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Numbers 17:27-18:32 is divided into four parts:
- Yahweh's response to the people's fears by defining the responsibilities of the priests and Levites in protecting the Sanctuary and the people from encroaching on the Sanctuary (verses 17:27-18:7).
- The priests' reward for fulfilling their duties (verses 18:8-19).
- The Levites' reward for fulfilling their duties (verses 18:20-24).
- Commands concerning the distribution of the tithe (verses 25-32).
Numbers 17:27/12-18:7 Expiation-the Function of the Priesthood
Question: What has happened to cause the Israelites to be so fearful of Yahweh?
Answer: The Israelites have been traumatized by the events of the rebellion and God's divine judgment of death to the rebels. With the deaths of about five thousand Israelites, including the deaths by holy fire of the two hundred and fifty tribal leaders who brought their minhah and incense offerings within the Sanctuary, the Israelites are now fearful of coming to the Sanctuary to worship Yahweh.
It is not the just the "encroacher" that the Israelites have in mind in Numbers 17:27-28. It is their fear that anyone who draws near Yahweh in His Sanctuary will die. It is a fear that could lead to the separation between Israel and Yahweh. Their fear is that God will not limit His punishment to an unauthorized person and all of them are in danger of dying by His divine agency. In His mercy, God addresses the people's fear in chapter 18 by graciously reminding the Israelites of the hierarchy of responsibility for encroachment on the Sanctuary. He also modifies the roles of the priests and Levites so that only they and not the entire community will suffer death for encroachment.
Yahweh instructs Aaron in Numbers 18:1-7 that it is the Levites' duty to guard (samar) the sanctity of the Sanctuary, to serve (abad) the priests who minister/give service (abodah) in the Sanctuary, and to stand as a buffer between the people and the possible violation of the Sanctuary's holiness. Levites still only function only as servants who assist the chief priests (Num 3:5-10).
Notice that in this chapter it is only Aaron who receives the divine instructions for the priests and Levites (verses 1-24). God will give Aaron instructions three times:
- Verses 1-7: To have the priests and Levites share the responsibility for guarding the Sanctuary.
- Verses 8-19: Instructing Aaron on the priestly perquisites.
- Verses 20-24: Denying the Levites (chief priests and the three clans) any portion of the Promised Land and assigning the Levites the gift of the Israelites' tithes as a reward for their dangerous guard duties for the Sanctuary and providing a buffer for the lay Israelites.
However, in the final instructions for Levites' tithe to the chief priests, it is Moses who receives those commands (verses 25-32).
Numbers 18:8-19 The Portion Allotted to Aaron and the Chief Priests
Question: Verse 8 is the general introduction to the list of the priestly portions provided by Yahweh to His priests. Yahweh makes what two points in this general introduction?
Answer:
- God has put Aaron in charge of the Sanctuary and he is responsible in the event of a desecration.
- As His part God will provide the chief priests the assistance of the Levites and an ample reward from the bounty of the Israelites.
Numbers 18:20-24 The Portion Allotted to the Levites
Question: In addition to the instruction to Aaron in verses 1-7, what fourth responsibility for encroachment upon the Sanctuary is included in verses 22-23?
Answer: The Levites are responsibly for encroachment by lay Israelites for the Sanctuary as a whole.
| The Hierarchy of Responsibilities for Priests and Levites in Numbers 18 | |||
| Class | Responsibility | Encroachment by | Scripture |
| Priests and Kohathite clan | Most sacred objects in transit | Lay Israelites | Num 18:1a |
| Priests | Most sacred objects of the Sanctuary | Disqualified priests | Num 18:1b, 7a |
| Priests and Levites | Most sacred objects at rest | Levites | Num 18:3 |
| Levites | The Sanctuary as a whole | Lay Israelites | Num 18:22-23 |
| Michal E. Hunt © 2010 inspired by a list in the JPS Torah Commentary: Numbers, page 424 | |||
Numbers 18:25-32 Distribution of the Tithe
The laity will live on the produce of the land, but the Levites are to live on the one-tenth cultic tithe paid by their brother Israelites and the cultic offerings designated for Yahweh's Sanctuary. The chief priests (who are part of the tribe of Levi) are exempt from the tithe and are to receive the best tenth of the tithe that was given to the Levites and on those parts of the sacrificial offerings which were not consumed on the altar fire that were assigned to Yahweh's priests (i.e., Lev 23:20).
