In verses 1-5, God told Moses to have Aaron set up the lampstand and light the seven lamps. The lampstand and its seven lamps were made according to God’s instruction in Exodus. Aaron, the chief priest was “light” up the path for God’s people in this dark world. Like the senior pastor of a church, he was to lead God’s people by helping them understand the will of God through His revealed Word so that God’s people can walk as children of light in this dark and sinful world as the disciples of Jesus Christ.

In verses 5- 13, God told Moses to consecrate the Levites. First, they themselves were to consecrate themselves. Then, the priests will consecrate them in God’s presence before the tent of meeting with God’s people present. The people will also lay hands on them, and Aaron was to offer them as a wave offering from God’s people for them to serve the Lord. The Levites will lay their hands on the bulls Aaron was to offer. One, as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to God for the atonement of their sins. The Levites were then to be offered as a wave offering to the Lord.

There is a personal responsibility to consecrate oneself to God for His use and a corporate responsibility to consecrate the person by the body to ensure he is purified and cleansed to serve God and His people. But often we “consecrate” people to serve God and His people based on their abilities and popularity. In the worse case’s scenario, we select them because no one is available even for leadership positions.

In verses 14-19, the consecration was based on God’s choice of them as His firstborn though there were the firstborns of the Israelites who had been set apart when they left Egypt already. The Levites were chosen by God and offered to Him as a wave offering to serve in the tent of meeting. They were God’s gift to Aaron and his sons to serve the Israelites and atone for their sins before the Lord so that they may not be harmed when they come near the sanctuary.

Like God chose the Levites, He also chose us to serve Him and His people. Serving God is not our own choice, but God called and chose us before we can be offered and consecrated to serve Him and His people. There is also a personal response of consecrating oneself to serve Him with God’s people affirming the choice. Without the calling and choice, we will not last in our service because when we face difficulties in the ministry, we will be quick to give up.

In verses 20-22, Moses and Aaron did as God commanded and consecrated the Levites to serve the Lord. In verses 23-26, God also placed a certain length of time for their service. They were to begin at twenty-five and stop at fifty years of age. After that, they can minister to their brothers in the tent of meeting by keeping guard only and no other service.

They say that there is no retirement for God’s servants. According to this passage, there is an official retirement age, but service after that is different. Thus, we should not feel bad about retiring from full-time ministry. Yet, we must continue to serve God in other ways. Many lay leaders say that they are retired (from their secular work) so they leave it to the younger generation to do it. This is not biblical. We must continue to serve God in a different way too.

My Prayer: Father, grant me wisdom to know what You want me to do in serving You to shine Your light in the church and in this world. Reveal to me what is it that I can do for You for the rest of my life.