Arranging the Lamps
Numbers 8, verse 1. Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Numbers 8, verse 2. “Speak to Aaron, and say to him, ‘When you arrange the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand.’” Numbers 8, verse 3. Aaron did so; he arranged the lamps to face toward the front of the lampstand, and lit its lamps, as the Lord commanded Moses. Numbers 8, verse 4. Now this construction of the lampstand was solid gold; its stem and corolla were solid throughout, according to the form the Lord showed Moses; thus he made the lampstand.
Cleansing and Consecrating the Levites
Numbers 8, verse 5. Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Numbers 8, verse 6. “Take the Levites from among the children of Israel and consecrate them. Numbers 8, verse 7. Thus you shall do to them for their purification: Sprinkle water of purification on them, and a razor shall shave all their body; and they shall wash their clothes; then they shall be clean. Numbers 8, verse 8. After this, they shall take a young bull from the oxen, with its grain offering of fine flour prepared with oil, and you shall take a young bull one year old from the oxen for a sin offering. Numbers 8, verse 9. Then you shall bring the Levites before the tabernacle of testimony, and gather together the whole congregation of the children of Israel. Numbers 8, verse 10. So you shall bring the Levites before the Lord, and the children of Israel shall put their hands on the Levites; Numbers 8, verse 11. and Aaron shall set apart the Levites before the Lord as a restitution offering from among the children of Israel, so they may do the works of the Lord. Numbers 8, verse 12. Then the Levites shall put their hands on the heads of the young bulls, and you shall offer one for a sin offering and the other for a whole burnt offering to the Lord, to make atonement for them. Numbers 8, verse 13. “Then you shall stand the Levites before the Lord and before Aaron and his sons, and offer them as a restitution offering to the Lord. Numbers 8, verse 14. Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and they shall be Mine. Numbers 8, verse 15. After that, the Levites shall go in to do the works of the tabernacle of testimony. Thus you shall cleanse them and offer them as a restitution offering before the Lord. Numbers 8, verse 16. For they are Mine as a restitution offering from among the children of Israel; I have taken them for Myself instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn from all the children of Israel. Numbers 8, verse 17. For all the firstborn among the children of Israel are Mine, from man to cattle; on the day I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified them to Myself. Numbers 8, verse 18. I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel. Numbers 8, verse 19. I have also given the Levites as a restitution offering to Aaron and his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the works of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of testimony, and to make atonement for the children of Israel. Thus there shall be no drawing near of the holy things among the children of Israel.” Numbers 8, verse 20. So Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel did to the Levites as the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites; thus the children of Israel did to them. Numbers 8, verse 21. Then the Levites sanctified themselves and washed their clothes; and Aaron presented them before the Lord as a restitution offering; and Aaron made atonement for them to consecrate them. Numbers 8, verse 22. After that, the Levites went in to minister in their liturgical service in the tabernacle of testimony before Aaron and his sons; as the Lord commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did to them. Numbers 8, verse 23. Moreover, the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Numbers 8, verse 24. “This is what pertains to the Levites: From twenty-five years old and above they shall enter to work in the tabernacle of testimony; Numbers 8, verse 25. and at the age of fifty years they shall cease doing liturgical service. They shall work no more. Numbers 8, verse 26. His brother shall minister liturgically in the tabernacle of testimony, to do guard duties, but he shall not do the works. Thus you shall do to the Levites regarding their duties.”