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We understand the substitutionary atonement of Jesus very well. He died so that we could live. Here in Numbers 3, we find that God was consistent with this theme of substitution dating back to the days of Moses and Aaron.
There was a hierarchy developed for the ministry and care of the tabernacle. Aaron was the high priest and was the only one who could enter the Most Holy Place where the Divine Presence resided. His sons were also priests but were limited to how close they could draw to the presence of God.
Here, we get a glimpse of the next level beyond the priests. It would be the Levites, one of the 12 tribes, who would be specifically assigned the duty of caring for the tabernacle. They were set apart for this ministry based on the family of Levi. The three families of the Levites were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. The Levites were distinguished from the other non-priestly tribes in several ways. They would be given responsibilities as well as specific conduct as they would have more authority to enter into the presence of God than a typical lay-worshipper.
With all the said, it is interesting to consider how God initiated the Levites into service. We begin to read about this starting in verse 40.
The LORD told Moses: “Register every firstborn male of the Israelites one month old or more, and list their names. [41] You are to take the Levites for me—I am the LORD—in place of every firstborn among the Israelites, and the Levites’ cattle in place of every firstborn among the Israelites’ cattle.”
Numbers 3:40-41 CSB
So among all the 12 tribes, Moses was to count every firstborn male 1 month old or more and list all those names. If you remember in the Exodus account, God saved every male firstborn during the Passover. These firstborn males belonged to the Lord and would be set aside as priests for His service. This is something He declared directly in Exodus 13:2.
“Consecrate every firstborn male to me, the firstborn from every womb among the Israelites, both man and domestic animal; it is mine.”
Exodus 13:2 CSB
Now, a redemption, or, exchange was going to take place. The Levites would now replace the firstborn sons as “God’s own” and would be put to work caring for the house of the Lord (tabernacle). However, there was a problem. There are 273 more Israelite firstborns than there are Levite males to substitute for them. Therefore, God required a payment of 5 shekels for each of the 273 extra firstborns. This money was paid to Aaron and the priests for the ministry of the Lord and the glorification of His work.
We may wonder, what happens to all firstborn sons from this point on in history? Great question. The Hebrews felt it was still necessary to dedicate all firstborn sons to the Lord. It was not necessarily that God “owned” them but that they felt it was important to do as a commemorative act of the Exodus account. So, it was common for firstborn males to be dedicated in gratitude to the Lord and then 30 days later they were bought back for a price of 5 shekels. By doing this, the firstborn male was not obligated to a lifetime service of the Lord. In fact, it was no longer necessary since the Levites had filled that role.
However, there were times when some parents decided that they did want their child to be dedicated to a life of service to the Lord so they chose not to buy him back. Samuel and Samson are great examples of this. They were offered to the Lord through a Nazarite vow. John the Baptist is another example.
So, all that said, what does it mean for us today? Praise God that He has allowed us to approach Him directly through Jesus. The requirement that began in Exodus with the firstborn son and was then transferred to the Levites in Numbers 2 has now been placed entirely upon Jesus Christ (i.e. the book of Hebrews). No longer do we have to rely on the Levites or the High Priest to enter into God’s presence for us because Jesus has already done it!
Take a moment and consider the magnitude of what Jesus did. Any layperson entering the presence of God during the time of Moses would have been struck dead. We now have freedom in the Holy Spirit to receive God into our tabernacle as He reigns over us with totality in the resurrection power of Christ! There is no longer a spiritual hierarchy. All can come freely into God’s presence through Jesus. This truly is the good news of the Gospel.