Numbers 9:15 says, And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning.  There was a cloud over the tabernacle during the day when it was set up, and a pillar of fire over it by night.  The cloud before had been over all the people, but now settled over the tabernacle, and since the cloud would have been hard to see at night, it appeared as a fire.  God was letting them know that He was with them, which He does for believers today by the presence of the Holy Spirit living in us.  Verse sixteen adds, So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.  There was always evidence of God's presence in the tabernacle.  We don't have such signs today, but we can be certain by faith alone that God is always with us as followers of Christ.  Verse seventeen continues, And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents.  The cloud led the children of Israel as to when to move and where to set up camp again.  We today should be led by the Holy Spirit.  Verse eighteen states, At the commandment of the LORD the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the LORD they pitched: as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents.  The movement of the children of Israel was directed by God through the movement or resting of the cloud, which represented God's presence.  Again, we should move or remain where we are today as Christians by the direction of the Holy Spirit.  Verse nineteen adds, And when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the LORD, and journeyed not.  The people of Israel did not move everyday, but sometimes stayed in the same spot every day.  Verse twenty continues, And so it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; according to the commandment of the LORD they abode in their tents, and according to the commandment of the LORD they journeyed.  Whether the people of Israel remained camped or move was strictly up to God.  I believe that we should seek the leadership of the Holy Spirit today to tell us whether we are to stay whether we are or move on in our service to Him.  Verse twenty-one says, And so it was, when the cloud abode from even unto the morning, and that the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed: whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed.  The movement of the people of Israel could be either by day or night.  We likewise must be ready to serve God by day or by night.  Verse twenty-two adds, Or whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed. The amount of time the cloud remained in place varied, just as the amount of time we stay in one place to serve God today can vary.  We need to go or stay as God directs us to do so.  Verse twenty-three continues, At the commandment of the LORD they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the LORD they journeyed: they kept the charge of the LORD, at the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.  As the children of Israel did then, we must act under the direction of God. 

Numbers 9:1

Numbers 9:1 says, And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,  Verse two adds, Let the children of Israel also keep the passover at his appointed season.  The first month of the second year after the people of Israel were freed by God from Egypt, God told Moses to have the people observe the Passover.  Though the Levites replaced the first born, the people were still to remember what God did for them, and we must never forget what God did for us when He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place.  Verse three continues, In the fourteenth day of this month, at even, ye shall keep it in his appointed season: according to all the rites of it, and according to all the ceremonies thereof, shall ye keep it.  Moses was then given the day to observe the Passover and all the rites to be observed during the celebration.  Verse four states, And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, that they should keep the passover.  Moses then spoke to the people of Israel and  told them what God said about observing the Passover.  We today as followers of Christ should make sure that what we tell others about God is what His word tells us under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Verse five adds, And they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at even in the wilderness of Sinai: according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel.  The people of Israel did as Moses commanded them, even in the wilderness.  Even if we find ourselves in the wilderness of uncertainty in life today, we must always celebrate what Jesus Christ did for us as His followers.  Verse six says, And there were certain men, who were defiled by the dead body of a man, that they could not keep the passover on that day: and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day:  Certain men who had been defiled by a dead body came before Moses and Aaron on the day of the Passover.  Verse seven adds, And those men said unto him, We are defiled by the dead body of a man: wherefore are we kept back, that we may not offer an offering of the LORD in his appointed season among the children of Israel?  These men asked Moses if they were prohibited from giving an offering to God during the appointed season.  Too often today, people look for reasons not to give to God, or for how little they can get by with giving.  Verse eight states,  And Moses said unto them, Stand still, and I will hear what the LORD will command concerning you.  Moses told them that he would ask God what they should do, and we likewise must ask God what to do if we have questions or doubts today.  Verse nine adds, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse ten continues, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the passover unto the LORD.  God told Moses that if a person were defiled by a dead body or on a long journey, they should observe the Passover between God and them.  We may not be able to get to a worship service today, but that does not releave us of the responsibility of worshipping God wherever we are at.  Verse eleven states, The fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herb.  Verse twelve adds, They shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor break any bone of it: according to all the ordinances of the passover.  Moses was then told what the Passover meal was to consist of and the time of day that it was to be eaten.  This was not a feast of fine foods, but a feast of remembrance of the bad times leading up to their deliverance from Egypt.  We should also take time to remember what our life was like before we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord and come to God with a broken heart when we celebrate His passing over us and giving us everlasting life.  They were also to leave nothing over until morning.  Verse thirteen continues. But the man that is clean, and is not in a journey, and forbeareth to keep the passover, even the same soul shall be cut off from among his people: because he brought not the offering of the LORD in his appointed season, that man shall bear his sin.  Those who were able to attend the Passover and didn't were to be cut off from the people of Israel.  If we do not accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord,  since He is the only One Who can free us from the death penalty of sin, we will be cut off from God's people.  Verse fourteen concludes, And if a stranger shall sojourn among you, and will keep the passover unto the LORD; according to the ordinance of the passover, and according to the manner thereof, so shall he do: ye shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger, and for him that was born in the land. keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.  Strangers who wanted to observe the Passover were welcomed to do so.  Everyone is welcome to come to God's Passover if they come by faith.

Numbers 8:19

Numbers 8:19 says, And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary.  God said He had given the tribe of Levi to Aaron and his sons, the priests, to serve in the tabernacle and as an atonement for the people of Israel.  They represented the first born of all the people of Israel, and today, Jesus Christ, the first and only born Son of God represents us when we put our faith in Him.  Verse twenty adds, 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.  Moses and the people of Israel obeyed God, just as we must today.  Verse twenty-two continues, And the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as an offering before the LORD; and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them.  The Levites were washed along with their clothes and Aaron offered them to God and made a sacrifice of atonement for them.  We as Christians are washed clean by the blood of Christ, and He has made the only atonement possible by His death on the cross for our sins.  Verse twenty-two concludes, And after that went the Levites in to do their service in the tabernacle of the congregation before Aaron, and before his sons: as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they unto them.  After they were cleansed and dedicated to God, the Levites went into the tabernacle and began to serve God, just as we must begin to serve God when Jesus Christ cleanses us from all unrighteous once we accept Him as our personal Savior and Lord.  Verse twenty-three states, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse twenty-four adds, This is it that belongeth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation:  The Levites who were twenty-five years old and older were to serve in the tabernacle.  As followers of Christ, we have no minimum limit by age or family of birth that keeps us from serving God today.  Verse twenty-five continues, And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more:  The Levites were to no longer minister in the tabernacle after they turned fifty.  Verse twenty-six continues, But shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge.  Though they weren't to serve doing the physical labor in the sanctuary after they turned fifty, they were still to serve in the tabernacle of the congregation.  Just as we have no minimum age limit to start serving God today, we have no maximum age when we must stop serving Him.  

