NUMBERS: Chapter 7

Chapter 7
Summary:	Moses finally had fully set up the tabernacle and anointed and sanctified it, as well as the altar and all of the utensils contained within the tabernacle. The leaders of the tribes of Israel - who helped Moses with the census - brought their offerings to the tabernacle. They brought six covered wagons drawn by twelve oxen - each tribe supplied one ox, and every pair of tribes contributed a wagon; and they brought them before the tabernacle. God told Moses to accept these gifts from the tribe leaders, use them in service for the tabernacle, and to give them to the Levites for whatever needs they have. Moses took the wagons and gave them to the Levites. He gave two wagons and four oxen to the Gershonites, four wagons and eight oxen to the Merarites, but gave none to the Kohathites - as their duties required them to carry their loads upon their shoulders. The leaders also brought dedication gifts for the altar on the day it was anointed, placing them before the altar. God told Moses to have the leaders give their offering on separate days for the dedication of the altar. Each of the twelve days, each leader brought: a silver platter weighing 130 shekels (roughly two pounds) filled with fine flour mixed with olive oil for a "grain offering" a silver bowl weighing 70 shekels (roughly one pound) filled with fine flour mixed with olive oil for a "grain offering". One spoon of ten shekels of gold, full of incense For a "burnt offering": one young bull one ram one yearling lamb one male goat for a "sin offering" For a "peace offering": two oxen five rams five male goats five yearling lambs On the first day Nashon, the son of Amminadab, leader of the tribe of Judah, brought his offering. On the second day Nethanel, the son of Zuar, leader of the tribe of Issachar, brought his offering. On the third day, Eliab, the son of Helon, leader of the tribe of Zebulun, brought his offering. On the fourth day, Elizur, the son of Shedeur, leader of the tribe of Reuben, brought his offering. On the fifth day, Shelumi-el, the son of Zuri-shaddai, leader of the tribe of Simeon, brought his offering. On the sixth day, Eliasaph, the son of Deuel, leader of the tribe of Gad, brought his offering. On the seventh day, Elishama, the son of Ammihud, leader of the tribe of Ephraim, brought his offering. On the eighth day, Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur, leader of the tribe of Manasseh, brought his offering. On the ninth day, Abidan, the son of Gideoni, leader of the tribe of Benjamin, brought his offering. On the tenth day, Ahiezer, the son of Ammishaddai, leader of the tribe of Dan, brought his offering. On the eleventh day, Pagiel, the son of Ochran, leader of the tribe of Asher, brought his offering. On the twelfth day, Ahira, the son of Enan, leader of the tribe of Naphtali, brought his offering. The combined offerings of the twelve tribes were: 12 silver platters (weighing 130 shekels each) 12 silver bowls (weighing 70 shekels each) twelve spoons of gold (weighing ten shekels each) The total amount of weight of silver was 2,400 shekels (roughly 36 pounds of silver), and the total amount of gold was 120 shekels (roughly 3 pounds). For the animal sacrifices, 12 bulls, 12 rams, and 12 yearling lambs were brought for "burnt offerings"; 12 male goats were brought for "sin offerings"; and 24 young bulls, 60 rams, 60 male goats, and 60 yearling lambs were brought for "peace offerings". This totaled 252 slaughtered animals(!) When Moses went into the tabernacle, he heard the voice of God speaking to him from the "mercy place", over the ark of the covenant, between the two cherubims.
Thoughts:	This rather tedious chapter in the book of Numbers basically sees Moses anointing the altar in the tabernacle, and all twelve leaders of the tribes of Israel (Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Reuben, Simeon, Gad, Ephraim, Manasseh, Benjamin, Dan, Asher, and Naphtali) bringing gifts of silver, gold, grain, incense, and plenty of animals to sacrifice for twelve consecutive days. Before they give these gifts, the tribes also give six covered wagons, each being drawn by a pair of oxen, to the tabernacle. God tells Moses to give them to the Levites to aid them in transporting the tabernacle, and while he gives two wagons to the Gershonites and four wagons to the Merarites, the Koathites get the shaft - as they are mandated to physically carry their loads on their shoulders. In this chapter, the name of each tribe is mentioned, as is the name of the leader, the leader's father (all of the same information provided in the census detailed in Numbers: Chapter 1), and for each tribe, the exact same list of items that each leader brought is written out verbatim twelve times - making it quite a headache to read. All in all, a grand total of 2,400 shekels of silver (about 36 pounds) and 120 shekels of gold (about 3 pounds) are given to the tabernacle, and 252 animals are sacrificed over the twelve days. It would seem that the priests probably ate pretty well over these twelve days, seeing as only Aaron, Eleazar, and Ithamar (and possibly Moses) along with their wives, children, and slaves would be allowed to eat the animal meat and the grains contained in the silver bowls and platters. The chapter closes out with Moses heading back into the tabernacle to speak to God, and he hears God's voice speaking to him from the "mercy place" above the ark of the covenant.