Day 61, March 2 Bible Reading

Day 61,  March 2

Num. 18:8-32 / Deut. 18:1-8      Offerings for priests and Levites / Levites’ tithes

Lev. 27:1-29 / Num. 6:1-21 Vows and dedications to the Lord / The Nazarite vow

Deut. 12:5-14        One place of worship and offerings

Deut. 12:26-28      One place of worship

Lev. 27:34  End of commands given on Mt. Sinai

Num. 18:8-32 / Deut. 18:1-8      Offerings for priests and Levites / Levites’ tithes

• Num 18:8-11 Remember when we read about all those offerings before and we observed that the right thigh and sometimes breast were a heave offering, offered to the Lord? All of that was the priest's portion.  

• Num 18:12-13 In addition, all the firstfruits, of the grain, the best oil and new wine are the priests/ Levites

• Num 18:14 We haven't talked about the laws of devotion yet, but everything consecrated belongs to the priests/ Levites also.

• Num 18:15-18 First born of man and beasts also.  But for men, they have to be redeemed and pay 5 shekels.  The first born of unclean animals need to be redeemed or sold.  The first born of clean animals, are not redeemed, and used as sacrifices and can be eaten as food by the priests, just as the breast and right thigh heave offerings are theirs.  Recall if you are an ass, your neck has to be broken if you are not redeemed.

• Num 18:19 Again Heave offerings are holy. Interestingly it is called a covenant of salt forever.  It means it is a covenant meant to endure in spite of the circumstances. David’s covenant to have a seed after him, aka Christ was described as a covenant of salt.[2 Chrons 13:5; 2 Samuel 7:11-16]. So what do you think Christ meant when He said “Have salt in yourselves and gave peace with one another”? [Mar 9:50] 

• Num 18:20 The Levites cannot have any land inheritance or houses. God is their portion and inheritance.  Should pastors have homes then :-)? (Ok teasing)

• Num 18:21-32 The Levites working in the tabernacle is actually counted as  bearing the iniquity of the people. They are to receive the tithes as an inheritance in return for the work they do.  It is also counted as a heave offering.  The only exceptions are the 3rd and 6th year, in a 7 year cycle, which are given to poor, widows atec.  Also every year the children of Israel can exchange for money, but whatever they want, hold a feast and fete before the Lord with strong drink.

• The Levites actually should take a tenth of the actual tithe and give it to the High priest.  The priests cannot profane the tithes, lest they die.  Now do you hear about that in ANY of the tithe message you have heard in the past? I thought so.
  
  

• Deut 18:1-5  More details on what is due to the priests.  This is different.  Now we are told the priests are to be given the shoulder, cheeks and stomach.  What are they going to do with the cheeks?

• Deut 18:6-8 Finally there was an interesting scenario, where if a Levite sold his goods, and received quite a bit of money from the sale of his family possessions, and he moved to the place where God chooses to place His Name (another topic to be discussed), him receiving money should not be a reason to deny that Levit from receiving equally from the benefits of the tithes and first fruits. 

Lev. 27:1-29 / Num. 6:1-21 Vows and dedications to the Lord / The Nazarite vow

• Lev 27:1-7 We already read in the Law that you need to be careful with your vows. Now we learn vows have literally a price:

• Each vow had a valuations (just like every trespass had a debt)

• The valuations were as follows [based on productive capacity]:

1. Age >=60 years

1. If Male →  vow valued at 15 shekels of silver

2. If Female → vow valued at 10 shekels of silver

2. Age >=20 and <60 years

1. If Male →  vow valued at 50 shekels of silver

2. If Female → vow valued at 30 shekels of silver

3. Age >=5 and <20 years

1. If Male →  vow valued at 20 shekels of silver

2. If Female → vow valued at 10 shekels of silver

4. Age >=1 month and <5 years

1. If Male →  vow valued at 5 shekels of silver

2. If Female → vow valued at 3 shekels of silver
   
   

• Lev 27:8 Notice the consideration if you were too poor.  The priest has the discretion to set a price.

• Lev 27:9-13 No refunds nor exchanges in this store for animals given to the Lord.  Once given that is it.  If you “exchange” both the original and one exchanged are holy and belong to the Lord.  Unclean animals are not to be sacrificed.  If you want it, you must buy it back for 20% above its valuation.  That is the redemption procedure. So what do you think about this when you understand that Christ redeems us?

• Lev 27:14-15 Same with a house,  You dedicate the house to be holy, you need to give it to the Lord and priests. If you want to redeem it you need to pay the redemption price of 20% or ⅕ above the valuation. It is like a refinance.

• Lev 27:16-21 If someone dedicates part of a field of the land he inherited, as part of his promised land inheritance,, the valuation is baked on harvest capacity and how close it is to the year of Jubilee, when all property reverts back to original owners.  If you redeem it, you need to add ⅕ or 20% on top of the valuation. 

• Lev 27:22-25 If someone dedicates a field bought, not part of the inheritance, the valuation goes up to the Year of Jubilee, and at that year it returns to the original owner who owned it as a family inheritance.

• Lev 27:26-27 We have seen this law of firstborn many times.

• Lev 27:28-29 Everything devoted cannot be sold, it is holy to the Lord.  This is the law of devotion.  When Israel went to war, usually all the spoils were devoted,  You must destroy it and kill everything, whether man or beast, because it is devoted to God. Do you still want to be devoted to God? 

Deut. 12:5-14        One place of worship and offerings

• An important element of possession of the land, of enjoying his reward and fullness, is to consistently seek the place where He placed His name.  To that place you must always go [Deut 12:5-6].   
  
  

• This is important.  Notice it was NOT a fixed physical location, although it can resolved to one.  He Place was always referred to as “The Place He Chooses” or “The Place Where He Placed His Name”.  
  
  

• His place of worship therefore can change wherever He chooses to place His name. In so doing, it is not a static location, but divine state imprinted on an earthly reality where His identity and dwelling is prominent and cannot be denied. 
  
  

• In a natural sense this was initially in Moses tabernacle in the wilderness where the glory settled, then it settled in Shiloh in the tribe of Ephraim where the tabernacle rested when the land was possessed.  The Ichabod happened, until David recovered the ark and then moved to Jerusalem.  It stayed there in David’s and  Solomon’s time, even during Solomon’s temple, but later it was seen leaving and stopping at Mt. Olives [Ezek 11:23].  Presumably, there it stood until God answered Christ’s prayer to glorify Him with the Glory He had before the world began, and Christ took the Glory with Him when He ascended on Mt. Olives, only to now give it to us [John 17:22], so that we can be one with Him.  Christ in us, the hope of Glory, is the FINAL Dwelling Place of God, the Place where His Name Dwells.  It is a People.  

Deut. 12:26-28      One place of worship

• Offer everything in the place the Lord chooses.

• Deut 12:28 “ Observe and obey all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you and your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.”

Lev. 27:34  End of commands given on Mt. Sinai

• FINALLY!!!!!!!!