Aaron
A Summary of the Sanctuary Responsibilities and God's Provisions for the Levites and the Chief priests in Numbers chapter 18
The reason the gifts and tithes to Yahweh are shared with His priests and Levites is summarized in verses 19-20: the grants to the priests and Levites are to compensate for their exclusion from inheriting the land and as a reward for their service to God and Israel.
- The priesthood of Aaron bore the primary responsibility for preserving the sanctity of the Sanctuary and its contents and the ritual purity of its own members. The Levites served the chief priests and only had access to the outer areas of the Sanctuary complex and could not approach the sacrificial altar.
- God will reward His priests with the following types of revenue for fulfilling their priestly obligations (Num 18:8-20):
- Portions of the "most holy offerings" not consigned to the altar fire, including most of the grain offerings, the sin and reparation offerings (see Lev 6:1-7:10). The portions were to be consumed in a sacred meal by ritually pure priests within the sacred precincts of the Sanctuary (Num 18:8-10).
- The breast and foreleg and the right thigh from the peoples' "peace" communion offerings (see Lev 7:11-38). These portions could be eaten by the priest's family, including daughters, wives and household slaves if they were in a ritually clean state. For additional legislation on holy food for priests and their households see Lev 22:1-16 (Num 18:11).
- All the annual Israelite first fruits of the grain, fruit, olive oil and wine went to the priests to be shared with his household. These various laws appear in Ex 23:16-19; Lev 2:14; 23:17-18; Dt 18:4; and 26:1-11 (Num 18:12-13).
- All that was proscribed under the provisions of the herem (curse of destruction/consecration) went to the priests. Leviticus 27:21 and 28-29 records that ancestral fields that were not claimed in the Jubilee year and became Temple property under the law of herem were at the priests' disposal. This legislation will also relate to the entire topic of herem as it is expressed in Dt 7:28 and 13:18, and during the conquest of Canaan in Joshua Chapters 6-7 (Num 18:14).
- All the first born males of man and beast went to the priests. First born human males were redeemed by a redemption tax and their value, plus a surcharge that was remitted to the priests. The firstlings of "unclean" animals not suitable for sacrifice were also redeemed and their value plus a surcharge was remitted to the priests. See additional passages in Ex 13:2, 11-13; 22:28; 34:19-20; Lev 27:1-13; Dt 12:17; 14:23; 15:19-23 (Num 18:15-18).
- When the people occupy the Promised Land, the Levites are to collect from the twelve tribes of Israel one-tenth of the annual produce from their fields, vineyards, and orchards. Laws governing the national annual tithe are also found in Lev 27:30-32; Dt 12:17-19 and 14:22-29 (Num 18:21-24).
- Out of the national annual tithe, the Levites are required to contribute to the priests one-tenth of the best of all they have collected. The chief priests benefited from this tithe as a reward for their ministry and they were exempt for all such tithes. The requirement of the Levites to support the Aaronic priesthood epitomized the Levites subservience to the chief priests (Num 18:25-32).
Chapter 19: Cities of Refuge, Boundaries and Witnesses in Civil Trials
Deuteronomy 19:1-3 Cities of Refuge
The command to establish cities of refuge is also found in Exodus 21:13-14 and in Numbers 35:9-34. This passage is referring to the cities of refuge only on the west side of the Jordan River. The cities were to be located in areas that provided easy access for someone seeking refuge.
Question: In Numbers 35:13-15, how many cities of refuge did God command were to be established and where were they to be located?
Answer: God ordered the people to established six cities of refuge: three cities of refuge on the west side of the Jordan River in Canaan and three on the east side of the Jordan River in the Transjordan lands occupied by the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the two clans of Manasseh.
Deuteronomy 19:4-13 Examples of Persons Eligible for Refuge
An "avenger of blood" was a male blood relative of the person who was killed who took up the obligation to seek justice for his dead relative.
