Numbers 7
Dedication Ceremony for God’s House
(1) Israel’s Leaders Bring Gifts
The same day that Moses finished setting up God’s house, he smeared oil on it and set it apart along with all its furnishings (including the altar and the altar’s equipment). He smeared oil on those too and set them apart. Then Israel’s leaders came up to God’s house. (They were the heads of each patriarch’s household, and they ruled over the tribes and were in charge of the enlisted men.) They brought a total of 6 covered carts and 12 oxen as an offering to the Existing One. (Each of the 12 leaders brought one ox, and every two men brought a cart.) They came to present their offerings in front of God’s house. God told Moses,
“Accept these items from them so they can be used in serving My meeting tent. Give the items to each of the Levites in proportion to their service.”
So Moses took the carts and oxen and gave them to the Levites. He gave 2 carts and 4 oxen to Gershon’s descendants, which was proportionate to their service. And he gave 4 carts and 8 oxen to Merari’s descendants, which was proportionate to their service. That’s how Ithamar (Aaron the Priest’s son) decided to split them up. Kohath’s descendants didn’t receive any of the items, since their responsibility was to care for the sacred objects which were all carried on their shoulders.
(10) Israel’s Leaders Present their Gifts
The leaders brought their dedication offering at the altar’s anointing ceremony and offered it in front of the altar. Then the Existing One told Moses,
“Let them present their offering. Have one leader present his offering each day for the altar’s dedication ceremony.”
So Israel’s leaders took turns presenting over the next 12 days. Here are their names in order of the days they made their offerings:
Nahshon (Amminadab’s son), from the tribe of Judah.
Nethanel presented his offering. He was Zuar’s son, and the leader of Issachar.
Eliab (Helon’s son), the leader of Zebulun’s descendants.
Elizur (Shedeur’s son), the leader of Reuben’s descendants.
Shelumiel (Zurishaddai’s son), the leader of Simeon’s descendants
Eliasaph (Deuel’s son), the leader of Gad’s descendants
Elishama (Ammihud’s son), the leader of Ephraim’s descendants
Gamaliel (Pedahzur’s son), the leader of Manasseh’s descendants
Abidan (Gideoni’s son), the leader of Benjamin’s descendants
Ahiezer (Ammishaddai’s son), the leader of Dan’s descendants
Pagiel (Ochran’s son), the leader of Asher’s descendants
Ahira (Enan’s son), the leader of Asher’s descendants
These are the items each leader presented:
As a grain offering, each leader brought a silver dish weighing 3.25 pounds and a silver bowl weighing 1.75 pounds. Both were full of fine flour mixed with oil.
A gold pan weighing .25 pounds that was full of incense
A roasted offering of a bull, a ram, and a one-year-old male lamb
A male goat as an offering for clashing against God
A peace offering of 2 oxen, 5 rams, 5 male goats, and 5 one-year-old male lambs
(84) Total Gifts Offered
In total, these were all the items that Israel’s leaders offered at the altar’s dedication ceremony:
12 silver bowls
12 gold pans weighing a total of 3 pounds that were full of incense
60 pounds of silver dishes and bowls
12 male oxen for roasted offerings
12 rams
12 one-year-old male lambs
12 male goats as an offering for clashing with God
24 oxen as a peace offering
60 rams
60 male goats
60 one-year-old male lambs
(89) God Speaks to Moses
When Moses went into God’s meeting tent to talk with Him, he heard a voice coming from above the gold slab on the chest containing God’s promises. The voice came from between the the angel figured there. God talked to Moses.