Numbers 8:11

Numbers 8:11 says, And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of the LORD.  Aaron was to offer the Levites as an offering before God so that they might execute the service of God.  As followers of Christ, we offer ourselves the same way today, and no one else can offer for us. Verse twelve adds, And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks: and thou shalt offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, unto the LORD, to make an atonement for the Levites.  The Levites were to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and Moses was to offer one as a sin offering and one as a burnt offering to make atonement for the sins of the Levites.  We today have our sins atoned for by the blood of Jesus Christ, as was theirs really.  Verse thirteen continues,  And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for an offering unto the LORD.  After Moses made the sacrifices of atonement for the Levites, they were to be brought before Aaron and his sons for service to God.  Though we may serve under other leaders in the church, we are all dedicated to the service of God as Christians.  Verse fourteen adds, Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine.  The Levites were to be separated from the rest of the people of Israel, and were to be God's alone.  As followers of Christ, we are to separate ourselves from the rest of the world, and some are called to separate themselves from the rest of us to do the work of God exclusively.  Verse fifteen continues, And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for an offering.  After the Levites were offered to Aaron and his sons, Moses was to cleanse them for service to God.  Once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we are already cleansed for His service.  Verse sixteen says, For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.  The Levites were to replace all the firstborn of the people of Israel before God. They were to be a substitute for all the firstborn, and Jesus Christ is the only substitute available to bear the penalty for our sins today.  Verse seventeen adds, For  all the firstborn of the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast: on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself.  God told Moses that all the firstborn were His since He had spared them in Egypt.  Verse eighteen continues,  And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.  Then God told Moses that He had now taken the Levites instead.  As Christians, we are all taken into the service of God, and no one else can really take our place.  We mat dedicate babies to God, but this will not save  them.

Numbers 8:1

Numbers 8:1 says, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse two adds, Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick.  God told Moses what to tell Aaron about lighting the lamps.  The lamps served to bring light into the tabernacle so that the priests and then the people could see what they were doing.  Jesus Christ is the light for the world today, but of course we must accept Him as our Savior and Lord for His light to do us any good.  Verse three continues, And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick, as the LORD commanded Moses.  Aaron did as the LORD commanded him to do through Moses.  We must do what God tells us to do, sometimes through the Bible or a preacher, but always through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Verse four concludes, And this work of the candlestick was of beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, was beaten work: according unto the pattern which the LORD had shewed Moses, so he made the candlestick.  Moses had made the candlesticks according to God's design, and Aaron was tolight them according to God's direction.  Like Moses and Aaron, we as followers of Christ do not have the same role in the church, but if we all work together under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, then we will get God's work done effectively.  Verse five states, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse six adds, Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.  God next told Moses to take the Levites from the other people of Israel and cleanse them.  We as Christians are to be separated from the world and to be cleansed by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.  We should then be set aside from the world to do God's work according to His calling in our life.  Verse seven continues,  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.  Aaron was given specific instructions about how to have the Levites cleanse themselves and their clothes.  People today are given specific instructions about how to be cleansed spiritually, and the only way to do that is to be cleansed by putting one's faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse eight concludes, Then let them take a young bullock with his meat offering, even fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin offering.  After the Levites were physically clean, they were to offer a meat and sin offering to God to be spiritually cleansed.  All we can offer today in order to be cleansed spiritually is ourself to Jesus Christ.   Verse nine says, And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together:  The Levites were the to be brought before the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the people of Israel were to be assembled there as well.  I believe that once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we should let people know, beginning with a local  congregation that we will then be a part of.  Verse ten adds, And thou shalt bring the Levites before the LORD: and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites:  The Levites were to be dedicated to God, and the people of Israel were to put their hands on them signifying their understanding of the role of the Levites and their support of them.   We also need to support one another in  God's work, especially those who have been called into the ministry and other positions in the church.

Numbers 7:72

Numbers 7:72 says, On the eleventh day Pagiel the son of Ocran, prince of the children of Asher, offered:  Pagiel, the prince of the tribe of Asyer, brought their gifts on the eleventh day.  Verse seventy-three adds, His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:  Verse seventy-four continues, One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense: These were the gifts that would be used permanently in the tabernacle, as well as sacrifices that would be temporary.   Verse seventy-five states, One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:  Verse seventy-six adds, One kid of the goats for a sin offering:  Verse seventy-seven continues, And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Pagiel the son of Ocran.  These were the temporary sacrifices brought by Pagiel, and concluded their gifts and sacrifices.  Verse seventy-eight says, On the twelfth day Ahira the son of Enan, prince of the children of Naphtali, offered:  On the twelfth day, the last day these gifts and sacrifices were to be offered, Ahira, prince of the tribe of Naphtali brought their gifts and sacrifices.  Their gifts and offerings were no less important because of when they were presented, and neither are ours today.  Verse seventy-nine adds, His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:  Verse eighty continues, One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense:  These were the permanent gifts mixed with temporary offerings,  Verse eighty-one states, One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:  Verse eighty-two adds, One kid of the goats for a sin offering:  Verse eighty-three continues, And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Ahira the son of Enan.  This was the temporary offerings for sacrificial purposes, and completed not only the gifts of Ahira, but also of all the tribes at this time.  This did not mean that this was all they would ever give, and if we give to for a particular purpose in the church, that does not free us from giving going forth.  Verse eighty-four says, This was the dedication of the altar, in the day when it was anointed, by the princes of Israel: twelve chargers of silver, twelve silver bowls, twelve spoons of gold:  Verse eighty-five adds, Each charger of silver weighing an hundred and thirty shekels, each bowl seventy: all the silver vessels weighed two thousand and four hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:  Verse eighty-six continues, The golden spoons were twelve, full of incense, weighing ten shekels apiece, after the shekel of the sanctuary: all the gold of the spoons was an hundred and twenty shekels. Between them, the twelve tribes brought all the things needed for use at the altar.  It we work together as Christians we will meet all the needs of the church.  Verse eighty-seven states, All the oxen for the burnt offering were twelve bullocks, the rams twelve, the lambs of the first year twelve, with their meat offering: and the kids of the goats for sin offering twelve. Verse eighty-eight adds, And all the oxen for the sacrifice of the peace offerings were twenty and four bullocks, the rams sixty, the he goats sixty, the lambs of the first year sixty. This was the dedication of the altar, after that it was anointed.  This was the number of sacrificial animals brought, which would have to be replenished in time.  Some of our gifts are more permanent than others, but as long as we give under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, then all the needs of the church will be met.  Verse eighty-nine declares, And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with him, then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubims: and he spake unto him.  Moses went into the tabernacle to talk with God, and he heard Him speak from the mercy seat on the ark of the covenant. As followers of Christ, God will speak to us today from His mercy seat if we are looking to talk to Him.  Of course, this is based on our covenant relationship with Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord. 

