Numbers 8:1-26

I.    Verse 1-4 - The lighting of the candlestick.

A.  The first thing is to have light.

1.   No profitable work is done in darkness, Satan is the power of darkness.

2.      Gen. 1:3 - The first thing God made on the earth is light.

B.   Light is a type of salvation.

1.      Before a person can do anything for God, he must be saved.

2.   The blind leaders of the blind attempt to serve God through their good works and not according to faith.

C.   The command is from God to Moses to Aaron.

1.      Matt. 5:16 - Our job today is to let men see our light and glorify the Father.

2.      Matt. 5:14 - Ye are the light of the world.

D.  The candlestick was after the pattern showed to Moses in the mount.

1.   The true church of Jesus Christ is the candlestick (Matt 5:15 and Rev. 1:20).

2.   As Aaron lit the right candlestick in the right place, so should we put our salvation in the right church and serve in the right church.

II.   Verse 5-26 - The setting aside of the Levitical Tribe.

A.  Verse 5-8 - The ceremonial cleansing of the Levites.

1.      They must cleanse themselves - All true ministers will clean their own heart before they begin to instruct others as to cleansing themselves.

2.      They must be cleansed publicly - by Moses in sprinkling the purifying water on them.

a.   This is a public recognition of God's calling.

b.   This compares to ordination services for ministers today.

B.   Verse 9-11 - Brought before the Lord.

1.   All the people of Israel lay hands on them.

2.   A symbol of transference.  As sins transferred to sacrifices, so the duty of the first born is transferred to the Levites.

3.   All Israel recognized the authority of the Levites.

C.   Verse 12 - Before anybody can worship God, there must be a sacrifice for sins.  This includes preachers.

D.  Verse 13-19 - The Levites are offered as a type of sacrifice for all the people of Israel.

1.      Ministers of the gospel must give up things they desire in order to do the things of the Lord.

2.   If God didn't give ministers the work, every person would have to do the work of the minister.

3.      Eph. 4:11-13 - God has given ministers in the local churches to build up a people to the glory of God.

E.   Verse 20-22 - The work is carried out as God commanded.

F.   Verse 23-26 - A repetition of the age requirements of the priesthood.