Question: What determines if a killing is intentional or unintentional?
Answer: The intent and the past conduct of the person who killed another person.
Question: The procedure for seeking refuge is listed in this passage, in Numbers 35:11-15, 22-29 and in Joshua 20:4-6. What must the killer do and what must the town provide?
Answer: The killer must flee to one of the sanctuary towns and explain his case to the town elders. The elders will admit him and give him a place to live. They will protect him until he is brought to trial. If it is proved by trial that he killed unintentionally, he can continue to live in safety from the family of the victim until the high priest dies. The high priest's death will atone for his sin and he will be free to go his way. If someone seeks revenge after this, they will answer for murdering an innocent man. If a trial proves that the man intentionally killed, then he will be put to death with a member of the family of the victim (the blood avenger) taking part in the execution.
Deuteronomy 19:13 You must show him no pity.
The presiding judge and the judicial court must show no pity to one who is justly condemned for his sins.
Question: How is Jesus both our High Priest whose death atones for our sins and our blood avenger?
Answer: Jesus is both our High Priest and our blood avenger because His death has atoned for our deadly sins in the family of man, and He crushes the head of the serpent, Satan (Gen 3:15), as our blood avenger for the crimes against humanity in the sin and death Satan brought into the world.
If the Israelites expanded their borders, they were to establish additional cities of refuge. However, they failed to expand to the entire area promised by Yahweh; therefore more cities of refuge were not established.
Deuteronomy 19:14-21 Respect for Boundary Markers, Witnesses in Civil Trials, and the Repeat of the Law of Limited Retaliation
14 'You must not displace your neighbor's boundary mark, positioned by men of old in the heritage soon to be yours, in the country [land] which Yahweh your God is about to give you. 15 'A single witness will not suffice to convict anyone of a crime or offence of any kind; whatever the misdemeanor, the evidence of two witnesses or three is required to sustain the charge. 16 If someone gives false evidence against anyone, laying a charge of apostasy, both parties to this dispute [riv = covenant lawsuit] before Yahweh must appear before the priests and judges then in office. 18 The judges will make a careful enquiry, and if it turns out that the witness is a liar and has made a false accusation against his brother, 19 you must treat the witness as he would have treated his brother. You must banish this evil from among you. 20 The rest, hearing of this, will be afraid and never again do such an evil thing among you. 21 You must show no pity.
'Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.'
[..] = literal translation (The Interlinear Bible: Hebrew-English, vol. I, page 512-13).
The sacrosanct status of boundary markers was a legal tradition in the ancient Near East (see Job 24:2; Prov 22:28; Is 5:8; Hos 5:10). Boundaries between properties were usually marked by stones-as will be the ancestral lands given to tribal members in the Promised Land. It is a moral offence to attempt to claim property that rightfully belongs to another (a violation of the tenth commandment). Such a person who commits this offense is to be cursed (Dt 27:17). The laws concerning boundaries in the Bible are similar to those laws found in other law codes of the region, for example the Code of Hammurabi and in the Assyrian law codes (also see Job 24:1-2 and Prov 22:28).
Question: According to Numbers 35:30 and Deuteronomy 17:6, how many witnesses were required to find someone guilty of a capital offense or any offense?
Answer: Two or more; a person could not be put to condemned for any offense on the testimony of only one witness.
The Pharisees brought Jesus a woman accused of adultery (Jn 8:1-11), hoping to trap Jesus into either going beyond His authority in a Roman province by condemning her to death according to Jewish Law (Lev 20:10) or forgiving her and letting her go free, which would be a violation of the Law and something the Messiah could not do. Jesus asked for the one among them who was guiltless to cast the first stone (Jn 8:7). Adultery was a death penalty offense by stoning for men and women who were found guilty (Dt 22:22). In asking for someone to step forward to cast the first stone, He was seeking the witnesses against her. Under the Law, a witness had to be truthful and without guilt in his testimony. If the witnesses lied (there had to be at least two), they could be stoned themselves. The elder members of the crowd, who were most familiar with the implications of the law, were the first to leave, followed by all other men in the crowd.
