NUMBERS 8
Two things are brought before us in this book as taking place when the tabernacle service was inaugurated: namely, the dedication of the altar and the lighting of the lamps of the candlestick. They are to be specially noted as bringing out what is in the mind of God with regard to His service as carried on in wilderness conditions. The one, which we have considered in looking at chapter 7, speaks of movements of heart Godward on the part of His people, all of which concern Christ in His personal perfection and His sacrifice. The other, which now comes before us, shows how provision has been made for Christ as the risen and glorified One being kept brightly in the view of those who love Him during the night of His rejection here, and while He is personally at the right hand of God.
[p. 98] That this is the object in view is made clear by Jehovah’s words, “When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick” (verse 2). The candlestick itself was to be illuminated by the light of the seven lamps; it typifies Christ as He may be known now by spiritual light being shed upon Him. It suggests that He will only be seen as thus illuminated; so that the candlestick is a “figurative representation” of Christ as He may be known during the night of His rejection here; it is a type of Him which is distinctive of the present period.
There is a difference between Christ as the Light and as the Candlestick. He came into the world as light, and was the true light for every man for “a little while” (John 12:35). We might truly say that the Sun was shining when He was here, but, being rejected, the night period has followed, and Christ, instead of shining publicly as the Sun, as He will do when the millennial day dawns, is now known in the holy place as the Candlestick. But He is only seen there as the lamps shed light upon Him.
The first great service of Christ, after He took His priestly place at the right hand of God as the “minister of the holy places and of the true tabernacle” (Hebrews 8:1,2), was to light the lamps. He had previously prepared the lamps by His service of grace amongst His own in the days of His flesh and in resurrection, but in pouring out the Holy Spirit upon them He filled them with oil and lighted them. It was the fulfilment of His own words, and of the promise of the Father. “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes forth from with the Father, he shall bear witness concerning me; and ye too hear witness because ye are with me from the beginning” (John 15:26,27). “But I say the truth to you, It is profitable for you [p. 99] that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I go I will send Him to you ... He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine and shall announce it to you. All things that the Father has are mine; on account of this I have said that he receives of mine and shall announce it to you” (John 16:7; John 16:14,15).
The lamps have now been lighted by the true Aaron as risen and glorified, and the Holy Spirit has ever since been shedding divine light upon Christ as the Candlestick. Whatever light shines now to glorify Christ shines by the Spirit through His saints. Apart from the lamps there would be nothing to bring the Candlestick into view, for it typifies a Christ who is in heaven, but nevertheless brought into glorious view down here by the present ministry of the Holy Spirit through His saints. What wondrous light shone in the ministry of the apostles and prophets! But let us not forget that the same Spirit who inspired the Gospels and the Epistles remains here in living activity to glorify Christ through the intelligent affections of His saints. In the light of the type before us we see that it is the outcome of His love acting in a priestly way, and that it is the will of God that it should be so.
The Candlestick was in “the tent of meeting”. This suggests that the lamps giving their light upon the Candlestick is to be regarded as standing in connection with the saints being assembled together. As thus assembled, in separation from the world and in holy conditions, the privilege of the sanctuary may be known, and one of the most distinctive features of the sanctuary is the Candlestick seen as radiant in the light of the seven lamps. Do we understand that we are in a time that is marked by the assembling of saints together (Hebrews 10:25), and that, as thus assembled, we may confidently expect the disclosure to [p. 100] us in divine and spiritual light of the glory of Christ? It has been witnessed through apostles and prophets, but it remains in the “tent of meeting” in a living way.
It will be noticed that there is no mention of morning and evening here, no thought of a recurrent service as in Exodus 30, but simply the fact that Aaron lighted the lamps by Jehovah’s commandment. It is not suggested that they would ever go out or be put out. No snuffers are mentioned here; the lamps are seen as lighted by Christ, and they are not contemplated as marked by dimness or defect. It is the presentation according to the mind of God of an abiding characteristic of the testimony: the lamps which Christ has lighted are to continue to shine until He comes again.