Numbers 7:60

Numbers 7:60 says, On the ninth day Abidan the son of Gideoni, prince of the children of Benjamin, offered:  On the ninth day, Abidan the prince of the tribe of Benjamin offered their offerings.  Verse sixty-one adds, His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:  Verse sixty-two continues, One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense:  These were the permanent gifts with the temporary offerings.  Verse sixty-three states, One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:  Verse sixty-four adds, One kid of the goats for a sin offering: Verse sixty-five continues, And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Abidan the son of Gideoni.  These were the temporary sacrificial offerings.  Verse sixty-six says, On the tenth day Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, prince of the children of Dan, offered:  On the tenth day, Ahiezer the prince of the tribe of Dan brought their offerings.  Verse sixty-seven adds, His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:  Verse sixty-eight continues, One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense:  We are then given a list of their more permanent gifts which were mixed with temporary offerings.   Verse sixty-nine states, One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:  Verse seventy continues, One kid of the goats for a sin offering:  Verse seventy-one continues,  And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.  This concluded the gifts and offerings of the tribe of Dan. 

Numbers 7:42

Numbers 7:42 says, On the sixth day Eliasaph the son of Deuel, prince of the children of Gad, offered:  Elisaph, prince of the children of Gad, was to bring his gift on the sixth day.  Verse forty-three adds, His offering was one silver charger of the weight of an hundred and thirty shekels, a silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:  Verse forty-four continues, One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense: First was the offering that was both permanent and temporary.  Verse forty-five states, One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:  Verse forty-six adds, One kid of the goats for a sin offering:  Voice forty-seven continues, And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this is the offering of Eliasaph the son of Deuel.  These were the sacrificial gifts of Eliasaph, the prince of Gad for the tribe of Gad.  Though the princes brought the gifts as representatives of the people, the gifts were from all the people.  We may collect gifts for God today and just one person present them to the church, but that does not mean that they alone should claim credit for it.  Verse forty-eight says, On the seventh day Elishama the son of Ammihud, prince of the children of Ephraim, offered:  Elishama prince of the tribe of Ephraim was to present their gifts on the seventh day.  This would evidently have been the sabbath day, which had restrictions on what could be done, but there is never a day that has restrictions on what we can do for God.  Verse forty-nine adds, His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:  Verse fifty continues, One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense:  Again we have the mixed offerings, both temporary and permanent, listed.  Verse fifty-one states, One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:  Verse fifty-two adds, One kid of the goats for a sin offering:  Verse fifty-three continues, And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Elishama the son of Ammihud.  We are told of the total of the offering of Elishama for the tribe of Ephraim.  Verse fifty-four says, On the eighth day offered Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, prince of the children of Manasseh:  The eighth day Gamaliel the prince of the tribe of Manasseh presented their gifts. Verse fifty-five adds, His offering was one silver charger of the weight of an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:  Verse fifty-six continues, One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense:  The permanent gifts filled with temporary offerings are listed first.  Verse fifty-seven states, One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:  Verse fifty-eight adds, One kid of the goats for a sin offering:  Verse fifty-nine concludes, And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.  These were the sacrificial offerings brought by Gamaliel for the tribe of Ephraim. 

Numbers 7:24

Numbers 7:24 says, On the third day Eliab the son of Helon, prince of the children of Zebulun, did offer:  Eliab, the prince of Zebulun, was to bring his offering on the third day.  Verse twenty-five adds, His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:  Verse twenty-six continues, One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense:  These were the more permanent offerings, which could be used in the tabernacle, combined with temporary sacrifices.  Verse twenty-seven states, One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:  Verse twenty-eight adds, One kid of the goats for a sin offering:  Verse twenty-nine continues, And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Eliab the son of Helon.  These offerings were for sacrificial purposes.  We need to meet both temporary and lasting purposes of God with our sacrices.  Verse thirty says, On the fourth day Elizur the son of Shedeur, prince of the children of Reuben, did offer:  Elizur, the prince of Rueben, was to bring his offerings on the fourth day.  The order in which they were to bring their offerings was determined by God, and not by the priests themselves, so there could be no arguing about the order.  As long as we give when God directs us to, there should be no concern about when someone else gives.  Verse thirty-one adds, His offering was one silver charger of the weight of an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:  Verse thirty-two continues, One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense:  These offerings were both permanent and temporary mixed.  Verse thirty-three states, One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:  Verse thirty-four adds, One kid of the goats for a sin offering:  Verse thirty-five continues, And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Elizur the son of Shedeur.  These were temporary offerings used for sacrifice.  Verse thirty-six says, On the fifth day Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, prince of the children of Simeon, did offer:  Shelumiel the priest of Simeon was to bring his offering on the fifth day.  Verse thirty-seven adds, His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:  Verse thirty-eight continues, One golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense:  These were the mixed offerings.  Verse thirty-nine states, One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering: Verse forty adds, One kid of the goats for a sin offering:  Verse forty-one continues, And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.  These were the sacrifice offerings.

Numbers 7:10

Numbers 7:10 says, And the princes offered for dedicating of the altar in the day that it was anointed, even the princes offered their offering before the altar.  There was a day set up for the various princes offer their sacrifices to dedicate the altar.  The princes, or leaders of the tribes of Israel, were given a day in which to offer their offerings before the altar when it was dedicated.   Again, God operates in an orderly fashion as He accomplshes His work today, and we cannot all do the same thing at the same time.  Verse eleven adds, And the LORD said unto Moses, They shall offer their offering, each prince on his day, for the dedicating of the altar.  This was not Moses decision, but God's.  We need to make sure that we are working by God's plan and not our own.  Verse twelve states, And he that offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah:  Nahshon, of the tribe of Judah was to be the first to bring his offering.  This did not make him or the tribe of Judah better than the others.  It only meant that they were following God's directions.  No matter what or when we are doing what God directs us to do, we must never feel that we are better than other Christians.  Verse thirteen adds, And his offering was one silver charger, the weight thereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them were full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:  Verse fourteen continues, One spoon of ten shekels of gold, full of incense:  These were the permanent gifts offered with a temporary sacrifice. Verse fifteen says, One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:  Verse sixteen adds, One kid of the goats for a sin offering:  Verse seventeen continues, And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab.  Then Nashon for the people of Judsh was to present the things used for temporary offerings. We are told all that Nashun and the tribe of Judah offered, and I believe that we must acknowledge that this was done freely, but under God's guidance.   We need to also give freely to God's work today, but to it under His guidance.   Verse eighteen states, On the second day Nethaneel the son of Zuar, prince of Issachar, did offer:  On the second day, Nethaneel of the tribe of Issachar was to bring his offering.  Once more, this did not make his offering more or less important than anyone elses.  Verse nineteen adds, He offered for his offering one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:  Again, we first have the permanent gifts mixed with the temporary offerings.  Verse twenty continues. One spoon of gold of ten shekels, full of incense:  Verse twenty-one says, One young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering:  Verse twenty-two adds, One kid of the goats for a sin offering: Verse twenty-three continues, And for a sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he goats, five lambs of the first year: this was the offering of Nethaneel the son of Zuar.  Then, we have the gifts offered to be used in temporary sacrifices.  We are told of the offering of Nethaneel and the tribe of Issachar.  We should note that in these offerings, some of it was of a more permanent nature and some was to be used quickly.   This should be the nature of our offerings to God today.  

Numbers 7:1

Numbers 7:1 says, And it came to pass on the day that Moses had fully set up the tabernacle, and had anointed it, and sanctified it, and all the instruments thereof, both the altar and all the vessels thereof, and had anointed them, and sanctified them;  Moses set up and sanctified the tabernacle in accordance with God's directions.   We need to set up our tabernacles, or places of worship and I believe even the house we live in, which should be dedicated to God, in accordance with His guidance.  Verse two adds, That the princes of Israel, heads of the house of their fathers, who were the princes of the tribes, and were over them that were numbered, offered:  Verse three continues, And they brought their offering before the LORD, six covered wagons, and twelve oxen; a wagon for two of the princes, and for each one an ox: and they brought them before the tabernacle.  The princes, or heads of the houses of Israel brought their sacrifices to God, which was six wagons and rwelve oxen.  Matthew Henry says these were not included in God's design, but since they were a sacrifice to God, Moses received them. We may at times spontaneously give to the church as a sacrifice to God, and if we do, then it should be graciously received under the guidance of God.  Verse four states, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse five adds, Take it of them, that they may be to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; and thou shalt give them unto the Levites, to every man according to his service.  God instructed Moses to take the offerings and give them to the Levites.  We should likewise generously support those who are doing God's work today, especially the God called preachers and music directors.  Verse six says, And Moses took the wagons and the oxen, and gave them unto the Levites.  Moses did what God told him to do, and so should we.  Verse seven adds, Two wagons and four oxen he gave unto the sons of Gershon, according to their service:  Verse eight continues, And four wagons and eight oxen he gave unto the sons of Merari, according unto their service, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.  The wagons and oxen were given to the Levites based on their service, or need.  We should not all expect to receive the same blessings from God materially.  If our material blessings are based on our service to God, some of us may be left out.  Verse nine says, But unto the sons of Kohath he gave none: because the service of the sanctuary belonging unto them was that they should bear upon their shoulders.  The tribe of Kohath didn't receive any wagons or oxen, because they would not have fit with their service.  We should not all expect the same provisions while doing God's work.

Numbers 6:13

Numbers 6:13 says, And this is the law of the Nazarite, when the days of his separation are fulfilled: he shall be brought unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation:  Verse fourteen adds, And he shall offer his offering unto the LORD, one he lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin offering, and one ram without blemish for peace offerings,  Verse fifteen continues, And a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, and wafers of unleavened bread anointed with oil, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings.  After completion of the Nazarite vow, there were instructions for sacrifices to be made by the person completing the vow.  They were to bring specific unblemished animals for sin, burnt, and peace sacrifices., as well as unleavened bread and wafers of unleavened bread for their meat and drink offerings.   Having completed a vow to God does not free us from continuing to be a living sacrifice to Him.  Verse sixteen states, And the priest shall bring them before the LORD, and shall offer his sin offering, and his burnt offering:  Verse seventeen adds, And he shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD, with the basket of unleavened bread: the priest shall offer also his meat offering, and his drink offering.  The Nazarite did not offer the sacrifices, but brought them to the priest, and the priest offered them to God.  We as followers of Christ cannot offer an acceptable sacrifice to God to redeem us from sin, but we must offer ourselves to Jesus Christ, Who made the sacrifice for us.  Verse eighteen says, And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it in the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offerings.  The Nazarite was then to shave his head and burn the hair under the sacrifice of the peace offering.   We are told that a man or a woman could take the Nazarite vow, but all the instructions refer to them as he, but I would think that the rules applied to both.  Verse nineteen adds, And the priest shall take the sodden shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them upon the hands of the Nazarite, after the hair of his separation is shaven:  Verse twenty continues, And the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD: this is holy for the priest, with the wave breast and heave shoulder: and after that the Nazarite may drink wne.  The priest was then to do a wave and heave offering, after which the Nazarite would be free to drink wine once more.  If we have taken a vow to give something up for God for a specified time, and this does not mean something that is a sin, after the time is fulfilled, we are free to start doing whatever it was once again.  Verse twenty-one concludes, This is the law of the Nazarite who hath vowed, and of his offering unto the LORD for his separation, beside that that his hand shall get: according to the vow which he vowed, so he must do after the law of his separation.  This freed the person from the physical requirements of the vow of the Nazarite, but the spiritual things that were vowed were still in effect.  We may have given up something physical for God today for a specified time,  but completing that time does not free us from continuing to spiritually do what the physical act represents.  Verse twenty-two says, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse twenty-three adds, Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,   God then spoke to Moses with instructions to Aaron and his sons about how to bless the people of Israel.   We do not have to go to anyone to know how to be blessed by God, but He does use preachers, teachers, and fellow Christians to help us do so.  Verse twenty-four states, The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:  Aaron was to start by saying that the LORD would bless and keep His people, and God will bless and keep His people today if we are faithful to Him.  Verse twenty-five adds, The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:  Aaron was then to tell the people that God would make His face shine on them and be gracious to them.  No matter how much or how little we have materially today, as followers of Christ, God does shine His face on us and is merciful to us everyday.  Verse twenty-six continues, The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. As Aaron told the people then, if we put our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord,  God will give us peace as long as we are obedient to Him.  Verse twenty-seven concludes, And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.  As Christians, God has put His name on us and will bless us.  