The prohibition against giving false testimony is one of the Ten Commandments (Ex 20:16; Dt 5:20) and is also listed in greater detail among the laws in the Book of the Covenant (Ex 23:1-2). If there was any suspicion of collusion or false testimony, the judges were to investigate thoroughly.
Deuteronomy 19:19 ... you must treat the witness as he would have treated his brother.
This command is addressed to the court. If the witnesses are found to be false, the court was to give them the same penalty they had planned for the person they accused. Punishment of a false witness is the only time the punishment phase is carried out by the court as the wronged party, since the purpose of the false witness wasn't just to condemn an innocent person, but the intent was also to subvert the ability of the court to judge correctly. In Jesus' trial, the witnesses contradicted each other's testimony, but the judges ignored their duty (see Mt 26:59-61; Mk 14:55-56).
Deuteronomy 19:21 You must show no pity. Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.' Once again (as in verse 13), the judges and the judicial court must base their verdict on the merits of the law and not on sympathy for the accused (also see Dt 16:18-20); nor must they hand down a verdict that was unjust. The second part of the verse is the command to be just and to not exact vengeance-the punishment must fit the crime. A man cannot be put to death for knocking out the tooth of another man. The law of reciprocity, also called the law of limited retaliation, is known in Latin as Lex talionis. The law of reciprocity has already appeared in a similar formula in the Book of the Covenant (Ex 21:25) and in the Holiness Code (Lev 24:17-20). By imposing a punishment that is just and equal to the crime/damage, the law aims to limit excesses of vengeance. The same law is found in the Code of Hammurabi and in the Assyrian laws, but what is different in those codes is that the wealth and status of the individual were taken into account, whereas under Yahweh's justice all classes of society were equal under the law. The expressions "eye for eye, tooth for tooth" etc. are not necessarily meant to be taken literally. In cases of bodily injury, the judges usually imposed monetary fines. In the Code of Hammurabi, if a nobleman knocked out the tooth of someone of his same rank, his tooth was to be knocked out, but if he knocked out the tooth of a commoner, he paid one-third mina of silver to his victim (Ancient Near Eastern Texts, page 175). According to Jewish tradition, the punishment for personal injury was a monetary fine (The Jewish Study Bible, page 411; JPS Torah Commentary: Deuteronomy, page 185).
Chapter 20: War and the Rules for Combatants
Chapter 20 consists of three laws about warfare:
- Preparing the army for battle (verses 1-9).
- The treatment of conquered populations (verses 10-18).
- The preservation of fruit trees near besieged cities (verses 19-20).
In these instructions, Moses presents five ways in which God will guide His people during armed conflict:
- God's promise when faced by danger (verses 1-4).
- God's provision in emergencies (verses 5-9).
- God's peace extended to enemies who surrender (verses 10-11).
- God's power over willful opposition (verses 12-18).
- God's preservation of what is good in the midst of war and destruction (verses 19-20).
Deuteronomy 20:1-4 The Priestly Address before Battle
Horse drawn chariots were among the most technologically advanced weaponry armies had in this period in history. War chariots were essentially platforms pulled by horses with a driver and a soldier who launched spears or shot arrows. The speed and maneuverability of the chariot gave a tremendous advantage. At the time the Israelites invaded Canaan, the Canaanites had war chariots and the Israelites did not (see Josh 4:11).
Question: What additional duty of a priest is mentioned in this passage?
Answer: The priest(s) must give a spiritually uplifting address to the troops before going into battle, reminding the soldiers of God's presence with His holy warriors and His gracious protection of His people in times of danger in Israel's past history. The priest's presence makes Israel's battle a holy war.
Deuteronomy 20:5-9 Exemptions from Combat
Priests were to be appointed to accompany the army into battle, but the civilian officials (scribes/elders) are referred to in connection with requirements and responsibilities like determining who was eligible for the four military exemptions that are listed. After spiritually uplifting the troops and the dismissal of certain men because of approved exemptions, commanders were appointed to lead the army by the priests and civilian officials (scribes/elders).
