Parashat B'Midbar

Wilderness: or simply, "uncultivated land", not necessarily desert. It represents the uncharted territory we encounter on our way home from exile. But the literal meaning is “place of words or speaking”, so when we are in these times of unclarity, we need first and foremost to listen to what YHWH wants to tell us through them. He told us specifically what the wilderness is for in Deut. 8:16. It is to feed us with food our fathers did not know, so it is a place for revelation of something new—or, in our case, something ancient that our ancestors did not want to know intimately. It is to humble us, which does not mean claiming to have no strengths, but to be “grounded”--having a realistic appraisal of them as well as our weaknesses, always acknowledging that our strengths come from YHWH. But the root meaning of the Hebrew word for humble is “to pay attention”. As He got Moshe’s and Eliyahu’s attention in the wilderness (Ex. 3:2; 1 Kings 19:3ff), so He wants to get ours to make us honest about who we are and where we are compared to where we should be. It is to cleanse us so we can be vessels that fit more of His oil and thus produce more light. It is also to test us, as He did with Y’shua there (Mat. 4), since the enemy and many other voices are there as well. But Y’shua’s response was the very words that YHWH had given while with Israel in the wilderness. And it is to make us pleasing to Himself in the end. (Deut. 8:16) When we have tuned in to His voice and the wilderness has done its work, we will be home where He can again walk among us—just as it was back in Eden. Second month: This is the first new moon within the time of "counting the omer" [measure] between Firstfruits and Shavuoth--a time to take account and consider the significance of our names and which giftings are among each congregation (as per Ephesians 4), which is exactly what is taking place here:

Lift up the heads: an idiom for paying direct attention to someone, for better or for worse. (Gen. 40:13, 19) Before He lets us come all the way to His Home, YHWH promised to bring us out from among the peoples into the wilderness, and judge us face to face (Y’hezq’El 20:4, 32-38), as Moshe put in place those he knew by experience to be fearers of YHWH and wise enough to make the right decisions. (Ex. 18:21) "By their polls": or census; literally, "for their skulls". Names have to do with who we are, and this is how Israelites are taken into account. For the sake of the nation, it is important that each one be in his proper place, so his or her gift can be in use in the proper proportion to the rest. This is a prerequisite for Messiah’s Kingdom being ready for His return. This verse is the key to the origanization YHWH wants. It is how Israel was organized in ancient times. Extended families were led by a patriarch. As the pattern was disrupted, Y’shua said the family in Israel now consists of those who do the will of His Father (Mat. 12:46ff) and who hear YHWH’s words and do them. (Luke 8:19ff) To these we must give more loyalty than our biological families.

No upper limit is given here as there is with those entering the priesthood (4:3), but we can deduce from Lev. 27:3 that the norm was from 20 to 60 years of age. But the clear significance is that those who do not fight for Israel are not counted, and thus on the practical level “do not count” to YHWH. Armies have many positions. Not all are on the front lines. The important point is that we each do our part.

Tribe: or "branch".

6. "From Shim'on, Sh'lumiEl [El is my peace], son of Tzurishaddai [The Almighty is my Rock];

7. "From Yehudah, Nachshon [enchanter], son of Amminadav [my relatives are generous];

The "whisperer" or "wizard" (nachshon) sets the tone for which type of generosity is described here--the type that leads Yehudah today to give away their ancestral Land that YHWH has said must never be given away or sold permanently.

9. "From Tz'vulun, Eliav [my Elohim is a Father] the son of Chelon [great ability];

10. "Of the sons of Yoseyf,
from Efrayim, Elishama [my Elohim heard] the son of Ammihud [my people are splendid];
from Menashe, Gam'liel [El has dealt bountifully with me] the son of Pedahtzur [the Rock has ransomed];

11. "From Binyamin, Avidan [my father is a judge] the son of Gid'oni [my woodcutter];

12. "From Dan, Achiezer [my brother helps] the son of Ammishaddai [the Almighty is my kinsman];

13. "From Asher, Pagiel [El has met me] the son of Ochran [troubled];

14. "From Gad, Eliasaf [Elohim has added] the son of DeuEl [know El!];

15. "From Nafthali, Achira [my brother is evil] the son of Enan [having eyes]."

Nafthali's brother was Dan, the one considered to be the ancestor of the False Messiah.

16. These were the ones summoned from the congregation, captains of the tribes of their ancestors; they [were] heads of thousands in Israel.

