Jacob Blesses Levi
"Simeon and Levi are
brothers; Their swords are implements of
violence. "Let my soul not enter into their council; Let not my glory be united with their assembly; Because in their anger they slew men, and in their self-will they lamed oxen.
"Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel. I will disperse them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel (Genesis 49:5-7).
A Review of the History of the Tribe of Levi
The story of the tribe of Levi records a
history consistent with the oracle Jacob pronounced upon the tribe when they,
too, were destined to be scattered without inheritance in the land.
Exodus 32 in Review: Golden Calf
· How is it that the prophecy which proved to be a curse for the tribe of
Simeon actually turned into a blessing for the Levites? Levi’s exploits in
Exodus 32 may provide that answer.
Here is what is going on
Verses 1-6—Now
when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the
people assembled about Aaron and said to him, "Come, make us a god who
will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land
of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him"… and fashioned it with a
graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, "This is your
god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt."—The Israelites crafted a golden calf to be worshiped
by the people. Aaron encouraged this idolatry while his brother was on the
mountain receiving the Law from the Lord. The idea of making this calf may have
come from their memory of the Egyptian gods.
· When Aaron saw that they had made a
golden calf, he proposed a mixture of worship, making an altar and proclaiming tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord (v.
5). The next day they: (1) offered burnt
offerings, and brought peace offerings, (2) sat down to eat and to drink, and (3) rose up to play – the word for
play suggests sexual activity (1 Corinthians 10:8).
Here is how God
responded
Verses 7-14—Then the Lord spoke to Moses, "Go down at once, for your people, whom you
brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves… Now then let Me alone, that My
anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you
a great nation."… Then Moses entreated the Lord his God, and said, "O Lord, why does Your anger burn against
Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power
and with a mighty hand?... So the Lord changed His mind about the harm which He said He would
do to His people. —When
Moses came down from the mountain and saw the shameful sight, he shattered the
tablets of stone in righteous anger and protest. When God told Moses what the people had done, He
referred to them as your people whom you
brought up out of the land of Egypt. God said they are an obstinate [or literally,
hard] people (v. 9). Then He told Moses to be at rest (NASB, KJV let me
alone) that I may destroy them, and I
will make you a great nation.
Moses then appealed for the people with two arguments:
1. The Egyptians will say, “With evil intent He brought them out to kill
them” v. 12. Notice the
assumption that the world is watching.
2. “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants to whom You swore by
Yourself, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of
the heavens…in the land’” v. 13 (Genesis 15:18–21; 22:17; 26:4; 28:13;
32:13).
PT: The result
was that God changed His mind [KJV repented]. This word is to “be sorry, repent, regret, be
comforted, comfort”. It’s the same word translated sorry in Genesis 6:6, when before the Flood, the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth. Moses first
argument here seems to be his own speculation. But his second argument was a
good one, and the reason God changed His declaration.
An Application—God has an eternal plan which
cannot be altered, but at the same time, the
effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much (James 5:16). God’s
change of mind was real and in His eternal plan. Predestination and free
will are both 100%. How can God have
a predetermined plan and still change His mind or be sorry [KJV repent]? Because the fact that God
changed His mind [KJV repented or was
sorry] was already in His predetermined plan. God really changed His mind, that
change of mind was effected by Moses’ plea, and God’s
real change of mind based on Moses’ plea was in His sovereign eternal plan.
Verses 15-30—Moses saw that the people were out of control-for Aaron had let
them get out of control…Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, "Whoever
is for the Lord, come to me!" And all the sons of Levi gathered together to him. He said to them, "Thus
says the Lord, the God of Israel, 'Every man of you put his sword upon his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to
gate in the camp, and kill every man his brother, and every man his friend, and
every man his neighbor.'" So the sons of Levi did as Moses instructed, and about three
thousand men of the people fell that day. —After personally
destroying the calf, Moses decided that radical spiritual surgery had to be
performed on the people. The zeal of Levi had earlier resulted in the death of
the Shechemites—a deed deplored by Jacob. Now through
their obedience to Moses, the Levites demonstrated their zeal in a righteous
cause. As a result, they were awarded the special place as the priestly tribe
throughout Jewish history. While later reflecting upon this incident, Moses
reminded the people at that time the Lord set
apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to serve Him and to bless in His name until this day (Deuteronomy 10:8).
