Bible Study With Jairus - Numbers 8

Bible Study with Jairus – Numbers 8
Numbers 8 has two different stories. The first story is about Jehovah instructing Moses and Aaron how to place the lamps in the golden lampstand. Numbers 8:2 (ESV) records: "Speak to Aaron and say to him, when you set up the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand." We keyed in on the phrase, "the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand." The lamps must light in front of the lampstand. The second story is about Jehovah telling Moses how Aaron should offer the Levites as a wave offering. The main verse we discussed at this meeting was verse 11 (ESV), "Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD as a wave offering from the people of Israel, that they may do the service of the LORD." The phrase that stood out was Aaron offering the Levites as a wave offering.
Why were the Levites presented as a wave offering? The wave offering could be unleavened bread (ESV, Exodus 29:23) and the breast of the ram (ESV, Exodus 29:26). Unleavened bread was to be burned on the altar on top of the burnt offering before the LORD (ESV, Exodus 29:25). After the breast of the ram was waved, it could be returned to Aaron and his sons. Here it said that Aaron would offer the Levites as a wave offering. We understand that this is a spiritual representation. So, are the Levites like the unleavened bread, or the breasts of the ram, or both? Maybe both. But why would they be offered as a wave offering from the Israelites? Why not let other animals from the herd or the flock be offered as a wave offering instead of the Levites?
Numbers 8 mentions that when the Levites were offered as a wave offering, they needed to be sprinkled with the water of purification, to shave, and wash their clothes (Numbers 8:7, ESV). They shall take a bull from the herd and its grain offering, and another bull from the herd for a sin-offering (Numbers 8:8, ESV). They shall use one for a sin offering to the LORD and the other for a burnt offering, to make atonement for the Levites (Numbers 8:12, ESV). The Levites shall offer them as a wave offering to the LORD (Numbers 8:13, ESV). The reason the Levites were treated as a wave offering was that "the Levites shall be mine" (Numbers 8:14, ESV) and "in place of the firstborn of all the people of Israel" (Numbers 8:16, ESV). Because "On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I consecrated them for myself" (Numbers 8:17, ESV), "I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel." (Numbers 8:18, ESV). Then the Levites could do the service for the people of Israel at the tent of meeting and make atonement for the people of Israel, so that there may be no plague among the people of Israel when the people of Israel come near the sanctuary (Numbers 8:19, ESV).
A man in our study asked, "What is the practical spiritual significance of the Levites' story of being wave offering to Christians today? Christians can now approach God's throne of grace with confidence (Hebrews 4:16, NIV), and we don't need an intermediary as the Levites did."
To answer this question, we need to take a closer look at Numbers 8:11 (NIV), "Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD as a wave offering from the people of Israel, that they may do the service of the LORD."
Aaron's work is to serve God in the Holy of Holies, which represents our spiritual life living before God to serve God Himself. There are very few such people around. I saw a conversation between our Heavenly Father and Anna Rountree. He asked her to eat the food in His hands and even told her that there were very few people serving Him in the Holy of Holies.
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