Board index ‹ Specific Bible verses, texts, and passages ‹ Leviticus

[From the Heart]

Okay, reading from Leviticus tonight, and it struck me

God is giving decrees of giving x amount of crops and About harvesting, etc... but... weren’t the Israelites wandering in the desert for 40 years?

A) crops wouldn’t grow in the desert

B) if they were constantly moving about, how would they harvest, or even plant crops if they were wandering
Just found it a little odd, that’s all. I mean, in the previous book God made manna because they were hungry. Now they have ample livestock to eat and sacrifice, with crops growing and where they are not allowed to eat if they are unclean. Could you comment on these questions please?

I guess another question while I’m at it. God decrees how the temple is to be made. I’m assuming they made it to break down as they travel, because the ark travels with the people. How would they move those huge golden bases, and pillars (if I’m remembering correctly), and whom would be moving them and packing them up? If the Levites were the priests, I would assume the majority of the jobs would rest upon them, but then who would pack and carry their homes and possessions up? My mind goes to these places as I’m reading.

Thanks.

[jimwalton]

Hey, good questions. Thanks for asking, and I’m glad to answer.

You’re right that the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. They were not planting and harvesting crops. The laws are given as laws for the covenant people to be kept in perpetuity, and they anticipate (and assume) the Israelites’ eventual occupation of the land. There’s no sense of “here are the laws while you’re wandering, and later (in the land) I’ll give you the ones for the land.” Instead, it’s “here are the laws for you as a covenant people.” The expectation is that they would recognize that the agricultural ones (like Lev. 25) pertain to when they had fields to plow. They could also offer clear olive oil for the lamps (Lev. 24) when they had olive trees from which to harvest. It’s obvious that the laws of Jubilee (Lev. 25) had to pertain to when they occupied the land because they were wandering for only 50 years, and Jubilee pertained to the 50th year.

Your second question about the portable tabernacle: Yes, it was made to break down and transport. That was the job of the Levites. The priests cared for the tabernacle when it was up and operational; the Levites were responsible to break it down, transport it, and reassemble it (Numbers 3-4).

Most of the tabernacle furniture was gold-plated wood. Only a few pieces, like the lamp stand, were solid gold (Ex. 25.31). The furniture would have been heavy, for sure, but manageable by multiple men. Most of the furniture was made with rings so that poles could be inserted for lifting and moving. Just as we see that six men can easily carry a casket, so also four men could manage these pieces of furniture. If you picture the ark of the covenant about the size of a hope chest or a steamer trunk, even if gold-plated, 4 men could carry it.

Not all of the Levites would be required to be involved each time the tabernacle moved. They would take turns with various moves. There would be plenty of muscle to help move the families and possessions. Remember that their possessions at this point were probably minimal. They left Egypt quickly, and could only take what they could carry. They didn’t exactly accumulate more while wandering in the wilderness. Aside from a tent and some bedding, their own clothes were probably on their backs, and they probably didn’t have much in the way of tables and chairs. I’m not imagining that they were having to transport much.

[From the Heart]

Thanks for responding. I just got to Numbers and it answered my question about the Levites. I guess I was thinking they still had shelters to move about, and livestock, but you are right in saying they would be carrying light. But with people making new things, especially the temple, that sounds like a lot of manpower that would be used for the temple. Exodus 11:2 says they were given silver and gold as they left... just more to carry at the time, but to be used for the temple, I assume.

I can understand that for the crops, but I would assume the laws given would apply to the present for the Israelites. If all the laws were given, i.e., sacrifices for sins and wrong doings, and for cleanliness, it was curious that even though most would apply to the current, that some would be for later. The specifics that were being laid out in the book of Exodus and Leviticus, I would assume would be consistent, seeing God was very specific in the manner in which He gave them.

For example
Here’s a law for now
Here’s a law for now
Here’s a law for now
Here’s a law that won’t pertain to you for quite some time, but I want you to know it...
Here’s a law for now
Etc...

Do you understand my train of thought?

[jimwalton]

Sure, I understand your train of thought, but the text does do that. For instance, Leviticus 25.2 says, “When you come into the land…” So it is recognizing that some of the laws and directives being given apply to them later. And you’ll notice that the verbs of Lev. 26.4-5 and through the chapter, for instance, are future tenses: “I will give you rain in their season so that the land will produce…”

Deuteronomy 12.1 says, “These are the statutes you are to observe in the land…” Deuteronomy 20.1 says, “When you go out to battle against your enemies… (v. 10) “when you approach a city to fight against it…"

But most of the Law—ceremonial, ritual, purification, moral—applied to them now. There’s actually not a whole lot of it that pertains only to the future.

Am I answering your question?