The government of Israel was a throucry. Moses as, under God, king in Tefheran, is ordered to regulate the good order of the kingdom. 1. He is to number his subjects, ver. 1—4. 2. Persons are nominated to affil him herein, ver. 5—16. 3. The particular number of each tribe, as it was given in to Moses, ver. 17—43. 4. The sum total of all together, ver. 44—46. 5. An exception of the Levites, ver. 47—54. a Tard. 1000. 12. &1000. 1000. AND the LORD spake unto Moses, in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of the congregation; on the first day of the second month, in the second year, after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2. 'Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel after their families, by the house of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male by their poll. 3. From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies. 4. And with you there shall be a man of every tribe: every one head of the house of his fathers. 5. ¶ And these are the names of the men that shall stand with you: Of the tribe of Reuben; Elizur the son of Shedeur. 6. Of Simeon; Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. 7. Of Judah; Nahthon the son of Amminadab. 8. Of Iftachar; Nehaneel the son of Zuar. 9. Of Zebulun; Eliab the son of Helon. 10. Of the children of Joseph: Of Ephraim; Elshama the son of Ammihud: Of Manaffeh; Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. 11. Of Benjamin; Abidin the son of Gideoni. 12. Of Dan; Ahezer the son of Ammihaddai. 13. Of Asher; Pagiel the son of Ocrin. 14. Of Gad; Eliafaph the son of Deuel. 15. Of Naphtali; Ahira the son of Enan. 16. 'These were the renowned of the congregation, princes of the tribes of their fathers, heads of thousands in Israel. God, as the king, from the royal throne between the cherubims, issues his mandate for the numbering the people. A year and some days had now elapsed since their departure from Egypt; Moses and Aaron are commissioned for the task; and God informs them what persons must be registered, and the manner of their procedure. 1. All the males, above twenty years of age, that were fit for war, the Levites excepted, are to be enrolled. The church, in its militant state, must be for ever expecting enemies and prepared for battle. 2. Each particular person was registered according to the house of his fathers, that the sum of every house, every family, every tribe might be particularly known. In the Lamb's book of life his spiritual Israel are distinctly written, and he calleth them all by their names. None of the most multitude, which followed the camp, were numbered with them. Note, 'Tis not our being among propellers, but our being born of God, and Abraham's children be faith, which entitles us to a place in the church of the redeemed. 3. The heads of the several tribes are appointed to affil them. They who by their station are most exalted, should be best qualified to serve the public, and most ready to employ themselves in the service. 17. ¶ And Moses and Aaron took these men which are expressed by their names. 18. And they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month, and they declared their pedigrees after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of their names, from twenty years old and upward, by their poll. 19. As the LORD commanded Moses, to be numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai. 20. And the children of Reuben, Israel's eldest son, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by their poll, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war: 21. Those that were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Reuben, were forty and six thousand, and five hundred. 22. ¶ Of the children of Simeon, by their generations, after their families, by the house of their fathers, those that were numbered a Called Bod. Chap. ii, 14. c. Chron. 1000. 16. 18. ¶ Chap. ix. s Chap. ii. 5. 9. 14. Directions are given for the priests in their miniferations. 1. To take care of the ashes of the altar. A perpetual burnt-offering of a lamb was effected morning and evening, and on it the fat of the peace-offering was burned. There were besides through the day continual sacrifices: these consumed much wood, the ashes of which was laid beside the altar, till the morning, when the priest took off his holy garments, and put on his ordinary cloaths, and carried the ashes into a clean place without the camp. They who are above thought to the meanest offices for God's glory, are unfit to minister before him. 2. To keep the fire always burning. The fire came down from heaven, and was never permitted to go out. They attended it by night as well as by day; and thus this sacred fire continued burning till the Babylonish captivity. Note, (1.) If God hath kindled up the fire of divine love in our hearts, it becomes us day and night to feed it with the fuel of prayer and praise. And let us remember, (2.) That when it is kindled, we are under the care of that watchful priest, who will keep it burning to eternity. 14. ¶ And this is the law of the meat-offering: the sons of Aaron shall offer it before the LORD, before the altar. 15. And he shall take of it his handful, of the flour of the meat-offering, and of the oil thereof, and all the frankincense which is upon the meat-offering, and shall burn it upon the altar, for a sweet favour, even the memorial of it unto the LORD. 16. And the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat: with unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the holy place: in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation they shall eat it. 17. It shall not be taken with heaven: I have given it unto them for their portion of my offerings made by fire: it is most holy, as is the fin-offering, and as the trespass-offering. 18. All the males among the children of Aaron shall eat of it: It shall be a statute for ever in your generations concerning the offerings of the LORD made by fire: Every one that toucheth them shall be holy. The chief part of the meat-offering made by the people belonged to the priests. They are commanded to eat it unleavened, in the holy place, with their sons only, not their daughters; and both the persons must be free from all ceremonial uncleanness, and the utensils only employed in sacred uses. Note, (1.) They who serve at the altar, should be partakers with the altar. (2.) The ministers of God must not be nice in their diet; unleavened bread was often their food. (3.) Holiness of heart should always accompany the sacredness of office. 19. ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 20. "This is the offering of Aaron and of his sons, which they shall offer unto the LORD, in the day when one be Before Chord 1. The law of the trespass-offering, ver. 1—7, with some further directions concerning the burnt-offering and the meatoffering, ver. 8, 9, 10. 2. The law of the burnt-offering: The rating of it, ver. 11—21. on which mention the prohibition of rating of fat or blood is repeated, ver. 22—27. And the pricels of the feats of it, ver. 28—34. 3. The conclusion of their inflictions, ver. 35—38.