Read Numbers 7
Offerings at the Dedication of the Tabernacle
7 When Moses finished setting up the tabernacle, he anointed and consecrated it and all its furnishings. He also anointed and consecrated the altar and all its utensils. 2 Then the leaders of Israel, the heads of families who were the tribal leaders in charge of those who were counted, made offerings. 3 They brought as their gifts before the Lord six covered carts and twelve oxen—an ox from each leader and a cart from every two. These they presented before the tabernacle.
4 The Lord said to Moses, 5 “Accept these from them, that they may be used in the work at the tent of meeting. Give them to the Levites as each man’s work requires.”
6 So Moses took the carts and oxen and gave them to the Levites. 7 He gave two carts and four oxen to the Gershonites, as their work required, 8 and he gave four carts and eight oxen to the Merarites, as their work required. They were all under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron, the priest. 9 But Moses did not give any to the Kohathites, because they were to carry on their shoulders the holy things, for which they were responsible.
10 When the altar was anointed, the leaders brought their offerings for its dedication and presented them before the altar. 11 For the Lord had said to Moses, “Each day one leader is to bring his offering for the dedication of the altar.”
12 The one who brought his offering on the first day was Nahshon son of Amminadab of the tribe of Judah.
13 His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekelsand one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 14 one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;15 one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; 16 one male goat for a sin offering; 17 and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab.
18 On the second day Nethanel son of Zuar, the leader of Issachar, brought his offering.
19 The offering he brought was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 20 one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; 21 one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; 22 one male goat for a sin offering; 23 and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Nethanel son of Zuar.
24 On the third day, Eliab son of Helon, the leader of the people of Zebulun, brought his offering.
25 His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 26 one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;27 one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; 28 one male goat for a sin offering; 29 and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Eliab son of Helon.
30 On the fourth day Elizur son of Shedeur, the leader of the people of Reuben, brought his offering.
31 His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 32 one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;33 one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; 34 one male goat for a sin offering; 35 and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Elizur son of Shedeur.
36 On the fifth day Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, the leader of the people of Simeon, brought his offering.
37 His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 38 one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;39 one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; 40 one male goat for a sin offering; 41 and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.
42 On the sixth day Eliasaph son of Deuel, the leader of the people of Gad, brought his offering.
43 His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 44 one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;45 one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; 46 one male goat for a sin offering; 47 and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Eliasaph son of Deuel.
48 On the seventh day Elishama son of Ammihud, the leader of the people of Ephraim, brought his offering.
49 His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 50 one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;51 one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; 52 one male goat for a sin offering; 53 and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Elishama son of Ammihud.
54 On the eighth day Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, the leader of the people of Manasseh, brought his offering.
55 His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 56 one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;57 one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; 58 one male goat for a sin offering; 59 and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.
60 On the ninth day Abidan son of Gideoni, the leader of the people of Benjamin, brought his offering.
61 His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 62 one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;63 one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; 64 one male goat for a sin offering; 65 and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Abidan son of Gideoni.
66 On the tenth day Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai, the leader of the people of Dan, brought his offering.
67 His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 68 one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;69 one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; 70 one male goat for a sin offering; 71 and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.
72 On the eleventh day Pagiel son of Okran, the leader of the people of Asher, brought his offering.
73 His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 74 one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;75 one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; 76 one male goat for a sin offering; 77 and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Pagiel son of Okran.
78 On the twelfth day Ahira son of Enan, the leader of the people of Naphtali, brought his offering.
79 His offering was one silver plate weighing a hundred and thirty shekels and one silver sprinkling bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel, each filled with the finest flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering; 80 one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense;81 one young bull, one ram and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; 82 one male goat for a sin offering; 83 and two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male lambs a year old to be sacrificed as a fellowship offering. This was the offering of Ahira son of Enan.
84 These were the offerings of the Israelite leaders for the dedication of the altar when it was anointed: twelve silver plates, twelve silver sprinkling bowls and twelve gold dishes. 85 Each silver plate weighed a hundred and thirty shekels, and each sprinkling bowl seventy shekels. Altogether, the silver dishes weighed two thousand four hundred shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel. 86 The twelve gold dishes filled with incense weighed ten shekels each, according to the sanctuary shekel. Altogether, the gold dishes weighed a hundred and twenty shekels. 87 The total number of animals for the burnt offering came to twelve young bulls, twelve rams and twelve male lambs a year old, together with their grain offering. Twelve male goats were used for the sin offering. 88 The total number of animals for the sacrifice of the fellowship offering came to twenty-four oxen, sixty rams, sixty male goats and sixty male lambs a year old. These were the offerings for the dedication of the altar after it was anointed.
89 When Moses entered the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the atonement cover on the ark of the covenant law. In this way the Lord spoke to him.
