Numbers 18:8 Kommentar

Aaron being now fully established in the priesthood abundantly to his own satisfaction, and to the satisfaction of the people (which was the good that God brought out of the evil opposition made to him), in this chapter God gives him full instructions concerning his office or rather repeats those which he had before given him. He tells him, I. What must be his work and the care and charge committed to him, and what assistance he should have the Levites in that work (Num 18:1-7). II. What should be his and the Levites' wages for this work. 1. The perquisites or fees peculiar to the priests (Num 18:8-19). 2. The settled maintenance of the Levites (Num 18:20-24). III. The portion which must be paid to the priests out of the Levites' maintenance (Num 18:25-32). Thus every one knew what he had to do, and what he had to live upon.

The priest's service is called a warfare; and who goes a warfare at his own charges? As they were well employed, so they were well provided for, and well paid. None shall serve God for nought. All believers are spiritual priests, and God has promised to take care of them; they shall dwell in the land, and verily they shall be fed, and shall not want any good thing. Godliness has the promise of the life that now is. And from this plentiful provision here made for the priests the apostle infers that it is the duty of Christian churches to maintain their ministers; those that served at the altar lived upon the altar. So those that preach the gospel should live upon the gospel, and live comfortably, Co1 9:13, Co1 9:14. Scandalous maintenance makes scandalous ministers. Now observe, 1. That much of the provision that was made for them arose out of the sacrifices which they themselves were employed to offer. They had the skins of almost all the sacrifices, which they might sell, and they had a considerable share out of the meat-offerings, sin-offerings, etc. Those that had the charge of the offerings had the benefit, Num 18:8. Note, God's work is its own wages, and his service carries its recompence along with it. Even in keeping God's commandments there is great reward. The present pleasures of religion are part of its pay. 2. That they had not only a good table kept for them, but money likewise in their pockets for the redemption of the first-born, and those firstlings of cattle which might not be offered in sacrifice. Thus their maintenance was such as left them altogether disentangled from the affairs of this life; they had no grounds to occupy, no land to till, no vineyards to dress, no cattle to tend, no visible estate to take care of, and yet had a more plentiful income than any other families whatsoever. Thus God ordered it that they might be the more entirely addicted to their ministry, and not diverted from it, nor disturbed in it, by any worldly care or business (the ministry requires a whole man); and that they might be examples of living by faith, not only in God's providence, but in his ordinance. They lived from hand to mouth, that they might learn to take no thought for the morrow; sufficient for the day would be the provision thereof: and they had no estates to leave their children, that they might by faith leave their children, that they might by faith leave them to the care of that God who had fed them all their lives long. 3. Of the provision that was made for their tables some is said to be most holy (Num 18:9, Num 18:10), which was to be eaten by the priests themselves, and in the court of the tabernacle only; but other perquisites were less holy, of which their families might eat, at their own houses, provided they were clean, Num 18:11-13. See Lev 21:10, etc. 4. It is commanded that the best of the oil, and the best of the wine and wheat, should be offered for the first-fruits unto the Lord, which the priest were to have, Num 18:12. Note, We must always serve and honour God with the best we have, for he is the best, and best deserves it; he is the first, and therefore must have the first ripe. Those that think to save charges by putting God off with the refuse do but deceive themselves, for God is not mocked. 5. All this is given to the priests by reason of the anointing, Num 18:8. It was not for the sake of their personal merits above other Israelites that they had these tributes paid to them, be it known unto them; but purely for the sake of the office to which they were anointed. Thus all the comforts that are given to the Lord's people are given them by reason of the anointing which they have received. It is said to be given them by an ordinance for ever (Num 18:8), and it is a covenant of salt for ever, Num 18:19. As long as the priesthood should continue this should continue to be the maintenance of it, that this lamp might not go out for want of oil to keep it burning. Thus provision is made that a gospel ministry should continue till Christ comes, by an ordinance for ever. Lo, I am with you (that is their maintenance and support) always, even to the end of the world. Thanks be to the Redeemer, it is the word which he has commanded to a thousand generations.

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 18 This chapter gives an account of the distinct work and service of the priests and Levites, Num 18:1; and of several things given to the priests for their maintenance, Num 18:8; and of the tithes the Levites should have to live upon, since they were to have no inheritance in the land of Israel, Num 18:20; and of the tenth out of those tithes they were to give to the high priest, Num 18:25.

And the Lord spake unto Aaron,.... Having pointed out to him the duty of his office, he now informs him of the perquisites of it; or having told him what was his work, now what his wages, or what was his service, and now his maintenance: behold, I also have given thee the charge of my heave offerings, of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; such as the heave shoulder and wave breast, and firstfruits, and all other holy things in general, such as were the most holy things; as in Num 18:9; and the lighter holy things, as the Jews call them, Num 18:11; the charge of these was given to keep for themselves, and for their families: unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing: because of his office as a priest, to which he was consecrated by anointing: and to thy sons by an ordinance for ever; see Lev 7:34.

