The Levitical Priesthood

by ROSS, L.M. | Category: Bible Covenants | Jun 2007

‘"Simeon and Levi are brothers;

instruments of cruelty ...

... in their anger they slew a man,

and in their self-will ...

Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce;

and their wrath, for it is cruel!

I will divide them in Jacob

and scatter them in Israel."’ (Gen.49:5-7)

‘And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: "Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him"’ (Num.3:5-6).

In all spiritual service the initiative is with God. The history of the tribe of Levi shows this. Why Levi? Cruelty, selfishness, anger and wrath characterized Levi, the third son of Jacob and Leah, and Leah herself was certainly not Jacob's first choice! Leah was unloved (Gen.29:31). Why Levi? Why you and why me? Why has God embraced us in His love? Answer that, and we begin to understand the 'why' of the choice of Levi. We have to conclude that it is all of grace - divine grace - the grace of God. Levi means 'joined', but it was his 'scattering' which was to be such a blessing to the nation of Israel. Joined to God by a covenant of life and peace, walking with God in peace and equity, and turning many away from iniquity (Mal.2:5-6). What a turn around, all due to the initiative of God's grace.

God's call

Obedience to God results in blessing and, as we saw last month, for the nation of Israel their declaration of obedience gave them the honourable status of being ‘a special treasure ... a kingdom of priests and a holy nation’ (Ex.19:5-6) and verse 22 of that chapter speaks about ‘priests who come near the LORD. These were the young men of the children of Israel who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings’, who in all probability were the firstborn, those consecrated to the Lord (Ex.13:2; 24:5). ‘"All that the LORD has spoken we will do,"’ was the response of Israel to the Lord's command (Ex.24:7), but perhaps only the tribe of Levi lived out these words in practice. Declarations of obedience to God are soon tested (in every generation), and Exodus 32 is the sorry account of how Israel failed so miserably, and so soon, to keep their declared promise. Yet, out of this tragedy of the golden calf incident, the tribe of Levi emerges as ‘doers of the word, and not hearers only’ (Jas.1:22), responding to the call of Moses (himself a Levite): ‘"Whoever is on the LORD's side - come to me,"’ to execute judgement upon sinning Israel (Ex.32:26).

And thus the LORD declares, ‘"I Myself have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn ... Therefore the Levites shall be Mine, because all the firstborn are Mine."’ (Num.3:12-13).

And from the tribe of Levi God selects Aaron and his sons to minister to Him as priests (Ex.28:1), ‘"And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are given entirely to him from among the children of Israel"’ (Num.3:9), given to Aaron as a gift to do the work of the tabernacle. 'Thus the covenant of Levi can doubtless best be understood as the vesting of the priesthood in perpetuity in the male descendants of Aaron and the gift of all other aspects of the service of the house of God as committed to the male descendants of the rest of the tribe of Levi' (Needed Truth, 1987, p.30).

God's care

When God calls, He also provides. Not always the provision that would appeal to the natural man. ‘"You shall have no inheritance in their land, nor shall you have any portion among them"’ (Num.18:20). To a people to whom land would be so important, this may have hardly seemed a blessing, but it was in their 'scattering' that the Levites were to be a blessing to Israel, integrated into the daily lives of the other tribes. No inheritance in the land, perhaps, but the Lord had said, ‘"I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel"’ (Num.18:20). God does provide, and there was a practical outworking of His promise as the Levites were given ‘cities to dwell in from the inheritance of their (Israel's) possession, and ... also … common land around the cities’ (Num.35:2). Forty-eight cities in all, six of which were cities of refuge and probably not exclusive to them but shared with their brethren of the other tribes. Furthermore, Israel was commanded, ‘"do not forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land"’ (Deut.12:19); they were to receive ‘all the tithes in Israel ... in return for the work which they perform, the work of the tabernacle of meeting’ (Num.18:21). The Levites themselves were then required to give to the Lord a tenth of the tithe they received ‘... those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel’ (1 Cor.9:14) but still have the responsibility to honour the Lord with their possessions. God calls, God cares, God requires.

God's covenant responsibilities

The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath and Merari, and specific responsibilities were given to each of these families. In the overall arrangement of the camp of Israel they had a privileged position. The twelve tribes were to ‘camp some distance from the tabernacle’ but the family of Levi were 'near' encamped ‘around the tabernacle of the Testimony, that there may be no wrath on the congregation’ (Num.1:53), occupying a place between the people and God dwelling in the midst of His people.

Privilege brings responsibility, and they had ‘purified themselves and washed their clothes’ and had been presented by Aaron as a wave offering. Those who bear the vessels of the Lord must be clean (Is.52:11), and these men dare not compromise their holiness. Whether Israel appreciated it or not, it was essential for their well-being that the Levites honoured God in their lives and in their behaviour – they belonged to God. Like ourselves who are born again, we ‘are not [our] own ... [we] were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in [our] body’ (1 Cor.6:19-20). Privilege and responsibility. ‘None of us lives to himself ... if we live, we live to the Lord ... whether we live or die, we are the Lord's’ (Rom.14:7,8). As salt of the earth, disciples today have such a responsibility, as partakers of another covenant, to live ‘in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life’ (Luke 1:75; Eph.1:4; Phil.2:15).

The Levites were 'near' to God in their encampment, and in the midst of Israel when on the march (see Num.10). Each of the families had specific items of the tabernacle to carry; Gershon and Merari had wagons and oxen to help, but no such assistance was given to Kohath ‘because theirs was the service of the holy things, which they carried on their shoulders’ (Num.7:9). They felt the weight of responsibility. Whilst it was the Kohathites who carried ‘the most holy things’, the service of the Gershonites and Merarites was no less important. All the vessels of the Lord, every aspect of divine service is important, and has to be treated as 'holy'. That some have greater responsibility in churches of God than others is true - and God gives the grace to enable such - but each of us is important in the service of God's house and this demands a standard of life beyond reproach, a considerable challenge living as we do in an ungodly world!

The Levites also had a teaching and advisory role to fulfil as Deut.17:8-13; 21:5; 24:8; 2 Chron.17:8-9 and 35:3 show. Remove this, and things begin to go wrong, and this is the sad message of Malachi. The divine longing was ‘that My covenant with Levi may continue’, so that His people would enjoy blessing. Life and peace, truth and righteousness, knowledge of God's law, zeal to teach it, God longed to see it expressed in the lives of His messengers (Mal.2:4-8). But it was not to be: the 'flesh', the natural man intrudes and the result is spiritual deterioration. ‘"You have caused many to stumble ... You have corrupted the covenant of Levi"’. False prophets then, and now, can cause spiritual havoc amongst the people of God (see 2 Pet.2:1-2).

Conclusion

The principles involved in God's covenant with the Levites have relevance to all Christians in 2007, and certainly to ourselves who are in churches of God. We aspire to be like Nehemiah who, in addressing major issues in Israel, revived the principle of the covenant of Levi (see Neh.13); we learn the need of regular and consistent teaching of that faith, once for all delivered (Jude 3); we heed the exhortation, indeed the command ‘as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct’ (1 Pet.1:15); we are challenged to be like the Levites who, though no longer physically carrying the tabernacle stood ‘every morning to thank and praise the Lord, and likewise at evening ... attend[ing] to the needs of the holy place ... and the needs of ... their brethren in the work of the house of the LORD ... keep[ing] the command (charge) of the LORD.’ (1 Chron.23:28-32; 2 Chron.13:11).

Like them, may we be disciples who live 'near'.

ROSS, L.M. | Jun 2007
Bible Covenants