Go Deeper
This chapter is a long one–89 verses in all–telling us all about the offerings brought to the tabernacle over the period of twelve consecutive days. Day by day, a new offering came. Plates, bowls, dishes, animals, incense, oil, and more were brought to the tabernacle by a representative from each of the twelve tribes. Reading this chapter, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the details and as if it’s next to impossible to keep track of who brought what. But do you know why all of these details are in this chapter?
Because that’s what happened. Chapters like this serve as a helpful reminder to us that the book of Numbers (along with the other 65 books in the Bible) were not a creative writing assignment given to an author that was eventually turned in and published. This book in particular is a history book! The reason it’s so full of details, precise measurements and weights, and specific counts of different animals is because that’s what really happened over this twelve day period and it was such a significant moment that it was written down and the Holy Spirit preserved this text so that we could read it thousands of years later.
This chapter also serves a helpful reminder to us that God is in all of the details. This passage could have been summed up more quickly, saying “All twelve tribes brought identical offerings.” God could have had them bring them all at once. But tribe by tribe, offering by offering they were presented to God. And these were generous, valuable offerings presented to a good and caring God who had preserved and protected His people through thick and thin.
This chapter ends on an interesting note, as Moses entered into the tent of meeting so that he could interact with God. While sometimes we’re not given specifics about what it was like when Moses and God would interact, here it’s clear that God was audibly speaking to Moses. Think about that! Moses was the right leader for the Israelites in this moment because of how in-step he was with God. Because of the sacrifice of Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit, we too have a special access to God that previously could only happen in the tent of meeting. Praise God for the way we can speak and listen to Him today!
Questions
- What most stuck out to you as you read through this passage? Why?
- What does this passage teach you about God? What does it teach you about humanity?
- What did you notice about God’s interaction with Moses? What would it look like for you to listen for God today?
Keep Digging
There were five different kinds of offerings (or sacrifices) in the Old Testament. To learn more about them, check out this helpful article from GotQuestions.org!
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4 thoughts on “Numbers 7”
A word immediately caught my attention as I began to read this chapter—consecrate. It is defined as to “make or declare sacred or dedicate formally to a divine purpose.” As Christ followers who have been redeemed by the sacrifice of Jesus we are called to consecrate our lives to him. GotQuestions.org explains it this way,
“In other words, as true believers in Christ, the act of consecration involves our lives being a living sacrifice to Him; we are totally separated from the defilement of the world. Each day, we are to live out our lives as a “holy” and “royal” priesthood to the glory of God, for we are now God’s people (1 Peter 2:9-10).”
The question we need to wrestle with is what may be defiling our lives—habits, relationships, devices in our hands, thoughts, actions, or motives. The list is endless, but the answer is found in a deep, abiding relationship with Jesus where he guides our footsteps and leads us in the path of righteousness. May we stand in reverence and awe that we may actually come into the presence of God and through the Holy Spirit receive divine guidance, so we may live consecrated lives as God’s special people, all to his glory and honor.
Ella, this is SO helpful! Thank you for illuminating this chapter so well! I’m reminded of one of my favorite recovery verses:
“So if anyone purifies himself from anything dishonorable, he will be a special instrument, set apart, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.”
-2 Timothy 2:21 (HCSB)
How I long to be a special instrument, useful to my Master! Lord, please purify me from all that is dishonorable, keep me set apart. Prepare me for any and every good work!
Details and obedience. God has details He wanted them and us to follow with obedience. They did, do we? Do we love our neighbors as ourselves or are we selfish? Do we give to widows or whomever God has placed in your heart to practice generosity? Life is full of opportunities to share the gospel or just be kind in a moment with a God loves You as you leave. We make all things complicated, well maybe it’s just me. Just like at the end of this chapter God spoke to Moses. I think He said “way to go dude” and God also through Holy Spirit interacts with us today. (It was probably more like” well done good and faithful servant” but maybe I got a laugh, totally was not trying to be irreverent just silly).
God thank You for details. Your sun rise/sets are amazing in colors shapes and intensity, I am so blessed to see them! God the way a baby is formed and detailed in the womb and grows is beyond mind blowing wonderful. The birth of that child, God is magnificently majestic. God I am so thankful for what You show me in details. I am thankful for opportunities to obey with how and what You want and need me to do. Thank You for less and less fear because I know that is not of You. Thank You for listening ears, open mouth to what You want spoke, and a tender heart towards people through Your love goggles in Jesus name amen
WOOHOO!!!!
4 The Lord said to Moses, 5 “Accept these from them, that they may be used in the work at the tent of meeting.
Too many times, I have been reluctant to accept help from others. Maybe Moses had the same issues and therefore had to be specifically directed by God to accept the offerings?!