Pentateuch questions

[shernren]

1. What did the Levites actually do for a living? I know that they were supposed to help with the moving of the Tabernacle, and that they were supposed to live off the people's tithes, right? Furthermore Nehemiah was angry when the Levites had to go back to work (Nehemiah 13:10-13) So why is it that along with the cities of refuge (Numbers 35) they were also given pastureland? Doesn't pastureland mean they kept livestock for a living?

2. Why does Moses address Israel in Deuteronomy as "you", in the historical retellings, when it was actually the previous generation who had done all that?

3. I don't at all understand Leviticus 10!

 

[Robert the Pilegrim]

1. <snip>

Dunno.

2. Why does Moses address Israel in Deuteronomy as "you", in the historical retellings, when it was actually the previous generation who had done all that?

I imagine because he was addressing "Israel" the nation, not the individuals of the nation.

3. I don't at all understand Leviticus 10!

Taking care of the Tabernacle is serious business, you do what you're supposed to do, and don't screw around doing whatever you feel like.

I have problems with that passage, but the meaning seems pretty clear.

 

[johnd]

Leviticus 10:1-20


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.
3 Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace. 4 And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp. 5 So they went near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp; as Moses had said. 6 And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled. 7 And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you. And they did according to the word of Moses.
8 And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying, 9 Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations: 10 And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean; 11 And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.
12 And Moses spake unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons that were left, Take the meat offering that remaineth of the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and eat it without leaven beside the altar: for it is most holy: 13 And ye shall eat it in the holy place, because it is thy due, and thy sons’ due, of the sacrifices of the LORD made by fire: for so I am commanded. 14 And the wave breast and heave shoulder shall ye eat in a clean place; thou, and thy sons, and thy daughters with thee: for they be thy due, and thy sons’ due, which are given out of the sacrifices of peace offerings of the children of Israel. 15 The heave shoulder and the wave breast shall they bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave offering before the LORD; and it shall be thine, and thy sons’ with thee, by a statute for ever; as the LORD hath commanded. 16 And Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin offering, and, behold, it was burnt: and he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron which were left alive, saying, 17 Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD? 18 Behold, the blood of it was not brought in within the holy place: ye should indeed have eaten it in the holy place, as I commanded. 19 And Aaron said unto Moses, Behold, this day have they offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD; and such things have befallen me: and if I had eaten the sin offering to day, should it have been accepted in the sight of the LORD? 20 And when Moses heard that, he was content.

 

[johnd]

It paid to pay close attention when God laid down the Law

 

[Robert the Pilegrim]

Leviticus 10:1-20

I'm in favor of having context but why quote the entire Chapter and not comment on it? I really suggest you quote those parts that you think are important and comment on them.

 

[johnd]

It would be like a father trying to pass on the responsibility of the home to the son who was goofing around at the time when the father knew he only had seconds left to throw himself on a grenade to save his family.

Son! Pay attention to everything I say!

>boom<

Grace is what God gives out in abundance when he can. But there were times when he had to lay down the law. Remember Moses who was strickened from entering the Promised Land because he struck the Rock a second time.

The prophetic model was that Christ the Rock would be struck only once. After that we are to "speak to the Rock" for living water.

 

[shernren]

I understand the significance of the passage and the seriousness of the Tabernacle. What I don't get are the details of what actually happened. Nadab and Abihu offered fire wrongly, kaboom, they get royally fried by God. That part I get. But, what really happened about Aaron not eating the goat? What is the difference between eating the sin sacrifice and burning up the sin sacrifice? In this case I'm especially confused by verse 19.

 

[Robert the Pilegrim]

I understand the significance of the passage and the seriousness of the Tabernacle. What I don't get are the details of what actually happened. Nadab and Abihu offered fire wrongly, kaboom, they get royally fried by God. That part I get. But, what really happened about Aaron not eating the goat? What is the difference between eating the sin sacrifice and burning up the sin sacrifice? In this case I'm especially confused by verse 19.

LOL

If you figure it out let me know.

I used the BibleGateway.com to look at NASB, the Message, the Amplified version, and Young's Literal Version and I looked at the Matthew Henry commentary.

My problem in understanding verse 19 is Moses' response in verse 20 which doesn't seem to agree with some of the interpretations given in the versions above. Maybe reading them will help you.

I generally find Young's Literal version interesting, but I worry that it is fairly old so it is missing a lot of scholarship into the languages that has gone on since.

 

[billwald]

The Mosiac Covenant was a social contract for the people with Moses and those living in the land of Israel. It has nothing to do with gentiles living in the USofA. Not one verse. Neither does it speculate on anyone's fate in the next world.