Numbers 6:1

Numbers 6:1 says, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse two adds, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the LORD:  Being a Nazarite was not a matter of birth, but of choice and applied to both men and women, something we seldom see in the Bible.  Matthew Henry says these were not Nazerites for life, like John the Baptist, but for a specified time.  Verse three continues, He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried.  The man who became a Nazarite, or separated himself to the service of God, was to avoid all alcoholic drinks.  I personally believe if we are to serve God effectively today, we need to avoid alcohol, but this is not really stated in the Bible.  Verse four concludes, All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk.  While set aside to God's service, the man was to avoid eating or drinking anything grown on a vine.  Verse five adds, All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no rasor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the LORD, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.  The men were not to shave or cut their hair during the time of their vow.  We can tend to judge men by whether they have shaved and cut their hair or not, but maybe the best thing to do is to leave it up to God and them.  The only thing that really matters now is a person's relationship with Jesus Christ.  Verse six states, All the days that he separateth himself unto the LORD he shall come at no dead body.  Verse seven adds, He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die: because the consecration of his God is upon his head.  A person who had taken a vow tobe a Nazarite was not to touch a dead person, even if it was their father, mother, sister, or brother, since doing so would have made them spiritually unclean.  Verse eight continues, All the days of his separation he is holy unto the LORD.  For all the time of his vow, the man was considered to be holy unto the LORD.  We as followers of Christ today are considered to be Holy unto the Lord, since we have taken a vow to Jesus Christ, so we should avoid anything that would corrupt us spiritually.  Verse nine says, And if any man die very suddenly by him, and he hath defiled the head of his consecration; then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day shall he shave it.  The men were given instructions for what to do if a person died suddenly and touched them.  They were to shave their head on the seventh day of their cleansing.  This was an physical sign of their obedience, and as Christians we really don't have any today, except baptism and observing the Lord’s Supper.  Verse ten adds, And on the eighth day he shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons, to the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation:  Verse eleven continues, And the priest shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, and make an atonement for him, for that he sinned by the dead, and shall hallow his head that same day.  On the eighth day, the man was to bring two turtledoves or two pigeons to the door of the tabernacle and give them to the priest there, and the priest would offer one as a sin sacrifice and the other as a burnt offering to atone for the man's sin.  This applied to when the man who had taken a vow as Nazarite unavoidably came in to contact with a dead person, and not when he deliberately did so.  Today, as followers of Christ, all our sins have been atoned for by the blood of Jesus. Verse twelve concludes, And he shall consecrate unto the LORD the days of his separation, and shall bring a lamb of the first year for a trespass offering: but the days that were before shall be lost, because his separation was defiled.  The man was also to bring a lamb less than a year old as a trespass offering, and the days of his vow as a Nazarite would start over.  We cannot expect the days we have faithfully followed Jesus Christ to exempt us from sins we may commit today.  If we do fall into sin, we must confess our sins and begin to walk faithfully with Jesus Christ once more.  He is the sacrifice for our sins, and will always be the only sacrifice that will matter.

Numbers 5:23

Numbers 5:23 says, And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot them out with the bitter water:  This is still talking about a woman whose husband thinks she is cheating on him, and the priest is to write a curse against her that would apply if she is and to blot it out with bitter water.  Verse twenty-four adds, And he shall cause the woman to drink the bitter water that causeth the curse: and the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter.  The woman would then be forced to drink the bitter water.  It would seem that confession might have been easier, except the husband probably wouldn't have believed her if she didn't confess.  Verse twenty-five continues, Then the priest shall take the jealousy offering out of the woman’s hand, and shall wave the offering before the LORD, and offer it upon the altar:  The priest was then to take the jealousy offering from the woman and wave it before before God and offer it on the altar.  It didn't matter whether the woman was guilty or innocent, since this was an offering given because of the husband's jealousy.   Hopefully, when we give offerings to God it will be for a more positive reason than jealousy.  Verse twenty-six states, And the priest shall take an handful of the offering, even the memorial thereof, and burn it upon the altar, and afterward shall cause the woman to drink the water.  The priest was then to burn a handful of the offering, and then have the woman drink the water.  I have to assume that this is just a repeating of the earlier statement about the woman being forced to drink the water and not a second time to drink it.  Verse twenty-seven adds, And when he hath made her to drink the water, then it shall come to pass, that, if she be defiled, and have done trespass against her husband, that the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter, and her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall rot: and the woman shall be a curse among her people.  If the woman was guilty, the bitter water would cause her to suffer greatly physically.  It was really not the water though, but God's judgment of the woman’s sin, which was not hidden from Him, that would cause this.  He could have just as easily have caused this to happen without all the ritual, just as He could today.  Verse twenty-eight continues, And if the woman be not defiled, but be clean; then she shall be free, and shall conceive seed.  If the woman was innocent, then she would not suffer and would be physically able to have children.  We are not told of a test for a man if the wife was jealous of him, and some people say because of this that God is not an impartial God, but we cannot believe in God as a God of love and forgiveness and see Him as being partial to some people.  Verse twenty-nine says, This is the law of jealousies, when a wife goeth aside to another instead of her husband, and is defiled;  Verse thirty adds, Or when the spirit of jealousy cometh upon him, and he be jealous over his wife, and shall set the woman before the LORD, and the priest shall execute upon her all this law.  This law applied to both women who were guilty and to those whose husband just believed them to be.  Matthew Henty says that if the husband was also guilty that the woman would not be affected according to Rabbinic teaching, but this does not state that, and that because of this that the ritual became almost unused in time.  We do know that men and women are held equally responsible by God when it comes to adultery.  Verse thirty-one continues, Then shall the man be guiltless from iniquity, and this woman shall bear her iniquity.  I believe that the man's iniquity would have been to divorce his wife unjustly, but if she were innocent, he would have still been guilty of allowing his jealousy been guilty of falsely accusing her.  We can never let our own fears or jealous to cause us to accuse someone else of sin and still be effective in our life as followers of Christ. 

