42 - Moses given the order of duties by God

Kathleen's thoughts

Numbers 3,8,4

Every first born male of the Israelites one month old or more to be registered and a list of their names.

God told Moses "You are to take the Levites for me I am the Lord"

The total registered were 22,273

The Lord told Moses "Take the Levites from among the Israelites and ceremonially cleanse them and then to present them before the tent of meeting and assemble the entire Israelite community. Then present the Levites before the Lord as a presentation offering from the Israelites, so that they may perform the Lord's work. Next The Levites are to lay their hands on the heads of the bulls Sacrifice one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to the Lord, to make atonement for the Levites. The Levites need to stand before Aaron and his sons, and you are to present them before the Lord as a presentation offering. In so doing this will separate the Levites from the Israelites and may come to serve at the tent of meeting once you have ceremonially cleansed them and presented them as a presentation offering.

SO God has taken the Levites exclusively to Aaron and his sons to perform the work for the Israelites at the tent of meeting and to make atonement on their behalf.

Instructions were also given in regard to the Levites From 25 Years old or more a man enters the service in the work at the tent of meeting but at 50 years old he is to retire from his service and no longer serve. He may assist his brothers to fulfill responsibilities at the tent of meeting but he must not do the work.

Eleazar Son of Aaron the priest has oversight of the lamp oil, the fragrant incense, the daily grain offering and the anointing oil He has oversight of the entire tabernacle and everything in it, the holy objects and their utensils.

The Kohathites clan were not allowed to even look at them or they would die,. So the Lord instructed Moses that he was to take men from 30 - 50 years old - everyone who is qualified to do work at the tent of meeting . So when the camp was to move on Aaron and his sons are to go in take down and pack up and cover them according to God's plan and then the Kohathites would come and carry them but they are not to touch the Holy objects or they will die. This applied to The Gershonites too but they were to transport the tabernacle curtains the tent of meeting with its covering and the covering made of manatee skin on top of it. the screen for the entrance to the tent of meeting the hangings of the courtyard the screen for the entrance at the gate of the courtyard that surrounds the tabernacle and the altar, along with their ropes and all the equipment for their service. The Merarites They are responsible for to carry as the whole of their service at the tent of meeting the supports of an bases, the post of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs and ropes including all their equipment.

And so Moses and Aaron and the leaders of the community registered the...

Kohathites 30 -50 Years old 2,750

Gershonites 30 -50 years old 2,630

Merarites 30 -50 Years old 3,200

The Levites by their clans and their ancestral houses form 30 -50 Years old. 8,580

total 17,160

Blessings