THE LEVITES

THE LEVITES The various duties connected with the tabernacle worship were far too numerous for Aaron and his sons to overtake; even the preparing of the sacrifices for the altar involved an amount of physical labor greatly beyond their strength. It is evident, then, that they required assistance. God might have given them as helps all the first-born sons of the Israelites, in whom, ever since the eventful night in Egypt, when the first-born sons of the Egyptians were smitten dead by the destroying angel and the first-born of the Israelites spared alive, he claimed a peculiar right. In their place, however, He saw meet, as an arrangement having many obvious advantages, to give the priests the whole tribe of Levi (Numbers 3:12), to which Moses and Aaron belonged. The tribe of Levi numbered 22,000 (Numbers 3:39), the first-born Israelites 22,273 (Numbers 3:43), so that they were nearly equal. The 273 first-born sons, in excess of the Levites, were by divine permission redeemed at the rate of five shekels each (Numbers 3:46-51). Of the 22,000 Levites, 8580 were qualified by age to enter on the duties of their office (Numbers 4:47-48). The Levites were solemnly set apart to their office by Aaron. Having shaved their flesh and washed their clothes, they were sprinkled with the water of purifying, and then presented as a national offering to the Lord: the nation’s representatives, the elders of the respective tribes, putting their hands upon them, thereby signifying that the people gave the Levites to the Lord in place of the first-born. After being thus transferred to the Lord, the Levites offered two bullocks as sacrifices, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering (Numbers 8:5-23).

Whatever assistance the priests might require to enable them to overtake their sacred work, the Levites were ever at hand to render it. Some Biblical critics, such as Colenso, would not be so bold in asserting that it was impossible for Aaron and his sons to do all the work connected with the sacrifices if they had not willfully shut their eyes to this fact. It is true the mere Levite, except in cases of emergency (2 Chronicles 29:34), could not offer up the sacrifice, sprinkle the blood, burn incense, or perform other priestly acts. In helping, however, to prepare the victims for the altar, and in numerous other ways, he might lawfully assist in the religious services of the tabernacle. In the wilderness the Levites had the sole charge of taking down and putting up the tabernacle, and of transporting it from one place of encampment to another (Numbers 4). At one time the Levites may have been seen busy in the tabernacle court, waiting on the priests, and helping them in their work; at another time, taking down the sacred structure; at another, transporting it and its holy vessels through the wilderness; and at another, rearing it in some new place of encampment. Their duties, however, were not confined to such services as these, for to them, with the priests, the religious instruction of the nation was confided: “They shall teach Jacob Thy judgments and Israel Thy law” (Deuteronomy 33:10). These were among the dying words of Moses, and there are numerous passages of Scripture illustrating them, showing that the Levites as well as the priests taught the people (2 Chronicles 17:7-9). When the children of Israel were settled in the promised land, and the tabernacle was fixed for long periods in the same place, the Levites were relieved of a very burdensome part of their labors—that of transporting the sacred edifice from place to place, so that there was no longer any necessity for them all being in attendance at the house of the Lord; consequently they were formed into divisions, and waited on the priests in turn. When disengaged at the sanctuary, the Levites resided in the Levitical cities, situated in all the tribal territories, not, however, passing their time in mere recreation, but employing it in divers ways for the moral and spiritual welfare of the people. They read and explained the law, assisted the elders in the different towns in the administration of justice, took charge of the cities of refuge, whither those who had sinned through ignorance fled for safety. Dwelling in the midst of every tribe, they were everywhere at hand to explain the law, instruct the ignorant, comfort the afflicted, shield the innocent, punish the guilty, and generally guide the people in the way in which they should go (Deuteronomy 17:8-12; Deuteronomy 32:10).

