Immerse: Beginnings Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 248
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IMMERSE
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BEGINNINGS
18:15-29
“The firstborn of every mother, whether human or animal, that is offered to the Lord will be yours. But you must always redeem your firstborn sons and the firstborn of ceremonially unclean animals. Redeem
them when they are one month old. The redemption price is five pieces
of silver (as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel, which equals
twenty gerahs).
“However, you may not redeem the firstborn of cattle, sheep, or goats.
They are holy and have been set apart for the Lord. Sprinkle their blood
on the altar, and burn their fat as a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the
Lord. The meat of these animals will be yours, just like the breast and
right thigh that are presented by lifting them up as a special offering before
the altar. Yes, I am giving you all these holy offerings that the people of
Israel bring to the Lord. They are for you and your sons and daughters, to
be eaten as your permanent share. This is an eternal and unbreakable covenant between the Lord and you, and it also applies to your descendants.”
And the Lord said to Aaron, “You priests will receive no allotment of land
or share of property among the people of Israel. I am your share and your
allotment. As for the tribe of Levi, your relatives, I will compensate them
for their service in the Tabernacle. Instead of an allotment of land, I will
give them the tithes from the entire land of Israel.
“From now on, no Israelites except priests or Levites may approach the
Tabernacle. If they come too near, they will be judged guilty and will die.
Only the Levites may serve at the Tabernacle, and they will be held responsible for any offenses against it. This is a permanent law for you, to
be observed from generation to generation. The Levites will receive no
allotment of land among the Israelites, because I have given them the Israelites’ tithes, which have been presented as sacred offerings to the Lord.
This will be the Levites’ share. That is why I said they would receive no
allotment of land among the Israelites.”
The Lord also told Moses, “Give these instructions to the Levites: When
you receive from the people of Israel the tithes I have assigned as your allotment, give a tenth of the tithes you r eceive—a tithe of the tithe—to the
Lord as a sacred offering. The Lord will consider this offering to be your
harvest offering, as though it were the first grain from your own threshing
floor or wine from your own winepress. You must present o ne-tenth of the
tithe received from the Israelites as a sacred offering to the Lord. This is
the Lord’s sacred portion, and you must present it to Aaron the priest. Be
sure to give to the Lord the best portions of the gifts given to you.