Of these 24 names, all but four are based on either "El" (Elohim) or the relationship to some other member of their family. This is appropriate, because they were personally responsible, before Elohim, for the welfare of their entire tribe. They are distinguished as individuals, yet their importance is chiefly related to how they benefit the whole congregation. Even by their names, they provide for the congregation from which they were selected. They were not brought in from outside seminaries and paid to lead. They were home-grown and chosen by one who knew they were worthy to lead. Moshe chose them as well as leaders under them of tens, fifties, and hundreds. (Ex. 18:21) Such leaders must be in place again so that Y’shua has an orderly Kingdom awaiting Him to bring home to His Land. The tribes of the sons of the servant-girls are listed after Rachel's sons and Leah's sons.

18. and they assembled the whole congregation together on the first day of the second month, and they registered by their clans, by the households of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upwards, for their polls,

Registered: or "declared their birth".

20. Now the sons of Reuven, Israel's firstborn, their genealogies by their clans, by the households of their fathers, according to the number of the names, for their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward---all who were able to go out to [the] army--

21. those who were mustered among them (the tribe of Reuven) were 46,500.

Mustered: the word can mean "numbered", "registered", "cared for", or "visited". It suggests that perhaps Moshe took great care to hand-pick these people by visiting them right at their tents.

23. those who were mustered among them (the tribe of Shim'on) were 59,300.

24. From the sons of Gad, their genealogies by their clans, by the households of their fathers, according to the number of the names, every male from twenty years old and upward---all who were able to go out to [the] army--

25. those who were mustered among them (the tribe of Gad) were 45,650.

26. From the sons of Yehudah, their genealogies by their clans, by the households of their fathers, according to the number of the names, every male from twenty years old and upward--all who were able to go out to [the] army--

27. those who were mustered among them (the tribe of Yehudah) were 74,600.

28. From the sons of Issachar, their genealogies by their clans, by the households of their fathers, according to the number of the names, every male from twenty years old and upward---all who were able to go out to [the] army--

29. those who were mustered among them (the tribe of Issachar) were 54,400.

30. From the sons of Z'vulun, their genealogies by their clans, by the households of their fathers, according to the number of the names, every male from twenty years old and upward---all who were able to go out to [the] army--

31. those who were mustered among them (the tribe of Z'vulun) were 57,400.

32. Of the sons of Yoseyf, from the sons of Efrayim, their genealogies by their clans, by the households of their fathers, according to the number of the names, every male from twenty years old and upward---all who were able to go out to [the] army--

33. those who were mustered among them (the tribe of Efrayim) were 40,500.

34. From the sons of Menashe, their genealogies by their clans, by the households of their fathers, according to the number of the names, every male from twenty years old and upward---all who were able to go out to [the] army--

35. those who were mustered among them (the tribe of Menashe) were 32,200.

36. From the sons of Binyamin, their genealogies by their clans, by the households of their fathers, according to the number of the names, every male from twenty years old and upward--all who were able to go out to [the] army--

37. those who were mustered among them (the tribe of Binyamin) were 35,400.

38. From the sons of Dan, their genealogies by their clans, by the households of their fathers, according to the number of the names, every male from twenty years old and upward---all who were able to go out to [the] army--

39. those who were mustered among them (the tribe of Dan) were 62,700.

40. From the sons of Asher, their genealogies by their clans, by the households of their fathers, according to the number of the names, every male from twenty years old and upward--all who were able to go out to [the] army--

41. those who were mustered among them (the tribe of Asher) were 41,500.

42. From the sons of Nafthali, their genealogies by their clans, by the households of their fathers, according to the number of the names, every male from twenty years old and upward--everyone who was able to go out to [the] army--

43. those who were mustered among them (the tribe of Nafthali) were 53,400.

44. These are the ones who were mustered, whom Moshe and Aharon mustered, as well as the captains of Israel, 12 men; each of them was for the household of his ancestors.

