Immerse: Beginnings Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 247
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Then the Lord said to Aaron: “You, your sons, and your relatives from the
tribe of Levi will be held responsible for any offenses related to the sanctuary. But you and your sons alone will be held responsible for violations
connected with the priesthood.
“Bring your relatives of the tribe of L
evi—your ancestral tribe—to assist
you and your sons as you perform the sacred duties in front of the Tabernacle of the Covenant. But as the Levites go about all their assigned duties
at the Tabernacle, they must be careful not to go near any of the sacred
objects or the altar. If they do, both you and they will die. The Levites must
join you in fulfilling their responsibilities for the care and maintenance of
the Tabernacle, but no unauthorized person may assist you.
“You yourselves must perform the sacred duties inside the sanctuary
and at the altar. If you follow these instructions, the Lord’s anger will
never again blaze against the people of Israel. I myself have chosen your
fellow Levites from among the Israelites to be your special assistants. They
are a gift to you, dedicated to the Lord for service in the Tabernacle. But
you and your sons, the priests, must personally handle all the priestly rituals associated with the altar and with everything behind the inner curtain.
I am giving you the priesthood as your special privilege of service. Any unauthorized person who comes too near the sanctuary will be put to death.”
The Lord gave these further instructions to Aaron: “I myself have put
you in charge of all the holy offerings that are brought to me by the
people of Israel. I have given all these consecrated offerings to you and
your sons as your permanent share. You are allotted the portion of the
most holy offerings that is not burned on the fire. This portion of all the
most holy o fferings—including the grain offerings, sin offerings, and guilt
offerings—will be most holy, and it belongs to you and your sons. You
must eat it as a most holy offering. All the males may eat of it, and you
must treat it as most holy.
“All the sacred offerings and special offerings presented to me when the
Israelites lift them up before the altar also belong to you. I have given them
to you and to your sons and daughters as your permanent share. Any member of your family who is ceremonially clean may eat of these offerings.
“I also give you the harvest gifts brought by the people as offerings to the
Lord—the best of the olive oil, new wine, and grain. All the first crops of
their land that the people present to the Lord belong to you. Any member
of your family who is ceremonially clean may eat this food.
“Everything in Israel that is specially set apart for the Lord also belongs
to you.
