These are the generations of Aaron and Moses at the time when the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.
Numbers 3 turns from the fighting men counted in the first two chapters to the one tribe left out of that count. It opens with a family record dated to the time God spoke with Moses at Sinai. Two questions follow. Why does the priest's family stand at the head of a chapter about service? And why is Aaron named before Moses?
Worship comes before work
The chapter is about the Levites and their duties, yet it begins with the priests. One writer draws out the principle. God calls the men who draw near before He calls the men who serve.
Numerical Bible NotesGod gives His call to them clearly here, although there have been hints of it before this. As we already see, He must have called the priests first, because the call of the Levites depends on the call of the priests. Communion and worship must come first and lead into service, if that service is to be real and effective.
Aaron's name stands first
Everywhere else the pair is "Moses and Aaron." Here Aaron comes first, and that switch means something.
Arno Clemens GaebeleinThis chapter mentions the generations of Aaron and Moses first. Elsewhere we read of Moses and Aaron, but here Aaron's name stands first. His name comes first because he pictures Christ as Priest. Everything depends on His intercession.
A heading with only one family under it
The verse promises the generations of two men. But the names that follow are Aaron's sons alone.
Numerical Bible NotesIt begins with the "generations of Aaron and Moses," the spiritual heads of the tribe. Yet it gives only the name of Moses, since his children take their place as ordinary Levites. This makes it all the plainer that they come in here as heads of the tribe. In type, we see Christ as Priest and King in relation to ministry, as its source and its director. Aaron is first, because ministry depends above all on mediation, and is the fruit of it.
Moses' line took a different position, which later history fills in.
The Bible TreasuryThe sons of Moses "the man of God" could not serve as priests, as their relatives the sons of Aaron did. They were counted in the tribe of Levi (1 Chronicles 23:14-17). During David's reign, "Shebuel the son of Gershom," Moses' eldest son, was "ruler of the treasures." Shelomith came from Moses' second son. He and his relatives kept "all the treasures of the dedicated things," which were given for the upkeep of the house of the LORD (1 Chronicles 26:24-28).
Where a line of descent breaks down
"Generations" means natural descent. This family shows what natural descent cannot secure. The next verse names four sons. Two of them were already dead.
Leslie M. GrantAaron was the high priest. Israel passed the priesthood down by natural descent, which is not true in the Church of God today. In fact, a special priesthood is not scriptural now, for all true believers are priests (1 Peter 2:5), not by natural birth, but by spiritual birth. Aaron had four sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar (v.2), all consecrated as priests. But their service showed the weakness of natural succession at the very start. Nadab and Abihu disobeyed the Lord, offered forbidden incense, and died for this sin (Leviticus 10:1-2).
Service anchored to the priest
After naming the priest's family, the chapter sets the Levites before Aaron. That order carries a warning.
William KellyThe first and chief point to grasp in the type is the link between the service and the High Priest — Christ Himself. Separate ministry in any form. Cut off the service of the saints from Christ Himself in the presence of God. Then you falsify and degrade it. One false principle has ruined service here on earth: people have tied it to the church, instead of to Christ.
Summary
- Priest first. The chapter on service opens with the priest's family. "Communion and worship must come first and lead into service." The Levites' call depends on Aaron's.
- Named first. Aaron is placed ahead of Moses because he pictures Christ as Priest, "on whose intercession everything depends."
- Listed first. Only Aaron's sons appear under the heading. Moses' children "take their place as ordinary Levites," and later kept the treasures in David's day.
- Failing first. The line by natural birth broke down at once with Nadab and Abihu. Commentators note that no priesthood by descent exists now, since all believers are priests by spiritual birth.
- Serving last. Everything begins at the priest. So service cut off from Christ is "falsified and degraded."