Numbers 7. Offerings at the Tabernacle’s Consecration

• Welcome to the longest chapter of the Torah!
• Exodus 40:17 dates the Tabernacle’s went up in Year 2, Month 1, Day 1. Numbers 1:1 begins Year 2, Month 2, Day 1. So Numbers 7 takes us back to events about one month before Numbers 1

Offerings at the Tabernacle’s Consecration

On the day when Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle and had anointed and consecrated it with all its furnishings and had anointed and consecrated the altar with all its utensils, ² the chiefs of Israel, heads of their fathers’ houses, who were the chiefs of the tribes, who were over those who were listed, approached ³ and brought their offerings before the Lord, six wagons and twelve oxen, a wagon for every two of the chiefs, and for each one an ox. They brought them before the tabernacle. ⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, ⁵ “Accept these from them, that they may be used in the service of the tent of meeting, and give them to the Levites, to each man according to his service.” ⁶ So Moses took the wagons and the oxen and gave them to the Levites. ⁷ Two wagons and four oxen he gave to the sons of Gershon, according to their service. ⁸ And four wagons and eight oxen he gave to the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. ⁹ But to the sons of Kohath he gave none, because they were charged with the service of the holy things that had to be carried on the shoulder. ¹⁰ And the chiefs offered offerings for the dedication of the altar on the day it was anointed; and the chiefs offered their offering before the altar. ¹¹ And the Lord said to Moses, “They shall offer their offerings, one chief each day, for the dedication of the altar.”

• Dedication of the Tabernacle: This takes place after Moses finishes setting up and anointing the Tabernacle and its furnishings. Leaders of the tribes bring their offerings for the dedication.
•  Presentation of Gifts for Transport 
  • Leaders offer carts and oxen to help transport the Tabernacle.
  • God instructs Moses to distribute them to the Levites:
    • Gershonites: 2 carts and 4 oxen.
    • Merarites: 4 carts and 8 oxen.
    • Kohathites: None, because they carry the holy items on their shoulders.
  • The Kohath detail becomes very important later. The Ark isn’t supposed to be transported on a cart. In 2 Samuel 6, David transports it on a cart and Uzzah dies after touching it. Later David says Levites were supposed to carry it (1 Chronicles 15:2)

¹² He who offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah. ¹³ And his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ¹⁴ one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; ¹⁵ one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; ¹⁶ one male goat for a sin offering; ¹⁷ and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

• We will now go into each tribe, each giving identical offerings during the 12 days.
• These next paragraphs are word for word the same, except for the names.
• Each tribe’s offerings include
  • one silver plate containing flour and oil
  • one silver basin containing flour and oil
  • one golden dish containing incense
  • one bull
  • one ram
  • one one-year-old male lamb
  • one male goat
  • peace offering: two oxen, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs a year old
• The first listed from the tribe of Judah: Nahshon
  • There’s also a connection to Numbers 2: the order follows the camping arrangement

¹⁸ On the second day Nethanel the son of Zuar, the chief of Issachar, made an offering. ¹⁹ He offered for his offering one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ²⁰ one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; ²¹ one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; ²² one male goat for a sin offering; ²³ and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nethanel the son of Zuar.

• Issachar: Nethanel

²⁴ On the third day Eliab the son of Helon, the chief of the people of Zebulun: ²⁵ his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ²⁶ one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; ²⁷ one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; ²⁸ one male goat for a sin offering; ²⁹ and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliab the son of Helon.

• Zebulun: Eliab

³⁰ On the fourth day Elizur the son of Shedeur, the chief of the people of Reuben: ³¹ his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ³² one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; ³³ one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; ³⁴ one male goat for a sin offering; ³⁵ and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elizur the son of Shedeur.

• Reuben: Elizer

³⁶ On the fifth day Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, the chief of the people of Simeon: ³⁷ his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ³⁸ one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; ³⁹ one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; ⁴⁰ one male goat for a sin offering; ⁴¹ and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.

• Simeon: Shelumiel

⁴² On the sixth day Eliasaph the son of Deuel, the chief of the people of Gad: ⁴³ his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁴⁴ one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; ⁴⁵ one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; ⁴⁶ one male goat for a sin offering; ⁴⁷ and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliasaph the son of Deuel.

• Gad: Eliasaph

⁴⁸ On the seventh day Elishama the son of Ammihud, the chief of the people of Ephraim: ⁴⁹ his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁵⁰ one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; ⁵¹ one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; ⁵² one male goat for a sin offering; ⁵³ and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elishama the son of Ammihud.

• Ephraim: Elishama

⁵⁴ On the eighth day Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, the chief of the people of Manasseh: ⁵⁵ his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁵⁶ one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; ⁵⁷ one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; ⁵⁸ one male goat for a sin offering; ⁵⁹ and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.

• Manasseh: Gamaliel

⁶⁰ On the ninth day Abidan the son of Gideoni, the chief of the people of Benjamin: ⁶¹ his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁶² one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; ⁶³ one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; ⁶⁴ one male goat for a sin offering; ⁶⁵ and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Abidan the son of Gideoni.

• Benjamin: Abidan

⁶⁶ On the tenth day Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, the chief of the people of Dan: ⁶⁷ his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁶⁸ one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; ⁶⁹ one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; ⁷⁰ one male goat for a sin offering; ⁷¹ and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

• Dan: Ahiezer

⁷² On the eleventh day Pagiel the son of Ochran, the chief of the people of Asher: ⁷³ his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁷⁴ one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; ⁷⁵ one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; ⁷⁶ one male goat for a sin offering; ⁷⁷ and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Pagiel the son of Ochran.

• Asher: Pagiel

⁷⁸ On the twelfth day Ahira the son of Enan, the chief of the people of Naphtali: ⁷⁹ his offering was one silver plate whose weight was 130 shekels, one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; ⁸⁰ one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense; ⁸¹ one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering; ⁸² one male goat for a sin offering; ⁸³ and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahira the son of Enan.

• Naphtali: Ahira

⁸⁴ This was the dedication offering for the altar on the day when it was anointed, from the chiefs of Israel: twelve silver plates, twelve silver basins, twelve golden dishes, ⁸⁵ each silver plate weighing 130 shekels and each basin 70, all the silver of the vessels 2,400 shekels according to the shekel of the sanctuary, ⁸⁶ the twelve golden dishes, full of incense, weighing 10 shekels apiece according to the shekel of the sanctuary, all the gold of the dishes being 120 shekels; ⁸⁷ all the cattle for the burnt offering twelve bulls, twelve rams, twelve male lambs a year old, with their grain offering; and twelve male goats for a sin offering; ⁸⁸ and all the cattle for the sacrifice of peace offerings twenty-four bulls, the rams sixty, the male goats sixty, the male lambs a year old sixty. This was the dedication offering for the altar after it was anointed.

•  Dedication Offerings from Tribal Leaders: Each day, for 12 days, one tribal leader offers identical gifts:
  • A silver plate and basin filled with fine flour.
  • A gold dish with incense.
  • Burnt offering: 1 young bull, 1 ram, 1 male lamb.
  • Sin offering: 1 male goat.
  • Peace offerings: 2 oxen, 5 rams, 5 male goats, 5 male lambs.

⁸⁹ And when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim; and it spoke to him.

• Moses heard God’s voice above the ark!
• Is Moses allowed in the Holy of Holies? Or did he hear God’s voice outside of the curtain? Priests had already been dedicated.