45. Thus all who were mustered from the sons of Israel, according to the households of their fathers, from twenty years old and upward--all who were able to go out to [the] army in Israel--

46. The total of those mustered was 603,550.

47. But the Levites, after the tribe of their fathers, were not numbered among them,

Angus Wootten notes that when there were 603,550 Jewish residents in "Palestine", the modern nation of Israel came into being; when there were this number who could go to war, the city of Yerushalayim was recovered. Yet Efrayim, YHWH's firstborn (Yirmeyahu 31:9), which correlates with the Levites who were taken in place of the firstborn (see 3:13ff), were not counted among them, though Efrayim, too, will return and inhabit the Land. The Levites are not counted among Israel, though they are counted later; they are a people especially "attached" to YHWH, as Levi's name indicates. Levi was the only son of Yaaqov that HE named. (Gen. 29:34) They serve both the tabernacle (v. 50) and the people of Israel. They are to be looked on differently from the rest of the nation. They are not part of the regular army, but do shed blood when necessary as a special “task force” that guards YHWH’s sanctuary from being defiled. (v. 51-53; 25:7-11)

49. "You shall not muster the tribe of Levi [for war], though, nor lift up the head among them among the sons of Israel,

50. "but you shall appoint the Levites over the Dwelling Place of the Testimony and over all its vessels, and everything that pertains to it. They shall carry the Dwelling Place and all its equipment, and shall serve it, and shall encamp round about the Dwelling Place.

Vessels: or equipment. Serve it: or "wait on it". Only the top of the brazen altar was carried along; the rest was rebuilt at each station with new stones, so that a witness remained behind each time. The only permanently-established altar was in Yerushalayim. YHWH has used many “movements" throughout history--reformations, revivals, special anointings which serve as holy signposts--but He also moves on, and if we do not move with Him, now matter how holy we have been, we will fall short of what He intends for us to become.

It would appear that the Tabernacle has a mind of its own. Sometimes in the same passage, both the Dwelling Place and its tent are mentioned separately (notably Lev. 16:33) as if two different entities. But it is the Presence of YHWH Himself that decides when to move; the tent is incidental. "Anyone else": literally, "the stranger", "alien", or "estranged one"--who has made himself a foreigner to the Dwelling Place, even if he is one of the Levites. We cannot toy with YHWH's presence; He wants no one coming near whose heart is not genuine. But the emphasis seems to be on being anyone who is not part of this chosen tribe. Though they do not go out to war, the structure of the Levite camp is one of battle formation, for the last line of defense in guarding the sanctity of the innermost part of the camp is the Levites. If something unholy gets this far past the other tribes, and threatens to defile the Dwelling (since apostasy hinders the ascent of the rest of the people to YHWH's inner sanctum), the Levites are responsible to stop it. Therefore, Pin'has, who killed two fornicators in the very Tabernacle courtyard who were bringing a plague on the camp, was following his job description precisely, and YHWH rewarded him for it (ch. 25).

His own banner: or standard. While there is one Torah for everyone, only the Levites are given the right to make a ruling that is binding on all Israel. (See chapter 2 for more detail.) Although Yehudah has preserved the language and many of the oral traditions from the earliest times and we have so much to learn from them, the other tribes are not intended to become Yehudah. Many of those coming in from outside of Yehudah have been under the Messiah's standard, which Yehudah, by and large, has refused to bow to for a variety of reasons. We do not have to become like them in this regard, and we should not. Nor are we rivals. Each has his own calling from YHWH, and each has a part to play in building up the whole Body for the good of all. In fact, there are Jewish traditions that many of the ancient customs--one of them being the New Moon, which Yehudah rarely celebrates today--will be restored by the descendants of the Northern Kingdom. And so it is beginning to happen.

54. So the descendants of Israel indeed did everything just as YHWH commanded Moshe.

They had no Scriptures and only Moshe’s word that this was what YHWH wanted, but still they obeyed more fully than we do yet today.

CHAPTER 2

2. "Every man of the descendants of Israel shall set up camp by his own standard with the insignia of his father's house; they shall pitch [their tents] around and facing the Tabernacle of Testimony [at a distance].