 

[Katydid]

1. What did the Levites actually do for a living? I know that they were supposed to help with the moving of the Tabernacle, and that they were supposed to live off the people's tithes, right? Furthermore Nehemiah was angry when the Levites had to go back to work (Nehemiah 13:10-13) So why is it that along with the cities of refuge (Numbers 35) they were also given pastureland? Doesn't pastureland mean they kept livestock for a living?

The Levites were the priests, so does your pastor only work on Sunday? They had to watch over the cleansing and all the sacrifices, they had to maintain the temple, they had to do priestly things. The temple didn't run like a traditional church, two days a week, it had to be upkept all week, every month, every year.

I imagine they had land because they had families. The families needed a place to live and produce their own food.

2. Why does Moses address Israel in Deuteronomy as "you", in the historical retellings, when it was actually the previous generation who had done all that?

I agree with the first response, because he was addressing the nation as a whole.


I'm not too sure on the Ch. 10 thing, but you gave me something to study tomorrow morning. Thank you.

 

[Robert the Pilegrim]

The Mosiac Covenant was a social contract for the people with Moses and those living in the land of Israel. It has nothing to do with gentiles living in the USofA. Not one verse. Neither does it speculate on anyone's fate in the next world.

• It was a whole lot more than a "social" contract.

• It demonstrates what God thought was important/ pleasing/ righteous/ just/ good in a certain place and time, and in as much as there are similarities, or a lack of significant differences, between the then and there and the here and now, we can use Mosaic Law to good effect as a guide for our behaviour.

 

[shernren]

The Levites were the priests, so does your pastor only work on Sunday? They had to watch over the cleansing and all the sacrifices, they had to maintain the temple, they had to do priestly things. The temple didn't run like a traditional church, two days a week, it had to be upkept all week, every month, every year.

No, I don't think the Levites were the priests. The priests were the ones who actually offered sacrifices, performed rites etc. They were the descendants of Aaron (I think? correct me?) and there is a difference between the priest and the Levite (mentioned separately in the Parable of the Good Samaritan).

I imagine they had land because they had families. The families needed a place to live and produce their own food.

But I thought their job was solely to take care of the Tabernacle, and therefore since they couldn't work for food, the people were supposed to supply them with tithes...that's my understanding from the Nehemiah passage.

Ok I got the you thing. And I'm still clueless over Lev 10.

• It was a whole lot more than a "social" contract.

• It demonstrates what God thought was important/ pleasing/ righteous/ just/ good in a certain place and time, and in as much as there are similarities, or a lack of significant differences, between the then and there and the here and now, we can use Mosaic Law to good effect as a guide for our behaviour.

Agreed. The Pentateuch is important even for us modern Christians simply because as a self-consistent God anything He says will reflect something of who He is.

 

[Robert the Pilegrim]

No, I don't think the Levites were the priests. The priests were the ones who actually offered sacrifices, performed rites etc. They were the descendants of Aaron (I think? correct me?) and there is a difference between the priest and the Levite (mentioned separately in the Parable of the Good Samaritan).

There were two types of priests, Levites and Cohen (or Kohen).
My understanding is that in later years Levites were sort of the caretakers of
teh Tabernacle and the Kohen were more the "high priests". But I'm not sure, and I'm also not sure that this differentiation always existed, or was always clear.

 

[shernren]

Well from what I read in Leviticus (it is "The Book of the Levites after all; I suppose that's about what the name means.) I think that the Levites were always the caretakers of the Tabernacle. However yesterday while reading Deuteronomy I came across this:

12:19 Be careful not to neglect the Levites as long as you live in your land. ... is this referring to their general welfare, as they didn't have a proper tribal-land of their own? Or referring specifically to tithing to support them?

Anyway I spent a bit of time looking through Lev 10 and the surroundings. So what I got out of it was:

1. The goat was a sin offering to be eaten. (Lev 6:24-30, 7:1-10)
2. That particular offering was offered for the sin of the whole community. (So, Aaron had to eat it in to fulfill the regulations of the sin sacrifice?)

That's all I can figure for now.... a bit better than before.

 

[shernren]

Hmm I found yesterday that the Israelites were supposed to supply the Levites with their tithes every three years. (Deuteronomy 14) Interestingly, do you know what they did with their tithes the other years? No, they weren't given to the Tabernacle. The Jews were to enjoy their tithes with thanksgiving to God? So why am I tithing to my church? XD ... hahaha. funny how I've never heard this chapter in a "stewardship" sermon.

 

[billwald]

>we can use Mosaic Law to good effect as a guide for our behaviour.

First, Christianity doesn't use the Mosiac Law, only 9 out of the 613 statements.


Second, the Boy Scout Law is more comprehensive and applicable than the 10 Words.