The Message of Numbers 7: An Offering of Unity

Offerings for God's Dwelling Place

The scene is set at the foot of Mount Sinai, where the newly finished tabernacle stands as the center of the Israelite camp. In Numbers 7:1-9, the leaders begin by presenting practical gifts to equip the Levites for their service. This act of generosity kicks off a twelve-day ceremony where the entire nation, represented by its leaders, formally dedicates this sacred space to the Lord, culminating in a powerful confirmation of His presence.

Equipping the Servants  (Numbers 7:1-9)

¹ 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,
² the chiefs of Israel, heads of their fathers' houses, who were the chiefs of the tribes, who were over those who were listed, offered
³ and they brought their offering 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 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
⁵ the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
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 he gave the two carts and the four oxen to the sons of Gershon, according to their service.
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.

The First Offering: Judah Leads  (Numbers 7:10-17)

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, “Let them bring their offerings, one leader each day, for the dedication of the altar.”
¹² And the one who offered his offering on 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 weighing 10 shekels, full of incense;
¹⁵ one silver plate weighing 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;
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.

A Chorus of Identical Gifts  (Numbers 7:18-83)

¹⁸ On the second day Nethanel the son of Zuar, the chief of Issachar, presented an offering.
¹⁹ one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense;
²⁰ 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;
²¹ one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
²² One bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old for a burnt 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 Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
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 silver plate weighing 130 shekels and one silver basin of 70 shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;
²⁷ one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering
²⁸ and 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 Abidan the son of Gideoni.
³⁰ one male goat for a sin offering;
³¹ one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
³² one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense;
³³ and one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering
³⁴ and two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old, to be sacrificed as a peace offering, were brought by Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.
³⁵ one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense;
³⁶ one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense;
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 and one bull from the herd, one ram, and one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering.
³⁹ one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
⁴⁰ one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense;
⁴¹ one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering
⁴² The golden pans full of incense, weighed 10 shekels apiece, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, all the gold of the pans being 240 shekels.
⁴³ 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.
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 and one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
⁴⁷ ...one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering,
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 the one golden dish of ten shekels, full of incense;
⁵¹ one golden dish weighing 10 shekels, full of incense;
⁵² one golden dish weighing 10 shekels, filled with incense;
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 Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
⁵⁴ 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,
⁵⁵ and for a 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.
⁵⁶ one golden dish of ten shekels, full of incense;
⁵⁷ one golden dish of ten shekels, full of incense;
⁵⁸ one male goat for a sin offering;
⁵⁹ one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense;
⁶⁰ On the ninth day Abidan the son of Gideoni, the chief of the people of Benjamin:
⁶¹ one male goat for a sin offering;
⁶² one golden dish of 10 shekels, full of incense;
⁶³ one male goat for a sin offering;
⁶⁴ one male goat for a sin offering;
⁶⁵ one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering;
⁶⁶ On the tenth day Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, the chief of the people of Dan, offered sacrifice.
⁶⁷ one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
⁶⁸ one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
⁶⁹ one golden dish weighing 10 shekels, filled with incense;
⁷⁰ one golden dish weighing 10 shekels, full of incense;
⁷¹ one male goat for a sin offering,
⁷² On the eleventh day Pagiel the son of Ochran, the chief of the people of Asher:
⁷³ and for a 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.
⁷⁴ one golden dish weighing 10 shekels, full of incense;
⁷⁵ one golden dish of ten shekels, full of incense;
⁷⁶ one golden dish of ten shekels, full of incense;
⁷⁷ the one male goat for a sin offering,
⁷⁸ On the twelfth day Ahira the son of Enan, the chief of the people of Naphtali, offered.
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 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;
⁸¹ one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old, for a burnt offering;
⁸² one golden dish of ten shekels, full of incense;
⁸³ and the dedication for the altar was twelve silver plates, twelve silver basins, and twelve golden dishes.

The Grand Total  (Numbers 7:84-88)

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 a hundred and thirty shekels and each basin seventy, all the silver of the vessels two thousand four hundred shekels according to the shekel of the sanctuary,
⁸⁶ The golden dishes weighed 130 shekels, and the silver dishes 70, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering;
⁸⁷ All the livestock for the burnt offering were twelve bulls, the rams twelve, the male lambs a year old twelve, with their grain offering.
⁸⁸ all the bulls of the sacrifice of peace offerings were twelve rams, the rams twelve, the male lambs a year old twelve, with their grain offering.

The Voice from the Mercy Seat  (Numbers 7:89)

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.