Set up camp: to pitch a tent, settle, and relax. Standard: flag or banner, from a root word meaning to make conspicuous—i.e., that which stands out and marks one as unique, or identifies how each tribe was blessed differently by YHWH. (See note on v. 16) Figuratively, we are to firmly drive down stakes into what YHWH wanted the world to see when He chose our forefathers. What are the signs of our fathers’ house throughout Scripture? The one given to our first Hebrew forefather was circumcision. (Gen. 18:10) Another given to the whole people of Israel was the blood of the lamb (Ex. 12:13) and the subsequent Feast of Unleavened Bread. (Ex. 13:6ff) Redemption of the firstborn (13:11ff) was another command YHWH said would serve as a sign. The Sabbath was an especially prominent one. (Ex. 31:13-17) And finally, having YHWH’s words, and particularly the commands to love Him with all our heart, appetites, and strength. (Deut. 6:4-9; 11:18) Y’shua clarified that the meaning behind all of these is only truly evidenced by loving one another as we love ourselves. (Yochanan 13:34; Mat. 22:34ff) The root word for insignia means "consent" or "agreement"; they had to be in unity if they were under one banner. Each tribe has a separate identity and is ordained for a particular task. Tartans, coats of arms, and flags have served similar purposes throughout history. Everyone today seems to be searching for roots--an identity, a home, and father. They cannot feel complete otherwise. This is part of the repair of the collective soul that was shattered and dispersed when Adam failed to take responsibility. Now that critical mass has been reached in the spirit, each one's soul is saying, "Bind me back to it!" Having left his family, the Prodigal can never find rest anywhere else. Every human being wants to reconnect, and the natural tendency is to go back to the latest thing one was separated from, as the Protestants are now tending to rejoin the Catholics. But this is not far enough, and is poison if we stop there, because the later separations were necessary, for there is a false reunification going on simultaneous to Israel's, and all will be resolved into two "men" who will do battle. (Lev. 24) Until we get all the way back to Eden, we are not home. And the way back is through Israel. Now the whole Northern Kingdom is under the banner of Yoseyf (and "Messiah ben Yoseyf"), but one day we will need to be more specific, because the holy city can only be entered through gates that each represent one tribe. Not having such an insignia show a lack of identity, which means we have no covering; in Y’hezq'el 9 and Revelation 7 people are marked for protection from plagues that come only on those unmarked—or have the wrong mark.

East: the term also means “ancient” in Hebrew. Again in our era, Yehudah has led the way back to the ancient homeland. Yehudah was the first to crown David king (2 Shmuel 2:10) and the first to recognize His descendant the Messiah (Rom. 1:16; 2:10). Rising sun: Yehudah was the ancestor of the Messiah, whom Malachi called the Sun of Righteousness, and indeed He proved to have healing in His wings (the Hebrew term also for the corner of His garment, which many people wanted to touch in order to be healed; see Mat. 9:20; 14:36).

5. "And those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar, and Nethan'el the son of Tzuar shall be the captain of the sons of Issachar.

6. "And his company--those who were mustered from them--were 54,400.

7. "[Also] the tribe of Z'vulun, and Eliav the son of Helon shall be the captain of the sons of Z'vulun.

8. "And his company--those who were mustered from them--were 57,400.

9. "So all who were mustered in the camp of Yehudah were 186,400 by their armies. These shall [be the] first [to] set out [and travel].

By their armies: or "forces". Yehudah had already been blessed by Yaaqov with the royal throne, and Messiah, who has already been leading many from all the tribes, unbeknownst to them, for many centuries, came from this tribe.

11. "And his company--those who were mustered from them--were 46,500.

12. "And those who encamp next to him shall be the tribe of Shim'on, and the captain of the sons of Shim'on shall be Tzurishaddai,

13. "And his company--those who were mustered from them--were 59,300.

14. "Then the tribe of Gad, and the captain of the sons of Gad shall be Elyasaf the son of Re’uel.

Re’uel (as opposed to De’uel in 1:13): The variant may have resulted because the equivalents of "D" and "R" in Hebrew are differentiated by only one small stroke. Re’uel means “look to Elohim!”

16. "So all who were mustered in the camp of Reuven were 151,450 by their armies. And they will set out [to travel] in the second rank.

Tradition says that the "standards" or banners on each of the four sides of the Tabernacle included the colors of each of their three tribes--the same colors that were on each's tribe's engraved stone on Aharon's breastplate. The individual tribes' flags depicted something from that tribe's history or Yaaqov's prophecies about them:

Reuven--red with mandrakes pictured on it
Shim'on--green with the city of Sh'chem on it
Levi--black, white, and red, with the urim and thummim depicted
Yehudah--sky blue with a lion
Issachar--blue-black with the sun and moon
Z'vulun--white with a ship
Dan--sapphire-colored, with a snake
Nafthali--pale red with a doe
Asher--a flame, olive oil, and an olive tree
Menashe--black with a re'em (an extinct animal thought by some to be a unicorn)
Efrayim--black (as also a tribe of Yoseyf) with an ox
Binyamin--all colors with a wolf
Gad--gray with a battalion (troop) of soldiers

They were "put in place" during the 49 days of the Counting of the Omer, which is the time for each member of the Body to find out where he fits, and grow to maturity in his area of specialization (sometimes called spiritual gifts). The teacher in particular is the winnower, who tosses the grain into the air to place it in the right context for the wind (same as Spirit in Hebrew) to do its work in blowing away the chaff. Yet Y'shua told us we are not to be called teachers, because we have one Teacher in truth; the human teachers are just assistants, providing a framework in which He can work. They were to move in the same formation in which they camped. Also, at its root, the word for "encamp" means to "rest" or "incline", as on the Sabbath; to set out in the same way as they encamp, on this level, would symbolize carrying some of the spirit of the Sabbath over into the ordinary days of the week.

