Wesley Corpus

Chapter VIII Directions concerning the lamps, ver. 1 - 4. Concerning cleansing the Levites, ver. 5 - 8. Concerning the presenting them to God, ver. 9 - 22. Concerning their age and service, ver. 23 - 26. When thou lightest the lamps - The priests lighted the middle lamp from the fire of the altar; and the rest one from another; signifying that all light and knowledge comes from Christ, who has the seven spirits of God, figured by the seven lamps of fire. Over against the candlestick - On that part which is before the candlestick, Heb. over against the face of the candlestick - That is, in that place towards which the candlestick looked, or where the candlestick stood in full view, that is, upon the north - side, where the table of shew - bread stood, as appears from hence, because the candlestick stood close to the boards of the sanctuary on the south - side, Exo 26:35. And thus the lights were on both sides of the sanctuary, which was necessary, because it was dark in itself, and had no window. Of beaten gold - Not hollow, but solid gold, beaten out of one piece, not of several pieces joined or soldered together. Of purifying - Heb. of sin, that is, for the expiation of sin. This water was mixed with the ashes of a red heifer, Num 19:9, which therefore may seem to have been prescribed before, though it be mentioned after; such kind of transplacings of passages being frequent in scripture. Shave all their flesh - This external rite signified the cutting off their inordinate desire of earthly things and that singular purity of heart and life which is required in the ministers of God. A young bullock - The same sacrifice which was offered for a sin - offering for the whole congregation, because the Levites came in the stead of all the first - born, who did in a manner represent the whole congregation. The children of Israel - Not all of them, which was impossible, but some in the name of all the princes or chiefs of each tribe, who used to transact things in the name of their tribes.