1. Numbers 3:6 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

What is the significance of the instruction to bring near the tribe of Levi and to set them before Aaron?

Numbers 3:6 (ESV)

6 “Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him.

Bringing the tribe of Levi near and presenting them to Aaron speaks of a public and solemn ceremony, which would have served the purpose of publicly signalling the assumption of their duties as servants to the nation—in serving Aaron, the Levites will be serving the nation of Israel as a whole.1