Title Numbers 8:1-26
Contents
Hymns: 426 (Perfect This Sinner)
In Numbers 7, which we looked at last time, we looked at the offerings that the Israelites made to God on the day they built the tabernacle and sanctified it according to God's command right after they left Egypt. If we remember that the Israelites gave the gift, but it was God who gave the gift, we would not be proud of what we gave to God, but rather we will realize that we have no choice but to be thankful for the grace He has given us.
Now, in today's text, the words about the Levites are recorded. The Levites are a specially chosen people. Because the people of Israel are God's chosen people from among the many nations, the Levites are specially chosen from among the people of Israel chosen from among the many nations. Why did God choose and call the Levites in such a special way?
The Levites are those who work in the sanctuary. The sanctuary is the house where God dwells. The work that the Levites had to do there is written, and according to verses 1 to 4, it was to keep the lamp of the sanctuary from going out. There are many things, but I am especially speaking of the lamp of the sanctuary because this is more important than other things.
God commanded that the lamps of the sanctuary not be extinguished. Exodus 27:21. “Let Aaron and his sons watch the lamp in the tent of meeting, outside the veil in front of the ark of the testimony, from evening to morning always before the Lord.” Why?
A lamp is the opposite of darkness. The lamp symbolizes Jesus Christ, who came to this earth to illuminate the light of truth to save humans who were abandoned in darkness and had no choice but to die forever. But the Lord, who is the light of truth, said to us that you are the light of the world. The reason the Lord said we are the light of the world is that if the Lord is a great light that illuminates a dark world, we should live a life of a small light that illuminates our place in our lives.
This is verses 6 to 7 of the text. “Take the Levites from among the children of Israel and cleanse them; in this way you will purify them, sprinkling the water of atonement on them, and having them razor their whole body, and wash their garments, to purify themselves.”
The Levite, who was tasked with making the Israelites realize that he was the lamp of the world, had to first cleanse himself. So, first, I had to wash with the water of atonement, second, I had to shave my whole body with a razor, and third, I had to wash my clothes. What these rituals symbolize is that we must advance inward sanctification through outward cleansing. After cleansing his body in this way, the Levites went to God by offering burnt offerings, grain offerings, and sin offerings. And finally, the Levite sacrificed himself and offered it to God.
This is verse 13 of the text. “You shall set the Levites before Aaron and his sons as a wave offering to the LORD.” Now the Levites were offered as a wave offering to God. There is a reason God said that the Levites should be offered as wave offerings. It is because at the time of the Exodus, after saving the firstborn of Israel from the tenth plague, He declared that the firstborn in Israel, whether human or beast, belonged to Him.
Here is a fact that must be remembered. It is not because God chose the Levites because they were particularly superior or had extraordinary achievements. Rather, the tribe of Levi was more defective than the other tribes. Before he died, Jacob cursed Levi. The reason was that Levi could not bear his wrath and killed him. Nevertheless, it was only by God's grace and providence that the descendants of Levi were chosen as God's servants.
So how are we today? We are chosen to be God's servants. But, like Levi, are we not able to put up with our own wrath and do what is right in my opinion to hurt those around us? Nevertheless, God has chosen us. This is also God's grace and providence.
God has called us Levites. Therefore, He wants to achieve inner sanctification through outward purification. He wants the dark world to be brightened by always lighting a lamp in the place of my life. No matter how pitch-black darkness surrounds us, God wants us to become the fireflies of the world, just as if there is a firefly there, it cannot be called darkness because of that little firefly.
(Prayer)
Lord of love. Thank you for choosing us as Levites and for making us a lamp to light the world and fireflies in the pitch-black darkness. Grant us the grace to let the word of truth shine like a lamp in our hearts so that we can fully surrender our lives to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. May our words today become an instrument of the power to resurrect a dying soul. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.