UNROLL
At dawn on a reed mat on the sand outside the white linen wall of the tabernacle court: a large silver platter, a deep silver bowl heaped with oiled fine flour, and a small gold dish of pale incense.

The Book of

Numbers 7

Twelve tribes, twelve days, twelve identical gifts. God recorded every one.

89 verses≈ 14 min3 peopleBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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In this chapter

Where we are

  1. 1–10Ready at SinaiCounted and orderedChapter 7
  2. 11–14GrumblingTo Kadesh and refusal
  3. 15–21Forty yearsRebellion and mercy
  4. 22–25BalaamA curse turned to blessing
  5. 26–36A new generationReady for the land

Offerings of Dedication

On the day Moses finished setting up the tabernacle, he anointed and consecrated it and all its furnishings, along with the altar and all its utensils.

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Morning before the tabernacle court: six wooden carts with solid wheels and arched covers of dark goat-hair cloth stand in a row, each with a pair of yoked oxen, a few leaders in wool cloaks beside them.

And the leaders of Israel, the heads of their families, presented an offering. These men were the tribal leaders who had supervised the registration. They brought as their offering before the LORD six covered carts and twelve oxen—an ox from each leader and a cart from every two leaders—and presented them before the tabernacle.

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Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

And the LORD said to Moses, “Accept these gifts from them, that they may be used in the work of the Tent of Meeting. And give them to the Levites, to each man according to his service.”

Reflect

According to his service

God did not hand out the carts evenly. The Gershonites got two, the Merarites four for the heavy frames, and the Kohathites none, because they were to carry the holy things “on their shoulders.” Each load came with the help it needed. What has God given you to carry right now? What help has He given you to carry it? Write it down.

Courtyard · 100 × 50 cubitsNGate · EastTent of MeetingBronze altarBasinThe tent, enlarged · 30 × 10 cubitsArkTableLampstandIncense altarVeilScreenMost Holy PlaceHoly Place

Plan to scale in cubits · north at the top

The altar

The altar dedicated

The bronze altar stood inside the court, in front of the tent, the first thing a worshiper met past the gate on the east. It had just been anointed with oil. For twelve days the leaders came in through the gate one by one and brought their gifts “for the dedication of the altar.” Every sacrifice Israel offered in the wilderness would be made here.

When the altar was anointed, the leaders approached with their offerings for its dedication and presented them before the altar.

In the tabernacle courtyard at dawn, a large square altar overlaid with bronze, a horn rising at each corner, carrying poles in rings at its sides, a low fire and thin smoke on top, white linen hangings behind.

And the LORD said to Moses, “Each day one leader is to present his offering for the dedication of the altar.”

Numbers 7:11

Day by day

The same gift, eleven more times

  1. East

    Day 2: Nethanel of Issachar

    On the second day Nethanel son of Zuar, the leader of Issachar, drew near. The offering he presented was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Nethanel son of Zuar.

  2. Day 3: Eliab of Zebulun

    On the third day Eliab son of Helon, the leader of the Zebulunites, drew near. His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliab son of Helon.

  3. South

    Day 4: Elizur of Reuben

    On the fourth day Elizur son of Shedeur, the leader of the Reubenites, drew near. His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elizur son of Shedeur.

  4. Day 5: Shelumiel of Simeon

    On the fifth day Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai, the leader of the Simeonites, drew near. His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai.

  5. Day 6: Eliasaph of Gad

    On the sixth day Eliasaph son of Deuel, the leader of the Gadites, drew near. His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Eliasaph son of Deuel.

  6. West

    Day 7: Elishama of Ephraim

    On the seventh day Elishama son of Ammihud, the leader of the Ephraimites, drew near. His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Elishama son of Ammihud.

  7. Day 8: Gamaliel of Manasseh

    On the eighth day Gamaliel son of Pedahzur, the leader of the Manassites, drew near. His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Gamaliel son of Pedahzur.

  8. Day 9: Abidan of Benjamin

    On the ninth day Abidan son of Gideoni, the leader of the Benjamites, drew near. His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Abidan son of Gideoni.

  9. North

    Day 10: Ahiezer of Dan

    On the tenth day Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai, the leader of the Danites, drew near. His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai.

  10. Day 11: Pagiel of Asher

    On the eleventh day Pagiel son of Ocran, the leader of the Asherites, drew near. His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Pagiel son of Ocran.

  11. Day 12: Ahira of Naphtali

    On the twelfth day Ahira son of Enan, the leader of the Naphtalites, drew near. His offering was one silver platter weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl weighing seventy shekels, both according to the sanctuary shekel and filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering; one gold dish weighing ten shekels, filled with incense; one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for a burnt offering; one male goat for a sin offering; and a peace offering of two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Ahira son of Enan.

Question

Quick question

Twelve leaders brought exactly the same gift, one after another.

How many days did the leaders’ gifts for the altar take?

So these were the offerings from the leaders of Israel for the dedication of the altar when it was anointed: twelve silver platters, twelve silver bowls, and twelve gold dishes.

The totals

The dedication of the altar

  1. Silver

    Platter 130 shekels, bowl 70

    Each silver platter weighed a hundred and thirty shekels, and each silver bowl seventy shekels.

  2. Silver in all: 2,400 shekels

    The total weight of the silver articles was two thousand four hundred shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel.

  3. Gold

    Each gold dish 10 shekels

    The twelve gold dishes filled with incense weighed ten shekels each, according to the sanctuary shekel.

  4. Gold in all: 120 shekels

    The total weight of the gold dishes was a hundred and twenty shekels.

  5. Animals

    Burnt and sin offerings: 48 animals

    All the livestock for the burnt offering totaled twelve bulls, twelve rams, and twelve male lambs a year old—together with their grain offerings—and twelve male goats for the sin offering.

  6. Peace offerings: 204 animals

    All the livestock sacrificed for the peace offering totaled twenty-four bulls, sixty rams, sixty male goats, and sixty male lambs a year old.

  7. The altar dedicated

    This was the dedication offering for the altar after it was anointed.

The Most Holy Place in near darkness, the gold ark low in the frame, a soft warm light resting in the space above the mercy seat between the cherubim's lifted wings.

When Moses entered the Tent of Meeting to speak with the LORD, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the mercy seat on the ark of the Testimony. Thus the LORD spoke to him.

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Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

Pray

He receives, and He speaks

Twelve leaders brought their gifts, and God had every one written down. Then Moses went into the tent, and “Thus the LORD spoke to him.” Thank God that He receives what His people bring, however small, and that He still speaks, now through His Son and His word. Bring Him something today: your time, your thanks, your work. Then ask Him to speak to you as you read.

he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the mercy seat on the ark of the Testimony

Numbers 7:89

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Numbers 7

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A verse to carry with you

When Moses entered the Tent of Meeting to speak with the LORD, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the mercy seat on the ark of the Testimony. Thus the LORD spoke to him.

Numbers 7:89

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