Census plague notion and Levite duties

All twelve of the tribes of the sons of Jacob seem to have had an equal share in Jacob's legacy, and were therefore of equal value. These included the sons of each of Jacob's wives, Leah, Rachel, Bilhah and Zilpah, the last two being servants.

I had a wonder about how long it was from Jacob's time to Moses's time. Jacob ... Levi ... Moses*. Levi was the third son of Jacob by Leah, and the priesthood, the Levites, were his descendants. Moses, Aaron and Miriam were of the tribe of Levi. The life span of these ancients was around 130 years. We noted in the last blog that the Levites were exempt from the numbering process.**

Now this census or numbering of the people: I found an interesting note in the NRSV of the Bible. (This version Bible includes notes underneath the text to help the student – very helpful.) Referring to Numbers 1:3, NRSV cites Exodus 30:11-12 where it reports the belief that a military census could result in a plague (see II Samuel 24; 1 Chronicles 21), and so a tax was to be paid to the sanctuary as a “ransom” for the lives of those counted.

Aha! I thought: Was this the first recording of an epidemic of contagion caused by close contact between people occasioned by getting them together to count them?

One recalls Joseph having to take Mary to Bethlehem for a census. They came as two and went home as three – I wonder which number was recorded in the census? Ha Ha!

Joyce Voysey

* Ed. It seems that Jacob was born around 2006 BC and Moses 1525 BC. timeline from Bible Hub

**Ed. However, chapter 3 apparently contradicts this rule. Here the Levites are positioned at the four points of the compass in surrounding and protecting the tabernacle. They would not be counted as the warriors were (males from the age of 20), rather the Levite males were counted from 'a month old and upward' (Numbers 3: 22). It was disturbing to me that "Aaron and his sons ... [were instructed to] wait on their priest's office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death" (v. 10). But then it dawned on me that the Levites' job was to guard the tabernacle, and in so doing they had to bar any enemy (or wrong-doing, or wrong thoughts) from entering.

It reminded me that Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (by Mary Baker Eddy) states "We should become more familiar with good than with evil, and guard against false beliefs as watchfully as we bar our doors against the approach of thieves and murderers" (234: 9-12). And "Stand porter at the door of thought. Admitting only such conclusions as you wish realized in bodily results, you will control yourself harmoniously" (ibid 392:24-27). This also reminds me of Nehemiah and his workers--tools in one hand, weapons in the other so that their work would not be delayed or destroyed. How important was/is the role of the Levites!