Question: What were the four conditions that made a man eligible for exemption from battle?
Answer:
- If a man had built a new house
- If a man had planted a vineyard that had not yet produced its first harvest*
- If a man was betrothed and had not yet married the woman
- If a man suffered from excessive fear and was faint-hearted
* The law stipulated that newly planted fruit bearing trees and vines were only available for common use in the fifth year (Lev 19:23-25).
The first three deferments ensured that young men who had made certain important steps in their adult lives should be able to complete them before risking their lives. Jeremiah 29:5-6 mentions the same activities and the enjoyment of the fruits of those activities as the blessings of a normal life, while Deuteronomy 28:30 speaks of the failure to complete those activities as curses for failing to be obedient to the covenant.
The fourth deferment was for cowardly behavior or tender-heartedness. The cowardly fleeing from the field of battle could cause panic among the troops, and the tender-hearted would be unable to make themselves kill, thus wasting their own lives and perhaps the lives of others.
Deuteronomy 20:10-20 The Treatment of Gentile Captured Towns outside Canaan and Towns within Canaan
Question: How were towns outside of Canaan to be treated differently from Gentile towns within the Promised Land?
Answer: Towns within the Promised Land were to be put under herem-the curse of total destruction. Other towns were to be offered peace terms. If those towns refused the peace terms, however, after their were conquered the men were to be put the death but the women and children were to become slaves and the booty was to be divided among the soldiers.
Question: What reason is given in this passage for the towns in Canaan to be put under the curse of herem (total destruction)?
Answer: Their evil practices of pagan worship will seduce the Israelites and pollute God's Holy Land and God's holy people.
Question: Why was the judgment against the people who inhabited Canaan so harsh?
Answer: Maintaining their holiness as a covenant people meant life or death to the Israelites.
Deuteronomy 20:19-20 The Treatment of Trees near Besieged Towns
In this passage God emphasizes that man has personal responsibility in the wise use of the blessings of the earth that God has given to him (Gen 1:29-30). Fruit trees that provide food must be preserved at all cost. Non-fruit bearing trees can be used to make siege equipment (ladders, battering rams, etc.) but cannot be destroyed at will for no reason.
CHALLENGE “The sacrament of confirmation is an invention of men with no biblical basis.”
DEFENSE: The sacrament of confirmation is recorded in Scripture. The laying on of hands is used in several Christian rites, including healing (Mark 6:5; Acts 28:8) and ordination for ministry (Acts 6:1–6, 13:2–3). It is also used in Christian initiation.
The book of Hebrews lists the laying on of hands among the “elementary doctrines of Christ” basic things a convert would need instruction on—alongside repentance, faith, baptism, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment (Heb. 6:1–2).
We see it used in Christian initiation in Acts 8, where Philip the evangelist (cf. Acts 6:5, 21:8–9) converts a number of Samaritans. Although he baptized them (Acts 8:12), he did not have the ability to lay hands on them. Thus two apostles—Peter and John—came from Jerusalem and prayed “that they might receive the Holy Spirit; for it had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit” (8:15–17).
We see the same in Acts 19, where Paul administers Christian baptism to a group and then lays his hands upon them, which results in the Holy Spirit coming upon them (19:5–6). The Holy Spirit is associated with and received in baptism (Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 2:38; 1 Cor. 12:13), but the passages above show there was also a laying on of hands for further strengthening with the Holy Spirit as part of Christian initiation.
The passages also show this laying on of hands was distinct from baptism and that not all ministers performed it. Philip the evangelist baptized but did not lay on hands, while higher ranking ministers, such as Peter, John, and Paul, both baptized and laid on hands. “Very early, the better to signify the gift of the Holy Spirit, an anointing with perfumed oil (chrism) was added to the laying on of hands” (CCC 1289). This rite is today known in the West as confirmation and in the East as chrismation.
Today as then, not all ministers are able to celebrate it. Bishops—the successors of the apostle —are able, as are priests under certain conditions, but other ministers are not.
Jimmy Akin, A Daily Defense: 365 Days (Plus One) to Becoming a Better Apologist
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