The spiritual instruction of the dedication-gift of the altar is that it is pleasing to God that such a character of offering should go right through the period of tabernacle service; the twelve days being a complete administrative period. And in the lighting of the lamps we see, typically, that Christ has inaugurated a shining of divine light here on earth in which He will continue to be glorified until He comes again. It is what subsists in virtue of the presence here of the Comforter. These things bring out what characterises the present period according to the mind of God. It is for us to see that we understand them, and that we are carrying on the offering service, and in mind and affection appreciating the Spirit’s witness to Christ, and identified with it as the vessels through whom it shines. Only thus shall we understand the testimony of God today.
From verse 6 we are instructed as to the cleansing and offering of the Levites for the service of Jehovah. “And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, Take the [p. 101] Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them. And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them; sprinkle upon them water of purification from sin; and they shall pass the razor over all their flesh, and shall wash their garments, and make themselves clean”. No one can rightly take up levitical service except as having gone through the exercises which are set forth in a typical way in this chapter. So that it requires serious attention from all who acknowledge — as all Christians should — that they are definitely called to serve God in relation to His holy things. The Levites were taken “instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel” (verse 18). All who have been passed over by judgment on account of the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ are hallowed to God; their service is not optional, it is righteously due. And we see here how the Levites, as representing all the firstborn, are cleansed, how atonement is made for them, and how they are offered as a wave-offering.
We may remark, first of all, how prominent in this chapter are types of the death of Christ. Babes in Christ can say with deepest thankfulness, “Christ died for us”. It is by the appreciation of this great and wondrous fact that the Holy Spirit sheds the love of God abroad in our hearts at the very commencement of our spiritual life. In one sense the whole value of that death in all its varied aspects and bearings is for us from the very beginning. But “Christ died for us”, is a statement which continually unfolds more and more of its blessed meaning to the heart of the believer. And the types are of the utmost importance as setting forth in divine wisdom the varied lights in which God would have us to apprehend and appreciate the death of His Son. The typical teaching of the Old Testament enables us to perceive clearly — if we have vision by the Spirit to do so — and to distinguish, different aspects [p. 102] of a death which is unspeakably profound in every way, but of which many aspects need to be known if we are to be spiritually intelligent, and made competent for the holy service of God. The chapter before us is most instructive as to this, for it teaches that in order to be qualified as Levites “twenty-five years old” for “labour in the work of the service of the tent of meeting”, we need to have a definite apprehension of the death of Christ in four different aspects: the passover lamb, the red heifer, the bullock of sin-offering, the bullock of burnt-offering. Connected with the latter is the oblation of fine flour mingled with oil, but I do not dwell on this at present.
The passover lamb is referred to in verses 17,18. Jehovah says, “all the firstborn ... are mine ... I hallowed them to myself”. Every Levite understood that he was taken instead of a firstborn hallowed to God in all the value of the Passover lamb. We can only rightly serve as having the consciousness that God has hallowed us on the ground of the death of Christ for Himself and His holy service. Paul, a true Levite, says, “God whose I am and whom I serve”.
Then the “water of purification from sin” (verse 7) is connected with the red heifer of Numbers 19. The red heifer was wholly burned outside the camp; “its skin and its flesh, and its blood, with its dung, shall he burn”. There is no more complete type of Christ as coming under the all-consuming judgment of sin. But what specially marks this type is that “the priest shall take cedar-wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast them into the midst of the burning of the heifer”. All that is great and excellent in man, or that man might esteem to be such, is set forth in the cedar-wood. The hyssop represents what is lowly and small in appearance; the natural man sometimes seeks to gain credit by self-depreciation and what Scripture calls “doing his own will in humility”, but this is only another, though subtle, form of self-righteousness. Lastly, the scarlet symbolises that in which a man might glory as giving him distinction, and who that knows his own heart is unaware of the readiness of the flesh to pride itself in almost anything; nothing is too insignificant to be made into a bit of scarlet. Even divine gift or service or privilege may turn to self-exaltation. What a lesson then it is for the Levite to learn that in the judgment-bearing of Christ everything connected with man after the flesh has been cast into the burning! In being sprinkled with “water of purification from sin” we are brought under an application in the power of the Spirit of what has been effected in the judgment-bearing and death of Christ. We need a purification that is suitable for the tabernacle and sanctuary of Jehovah, that is according to God’s estimate of what is needed for His holy service. Such a purification could only really be effected in completeness by the death of Christ. Everything connected with sinful flesh has been divinely judged in that death. Not only those things which the conscience of man could take account of, but a thousand things in which men see no harm, or even commend as good, but which under God’s eye are a defilement to His sanctuary where He dwells in holiness.