Charged with so many highly important duties, the Levites must have possessed immense influence, and when animated with the spirit of their office, and with love to God and man, could not fail in maintaining and advancing the best interests of the Kingdom of Israel. With a view to the transference of the scene of worship, from the tabernacle to the temple, David appointed a new arrangement of the Levites, in which we find that besides assisting the priests in the courts of the Lord’s House, and instructing the nation, 4000 served as porters, who had charge of opening and shutting the gates, and of admitting only those who had a right to enter; 4000 served as musicians, and conducted the public praise; and 6000 served as officers and judges (1 Chronicles 23). The Levites had no share in the division of the Holy Land, so that the eleven tribes got one-twelfth more territory among them on that account. Seeing that the Levites got no land, and were not permitted to follow a secular calling, it was not only right and fair, but bare justice that provision should be made for their maintenance. To this tribe (priests included) were assigned forty-eight cities (Joshua 21). Besides these cities, one-tenth of the produce of the whole land was to be given to them (Numbers 18:21; Deuteronomy 18:1-2; Nehemiah 10:37). By this arrangement the Levites got about the same quantity of the produce of the land as the share of the country that should have fallen to them would have yielded had they participated in the division of Canaan. They were thus saved from the toils of cultivation, the service rendered by the other tribes being no more than a fair equivalent for the higher and sacred services rendered by the Levites to the nation.

Many of the priests and Levites performed their duties to God and the Hebrew people so as to glorify Him and benefit them, and thereby “purchased to themselves a good degree.” And having, through the shadows of the old dispensation, led many an Israelite to look to the substance—Christ the one great sacrifice —they are now among the saints in glory, and shall shine as the stars for ever and ever. Others of the priests and Levites were not distinguished by that holiness becoming their office; and at the time of our Savior’s advent, few, very few, were to be found executing the duties of their office with clean hands and a pure heart. But blessed be God, there were still to be found, even then, some who walked in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. With all their sins and shortcomings, the Levites, up to the time of our Savior, were the custodians of the Scriptures, which they read and explained in the synagogues, and thus were instrumental in keeping alive, however faintly, a knowledge of the true God; so that, with all their defects, this tribe was of signal service to the nation. By the wise separation of this tribe to God, the light of true religion was kept burning amidst surrounding darkness; the ritual services of the tabernacle and temple were attended to; and at least a remnant was always found, even in the worst times, to worship God in the beauty of holiness, and to magnify and declare His great name.

God has, in the Gospel dispensation, made provision for making known His will, instructing His people, and wafting the glad tidings of Salvation— not to one nation only, but to all nations, and peoples, and tongues. He had not seen meet, however, under this, as under the old economy, to choose a particular tribe as His ministering servants in accomplishing these great ends; for while He had given pastors to His church, He had also appointed all believers New Testament Levites, and separated them from the rest of the world unto Himself. He calls upon them all to dedicate themselves to His service. The Levites, when not on duty at the sanctuary, were scattered up and down the whole land, and thus became centers of light from which religious knowledge was diffused. Christ’s followers, however, are scattered through all lands, shining as lights in the world, and by the grace of God hastening on the bright era of the millennium glory, when all people shall walk in the light of the Lord and rejoice in Him. The beam that shines from Zion Hill Shall lighten every land.

If you have believed in Jesus, and would remain His disciple, you cannot escape His service. He claims you as really as He did the first-born Israelites, nay, He has stronger claims on you than He had on them. He spared them from the stroke of the angel of death, but He died on the cross that you might live for ever. Do you, then, feel the paramount claims He has upon you? Do you court rather than shun His service? And are you often asking, “Lord, what wouldst thou have me to do?” If so, then you are doubtless already in harness and aiding on the great work of building up the New Testament church. Work on, whether in instructing little ones in the Sabbath-school, as missionary collectors, as tract distributors, or in any other way God in His providence has opened up for you. God speed your efforts to advance the kingdom of His dear Son. Work on, ever looking upwards to your heavenly Father, and, as your look, exclaiming, “My sufficiency is of Thee,” and He will bless you and your work, and receive you to Himself at last with the joyful welcome, “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” Never forget your high calling. Wherever you are, at home or abroad, in the midst of saints or sinners, in all places and at all times, seek to adorn the doctrine of God our Savior by a walk and a conversation becoming the gospel. The Levites, remember, were centers of light. You are also called upon to “Let your light shine.” “Arise, shine.” “Shine ye as lights in the world.”