26: Aaron must bear the burden of the ministry (Num 18:1 - 19)

The Lord confirmed His choice in the previous chapter, but the people misinterpreted God’s intention. In this chapter, He clarifies the Levites and Aaron were chosen for the benefit of the people.

πŸ‘‰ Read Numbers 18:1-19

The Lord said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your tribe with you must bear the (                 ) of the Tabernacle. And you and your sons with you must bear the (                 ) of your priesthood.”

According to verses 2-7, the Levites were responsible for the care of the (                       ) but were not allowed to come near the (                 ) of the sanctuary and the (             ). Or the Levite and the (              ) will die together. The Levites were assigned to help the priest so that no (                 ) person might approach this office. 

Verses 8-19 explain the four kinds of the priests’ portion from the offering or the gift toward the Lord. Fill the table.

  

Verses

Priest’s portion

Who will eat it

8 – 10

Portion from fire sacrifice

Priest and his (             )

11

Raised offering and (                ) offering

Anyone in the priest’s household, including sons and (            ).

12 – 13

Other gifts to the Lord

14 – 19

(                       )

If not redeemed, it must be killed as an offering. Anyone in the priest’s household can eat it.

 

The Lord made this rule a perpetual ordinance and called it a covenant of (                ).

Answers and Meditation

Iniquity, iniquity

Tent of meeting, furnishings, altar, priest, unauthorized

 

Sons, wave, firstborn

 

Salt

 

What is to bear the iniquity of the Tabernacle and the priesthood? We can roughly understand what it means from the following verses.

The iniquity of the Tabernacle: the consequence of presumptuous violation of the holy things that reside among sinful people. The priest must ensure unauthorized persons do not approach the holy things. When he fails, he would be killed together with that person (verse 3)

The iniquity of the priesthood: the burden of their sins. The priest should bear the burden of people’s sins. He should eat his portion from the sin offering, grain offering, peace offering, any offering that part of it was given upon fire. Eating the sacrifice implies their uniting with the sacrifice. Because the sacrifice was slain for the offerer’s sin, eating the sacrifice implies the priest’s bearing of the sin of the people.

Three other categories of priestly portion were given as food. But, the first one was given as a part of the offering procedure. The priest must eat it.

Our High Priest Jesus cares for our lives and bears our sins by becoming the sacrifice for our sins. He bears the iniquity (burden) of being Immanuel and our Savior. 

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