The Pulpit Commentary — Numbers — Section 35

HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vere. 47-54.-The appointment of the Levites to be the sacred tribe. This is the first of a series of passages in which the law regarding the Levites is delivered. These all occur in Numbers, excepting a very few which are found in Deuteronomy; and they must be read together if you would get a connected and complete view of the statutes relating to the sacred tribe. Read together, the several texts will be found to dovetail one into another. The first is quite general, merely intimating that the Levites were to be numbered and marshalled as a host by themselves, being wholly dedicated to the service of the sanctuary. The second, entitled "The generations" of the Levites, their Family Book, gives particulars regarding their divisions and several offices (cha. iii., iv.). The third describes how they were set apart to office by a solemn purification (eh. viii. 5). Subsequent passages contain (fourthly) the tragic story of Korab and his company (eh. xvi.), and (fifthly) the provision made for the Levites' honourable maintenance (chs. xviii., xxxv.). One who reads this series of passages with care will make a discovery of some value regarding the structure of these books of the Pentateuch. Because the several laws relating to one subject are not set down in one place, as they would be in our books, and are not arranged according to our ideas of order, it is confidently affirmed that they are set down with- out any order, and indeed that the Mosaic law is a somewhat random collection of documents diverse in date and character. This is certainly an error. The beautiful order discoverable in the ordinances regarding the Levites will be found to prevail in the ordinances-scattered as they may seem-on many other subjects. I. This, being the earliest notice of the Levites as a separate and sacred tribe, invites us to review THE STORY OIi' TIIEIR CALLING. The first step was taken when the Lord, ordaining in Israel a hereditary priesthood, nominated '' Aaron the Levite" and his sons. Still, though Aaron the Levite was called, nothing was said regarding the rest of the tribe. But it was plain that one man and his two sons (the whole number of the Aaronites after the death of Nadab and Abihu) could not execute the priests' office for a great nation. Helpers they must have. Who more fit than their brethren of their own tribe? They were much the smallest of the tribes, so that their maintenance would not be too burdensome ; and they had already distinguishct.l themselves by their zeal for the Lord to such a degree as amounted to a virtual con- secration to his service (see Exod. xxxii. 29). Accordingly, when the order wa" given to number and marehall the congregation, an exception was mado in relutio11 to the Levites. They were numbered by themselves, ns a separated aml sacred tribe. Recall the fact just noticed, that the Levites were fitted for their office bufora JO THE BOOK OF NUMBERS. [cH. J. 47-li4.