Daily Bible Portion – 1 of 7
"WHEN YOU KINDLE"
(Numbers 8:1 to 12:16, Zechariah 2:14 to 4:7, John 19:31–37, Hebrew 3:1-6)


Review: In the last study "Count" 50 days to Pentecost, the leaders brought the required offerings for the dedication of the tabernacle. When the offerings were completed Moses entered the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord.

“He heard the voice of One speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the Testimony, from between the two cherubim; thus He spoke to him” (Numbers 7:89).

I pray we be a people like Moses who regularly go in and listen to the Lord. This study opens with the teaching on the light of the menorah in the Holy Place.

“When you arrange the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the lampstand/menorah” (Numbers 8:1).

This light of the menorah represents the embodiment of the Light of Jesus. It is important to keep our lamps burning as Messiah said, “I am the Light of the world” and commanded us to be His light to the nations saying, “You are the light of the world” (John 8:12; Matthew 5:14).

Isaiah 42:6-7 “I, Yahweh, have called You in righteousness, and will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles [Nations], to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house.”

The Setting Apart of the Levites - Numbers 8:5-26

The Levites twenty-five to thirty years old were to be set apart from the other Israelites. In less than a year the tribe of Levi changed roles completely. We learned in the first study in Numbers Bamidbar that the Levites were chosen to act as the priests because of the sin of the firstborn of the children of Israel at Mount Sinai. The Levites were raised up as tutors for the Lord’s people until the Messiah came to fulfill the Covenant and restore the firstborn priesthood in the order of Melchizedek (Numbers 4:2).

Numbers 3:12-13 “Now behold, I Myself have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead [Strong’s #8478 tachath meaning for the sake] of every firstborn who opens the womb among the children of Israel. Therefore the Levites shall be Mine, because all the firstborn are Mine. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They shall be Mine: I am the LORD”.

“For they [Levites] are wholly given to Me from among the children of Israel; I have taken them for Myself instead [for the sake] of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the children of Israel. And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the work for the children of Israel in the tabernacle of meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel, that there be no plague among the children of Israel when the children of Israel come near the sanctuary.” (Numbers 8:16, 19)

Jeremiah 33:17-22 “For thus says Yahweh: ‘David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel; nor shall the priests, the Levites, lack a man to offer burnt offerings before Me, to kindle grain offerings, and to sacrifice continually.’” And the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying, “Thus says Yahweh: ‘If you can break My covenant with the day and My covenant with the night, so that there will not be day and night in their season, then My covenant may also be broken with David My servant, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and with the Levites, the priests, My ministers. As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, nor the sand of the sea measured, so will I multiply the descendants of David My servant and the Levites who minister to Me.’”

While the men of Israel were to be counted from twenty years of age and upwards for those who would be able to serve in the army, the men of the tribe of Levi were to be counted from thirty to fifty years of age for those who will serve at the Tent of Meeting. It was the Levites who would care for the Tabernacle and act as delegates to the children of Israel. Even though the Levites were called at twenty-five years of age, a five-year apprenticeship was built in to instill confidence so by the time they reached thirty they were ready to serve.

Some pastors today are positioned before the age of thirty in early leadership roles. Because of this, difficulties can arise from the added burdens and responsibilities prematurely placed upon them.

Christian statistics groups say that of the ministers recently polled, 90% of the pastors in America feel they are inadequately trained to cope with the ministry demands and said the ministry was completely different than what they thought it would be like before they entered. 70% constantly fight depression and have a lower self-image than when they first began. Over 50% of pastors feel they are unable to meet the demands of the job and are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living. Of those entering the field 50% will leave within five years and 33% state that being in the ministry is an outright hazard to their family with the same percentage confessing being involved in inappropriate sexual behavior with their parishioners. The poll goes on to say that 3500 people a day leave the church, 1700 pastors leave the ministry each month and 7,000 churches a year close.

The Lord’s Word holds the key for when the season of leadership begins according to His design and pattern.


continues tomorrow...