Read Numbers 3:1-4:20 at Bible Gateway.
The teaching tools of scripture
Gen 1:1-2:3 and the teaching tools of scripture part one and part two
Gen 1:1-6:8 and finding the topic themes of scripture
Hebrew paragraph divisions
3:1-4 {p} The sons of Aaron who ministered as priests
3:5-10 {p} Aaron and sons attend to his priesthood, Levites attend to Aaron and the tabernacle
3:11-13 {p} YHVH has taken the Levites instead of every firstborn
3:14-26 {s} Number the Levites + Gershon
3:27-39 {s} Kohath + Eleazar + Merari + camp of Moses and Aaron + number of Le-vites
3:40-43 {p} The number of the firstborn males
3:44-51 {p} The redemption money for the firstborn given to Aaron
4:1-16 {p} The duty of Kohath + Eleazar the priest
4:17-20 {p} That Kohath may live and not die
Strong themes of the parashiot
3:1-13 {px3} Aaron and the Levites to attend to the priesthood and the tabernacle instead of every firstborn
3:14-43 {s+s+p} Number of the Levites and the number of the firstborn males
3:44-51 {p} The redemption money for the firstborn given to Aaron
4:1-20 {p+p} The duty of Kohath and Eleazar the priest, that Kohath may live and not die
Num 3:1-4:20 Chiastic structure
Download the fully expanded Num 3:1-4:20 triennial V’eleh toldot + Al tachritu chiasm pdf (Coming …).
Theme of the parashiot
The number of Levites instead of the firstborn, and their duties by family
Finding Messiah in triennial V’eleh toldot and Al tachritu
When the camp prepared to move, Aaron and his sons covered the ark of the covenant with the veil that separated the Most Holy Place from the Holy Place. Then they covered it with skins, then a blue cloth. Then they set its poles through its rings, and it was ready to move.
Likewise the table of showbread was spread with a blue cloth, then its utensils, and its bread, then it was covered with a scarlet cloth. Then a covering of skins, then they inserted its poles and it was ready to move. The lampstand and golden altar of incense was covered with blue. The altar of burnt offering was covered with a purple cloth. Why not a blue cloth?
We have seen the blue, purple, and scarlet colors mentioned before. The curtains and veil of the tabernacle were made very specifically in these colors. Blue represents heaven, also God by extension. The heavens are blue, to an observer on earth. When Moses and the elders of Israel saw YHVH, under His feet was a paved work of sapphire stone (Exo 24:10). The tradition of Israel says that when the pillar of fire led them by night, the color of the fire was blue. Blue is a distinct primary color, not a mixture.
Scarlet represents man, as adam literally means, ruddy, or blood in the face. Red is a distinct primary color, not a mixture. When blue and red come together, a new color is born, which is 100% blue and 100% red: purple. When God and man come together into one person, Messiah is born. The purple cloth covers the altar of sacrifice, because Messiah was born on this earth to offer Himself up once for all, the Lamb which God had provided for Himself (Heb 7:27).
Now the sons of Kohath were given the charge of carrying these things. But they had to take care that they did not even watch Aaron and his sons covering them and getting them ready to move, lest they die, let alone touch them themselves.
Here in Numbers, God is emphasizing His absolute separateness from man, from even the Levites, lest they die. Because of these commands in Torah, and the deaths of Nadab and Abihu for offering profane fire before YHVH, and other instances in Scripture, His separateness was absolutely seared upon the consciousness of Israel.
And Yeshua cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split … Mat 27:50-51
So you can imagine what the veil being torn by supernatural means at the death of Yeshua said to Israel. It would be a paradigm shift of tectonic proportions!
Additional readings for these parashiot
Isa 43:1-13 | Psa 93 | Heb 12:1-29
Studies in triennial V’eleh toldot and Al tachritu
Nmbers 1:1-4:20, Annual Bamidbar chiastic structure
Numbers 1:1-4:20, Bamidbar paragraph divisions and chiastic structures
Numbers 3 and 4, Levites in the place of the firstborn
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