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Saturday, February 4, 2012

How Many Levites Does It Take To . . . ?

Numbers 3:5 says, "The LORD said to Moses, 'Bring the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him.'" If you read on in chapter three (not part of today's reading), it gives the total number of Levites as 22,000. They were divided into three groups that helped with specific areas of the tabernacle. However, it still seems like too many people to cover the responsibilities. Does anyone know how this actually worked out?
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2 comments:

  1. CarlyFebruary 4, 2012 at 9:52 AM

    I don't know how it was worked out in the Old Testament, but I remember learning when studying Zechariah that the priestly duties were very infrequent--perhaps because there were so many. Sometimes a person could be a priest and never have to perform any of the priestly responsibilitiesn in his lifetime. Maybe this was also the case during Aaron's time?

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  2. Adam GoedeFebruary 4, 2012 at 10:10 PM

    Thanks, Carly. That could be. I just read another clue in the intro to tomorrow's reading where the editor points out that the 22,000 in the tribe of Levi counts all males at least a month old while those 30 to 50 who serve in the tabernacle total 8,580, so less people but still more than enough to cover the duties.

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