Numbers 5:11

Numbers 5:11 says, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse twelve adds, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man’s wife go aside, and commit a trespass against him,  Verse thirteen continues, And a man lie with her carnally, and it be hid from the eyes of her husband, and be kept close, and she be defiled, and there be no witness against her, neither she be taken with the manner;  God then began to speak to Moses about a woman who commits adultery.  God presented the case of a woman committing adultery, but no one knowing about it.  There are many sins committed today that people never find out about, but God knows.  This woman was defiled for her husband, but he didn't really know it.  Verse fourteen states, And the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be not defiled:  God then spoke about the man  becoming jealous, or suspicious, of his wife, which could occur if she was guilty or not.  Some men today are unjustifiably jealous or suspicious of their wives, while others may be justifiably so.  Of course, the same could be said of wives.  Verse fifteen adds, Then shall the man bring his wife unto the priest, and he shall bring her offering for her, the tenth part of an ephah of barley meal; he shall pour no oil upon it, nor put frankincense thereon; for it is an offering of jealousy, an offering of memorial, bringing iniquity to remembrance.  God then told Moses that the man who was jealous of his wife was to bring her before the priest, along with jealousy offering, which was to be plain barely meal.  The offering was not to have anything added to it, because it was a jealousy offering.  Verse sixteen says, And the priest shall bring her near, and set her before the LORD:  The woman was to be brought near and set before the LORD, with it still undetermined if she was guilty of adultery or not.  If we have concerns about anything today, we need to bring it to God, and we no longer have to go through a priest.  Verse seventeen adds, And the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and of the dust that is in the floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and put it into the water:  The priest was to mix holy water with the dust of the floor of the tabernacle.  There was really nothing miraculous about this mixture, except that it was what God told the priest to do.  If we expect miraculous things to happen today, we must start by doing what God tells us to do.  Verse eighteen continues, And the priest shall set the woman before the LORD, and uncover the woman’s head, and put the offering of memorial in her hands, which is the jealousy offering: and the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that causeth the curse:  The priest was to set the woman before the LORD with her head uncovered and the memorial offering in her hand.  This would be the case whether she were innocent or guilty.  Verse nineteen states, And the priest shall charge her by an oath, and say unto the woman, If no man have lain with thee, and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness with another instead of thy husband, be thou free from this bitter water that causeth the curse:  The priest the was to tell the woman that if she were innocent, she would be free from the curse that the water would cause.  Matthew Henry says if she were guilty and confessed that she would have simply been divorced from her husband, and if she were innocent she would still have to go through the same thing.  Sometimes, innocent people suffer because of their presumed guilt.  Verse twenty adds, But if thou hast gone aside to another instead of thy husband, and if thou be defiled, and some man have lain with thee beside thine husband:  Verse twenty-one continues, Then the priest shall charge the woman with an oath of cursing, and the priest shall say unto the woman, The LORD make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when the LORD doth make thy thigh to rot, and thy belly to swell;  The woman was to be given a chance to confess to the priest, and if she didn't, the priest was to continue with the ceremony.  It is always best if we are guilty of sin to just confess it to God, because He already knows about it.  If she was guilty, the water would be a poison to her.  Sin always poisons us spiritually.  Verse twenty-two says, And this water that causeth the curse shall go into thy bowels, to make thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to rot: And the woman shall say, Amen, amen.  If she were guilty, the water would affect her physically, and all she could do was say amen and amen.  When we are guilty of sin, all we can do is confess it to God and allow Him to deal with us.  As Christians, we should not expect to sin without God still holding us accountable.  Salvation is not a license to sin just because we know we are already forgiven. 

Numbers 5:1

Numbers 5:1 says, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse two continues, Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is defiled by the dead:  Moses was commanded by God to remove lepers and anyone else who might have some contagious disease from the camp, as well a anyone who had been defiled by a dead person.  Verse three continues, Both male and female shall ye put out, without the camp shall ye put them; that they defile not their camps, in the midst whereof I dwell.  This was to apply to both male and female, and was to be done so that they would not defile the camp where God lived.  As followers of Christ, we have the Holy Spirit living within us, so we must put anything that does defile us out of our life.  Verse four concludes,  And the children of Israel did so, and put them out without the camp: as the LORD spake unto Moses, so did the children of Israel.  Moses and the people of Israel did as God commanded, and so must we.  Verse five states, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse six adds, Speak unto the children of Israel, When a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit, to do a trespass against the LORD, and that person be guilty;  God again spoke to Moses, concerning people who commit sins.  This is still God's concern today, but as Christians it is not for us to condemn them.  God will take care of the judgment.  Verse seven continues, Then they shall confess their sin which they have done: and he shall recompense his trespass with the principal thereof, and add unto it the fifth part thereof, and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed.  In this case, God was speaking of someone who had somehow cheated another person.  They were first to confess, then make restitution above what they had gained from cheating the other person.  Though we are forgiven from all sin as Christians, I believe that when we do something to harm others that we must confess and accept the responsibility for our actions, no matter what it may cost us.  Verse eight concludes, But if the man have no kinsman to recompense the trespass unto, let the trespass be recompensed unto the LORD, even to the priest; beside the ram of the atonement, whereby an atonement shall be made for him.  If the person who had been wronged had died and had no relatives, the person who had wronged him was still not free of his obligation.   He was to bring the recompense to the priest, as well as a ram of atonement.  Our sins have ramifications that go beyond just this life, and we must confess them and have them atoned by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross if they are to be forgiven.  Verse nine says, And every offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they bring unto the priest, shall be his.  God said that all the offerings brought to the priests would be his to use.  Of course, the priests couldn't just demand that the people bring more than what God required them to bring.  This was not a way for the priests to become rich, but was a way for their needs to be met.  Verse ten adds, And every man’s hallowed things shall be his: whatsoever any man giveth the priest, it shall be his.  God repeated that anything hallowed that was given to the priest would be the priests.  Just as God provided for the priests then, He will provide for us today if we are followers of Christ, and therefore a part of the priesthood of believers. 

