Nu. 18: Priestly Duties Again

Numbers 18 is a whole lotta review. The LORD is speaking to Aaron.

Basically, it will be the Levites who are in charge of performing all the duties of the Tabernacle. No regular old Israelite was allowed to enter in. They had full responsibility for making atonement and offering sacrifices. Anyone who came near the sanctuary must be put to death. They wouldn't die instantly, I'm thinking. Death would be the punishment doled out by human hands.

The LORD kinda makes it a sweet deal. As Levites, they would be the recipients of all the firstfruit offerings. As God demanded the best of the people, it would be the Levites who reap the reward of this...the best from the fields, from the herds, and from the winepress.

The Levites were not to have an inheritance in the land, however. Rather, God says that He Himself will be the inheritance and share for the Levites among the Israelites.

Then God turns to Moses and lets him know that of this ten percent tithe given by the Israelites, the Levites were in turn to give ten percent of that to God as His offering.

So...there was only one person who could make atonement. Any attempt by an individual to make atonement meant certain death.