History has borne out that Efrayim and his brother Menashe have dwelt in the westernmost parts of the world in their exile as well, and Yeshayahu specifically emphasizes that YHWH would gather His dispersed from the West (most notably 49:12, when only one other direction is specified). The term in Hebrew actually means “sea-ward”, which fits with the geography of Israel, with the Mediterranean on the west, but this terminology was used even before Israel inhabited the Land. (Here, however, the Red Sea was behind them as they traveled as well.)

20. "And next to him shall [encamp] the tribe of Menashe, and the captain of the sons of Menashe [shall be] Gam'liEl the son of Pedahtzur.

The term “encamp” is mssing from the actual text, suggesting that there is not to be as much distinction between Efrayim and Menashe as between the other tribes. Indeed, Efrayim was given Menashe’s place as firstborn by Yaaqov, but Yoseyf considered Menashe his firstborn. Also, those who have done the most research into where the different tribes settled have identified Efrayim as by and large in British territories, and Menashe mainly (though not exclusively) in North America, which is a daughter of Britain. In the recent war in Iraq, these two were closely allied in defeating the land where ancient Babylon was located. Gamli’El means “Elohim will repay fully” and Pedahtzur means “the Rock has redeemed”. These strongly allude to Y’shua and His followers receiving back their lost inheritance. Y’shua said the a special way to identify those who remain with Him is that they will bear much fruit (Yochanan 15:4ff—a term related to the larger western camp, Efrayim’s name, which means “doubly fruitful”. In that context He said, “I am the vine, you are the branches.” In Psalm 80:8-9, Israel is called a vine. And the Hebrew term for “tribe” really means a branch. So He was figuratively saying, “I am Israel; you are the tribes”. This tells us that we cannot truly remain in Y’shua unless we are part of the tribes of Israel, and that no one who does not enter through Him is finally counted as Israel, even if they have Israelite blood. (Rom. 9:6; compare Z’kharyah 13:7-9) The twelve tribal gates to the New Yerushalayim (Rev. 21:12) are in a wall founded only on the ones Y’shua sent. (21:14; Eph. 2:20)

22. "Then the tribe of Binyamin, and the captain of the sons of Binyamin [shall be] Avidan the son of Gid'oni.

All three tribes that descended from Rachel were in one camp.

24. "All that were mustered from the camp of Efrayim were 108,100 by their armies. And they will set out [to travel] in the third position.

These were the three tribes whose mother was Rachel. They camped on the West side. Hoshea 11:10 says Efrayim shall yet come "trembling from the West", so most of those under his standard are now in what is even called the "West" by the rest of the world. Psalm 80 speaks only of these three tribes, and links them with the "Shepherd of Israel" who will lead "Yoseyf" like a flock.

26. "And his company--those who were mustered from them--were 62,700.

27. "And those who encamp next to him [shall be] the tribe of Asher, and the captain of the sons of Asher [shall be] Pagiel the son of Ochran.

28. "And his company--those who were mustered from them--were 41,500.

29. "Then the tribe of Nafthali, and the captain of the sons of Nafthali [shall be] Achira the son of Eynan.

30. "And his company--those who were mustered from them--were 53,400.

31. ""All that were mustered from the camp of Dan were 157,600 by their armies. And they will set out [to travel] last with their banners."

Last: or "furthest to the rear"—those most likely to be attacked by Amaleq. (Deut. 25:17-19) This is no accident, for Dan encamped on the north side; since Hebraic orientation is to the east, the north is the left side, which usually signifies one who is less favored. The "king of the north" is another name for the Counterfeit Messiah, whom Jewish tradition says is to come from the tribe of Dan, which is probably why his tribe is not among those from which the 144,000 holy witnesses come in the book of Revelation. In Scripture, judgment also often comes out of the north (e.g., Yirmeyahu 1:14), since invading armies had to come around the fertile crescent rather than attacking from the east across the desert.

33. But the Levites were not mustered among the sons of Israel, as YHWH had commanded Moshe.

34. So the descendants of Israel acted according to all that YHWH had commanded; they indeed pitched their tents according to their standards, and indeed they set out [to travel] in the same [formation], each one by his clans, according the households of his father.