It is to be noted that persons were not washed in the “water of purification”; it was always sprinkled upon them. There is a difference in Scripture between washing and sprinkling which it is important to notice. The prominent thought conveyed in washing is the effect produced by it; for example, “wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7). But sprinkling on persons, or on the altar, etc., indicates that they come under the value of what is sprinkled, whether it be blood or water. Attention is directed to the import [p. 104] and value in itself of what is sprinkled. Sprinkling with water of purification is thus really a greater thought than moral cleansing, for it suggests all the import from the divine side of what is sprinkled. It conveys the thought of a purification that is absolute in character, for it carries all the import of what has been really effected in the death of Christ viewed as typified by the red heifer, and now applied to us in a personal way in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Levitical service is not to be entered on otherwise than as having been sprinkled by water of purification from sin. Only thus are we suitable for the service of the tent of meeting. The Spirit of God would give us a great sense of the holiness of that service, and also that everything that would defile the sanctuary has been judged in the death of Christ. Purification for the service of God is in the value of that; anything that came short of it would not do. If we have not understood it let us pray about it. If that sprinkling is upon us by the Spirit it will be a divine starting point in our souls of all the exercises which bring about moral cleansing, and a practical holiness which is suited to the service of God.
So that, immediately following upon the sprinkling, we read, “and they shall pass the razor over all their flesh”. This is something which they have to do, and it is of a sharp and drastic nature, It signifies the practical disallowance and removal of all that which is the outcome of the flesh, and this, perhaps, more particularly in those features which are naturally attractive, and in which the flesh might pride itself. It is the truth of what is set forth from the divine side in the water of purification applied practically by the Holy Spirit through personal exercise so that there is an effective dealing in a summary way with all that is the outcome of our flesh. The character of the [p. 105] purification that is suitable to the sanctuary has been learned under the sprinkling, and the razor passing over the flesh secures practical correspondence with it. Nothing that has gone into the burning of the heifer is retained as though it could have any part in the service of God.
Then they “shall wash their garments, and make themselves clean”. The garments are what mark us externally, and they set forth our habits and associations, we might say our general manner of life. All has to be cleansed in view of the new life on which the Levite is about to enter. If we thought, on the one hand, of the import of the death of Christ, and, on the other, of being a wave-offering for the pleasure and service of God, would it not necessitate the washing of our garments? How many unprofitable habits would be at once abandoned! How many unspiritual links would be severed! How many companionships and associations would be at once felt to be unsuitable if viewed in the light of what we are called to be as Levites!
There are further types of the death of Christ in the two bullocks to be taken according to verse 8, and upon which the Levites had to lay their hands as in verse 12. It is very impressive that these special aspects of the death of Christ should be brought before us. For these offerings stand in direct connection with the taking up of holy service; they are “to make atonement for the Levites”. What pains God takes to fill us with thoughts of Christ! He would remind us continually of that blessed One, and of His death. It is not here the one who has sinned laying his hand on Christ that he may be forgiven, as in Leviticus 4. It is a company just about to take up the holy service of God who are instructed that they can only do so as identified with Christ in sin-offering and burnt-offering character. They are to take the two young [p. 106] bullocks. A large and vigorous apprehension of Christ in the two-fold character of sin-offering and burnt-offering is essential in view of service. There is to be nothing feeble or uncertain as to the ground on which we are offered to God as Levites. We are to be fully and consciously identified with Christ as having borne the judgment of sin, and as having glorified God so that we are accepted in the sweet odour of His offering. We are on that ground levitically; it underlies and gives quality and value to every movement of service in the tent of meeting. We thus serve in a profound sense of liberty and acceptance, for our own personal relations with God are according to the precious worth of Christ and of His offering. If we get away in our service from the consciousness of this, we shall lose our liberty and stability. God would have us to serve as those who can ever say in profound gladness of heart,
“Love, that no suffering stayed
We’ll praise, true love divine;
Love that for us atonement made,
Love that has made us Thine”. (235:2)
“And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tent of meeting; and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel. And thou shalt bring the Levites before Jehovah; and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites” (verses 9,10). Levitical service is thus clearly a matter which concerns “the whole assembly”; all are to recognise it, and to be identified with it, for it is a service rendered on behalf of all, as we see in verse 9, and representative of what is due from all. God looks that “the whole assembly” shall be thoroughly identified with all levitical service that is rendered amongst them. And the service is taken up in the consciousness that it is really “the service of the children of Israel”. God would preserve in all His servants the sense that they serve in relation to “the whole assembly”. No levitical service can be rightly taken up in independency, or as being only a personal responsibility. Neither is it the sectional interest of a particular class.