Numbers 4:38

Numbers 4:38 says, Those that were numbered of the sons of Gershon, throughout their families, and by the house of their fathers,  Verse thirty-eight adds, From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation,  Verse forty continues, Even those that were  numbered of them, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers, were two thousand and six hundred and thirty.  There were two thousand, six hundred and thirty men from the age of thirty to fifty total in the house of Gershon who entered into service in the tabernacle.  We are not told if they did it willing or reluctantly, but when God calls us to our place of service, we need to serve willingly, though serving reluctantly is better than not serving at all.  Verse forty-one concludes, These are they that were numbered of the families of the sons of Gershon, of all that might do service in the tabernacle of the congregation, whom Moses and Aaron did number according to the commandment of the LORD.  This was the total of the house of Gershon numbered by Moses and Aaron.  Verse forty-two states, And those that were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers,  Verse forty-three adds, From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation,  Verse forty-four continues, Even those that were numbered of them after their families, were three thousand and two hundred. These be those that were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.  From the house of Merari, there were three thouseand, two hundred men from the age of thirty to fifty who were able to enter into service in the tabernacle.  Verse forty-six says, All those that were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the chief of Israel numbered, after their families, and after the house of their fathers,  Verse forty-seven adds, From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that came to do the service of the ministry, and the service of the burden in the tabernacle of the congregation,  Verse forty-eight continues, Even those that were numbered of them, were eight thousand and five hundred and fourscore. Verse forty-nine concludes, According to the  commandment of the LORD they were numbered by the hand of Moses, every one according to his service, and according to his burden: thus were they numbered of him, as the LORD commanded Moses.  We are then given the total number of Levites who were of this age.  They may have been from separate families within the tribe of Levi, but they were together in the work of God concerning the tabernacle.  We may come from different families as followers of Christ, but we should all work together to do God's work, each according to what God calls him or her to do.

Numbers 4:29

Numbers 4:29 says, As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them after their families, by the house of their fathers;  Verse thirty adds, From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old shalt thou number them, every one that entereth into the service, to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation.  Next, we have the house of Merari that are to have the men between thirty and afifty counted from God's command to Moses.  These men were to serve in the tabernacle of the congregation.  Verse thirty-one continues, And this is the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the tabernacle of the congregation; the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and sockets thereof,  Verse thirty-two concludes,  Andthe pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords, with all their instruments, and with all their service: and by name ye shall reckon the instruments of the charge of their burden.  They were then given their particular responsibility for the moving and setting up of the tabernacle.   Just like the priests then, we all have a certain responsibility in doing the work of God, and it is all important to the overall work.  We cannot be envious of what someone else is called to do while neglecting what we are called to do.  Verse thirty-three states, This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service, in the tabernacle of the congregation, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.  They were to serve under Aaron's son Ithamar.  Verse thirty-four adds, And Moses and Aaron and the chief of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites after their families, and after the house of their fathers,  Verse thirty-five continues, From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that entereth into the service, for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation:  Verse thirty-six concludes, And those that were numbered of them by their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty.  Moses, Aaron and the chief of the congregation counted them and there were two thousand seven hundred and fifty men from thirty to fifty years old in the house of Merari.  Verse thirty-seven says,  These were they that were numbered of the families of the Kohathites, all that might do service in the tabernacle of the congregation, which Moses and Aaron did number according to the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.  Moses and Aaron did what God commanded them to do, as so must we as Christians today. 

Numbers 4:15

Numbers 4:15 says, And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary, and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to set forward; after that, the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it: but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.  Aaron and his sons were to pack up all the things of the sanctuary, and the sons of Kohath were to carry them once they were packed.  The sons of Kohath were not to touch the Holy things themselves though.  We are blessed to no longer have these distinctions between Christians.  We all have the same access to the things of God.  Verse sixteen adds, And to the office of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest pertaineth the oil for the light, and the sweet incense, and the daily meat offering, and the anointing oil, and the oversight of all the tabernacle, and of all that therein is, in the sanctuary, and in the vessels thereof.  Eleazar,  Aaron's son, was to be in charge of the oil for the lamp, the sweet incense, and the meat offering.  As followers of Christ, we do have different things that we are called to do.  Verse seventeen states, And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,  Verse eighteen adds, Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites:  Verse nineteen continues, But thus do unto them, that they may live, and not die, when they approach unto the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in, and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden:  The Kohathites were not be cut off from the other Levites. because of something the sons of Aaron failed to do.  We should never act in such a way that we cause others to fail to come to Christ for salvation.  Verse twenty concludes, But they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die.  Though the Kohathites were to bear the holy things of the temple, the Levites were to keep them from seeing them, so the Kohathites wouldn't die from doing so.  We should never do anything to cause others to fail to come to Christ, nor to stumble in their walk with Christ.  Verse twenty-one says, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse twenty-two adds, Take also the sum of the sons of Gershon, throughout the houses of their fathers, by their families, Verse twenty-three continues, From thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shalt thou number them; all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.  God next instructed Moses to number the men of the family of Gershon who were between thirty and fifty years old.  Verse twenty-four states, This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, to serve, and for burdens:  Verse twenty-five adds, And they shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tabernacle of the congregation, his covering, and the covering of the badgers’ skins that is above upon it, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,  Verse twenty-six continues, And the hangings of the court, and the hanging for the door of the gate of the court, which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and all that is made for them: so shall they serve.  The men of Gershon who were in this group were to carry the curtains and the things associated with them.  We are all called by God to do something, but we are not all called to do the same thing or things.  Verse twenty-seven states, At the appointment of Aaron and his sons shall be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burdens, and in all their service: and ye shall appoint unto them in charge all their burdens.  Verse twenty-eight continues, This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation: and their charge shall be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.  The Gershonites were to be under the authority of Ithamar, Aaron's son.  We today are under the authority of Christ, or more specifically the Holy Spirit alone, as Christians. 