CHAPTER 3

Aharon and Moshe: yet Moshe’s genealogy is not mentioned below at all, only Aharon’s. In fact, the very name one of his sons, El’azar, is never mentioned in the Torah at all. We have to go to 1 Chron. 23:15 before we find out what it was. So how is this Moshe’s genealogy as well? Because later throughout “Moshe” becomes a synonym for the Torah, which he wrote down. And as we read about Aharon’s children below, we find that they are the ones called to give up everything else and minister in YHWH’s presence. Thus, YHWH’s servants are considered synonymous with the “sons of the Torah”. Any who call themselves YHWH’s servants and yet do not keep the Torah are therefore either deceivers or deceived.

Nadav [generous], the firstborn, and
Avihu [He is my father],
El'azar [Elohim has assisted], and
Ithamar [Coast of palms].

3. These are the names of Aharon's sons, the anointed cohanim whose hands he consecrated to act as cohanim [in the priests' office].

Consecrated: or "inaugurated".

Unauthorized fire: a symbol of wrong motivation--one having nothing to do with the service of YHWH. What is our motive for generosity? Or for calling YHWH our Father? El’azar’s name gives credit to Elohim instead of an assumption that one is superior because he has a special calling. And Ithamar’s connection to palm trees, in light of Psalm 92:12, symbolizes one who is righteous and upright. Palm trees also seldom grow in isolation (the first thing YHWH said was bad for human beings, Gen. 2:18), but rather in groups—an emphasis on the gathered community rather than a relationship with YHWH as Father only as individuals. While Aharon was present: After losing his first two sons due to their misdemeanor, he would certainly wish to keep a close watch on everything his remaining sons were doing.

6. "Bring the tribe of Levi near and present them before Aharon the cohen, that they may wait on him.

Bring near: the same Hebrew term used of the offerings that would be brought to these men as soon as their job began. So they themselves were a special gift from Israel to YHWH—not to be consumed on the altar, but to be dedicated to His service for their whole lives. Thus they enabled others to draw near to Him as well, which is the very thing mankind lost when Adam fell into sin. Wait on: has the sense of menial labor, and in modern Hebrew derivation, of accommodating to the needs of another. The root meaning is to contribute to them. Considering that at this time there were only three actual priests in existence, the assistance of many others was much needed. YHWH considered this so important that a whole tribe was designated to serve them. Since Y’shua’s followers are also held to the same standard of holiness as the Levites were, it follows that we are also contributing to His work as our “Great High Priest”. (Heb. 4:14). He has some specially designated by the Father for (literally, given to him) for his use. (Yochanan 6:39)

Keep guard: watch over or guard; be in charge of: be responsible to safeguard. By keeping the Tabernacle in the proper condition so it could reveal YHWH's nature in the best possible way, they did more to look out for the safety and well-being of Israel than the army did. They made sure all Israel was alert and watchful to guard their own gates from the sin that crouches at the door. It is significant that they were not told to guard anyone except those who wanted to draw near to YHWH.

Service: literally servitude or slavery--they could not even own land of their own--but not in a mistreated sense. It was an honor to be YHWH’s special slaves. As David said, it is better to be a doorkeeper in His house than to heap up treasure outside. (Ps. 84:10)

10. "And you shall appoint Aharon and his sons, and they shall guard the priestly office, and anyone else who comes near shall be put to death."

Anyone else: a “stranger”, but literally, one who has turned aside or become estranged. They were to be like the Torah written on our gates, symbolized by our beards and tzitziyoth that remind us to keep out anything that is not meant to be in an Israelite’s treasure-store.

12. "Behold, I Myself have selected the Levites from among the sons of Israel in place of the firstborn who opens the womb among the descendants of Israel; therefore the Levites shall be Mine,

In place of: as substitutes for having all the firstborn, who hitherto had served as priests in their own families, come act in the same role at the central sanctuary. Mine: Considering verse 9, which says that they belong to Aharon, this correlates well with Y'shua's complementary statements that all that the Father has are His, and all that He has belong to the Father. (Yochanan 16:15; 17:10)

Only the first generation (with the exception of these 273) did not have to pay the extra five sheqels, because we see Miryam, Y'shua's mother, paying five sheqels after his birth. The first generation did not pay, because the firstborn of the Egyptians paid for them. This correlates with Yeshayahu/Isaiah 43:3,4, where YHWH says He gave up the people of Egypt in order to ransom Israel; this provides a Scriptural basis for the concept of YHWH taking one person's blood as a payment for the guilt of another. Israel's firstborn took the place of Egypt's, who had died. In order to do them justice, He has a right to require something extra from the people for whom they died. How much more right does He have to require extraordinary holiness from the people for whom His Son died? The Levites, in turn, took the place of the firstborn of the Israelites as YHWH's special possession. Levi's name means "attached", so their job fits.

