Numbers 17-19

God decided to stop the grumbling by clearly showing the Israelites who he had chosen. Moses took staffs from each leader of the 12 ancestral tribes. They placed the staffs in front of the Tent of Meeting. The next morning, Aaron's staff had budded, flowered, and grown some ALMONDS!

God told Moses to put the staff at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting as a sign of the rebellion. The Israelites feared they would all die.

God outlined at the duties of the Levites. They had to take care of the Tent of Meeting, offer sacrifices and offerings. God specifically said that everyone had to tithe 10% and this money would be given to Aaron and the Levites as their inheritance, since they would not inherit any land. The Levites also had to present 10% of their wages (which came from the Israelites' tithes) to God as an offering as well.

God told the Levites to redeem every first born unclean animal, but not the clean "holy" animals. Instead, the fat and blood of the holy animals would be offered to God. The Levites could eat the meat.

God then gave instructions on how to make water for cleansing. Take a red heifer (who has never been yoked), give it to Eleazar the priest, who will slaughter it and burn it. At this point, the priest is unclean. He must bathe, but he will be unclean until morning.

A clean person then takes the ashes to a place outside the camp. The ashes will be used for washing, for purification from sin. Now this previously clean person is also unclean, and will remain so until evening.

God then tells them rules concerning dead bodies. Essentially, if you are in the presence of one, you are unclean for 7 days. The unclean person can wash himself with the cleansing water. A clean person can then dip hyssop in the water and sprinkle it all over the places where the dead body had been.

Now the clean guy sprinkling the water becomes unclean. Anyone who touches the water of cleansing becomes unclean. He must wash his clothes and wait until evening.

Man, lots of contamination happens!