Individual responsibility rightly enters into all service, but every Levite has to learn that he must serve in unity with all his fellow-servants, and that he and they serve in the tent of meeting as performing a service that is due from all the children of Israel, and that it derives its true character from the fact that the whole assembly is identified with it. What a consideration for every servant! He must take account of “the whole assembly”, and bear in mind that true levitical service is of such a character that all the people of God can fully identify themselves with it. It may be asked, How can we take account of “the whole assembly” today, when saints are so hopelessly divided and scattered? Well, we may be sure that all the failure that has come in has not altered God’s mind as to how things should be done, or the order that He would have to be observed in relation to His holy service. Numbers 8 is the word of God to us today; we are under obligation to recognise that what is here laid down is divine order. Faith would hold to it as the mind of God, and would seek to be regulated by it in practice so far as possible, whatever the general conditions around may be. We may depend upon it that divine principles and order can be maintained, even in the darkest day, though it may only be “two or three” who are set to do so. God is at present giving much exercise to His people in regard to His mind, and also the desire to give effect to it in a practical way, even though in much outward weakness. Wherever two or three saints walk together in separation from what is not of God, they can act, by His grace and by the Spirit’s power, in [p. 108] the light of every divine principle, and in this way return to His original order.
“And Aaron shall offer the Levites as a wave-offering before Jehovah from the children of Israel, and they shall perform the service of Jehovah” (verse 11). Four times in this chapter the Levites are spoken of as a “wave-offering”. God loves to regard them as a choice offering from His people generally which He can appropriate with peculiar pleasure. “That the Levites may be mine” (verse 14). The children of Israel represent the whole company of saints viewed as providing a wave-offering which is accepted by God on their behalf. The Levites represent the same company, but viewed as in wave-offering character, and presented to God for His holy service.
It is to be further noticed that “thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons ... And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons ... And afterwards the Levites came in to perform their service in the tent of meeting before Aaron, and before his sons” (verses 13,19,22). See also chapter 4:5 - 9,19,27,33, where we learn that the Levites had to perform all their service under the direction of the priests. This makes evident that the levitical must be ever subordinate to what is priestly, and must serve so as to minister to it. This is a most important divine principle. The priests represent spiritual intelligence as found in persons who draw near to God, and consider for Him. It is that element which is to direct all levitical service, and which all true levitical service will tend to promote. Not that, as applied to ourselves, the priest would be one person and the Levite another though it might often be so in a practical sense. But the priestly element in each one is to take precedence of the levitical, and to give direction to it. Thus will every [p. 109] detail of the levitical service be carried out in a spiritual manner, so as to answer to the mind of God and be pleasurable to Him. An example of the priestly and the levitical being found in one person may be seen in Epaphras. The “faithful minister of Christ for you”, is Epaphras the Levite; “always combating earnestly for you in prayers”, is Epaphras the priest (Colossians 1:7; Colossians 4:12).