15. "Number the children of Levi [according] to the households of their fathers, by their clans; every male [of] them from a month old and upward you shall count."

In all the other tribes, men were only counted if they were of age to serve in the army (20 to 50 years of age), but Levites were consecrated nearly from birth. But they had to see one new moon--one complete cycle of "renewing" (which is the Hebrew word for "moon")--before they were to be counted, because the job of the priest is to renew Israel, bringing her out of darkness and into light again.

17. and these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Q'hath, and Merari,

18. and these are the sons of Gershon by their clans: Livni and Shim'i;

"Whiteness" (i.e., purity--Livni) and "renown" (Shim'i--being "heard of") came from the "exile" (Gershon).

Q’hath means “an assembly”, and his sons’ names, respectively, mean “an exalted people”, “anointing oil”, “a great society of like-minded people”, and “Elohim is my strength”.

Merari means “bitterness”, and bitterness begets “sickness” and “oversensitivity”.

22. Those of them who were numbered, according to the count of all the males from a month old and upward--their men totaled 7,500.

23. The families of the Gershonites are to pitch their tents behind the Tabernacle to the west.

This is the side of the Tabernacle on which those under Efrayim's banner encamped. Since each tribe was to camp beside its sign, the Levites associated with their side are part of the sign they represent. So the names of the Gershonites correlate with a prophecy about Efrayim, who is called YHWH’s firstborn (Yirmeyahu 31:9) and therefore has a special connection with priestly duty. One of them is “renown”. Tz’fanyah 3:20 says that as king of Israel (which includes Efrayim), YHWH will gave us a name and praise among all the peoples of the earth, specifically at the time when He restores those of us who were taken captive (correlating with Gershon’s name, meaning “exile”). Our exile is meant to bring forth purity (the meaning of Livni, “whiteness”, son of Gershon’s name; Y’shua clarifies in Rev. 3:4 and 19:8 that white garments symbolize righteous ACTIONS of the set-apart ones). It did its work once, and when Y’shua came, many of the exiles were wiling to receive Him, but we then for the most part turned back to the things that had earned us exile in the first place. But today we have another open door to return from exile, by which Elohim has added to Israel more from the nations into which we were scattered:

25. And the office of the sons of Gershon in the Tent of Appointment is to watch over [keep] the Tabernacle, the tent, its covering, and the screen for the entryway [opening] of the Tent of Appointment,

Again the Tabernacle (literally, Dwelling Place--which Solomon said the whole world itself could not comprise in a physical sense) and the tent are listed as two different things.

27. And for Q'hath are the family of the Amramites, the family of the Yitzharites, the family of the Hevronites, and the family of the Uzzielites; these are the clans of the Q'hathites.

28. In number, all the all the males from a month old and upwards, were 8,600--safeguarders of the duty of the sanctuary.

29. The families of the sons of Q'hath were to pitch their tents on the southward side of the Tabernacle.

Southward: meaning on the “right hand”, and therefore connected with the Father’s right hand, where Y’shua is enthroned. (Heb. 1:3) Indeed, the lead tribe on the south was Re’uven, whose name means, “Behold, a Son!” And all the clans of Q’hath (v. 19) have names that relate to the characteristics of His Kingdom. Therefore this camp is symbolic of the Messiah’s Kingdom.

31. and their responsibility was the ark, the table, the menorah [lampstand], the altars, the instruments of the Holy Place with which they serve, the screen, and all the equipment needed to make them work.

They are in charge of the furniture of the Temple, each piece of which is a picture of the unified people of Israel during the Messiah’s Kingdom.

33. For Merari were the family of the Machlites and the family of the Mushites; these are the clans of Merari,

34. and those of them who were numbered, according to the count of all the males from a month old and upward, were 6,200.

35. The ruler of the father’s household for the families of Merari is Tzuriel the son of Avichayil; they were to pitch their tents on the northward side of the Tabernacle.