Numbers 4:1

Numbers 4:1 says, And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,  Verse two adds, Take the sum of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, after their families, by the house of their fathers,  Verse three continues, From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.  The sons of Kobath who were from thirty to fifty years old were to be counted separately from the house of Levi.  Verse four states, This shall be the vice of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation, about the most holy things:  Verse five adds, And when the camp setteth forward, Aaron shall come, and his sons, and they shall take down the covering vail, and cover the ark of testimony with it:  These men were to be in charge of moving the ark of testimony.  They were not to start at to young an age nor to serve until they were very old.  We,as followers of Christ though, have no age restrictions on us for serving God, though we are told that preachers should not be novices.  Verse six continues, And shall put thereon the covering of badgers’ skins, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in the staves thereof.  Aaron's sons were then given specific instructions about how to move the ark.  When we are doing God's work, we must do it in accordance with His guidance, which first means it should be in accordance with what the Bible teaches and then done by the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Verse seven says, And upon the table of shewbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes, and the spoons, and the bowls, and covers to cover withal: and the continual bread shall be thereon:  Verse eight adds, And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put in the staves thereof.  Verse nine continues, And they shall take a cloth of blue, and cover the candlestick of the light, and his lamps, and his tongs, and his snuffdishes, and all the oil vessels thereof, wherewith they minister unto it:  Verse ten concludes, And they shall put it and all the vessels thereof within a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put it upon a bar.  These are very specific instructions to be followed when moving the table of the shew bread.  It, like thecother things of God, was to be treated reverentially and by following God's direction, which I believe that we as followers of Christ should do in everything that we do today.   Verse eleven states, And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put to the staves thereof:  Verse twelve adds, And they shall take all the instruments of ministry, wherewith they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue, and cover them with a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put them on a bar:  Verse thirteen says, And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon:  Verse fourteen adds, And they shall put upon it all the vessels thereof, wherewith they minister about it, even the censers, the fleshhooks, and the shovels, and the basons, all the vessels of the altar; and they shall spread upon it a covering of badgers’ skins, and put to the staves of it.  Then, they were given instructions for moving the altar and everything associated with it.  There were no short cuts that could be taken, just as there are no short cuts in doing God's work today.

Numbers 3:40

Numbers 3:40 says, 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.  Moses was then instructed by God to number all the first born males from one month old.  Verse forty-one adds, And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am the LORD) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel.  The Levites and their cattle were then to be dedicated to God instead of the first born male of all the people of Israel and of their cattle.  Verse forty-two states, And Moses numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel.  Moses did as God  commanded, which is all we can ever do.  Verse forty-three adds, 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.  There were twenty-two thousand, two hundred and seventy three males.  That was a significant number.  We need to simply trust God to guide us to doing what He calls us to do, and He will decide who does what.  Verse forty-four says, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Verse forty-five adds, Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD.  God then told Moses once again that He was going to take the Levites as His instead of the first born, and said once again that Moses was to do this because He was the LORD.  I don't believe that God will ever leave us in doubt about what we are to do or about Who He is if we are Christians.  Verse forty-six states, 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;  Verse forty-seven adds, 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:)  God said that Moses was to take a shekel for each of the first born above the number of the Levites.  This would in effect be to redeem them.  Jesus is now our only way to redemption, and there is nothing that we can substitute for Him.  Verse forty-eight continues, And thou shalt give the money, wherewith the odd number of them is to be redeemed, unto Aaron and to his sons.  This money was to be given to Aaron and his sons who were priests.  Verse forty-nine states, And Moses took the redemption money of them that were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites:  Verse fifty adds, Of the firstborn of the children of Israel took he the money; a thousand three hundred and threescore and five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:   Verse fifty-one continues, And Moses gave the money of them that were redeemed unto Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.  Moses collected the money and gave it to Aaron and his sons as God had instructed Him to do.  We as followers of Christ should always seek God's guidance and do what He instructs us to do.

Numbers 3:21

Numbers 3:21 says, Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites, and the family of the Shimites: these are the families of the Gershonites.  Verse twenty-two adds, 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.  In Gershons family which included the Libnites and the Shimites, there were seven thousand five hundred males over the age of one month.  Verse twenty-nine continues, The families of the Gershonites shall pitch behind the tabernacle westward.  The families of the Gershonites were to set up camp behind the tabernacle to the west side.  They would be between the tabernacle and the rest of the tribes of Israel.  We no longer have anyone between God and us but Jesus Christ.  Once we accept Him as our Savior and Lord, we do not have anyone who can stand between Him and us.  Verse twenty-four states, And the chief of the house of the father of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael.  Eliasaph was to be the head of the tribe.  Verse twenty-five adds, 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,  Verse twenty-six continues, 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.  They were to be responsible for setting up and taking down the tabernacle, and hanging of the inner curtains.  Verse twenty-seven says, 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.  Verse twenty-eight adds, 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.  The number of males from one month old in the house of Kohath, which included the Amramites, Izeharites, Hebronites, and Uzzielites, was eight thousand six hundred.  Verse twenty-nine states, The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch on the side of the tabernacle westward.  Verse thirty adds, And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.  Elizaphan was to be in charge of them, and they were to set up on the north west side of the tabernacle, again between the other tribes and the tabernacle.  Verse thirty-one continues, 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.  They were responsible for the ark of the covenant, and the implements associated with it.  It might seem that they either had a greater position of responsibility or one of less physical work, but they were simply a part of God's overall work, as are we today as followers of Christ.  Verse thirty-two concludes, 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.  Eleazar, Aaron's son, was to be over them, to ensure that they kept the charge of the sanctuary.  Today, Jesus Christ is our High Priest, Who will ensure that we worship God correctly, as long as we obey Him.  Verse thirty-three says, Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites: these are the families of Merari.  Verse thirty-four adds, 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.  Verse thirty-five continues, 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.  We are given the number in the house of Merari, six thousand two hundred, their captain Zuriel, and their position in relationship to the tabernacle,  which was northward.  Verse thirty-six states, 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,   The family of Merari was to be responsible for the boards,  pillars, and vessels of the tabernacle.  All the families had to do their respective jobs in order for the tabernacle to move and be set up effectively, just as we as Christians today must work together to ensure that God's work is done effectively.  Verse thirty-seven adds, And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords.  This is a continuation of what they were responsible for taking care of.  Verse thirty-eight says, 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.  The children of Moses and Aaron were tto camp before the tabernacle to the east, and any stranger approaching the tabernacle was to be put to death.  We no longer have these restrictions.  Verse thirty-nine adds, 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.  There were a total of twenty-two thousand Levites males over the age of one month.