The priests and Levites to have no inheritance, Deu 18:1, Deu 18:2. What is the priest's due, Deu 18:3-5. Of the Levites that come from any of the other cities, Deu 18:6-8. The Israelites must not copy the abominations of the former inhabitants, Deu 18:9. None to cause his son or daughter to pass through the fire, or use any kind of divination or enchantment, as the former inhabitants did, Deu 18:10-14. The great prophet which God promised to raise up, Deu 18:15-19. Of false prophets, Deu 18:20; and how to discern them, Deu 18:21, Deu 18:22.

THE CHARGE OF THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES. (Num 18:1-7) the Lord said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father's house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary--Security is here given to the people from the fears expressed (Num 17:12), by the responsibility of attending to all sacred things being devolved upon the priesthood, together with the penalties incurred through neglect; and thus the solemn responsibilities annexed to their high dignity, of having to answer not only for their own sins, but also for the sins of the people, were calculated in a great measure to remove all feeling of envy at the elevation of Aaron's family, when the honor was weighed in the balance with its burdens and dangers.

THE PRIESTS' PORTION. (Num 18:8-20) the Lord spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given thee the charge of my heave offerings--A recapitulation is made in this passage of certain perquisites specially appropriated to the maintenance of the priests. They were parts of the votive and freewill offerings, including both meat and bread, wine and oil, and the first-fruits, which formed a large and valuable item.

Service and Revenues of the Priests and Levites - Numbers 18 The practical confirmation of the priesthood of Aaron and his family, on the part of God, is very appropriately followed by the legal regulations concerning the official duties of the priest and Levites (Num 18:1-7), and the revenues to be assigned them for their services (vv. 8-32), as the laws hitherto given upon this subject, although they contain many isolated stipulations, have not laid down any complete and comprehensive arrangement. The instructions relating to this subject were addressed by Jehovah directly to Aaron (see Num 18:1 and Num 18:8), up to the law, that out of the tenths which the Levites were to collect from the people, they were to pay a tenth again to the priests; and this was addressed to Moses (Num 18:25), as the head of all Israel.

The Revenues of the Priests. - These are summed up in Num 18:8 in these words, "I give thee the keeping of My heave-offerings in all holy gifts for a portion, as an eternal statute." The notion of משׁמרת, keeping, as in Exo 12:6; Exo 16:23, Exo 16:32, is defined in the second parallel clause as משׁחה, a portion (see at Lev 7:35). The priests were to keep all the heave-offerings, as the portion which belonged to them, out of the sacrificial gifts that the children of Israel offered to the Lord. תּרוּמת, heave-offerings (see at Exo 25:2, and Lev 2:9), is used here in the broadest sense, as including all the holy gifts (kodashim, see Lev 21:22) which the Israelites lifted off from their possessions and presented to the Lord (as in Num 5:9). Among these, for example, were, first of all, the most holy gifts in the meat-offerings, sin-offerings, and trespass-offerings (Num 18:9, Num 18:10; see at Lev 2:3). The burnt-offerings are not mentioned, because the whole of the flesh of these was burned upon the altar, and the skin alone fell to the portion of the priest (Lev 7:8). "From the fire," sc., of the altar. אשׁ, fire, is equivalent to אשּׁה ot , firing (see Lev 1:9). These gifts they were to eat, as most holy, in a most holy place, i.e., in the court of the tabernacle (see Lev 6:9, Lev 6:19; Lev 7:6), which is called "most holy" here, to lay a stronger emphasis upon the precept. In the second place, these gifts included also "the holy gifts;" viz., (a) (Num 18:11) the heave-offering of their gifts in all wave-offerings (tenuphoth), i.e., the wave-breast and heave-leg of the peace-offerings, and whatever else was waved in connection with the sacrifices (see at Lev 7:33): these might be eaten by both the male and female members of the priestly families, provided they were legally clean (Lev 22:3.); (b) (Num 18:12) the gifts of first-fruits: "all the fat (i.e., the best, as in Gen 45:18) of oil, new wine, and corn," viz., ראשׁיתם, "the first of them," the בּכּוּרים, "the first-grown fruits" of the land, and that of all the fruit of the ground (Deu 26:2, Deu 26:10; Pro 3:9; Eze 44:30), corn, wine, oil, honey, and tree-fruit (Deu 8:8, compared with Lev 19:23-24), which were offered, according to Ch2 31:5; Neh 10:36, Neh 10:38, Tob. 1:6, as first-fruits every year (see Mishnah, Bikkur, i. 3, 10, where the first-fruits are specified according to the productions mentioned in Deu 8:8; the law prescribed nothing in relation to the quantity of the different first-fruits, but left this entirely to the offerer himself); (c) (Num 18:14) everything placed under a ban (see at Lev 27:28); and (d) (Num 18:15-18) the first-born of man and beast. The first-born of men and of unclean beasts were redeemed according to Num 3:47; Exo 13:12-13, and Lev 27:6, Lev 27:27; but such as were fit for sacrifice were actually offered, the blood being swung against the altar, and the fat portions burned upon it, whilst the whole of the flesh fell to the portion of the priests. So far as the redemption of human beings was concerned (Num 18:16), they were "to redeem from the monthly child," i.e., the first-born child as soon as it was a month old.