Tzuriel: "My rock is Elohim"; Avichayil: "My father is capable". They continue to make this claimn, though their fathers are actually sickly and oversensitive (v. 20). Being connected with the banner of Dan and on the “left hand”, this side of the camp is symbolic of those in Israel who comprise the house of the counterfeit messiah.

37. and the pillars that [go] all around the courtyard, and their pedestals, and their stakes, and their ropes.

38. But those who were to encamp in front of the Tabernacle to the east--before the Tent of Appointment toward the sun's rising, were Moshe, Aharon, and his sons, to watch over the functioning of the Sanctuary for the safeguarding of the descendants of Israel; and anyone alien [to it] who approaches shall be put to death.

It may not have been a tautology to say that the east was where the sun rose; there is some reason scientifically to believe that the direction of the turning of the earth may have changed at some point(s) in history, and the legends of other lands point toward the time of the Exodus, in which case it would truly be a relatively new phenomenon. On this side were only Moshe and the priests themselves, because this was the side where the gateway to the sanctuary lay, and they were charged with the special responsibility of guarding that gate and thus protecting the whole house. (v. 10) Again, Moshe symbolizes the Torah. Linked with the camp of Yehudah, we see in this juxtaposition a prophecy that, while we were in exile, the Jews would indeed be the ones who would preserve for all Israel the Torah and the knowledge of the details of the priesthood, for the Torah is to be on the lips of the priests. (Mal. 2:7)

40. Then YHWH said to Moshe, "Count every firstborn male of the sons of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names,

41. "and you shall take possession of the Levites for Me (I am YHWH) in place of the firstborn from among the sons of Israel, and the Levites' cattle instead of all the firstlings of the animals of the descendants of Israel."

This is why the firstborn have to be redeemed. (Ex. 34:20)

43. and all the firstborn males of those who were counted among them, by the total of [their] names, from a month old and upward, were 22,273.

44. Then YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying,

45. "Select the Levites in place of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the Levites' cattle in place of their animals; thus the Levites shall be Mine. I am YHWH.

46. "And for those who are to be ransomed--the 273 firstborn of the sons of Israel who exceed the [number of] Levites,

47. "you shall collect five sheqels apiece--[one] for [each] skull [or head]; you shall collect them according to the sheqel of the Sanctuary (twenty gerahs per sheqel).

Five sheqels: the price of a child under five years old who was vowed to YHWH. (Lev. 27:6) Gerahs: literally, "kernels". Ten gerahs, then, equal half a sheqel. The temple tax is a half sheqel per person, so five sheqels is the price of ten people--or the number considered a quorum to form a whole congregation. This correlates with the ten s'firoth that comprise the "body" of the mystical "Ancient Adam", who bore YHWH's image; the Messiah and his Body (or congregation) are YHWH's way of restoring that fallen image. The ten are two pairs of five, reminding us that none of us is complete without other members of the Body; five gifts are specifically mentioned as being needed for the bringing of the Body to complete maturity (Eph. 4)--specifically to "grow up into the Head". The text literally only reads, "five sheqels for a skull" (or "head"). "Skull" is gulgoleth in Hebrew, and Y'shua is called the Head of the Body. The price for our ransom was paid at Gulgol'thah--the Place of the Skull! But a congregation (worth five sheqels) buys back the life of one firstborn, and Y'shua--the Second Adam--was a literal firstborn and is called both "the firstborn of all creation" (Col. 1:15) and the "firstborn from the dead" (1:18); we too are called the assembly of the Firstborn (Heb. 12:23), "called out" as the Levites were. Thus the Levites also correlate with a congregation; verse 7 said the Levites' job was to safeguard the Dwelling Place, which is really His Body (v. 25). This is also the job of the congregation. But the root word of "gerah" is "garar"--to bring up the cud", so "gerah" also means "cud". Chewing the cud is a picture of meditating on YHWH's word (Y’hoshua 1:8). Doing so alone yields much learning, but meditating on it together with the rest of the Body will yield many times more growth. It takes a whole congregation to make each person mature, as we see best during the Counting of the Omer between the two Firstfruits festivals. To be considered "cud", something must already have been digested once Regardless of our prmary gifting, each of us needs to have a balance of all of them, so that any of us can teach a young believer--the next time around--to walk in his particular gifting.

49. So Moshe collected the ransom money from those who were in excess of those redeemed by the Levites:

50. From the firstborn of the sons of Israel he collected [this] payment: 1,365 sheqels according to the sheqel of the Sanctuary.

Already they had a reward for giving up all to serve YHWH exclusively.