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英文原文
This chapter is concerning the lamps or lights of the sanctuary. I. The burning lamps in the candlestick, which the priests were charged to tend, Nu 8:1-4. II. The living lamps (if I may so call them), The Levites, who as ministers were burning and shining lights. The ordination of the priests we had an account of, Le 8:1-36. Here we have an account of the ordination of the Levites, the inferior clergy. 1. How they were purified, Nu 8:5-8. 2. How they were parted with by the people, Nu 8:9-10. 3. How they were presented to God in lieu of the firstborn, Nu 8:11-18. 4. How they were consigned to Aaron and his sons, to be ministers to them, Nu 8:19. 5. How all these orders were duly executed, Nu 8:20-22. And, lastly, the age appointed for their ministration, Nu 8:23-26, etc.
1-4
The Lights of the Sanctuary (1490 BC)
圣所的灯（公元前1490年）
¹ 耶和华晓谕摩西说： ² "你告诉亚伦说：点灯的时候，七盏灯都要向灯台前面发光。" ³ 亚伦便如此行；他点灯使灯光向灯台前面发光，正如耶和华所吩咐摩西的。 ⁴ 这灯台的作法，是用金子锤出来的，连座带花都是锤出来的；都是照耶和华所指示摩西的样式作灯台。
制造金灯台的指示早已给出（出25:31），并按着在山上所指示摩西的样式造成，出38:17。但如今当其他器物开始投入使用时，才首次下令点亮这些灯。请观察，1. 谁来点灯：是亚伦本人；他点了灯，民8:3。作为百姓在神面前的代表，他如此在神家中尽仆人之职，为主人的灯点火；作为神在百姓面前的代表，他如此向他们表明神旨意与恩惠的示意——如此表达（诗18:28）：你必点着我的灯；而亚伦本人近日也蒙指示为民祝福说：愿耶和华使他的脸光照你，民6:25。诫命是灯，箴6:23。圣经是照在暗处的灯，彼后1:19。教会若没有它，的确是一个黑暗之处，正如帐幕（其中没有窗户）若无灯光一样。如今传道人的工作，就是藉着讲解并应用神的道来点亮这些灯。祭司从坛上的火点燃中间那盏灯，其余的灯则一盏一盏互相点燃——这（按安斯沃斯先生的话）表明，一切亮光与知识之源都在于基督，他拥有神的七灵，由七盏火灯所表明（启4:5）；但在解释圣经时，一处经文必须从另一处经文借用亮光。他又以为，七是完全之数，灯台的七个枝子表明了圣经的十足完全，这圣经能使我们有得救的智慧。2. 点灯的目的是什么：为要使灯向灯台前面发光，即照亮帐幕中那张摆设陈设饼的桌子所在的那一边——在灯台对面。这些灯不是像骨灰瓮中的蜡烛那样只为自己燃烧，而是为照亮帐幕的另一边而点燃；蜡烛之所以点燃，正是为此，太5:15。注意，世上的光、教会的光，必须如光一样照耀。我们之所以得着光，是为要叫我们发光。
英文原文
The Lights of the Sanctuary (1490 BC)
¹ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
² Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him, When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick.
³ And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick, as the LORD commanded Moses.
⁴ And this work of the candlestick was of beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, was beaten work: according unto the pattern which the LORD had showed Moses, so he made the candlestick.
Directions were given long before this for the making of the golden candlestick (Ex 25:31), and it was made according to the pattern shown to Moses in the mount, Ex 38:17. But now it was that the lamps were first ordered to be lighted, when other things began to be used. Observe, 1. Who must light the lamps; Aaron himself, he lighted the lamps, Nu 8:3. As the people's representative to God, he thus did the office of a servant in God's house, lighting his Master's candle; as the representative of God to the people, he thus gave them the intimations of God's will and favour, thus expressed (Ps 18:28), Thou wilt light my candle; and thus Aaron himself was now lately directed to bless the people, The Lord make his face to shine upon thee, Nu 6:25. The commandment is a lamp, Pr 6:23. The scripture is a light shining in a dark place, 2Pe 1:19. And a dark place indeed even the church would be without it, as the tabernacle (which had no window in it) without the lamps. Now the work of ministers is to light these lamps, by expounding and applying the word of God. The priest lighted the middle lamp from the fire of the altar, and the rest of the lamps he lighted one from another, which (says Mr. Ainsworth) signifies that the fountain of all light and knowledge is in Christ, who has the seven spirits of God figured by the seven lamps of fire (Re 4:5), but that in the expounding of scripture one passage must borrow light from another. He also supposes that, seven being a number of perfection, by the seven branches of the candlestick is shown the full perfection of the scriptures, which are able to make us wise to salvation. 2. To what end the lamps were lighted, that they might give light over against the candlestick, that is, to that part of the tabernacle where the table stood, with the show-bread upon it, over against the candlestick. They were not lighted like tapers in an urn, to burn to themselves, but to give light to the other side of the tabernacle, for therefore candles are lighted, Mt 5:15. Note, The lights of the world, the lights of the church, must shine as lights. Therefore we have light, that we may give light.
5-26
The Consecration of the Levites (1490 BC)
利未人的圣别（主前1490年）
⁵ 耶和华对摩西说：
⁶ "你从以色列人中取利未人出来，洁净他们。
⁷ 你要这样向他们行，以洁净他们：用除罪水弹在他们身上，又叫他们用刀刮全身，洗衣服，使自己洁净。
⁸ 然后叫他们取一只公牛犊，同献的素祭，就是调油的细面；你又要取一只公牛犊作赎罪祭。
⁹ 你要将利未人带到会幕前，又招聚以色列全会众；
¹⁰ 将利未人带到耶和华面前，以色列人要按手在利未人头上；
¹¹ 亚伦将利未人作为摇祭献给耶和华，使他们好办耶和华的事。
¹² 利未人要按手在两只公牛的头上；你要把一只献为赎罪祭，一只献为燔祭，献给耶和华，为利未人赎罪。
¹³ 你要使利未人站在亚伦和他儿子面前，将他们当作摇祭献给耶和华。
¹⁴ 这样，你从以色列人中分别利未人，利未人便要归我。
¹⁵ 此后利未人进去办会幕的事；你要这样洁净他们，将他们当作摇祭献上。
¹⁶ 因为他们是从以色列人中完全赐给我的；我拣选他们归我，是代替以色列人中一切开胎的——就是代替以色列人中一切长子。
¹⁷ 以色列人中一切长子都是我的，无论人畜；我在埃及地击杀一切长子那日，便将他们分别为圣归我自己。
¹⁸ 我拣选利未人代替以色列人中一切长子。
¹⁹ 我从以色列人中，将利未人当作恩赐给亚伦和他的儿子，在会幕中办以色列人的事，又为以色列人赎罪，免得以色列人挨近圣所时，灾殃临到他们中间。"
²⁰ 摩西、亚伦和以色列全会众，便向利未人这样行；凡耶和华指着他利未人所吩咐摩西的，以色列人就向他们这样行了。
²¹ 于是利未人洁净了自己，洗了衣服；亚伦把他们当作摇祭献在耶和华面前；亚伦为他们赎罪，使他们洁净。
²² 然后利未人进去，在亚伦和他儿子面前，办会幕的事；耶和华指着利未人怎样吩咐摩西，他们就怎样向他们行了。
²³ 耶和华对摩西说：
²⁴ "利未人当守的本分乃是这样：从二十五岁以上，他们要进去伺候会幕的事；
²⁵ 到了五十岁，他们要停了当差的事工，不再办事；
²⁶ 只要在会幕里和他们的弟兄一同伺候，尽职守，不再办事。论到利未人的职守，你要这样向他们行。"
我们前面已读到利未人被数点时从以色列人中分别出来，并单独被数点（民3:6、15），为要在会幕中任职。此处我们看见对他们庄严就职的指示（民8:6），以及就职之礼的实行（民8:20）。以色列众人当知道：他们并非自取这尊荣，而是蒙神呼召而来；他们不仅要从邻舍中分别出来，更当庄严地奉献给神。注意：凡为神所用的人，必按其职事的程度被献与神。基督徒必须受洗，传道人必须受按立；我们必须先将自己献给主，然后才献上我们的服侍。请观察这事是怎样进行的：
I. 利未人必须被洁净，也确被洁净了。洁净的礼仪和规矩当由两方面来履行：1. 由他们自己。他们必须洗衣服，不仅洗澡，还要刮净全身——正如长大麻风得洁净时要行的（利14:8）。他们必须使刀刮过全身，以除去那不能用水洗净的污秽。雅各——神所爱的——原是光滑的人；以扫才是多毛的。他们为使自己洁净所费的大力，教导一切基督徒，特别是传道人，借着悔改和治死肉体，"洁净自己，除去肉体和灵性一切的污秽，得以成就圣洁"。凡扛耶和华器皿的，必须洁净。2. 由摩西。他必须把除罪水弹在他们身上——这水是照神的指示所预备的。这表明基督的血借着信心应用到我们心里，洁净我们脱离死行，使我们配事奉永生的神。洁净自己是我们的本分，洁净我们则是神的应许。
II. 利未人这样预备好之后，要在以色列全会众庄严聚集之时，被带到耶和华面前，以色列人要按手在他们身上（民8:10），借此把对他们、并他们服侍的权益（因全体百姓原与他们有份）转移到神和他的圣所那里。他们把他们当作"活祭，圣洁、可喜悦的"献给神，以献上"理所当然的服侍"；因此，正如献祭者在其余一切祭物上所作的，他们按手在他们身上，求神悦纳他们的服侍，以代替全会众——尤其是长子——本当献上的服侍，他们承认神本可以坚持如此。这不足以证明百姓有权柄按立传道人；因为以色列人按手在利未人头上，并不能使他们成为圣所的执事，只是表明百姓把这一支派从他们的民兵和民事团体中分别出来，为要使亚伦把他们当作摇祭献给耶和华而成为执事。以色列全会众不可能都按手在他们身上；大概由众首领和长老作为百姓的代表而行。有人认为这是由长子作的，因为利未人正是代替他们被献与神。无论神从我们身上索取什么来荣耀他自己，我们都当乐意交出，按手其上——不是为扣留，而是为献呈，让它归给那有主权索取的主。
III. 要为他们献祭——先献赎罪祭（民8:12），再献燔祭——为利未人赎罪；利未人作为当事人，要按手在祭牲头上。请看：1. 我们都完全不配、也不配被接纳并受雇于神的事奉，直等到赎罪之礼成就，我们与神和好。那隔在中间的云雾必须先被驱散，神与我们心灵之间才能有舒适的相交。2. 借着献祭——借着基督这伟大的祭物——我们才得与神和好，得蒙悦纳献给他。基督徒被圣别归于基督徒的职分，传道人被圣别归于传道的职分，都是借着他。博学的帕特里克主教对利未人所献之祭的见解是：利未人自己被视为一种赎罪祭，因为他们被赐下"为以色列人赎罪"（民8:19）；但他们既不像长子那样被指定治死，便以这两只祭牲代替他们，因此他们要按手在祭牲身上，使以色列人所加在他们身上的罪（民8:10）转移到这些牲畜身上。
IV. 利未人自己也被当作"以色列人的祭物"献在耶和华面前（民8:11）。亚伦把他们交托给神，因他们已被自己、并被以色列人先献上了。原文这个词是指"摇祭"——并不是说他们真的被摇一摇，而是他们被献给天上的神、全地之主，正如摇祭所献的那样。称他们为摇祭，是向他们暗示：他们必须在自己事奉中不断向神举心向上——举目、举心，也必须在本身职责的事务上以乐意的心来去行动。他们受按立不是为闲懒，而是为活跃勤勉。
V. 神在此宣告他悦纳他们："利未人便要归我"（民8:14）。神拣选他们代替长子（民8:16-18），其前因已记在民3:4。注意：凡出于真诚献给神的，必蒙恩悦纳。他的传道人既蒙怜悯得以忠心，便有特别蒙恩受尊的记号加在他们身上："他们要归我"，然后（民8:15）他们要"进去办会幕的事"。神把他们取为自己的，为要使他们事奉他。凡指望在会幕的特权上有份的，都必须立志在会幕的服侍上有份。一方面，神的受造之物没有一个是他的必需仆人（他不需要其中任何一个的服侍）；另一方面，也没有一个仅仅被取作名誉仆人，无所事事。凡神所承认的，他都使用；连天使也有他们的服侍。
VI. 他们作为恩赐被赐给亚伦和他的儿子（民8:19），但其利益却归于以色列人。1. 利未人要在祭司之下行事，作为他们的侍从和助手，办理圣所的事。亚伦把他们献给神（民8:11），然后神把他们再赐给亚伦（民8:19）。注意：凡我们献给神的，他必无可言喻地加倍还给我们，使我们得益。我们的心、我们的儿女、我们的产业，当我们献给神之后，才更真实、更舒适地属乎我们。2. 他们要为百姓行事。他们被取来"办以色列人的事"——不仅办他们所当办的事，更要服事他们的利益，行那真正有助于全国尊荣、安全与繁荣的事。注意：那忠心事奉神的人，是向公众所能尽的最佳服侍之一；神的仆人只要留在本身职事的范围之内，并且尽忠履行其职守，就当被视为本国最有用的仆人之一。以色列人不能像缺少任何一支派那样缺少利未支派。但他们为以色列人所尽的服侍是什么？下文接着说：是为他们"赎罪，免得灾殃临到他们中间"。借着献祭赎罪原是祭司的工，但利未人借着伺候也为百姓赎罪，并保守那借献祭所立定的与天上的和好。倘若会幕的服侍被留给以色列一切长子杂乱无章地去做，必因做的人既不如此紧附其上、又未如此勤加训练、也不如此惯于从事——而被忽略，或作得不熟练、不敬畏；这就必"使灾殃临到以色列人中间"——也许是指长子本身的死亡，那是埃及最后也是最大的灾殃。为防备这事，并保守这赎罪之恩，神便设立利未人来办这事；他们从小就在父母手下受教于此，因此对此道熟练；这样以色列人——也就是长子——就不必挨近圣所；或者，凡以色列人有需要时，利未人必在旁随时指教他们、引导他们，从而避免任何致命的失误或差错。注意：教会有传道人奉派在属神的事上走在百姓前头——作引导、监督、治理，在敬拜之事上专务其事——乃是教会极大的恩惠。基督升上高天的时候，他"将这些恩赐赏给人"（弗4:8、11、12）。
VII. 他们供职的年限也被定规。1. 他们要从二十五岁起开始事奉（民8:24）。直到三十岁，他们才负起搬运会幕和其中器皿的责任（民4:3）。但二十五岁就要进来作别样的服侍——这是传道人开始公开工作的极佳年龄。那时的工需要那样的体力，今日的工需要那样的判断成熟与行事稳重，这些都是人很少在那一岁数之前所能达到的；初入教会的"新手易被骄傲所胜"。2. 他们到五十岁就当得一份宽待；那时他们要从争战中退下来——原文的话正是如此（民8:25）；这不是不光荣的免职，而是被升迁到年岁所需要的安息上，使他们如先前肩负其重任那样，如今肩承其职的尊荣。他们要"在会幕里和弟兄一同伺候"，指导年轻的利未人，教导他们上手；又要尽职守，作为会幕各处关卡的守卫，查看没有外人擅入，没有不洁之人擅进；但不可加给他们任何可能使他们疲乏的服侍。神的恩既赐人能力合乎其工，人的审慎就当顾念只把合乎人能力的工交给人。年长的最适于受托和守职；年轻的最适于作工和服侍。那"善作执事的，就为自己得着美好的地步"（提前3:13）。其实恩赐并不系于年龄（伯32:9），但"这一切都是这位圣灵所运行"。利未人的事就这样定了。
英文原文
The Consecration of the Levites (1490 BC)
⁵ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
⁶ Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.
⁷ And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean.
⁸ Then let them take a young bullock with his meat offering, even fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin offering.
⁹ And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together:
¹⁰ And thou shalt bring the Levites before the LORD: and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites:
¹¹ And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of the LORD.
¹² And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks: and thou shalt offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, unto the LORD, to make an atonement for the Levites.
¹³ And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for an offering unto the LORD.
¹⁴ Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine.
¹⁵ And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for an offering.
¹⁶ For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.
¹⁷ For all the firstborn of the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast: on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself.
¹⁸ And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.
¹⁹ And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary.
²⁰ And Moses, and Aaron, and all the congregation of the children of Israel, did to the Levites according unto all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did the children of Israel unto them.
²¹ And the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as an offering before the LORD; and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them.
²² And after that went the Levites in to do their service in the tabernacle of the congregation before Aaron, and before his sons: as the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they unto them.
²³ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
²⁴ This is it that belongeth unto the Levites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation:
²⁵ And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more:
²⁶ But shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge.
We read before of the separating of the Levites from among the children of Israel when they were numbered, and the numbering of them by themselves (Nu 3:6,15), that they might be employed in the service of the tabernacle. Now here we have directions given for their solemn ordination (Nu 8:6), and the performance of it, Nu 8:20. All Israel must know that they took not this honour to themselves, but were called of God to it; nor was it enough that they were distinguished from their neighbours, but they must be solemnly devoted to God. Note, All that are employed for God must be dedicated to him, according as the degree of employment is. Christian musts be baptized, ministers must be ordained; we must first give ourselves unto the Lord, and then our services. Observe in what method this was done:
I. The Levites must be cleansed, and were so. The rites and ceremonies of their cleansing were to be performed, 1. By themselves. They must wash their clothes, and not only bathe, but shave all their flesh, as the leper was to do when he was cleansed, Le 14:8. They must cause a razor to pass over all their flesh, to clear themselves from that defilement which would not wash off. Jacob, whom God loved, was a smooth man; it was Esau that was hairy. The great pains they were to take with themselves to make themselves clean teaches all Christians, and ministers particularly, by repentance and mortification, to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, that they may perfect holiness. Those must be clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. 2. By Moses. He must sprinkle the water of purifying upon them, which was prepared by divine direction. This signified the application of the blood of Christ to our souls by faith, to purify us from an evil conscience, that we may be fit to serve the living God. It is our duty to cleanse ourselves, and God's promise that he will cleanse us.
II. The Levites, being thus prepared, must be brought before the Lord in a solemn assembly of all Israel, and the children of Israel must put their hands upon them (Nu 8:10), so transferring their interest in them and in their service (to which, as a part, the whole body of the people was entitled) to God and to his sanctuary. They presented them to God as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable, to perform a reasonable service; and therefore, as the offerers in all other cases did, they laid their hands upon them, desiring that their service might be accepted in lieu of the attendance of the whole congregation, particularly the first-born, which they acknowledge God might have insisted on. This will not serve to prove a power in the people to ordain ministers; for this imposition of hands by the children of Israel upon the Levites did not make them ministers of the sanctuary, but only signified the people's parting with that tribe out of their militia, and civil incorporations, in order to their being made ministers by Aaron, who was to offer them before the Lord. All the congregation of the children of Israel could not lay hands on them, but it is probable that the rulers and elders did it as the representative body of the people. Some think that the first-born did it because in their stead the Levites were consecrated to God. Whatever God calls for from us to serve his own glory by, we must cheerfully resign it, lay our hands upon it, not to detain it but to surrender it, and let it go to him that is entitled to it.
III. Sacrifices were to be offered for them, a sin-offering first (Nu 8:12), and then a burnt-offering, to make an atonement for the Levites, who, as the parties concerned, were to lay their hands upon the head of the sacrifices. See here, 1. That we are all utterly unworthy and unfit to be admitted into and employed in the service of God, till atonement be made for sin, and thereby our peace made with God. That interposing cloud must be scattered before there can be any comfortable communion settled between God and our souls. 2. That it is by sacrifice, by Christ the great sacrifice, that we are reconciled to God, and made fit to be offered to him. It is by him that Christians are sanctified to the work of their Christianity, and ministers to the work of their ministry. The learned bishop Patrick's notion of the sacrifice offered by the Levites is that the Levites were themselves considered as an expiatory sacrifice, for they were given to make atonement for the children of Israel, (Nu 8:19), and yet not being devoted to death, any more than the first-born were, these two sacrifices were substituted in their stead, upon which therefore they were to lay their hands, that the sin which the children of Israel laid upon them (Nu 8:10) might be transferred to these beasts.
IV. The Levites themselves were offered before the Lord for an offering of the children of Israel, Nu 8:11. Aaron gave them up to God, as being first given up by themselves, and by the children of Israel. The original word signifies a wave-offering, not that they were actually waved, but they were presented to God as the God of heaven, and the Lord of the whole earth, as the wave-offerings were. And in calling them wave-offerings it was intimated to them that they must continually lift up themselves towards God in his service, lift up their eyes, lift up their hearts, and must move to and fro with readiness in the business of their profession. They were not ordained to be idle, but to be active and stirring.
V. God here declares his acceptance of them: The Levites shall be mine, Nu 8:14. God took them instead of the first-born (Nu 8:16-18), of which before, Nu 3:4. Note, What is in sincerity offered to God shall be graciously owned and accepted by him. And his ministers who have obtained mercy of him to be faithful have particular marks of favour and honour put upon them: they shall be mine, and then (Nu 8:15) they shall go in to do the service of the tabernacle. God takes them for his own, that they may serve him. All that expect to share in the privileges of the tabernacle must resolve to do the service of the tabernacle. As, on the one hand, none of God's creatures are his necessary servants (he needs not the service of any of them), so, on the other hand, none are taken merely as honorary servants, to do nothing. All whom God owns he employs; angels themselves have their services.