The closing verses of the chapter concern the period of levitical service. In chapter 4 the Levites are numbered “from thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old”. This would appear to be the time of mature and competent service. But in this chapter it is said, “from twenty-five years old and upward shall he come to labour in the work of the service of the tent of meeting” (verse 24). This seems to indicate that God’s mind is that the competency of His servants will be developed as they actually serve. They do not come up to matured efficiency without experience in the actual work. So that the first five years is a kind of apprenticeship period, during which they are in training, in view of coming up to the full standard of suitability to the service. Prayer and the study of the Scriptures and some measure of divine gift me essential for every servant, but they will not make him thoroughly competent without actual experience in the work of the Lord.
It will be observed that the Israelites were numbered for military service from twenty years of age, but Levites do not begin to serve in the tent of meeting until they are twenty-five. Twenty years old indicates a manhood that is competent for the defence of the testimony in a military sense-the manhood that will fit one to be a soldier. But twenty-five years old conveys the thought of increased development, particularly on the line of sobriety and intelligence, so as [p. 110] to be able to handle holy things with discretion and care, This is needed for levitical service. And then thirty years old speaks of one who is matured in competency as a result, of actual experience in the work. How full of instruction is all this!
Then “from fifty years old” the Levite retires “from the labour of the service, and shall serve no more; but he shall minister with his brethren in the tent of meeting, and keep the charge” (verses 25,26). Three different thoughts come before the mind in this connection. First, it seems to indicate that levitical service is to be marked by full competency, and that no features of decline or decrepitude are to appear in it. It suggests the maintenance of a high standard of efficiency, in a spiritual sense, as being the only thing suitable in the service of God. Secondly, it conveys an impression of a time limit to active service. We should labour in the sense of this all the time. Even the Lord said, “I must work the works of him that has sent me while it is day. The night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4). Each of us has his “day” of service; it will soon be over; how important to fill it up rightly! The Levite had the sense all the time that he had a measured period in which to serve, and that the time was coming when it would close. J.B.S. said to me that he felt it to be a solemn moment when he realised that his active labours were over. Our allotted period of service here in the tent of meeting will soon be over, and we shall never have another opportunity for that service. How the Lord filled up His “day”! Mark’s gospel presents Him in the unremitting service and devotion of the true Levite.
But a third thought seems to be also suggested in this scripture: namely, that when arduous labour is no longer permitted to the Levite he retains an [p. 111] honourable place of ministry with his brethren, and keeps the charge. He is not degraded but rather dignified. Some, by the favour of the Lord, never seem to get past “fifty years old”; they retain vigorous ability for active and energetic labour to the end. But usually in the actual experience of the wilderness — which is here in view — there comes a time when strenuous toil is no longer possible; it has to be left to younger servants. But how precious is the grace that still permits an aged, and perhaps invalid, Levite — brother or sister — to “minister with his brethren in the tent of meeting, and keep the charge”. He is not dismissed as of no value; he is retained in the ministry of the tent of meeting; he is regarded as one who cherishes all the interests of the service in a peculiar way, for he is to “keep the charge”.
Peter, knowing that the putting off of his tabernacle is speedily to take place, and Paul the aged, a prisoner at Rome, feeling that he has combated the good combat and finished the race, are both found, in a most devoted and diligent way, keeping the charge. It is really a very fine way for the individual servant to finish his course in the wilderness. We have known beloved servants in our own day who have reached years when active labour had to cease, but who continued to the very end to keep the charge. I was one of the last persons to hear C.H.M. pray. It was most touching to hear the aged and feeble Levite pouring out his heart to God, first for the whole assembly, and then for the little companies gathered everywhere to the Lord’s Name. The Lord’s interests were the great burden of his heart. Though he had been for a length of time incapacitated for any public service he was still keeping the charge.
The Lord indicates to us in the beautiful instruction with which this chapter closes that He has taken into [p. 112] account the whole possible course of His Levites. Not only their energetic activities, but the time when they must needs “retire from the labour of the service”. But He contemplates them as still thoroughly imbued with the levitical spirit, as still ministering with their brethren, and as keeping the charge. He can trust them still with all the interests of His service.
So this chapter gives us the whole history of the Levites from their cleansing and being offered as a wave-offering at the outset to the end which we may all contemplate as in wilderness conditions. How beautifully the end corresponds with the beginning! May the consideration of it stimulate us all to take up, and go right through with, “the service of the tent of meeting”!