Bible study · Numbers 3
Numbers 3: Instead of the firstborn
Read Numbers 3 before you meet.
In a few lines
The Levites were taken "instead of all the firstborn" (3:12), because the firstborn were the LORD's from the day he struck Egypt's firstborn (3:13). The 273 firstborn beyond the Levites' number were redeemed at five shekels each (3:46-47). And in Hebrew, the "strange fire" (3:4) and the "stranger" who comes near (3:10) are the same word.
The verse to carry
“Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn who open the womb among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be mine,”
Numbers 3:12
To talk about
1. The Levites were "wholly given" to serve (3:9). What does serving look like for you right now, and who is it for?
2. The Levites were taken "instead of all the firstborn" (3:12), and the 273 left over were redeemed at five shekels each (3:46-47). What does it mean to you that one can stand in another's place?
3. One clan had charge of the ark (3:31); another had charge of the pins and cords (3:37). Which kinds of work do you tend to think matter less, and why might they matter as much?