VI. They are then given as a gift to Aaron and his sons (Nu 8:19), yet so as that the benefit accrued to the children of Israel. 1. The Levites must act under the priests as attendants on them, and assistants to them, in the service of the sanctuary. Aaron offers them to God (Nu 8:11), and then God gives them back to Aaron, Nu 8:19. Note, Whatever we give up to God, he will give back to us unspeakably to our advantage. Our hearts, our children, our estates, are never more ours, more truly, more comfortably ours, than when we have offered them up to God. 2. They must act for the people. They were taken to do the service of the children of Israel, that is, not only to do the service which they should do, but to serve their interests, and do that which would really redound to the honour, safety, and prosperity of the whole nation. Note, Those that faithfully perform the service of God do one of the best services that can be done to the public; God's ministers, while they keep within the sphere of their office and conscientiously discharge the duty of it, must be looked upon as some of the most useful servants of their country. The children of Israel can as ill spare the tribe of Levi as any of their tribes. But what is the service they do the children of Israel? It follows, it is to make an atonement for them, that there be no plague among them. It was the priests' work to make atonement by sacrifice, but the Levites made atonement by attendance, and preserved the peace with heaven which was made by sacrifice. If the service of the priests in the tabernacle had been left to all the first-born of Israel promiscuously, it would have been either neglected or done unskillfully and irreverently, being done by those that were not so closely tied to it, nor so diligently trained to it, nor so constantly used to it, as the Levites were; and this would bring a plague among the children of Israel—meaning, perhaps, the death of the first-born themselves, which was the last and greatest of the plagues of Egypt. To prevent this, and to preserve the atonement, the Levites were appointed to do this service, who should be bred up to it under their parents from their infancy, and therefore would be well versed in it; and so the children of Israel, that is, the first-born, should not need to come nigh to the sanctuary; or, when any Israelites had occasion, the Levites would be ready to instruct them, and introduce them, and so prevent any fatal miscarriage or mistake. Note, It is a very great kindness to the church that ministers are appointed to go before the people in the things of God, as guides, overseers, and rulers, in religious worship, and to make that their business. When Christ ascended on high, he gave these gifts, Eph 4:8,11,12.
VII. The time of their ministration is fixed. 1. They were to enter upon the service at twenty-five years old, Nu 8:24. They were not charged with the carrying of the tabernacle and the utensils of it till they were thirty years old, Nu 4:3. But they were entered to be otherwise serviceable at twenty-five years old, a very good age for ministers to begin their public work at. The work then required that strength of body and the work now requires that maturity of judgment and steadiness of behaviour which men rarely arrive at till about that age; and novices are in danger of being lifted up with pride. 2. They were to have a writ of ease at fifty years old; then they were to return from the warfare, as the phrase is (Nu 8:25), not cashiered with disgrace, but preferred rather to the rest which their age required, to be loaded with the honours of their office, as hitherto they had been with the burdens of it. They shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle, to direct the junior Levites, and set them in; and they shall keep the charge, as guards upon the avenues of the tabernacle, to see that no stranger intruded, nor any person in his uncleanness, but they shall not be put upon any service which may be a fatigue to them. If God's grace provide that men shall have ability according to their work, man's prudence should take care that men have work only according to their ability. The aged are most fit for trusts, and to keep the charge; the younger are most fit for work, and to do the service. Those that have used the office of a servant well purchase to themselves a good degree, 1Ti 3:13. Yet indeed gifts are not tied to ages (Job 32:9), but all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit. Thus was the affair of the Levites settled.
本章论及圣所的灯或光。I. 灯台上点燃的灯，祭司受命照管它们，民 8:1-4。II. 活着的灯（若可如此称呼）——利未人；他们作为执事，乃是燃烧并发光的光。关于祭司的就职礼我们已在利 8:1-36 读到。此处我们读到低一级圣职人员——利未人的就职礼。1. 他们如何得洁净，民 8:5-8。2. 百姓如何将他们分别出来，民 8:9-10。3. 他们如何代替长子被献给神，民 8:11-18。4. 他们如何被交托给亚伦和他的儿子，作服事他们的人，民 8:19。5. 这些命令如何都按例遵行，民 8:20-22。最后，规定了他们供职的年龄，民 8:23-26 等。