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Verses 1 – 4 introduce the section of Numbers that concerns the appointment of the Levites to serve in the tabernacle and introduces their duties in that service. They also reaffirm that Aaron and his sons are priests before the LORD.
The LORD now described the role of the Levites outside of Aaron’s line. They were to minister for the people outside the tabernacle, as well as maintain the components of the tabernacle itself and its furnishings.
The LORD declared that the Levites were to be set apart to become His possession instead of the firstborn.
The next set of instructions from the LORD involved numbering and placing the Levites. The numbers were to be by household and family. They were to count the number of males one month old and older. The numbers were to be by each family in the three sons of Levi and their descendants.
The families of Gershon are listed: their numbers, their placement in the camp, their appointed leader, and their duties in service to the priests and the tabernacle.
The next group considered was the family of Kohath, Levi’s second son. Recorded here are their numbers, their placement in the camp, their appointed leader, and their duties in service to the priests and the tabernacle.
Verses 33 through 37 describe the next group to be considered. It was the family of Merari, the third born son of Levi. As in the previous sections, it recorded their numbers, their placement in the camp, and their duties in service to the priests and the tabernacle.
Moses and Aaron and his sons are to camp on the east side of the tabernacle. This is symbolic of Christ to come.
Verses 40 – 51 relate what was to take place for the Levites to replace the firstborn as the LORD’s possession. First, a census was taken of the number of firstborn males of the non-Levite tribes (verses 40 – 43). Then, the LORD declared the Levites as His. Because the number of non-Levite males was greater than the number of Levite males, a "ransom" was to be paid to the priests (verses 44 – 51).
Chapters 3 and 4 of Numbers concern the setting apart and organization of the Levites. They were selected to be the LORD's possession, redeeming the firstborn of Israel. Each family was given the responsibility of taking care of various parts of the tabernacle and its furnishings.
The Levitical families were instructed to camp in a square immediately surrounding the tabernacle. This allowed them to serve as a buffer between God's dwelling place and the rest of His people—the twelve tribes and their armies. This buffer served as both a protection of God's holiness and a protection of the people from certain death if they tried to get too near to the tabernacle.
Numbers 3 can be outlined as follows:
- The Family of Aaron and Moses (3:1 – 4)
- The Levites Presented to Aaron (3:5 – 10)
- The Levites Set Apart to the LORD (3:11 – 13)
- The Census and Placement of the Levite Families (3:14 – 39)
- The Families Summarized (3:14 – 20)
- The Family of Gershon (3:21 – 26)
- The Family of Kohath (3:27 – 32)
- The Family of Merari (3:33 – 37)
- The Family of Moses and Aaron (3:38)
- The Final Count (3:39)
- The Ransom of the Firstborn (3:39 – 51)
- The Census Taken (3:40 – 43)
- The Ransom Taken (3:44 – 51)
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