Numbers 2

Numbers 2:2

"The sons of Israel shall camp, each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers' households; they shall camp around the tent of meeting at a distance.

 Two things caught my attention here.  First, they are now organizing the nation as an army, rather than a scrambled nation.  Before, it was implied that the nation was scattered around the camp, different tribes and families in different locations, but no real rhyme or reason to who was where.  Now, tribes are ordered and positioned, as a military force.  This is now a nation of conquerors, not refugees.

Second, they are positioned to always protect the tabernacle.  In a modern military force, what you have at the center is your most important items, the best defended for an attack from any direction.  Here, they are showing that their prized possession is God and His objects.  He is what is most important to them, not a thing, or even Moses.  God is what they defend.

Numbers 1

Numbers 1:50

But you shall appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all its furnishings and over all that belongs to it.  They shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall take care of it; they shall also camp around the tabernacle.

Here, the Levites are truly set apart from the rest of the nation.  While everyone else goes to war, the Levites will care for the things of God, and protect the tabernacle from outsiders.  Some would say that this is a worse lot than the fighting men.  In war, you are not constantly fighting; much time is spent in routine activity.  However, the Levites now are to spend their entire time caring for the items of the tabernacle, and servicing the Lord.  This is a day-in, day-out job that never reduces.

It is, in my opinion, why few are called to full-time ministry; it takes a different kind of person, who is totally dedicated, to do that work.  You can't have one foot in and one out; it's all or nothing.

Leviticus 27

Leviticus 27:10

He shall not replace it or exchange it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good; or if he does exchange animal for animal, then both it and its substitute shall become holy.

First off, point of honesty:  I have no clue what he's talking about in this chapter.  It's not really clear, and I'm not sure what kind of vow would require this detail.  So I'm not even going to touch that.

However, this verse caught my eye.  Basically, it's saying that whatever the vow is, it must be kept, in its original form.  So even if it was a mistake, or you meant to promise something different, the vow must be as stated.  Even if it means something that is insufficient or of lesser value, it is still the promise.

That lesser value part (bad for good) is what really caught my eye here.  No matter what inferior thing was promised, that is what is to be given.  That can make someone think hard when making this vow, to be sure you don't give God (or whoever) too little.