Numbers 3:1-13 comments: Aaron and his sons' instructions

 

Numbers 3:1 ¶  These also are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the LORD spake with Moses in mount Sinai. 2  And these are the names of the sons of Aaron; Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3  These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests which were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest’s office. 4  And Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD, when they offered strange fire before the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children: and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest’s office in the sight of Aaron their father. 5  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 6  Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him. 7  And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle. 8  And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. 9  And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel. 10  And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest’s office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. 11  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 12  And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine; 13  Because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the LORD.

 

Now, Moses, or his amanuensis/secretary, is writing specifically about the tribe of Levi who are sanctified, set apart for God’s specific service. The family of Aaron is confirmed to the priests’ office and no non-Hebrew is permitted to intrude on this calling on pain of death. Aaron and his sons are consecrated to be ministers before the Lord. While the Hebrews were to be, in one sense, a kingdom of priests;

Exodus 19:6  And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

 

…there were functions that only the Levites were to perform. For specific genealogy see;

 

Exodus 6:16  And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the life of Levi were an hundred thirty and seven years. 17  The sons of Gershon; Libni, and Shimi, according to their families. 18  And the

sons of Kohath; Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel: and the years of the life of Kohath were an hundred thirty and three years. 19  And the sons of Merari; Mahali and Mushi: these are the families of Levi according to their generations. 20  And Amram took him Jochebed his father’s sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years.

 

Nadab and Abihu offered strange, that is foreign, dedicated to a foreign god, incense which offended God so that he devoured them with fire.

Leviticus 10:1 ¶  And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. 2  And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

 

The Levites are a substitute for the firstborn that God claims as He did in Egypt when He had the firstborn of man and beast killed.

Exodus 13:11 ¶  And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, as he sware unto thee and to thy fathers, and shall give it thee, 12  That thou shalt set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the LORD’S. 13  And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem. 14  And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage: 15  And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the LORD slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast: therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all that openeth the matrix, being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem. 16  And it shall be for a token upon thine hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt.