Immerse: Beginnings Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 218
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IMMERSE
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BEGINNINGS
2:32–3:19
In summary, the troops of Israel listed by their families totaled 603,550.
But as the Lord had commanded, the Levites were not included in this
registration. So the people of Israel did everything as the Lord had commanded Moses. Each clan and family set up camp and marched under
their banners exactly as the Lord had instructed them.
This is the family line of Aaron and Moses as it was recorded when the
Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai: The names of Aaron’s sons were
Nadab (the oldest), Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. These sons of Aaron were
anointed and ordained to minister as priests. But Nadab and Abihu died in
the Lord’s presence in the wilderness of Sinai when they burned before
the Lord the wrong kind of fire, different than he had commanded. Since
they had no sons, this left only Eleazar and Ithamar to serve as priests with
their father, Aaron.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Call forward the tribe of Levi, and pre
sent them to Aaron the priest to serve as his assistants. They will serve
Aaron and the whole community, performing their sacred duties in and
around the Tabernacle. They will also maintain all the furnishings of the
sacred tent, serving in the Tabernacle on behalf of all the Israelites. Assign
the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They have been given from among all
the people of Israel to serve as their assistants. Appoint Aaron and his sons
to carry out the duties of the priesthood. But any unauthorized person
who goes too near the sanctuary must be put to death.”
And the Lord said to Moses, “Look, I have chosen the Levites from
among the Israelites to serve as substitutes for all the firstborn sons of the
people of Israel. The Levites belong to me, for all the firstborn males are
mine. On the day I struck down all the firstborn sons of the Egyptians, I
set apart for myself all the firstborn in Israel, both of people and of animals.
They are mine; I am the Lord.”
The Lord spoke again to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai. He said, “Record the names of the members of the tribe of Levi by their families and
clans. List every male who is one month old or older.” So Moses listed
them, just as the Lord had commanded.
Levi had three sons, whose names were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
The clans descended from Gershon were named after two of his
descendants, Libni and Shimei.
The clans descended from Kohath were named after four of his
descendants, Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