An Application—It is
appropriate to have zeal for the Lord, His will, and His word. We should
eagerly desire and contend for righteousness. Romans 12:10-11 says be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give
preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence (zeal). Christ gave Himself for us… to purify for Himself a people for His
own possession, zealous for good deeds (Titus
2:14). Be eager to study the Bible. Be dedicated to loving God with all your
heart. Be passionate about living with an eternal perspective. Be devoted to
making disciples of Jesus Christ. Be zealous for the things God is eager about.
PT—Certainly Simeon and Levi were zealous, but originally
their zeal was not channeled into godly paths. Zeal in itself is not
sufficient, even for ministry on behalf of the Lord. It has been taught that
activity, devotion, commitment, and sincerity are the only necessities in
serving the Lord. But such zeal can be misdirected and even hinder service.
·
Paul testified about his
Jewish kinsmen for I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in
accordance with knowledge (Romans 12:2). Even Paul encountered an
unproductive zeal in his own life as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness
which is in the Law, found blameless (Philippians 3:6). Just as Levi redirected his zeal into godly
channels, Paul redirected his zeal into service for the Messiah, whom he had
been previously zealous to oppose. The
point is to focus our zeal on God’s program and purposes, not our own selfish
plans.
Deuteronomy 33 in Review: Moses Blessing
· The blessing we have here is the
blessing of Moses given just before his death. God gave the Levites a special
place of service amongst the nation.
It’s striking that Simeon is
the only tribe omitted from Moses blessing, while the longest blessing is given
to Levi.
Verses 8-11—Of Levi he said, "Let Your Thummim and Your Urim belong to Your godly man whom You proved at Massah, with whom You contended at the
waters of Meribah; Who said of his father and his mother, 'I did not consider them'; And he did not acknowledge his brothers… "They shall teach Your ordinances to Jacob, And Your law to Israel. They shall put incense before You, and whole burnt offerings on Your altar."
1. The Thummin and
the Urim, whose meaning is uncertain, refer
to sacred stones carried in a pouch on the breastplate of the high priest and
examined on occasion as a means of ascertaining God’s will or direction. (See Exodus 28:30; Leviticus
8:8; Numbers
27:21; 1
Samuel 28:6).
2. Moses blessing also noted
of Levi who said of his father and
his mother, 'I did not consider
them'; And he did not acknowledge
his brothers (v. 9). This statement no
doubt alludes to the Levites’ destruction of their own fellow tribesmen
following the golden calf incident (Exodus 32:25-29). Moses said of Levi at that time they observed Your word, and kept Your covenant (v. 9).
3. Levi’s
influence included teaching the people the Law of God. Moses in his final
blessing of the tribes had said to Levi in Deuteronomy 33:10 he
teaches Your precepts to Jacob and Your Law to Israel. They were to instruct the people where
they lived in the Law of the Lord so that the knowledge of God’s Word would be
maintained among the people of the nation.
An Application—Recognize the word of God in your
life. Determine to give it a fair at face value reading and then orient your
life according to its values. Don’t marginalize the Bible, but place it front
and center. Learn how to study it. Read it. Apply it. Put it to use.
Joshua 21 in Review: Levis
Allotment
· God not only found a special place of service for Levi and his posterity,
He also ensured their spiritual presence
amongst the people.
Verses 1-40—So the sons of Israel gave the Levites from their inheritance
these cities with their pasture lands, according to the command of the Lord. Then the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites… the sons of Gershon… [and] the sons of Merari—The
tribe of Levi steps forward to claim their inheritance. This is the last
allotment to take place. Moses had promised them an inheritance "command the sons of Israel that they
give to the Levites from the inheritance of their possession cities to live in;
and you shall give to the Levites pasture lands around the cities (Numbers
35:2). The distribution
of the territory is according to the three main branches of the tribe of Levi.
These correspond to the three sons of Levi, Kohath, Gershon and Merari.
The sons of
Kohath were given twenty-three cities from six different tribes (vv. 4-5). The
sons of Gershon received thirteen cities from four of the tribes (v. 6). The
sons or Merari were giv en twelve cities from three different tribal territories
(v. 7). Then verse eight concludes: These cities and their pasture lands the
people of Israel gave by lot to the Levites as the Lord had commanded through
Moses.
PT: Of these three sons, the Kohahites
were more prominent and had the most cities assigned to them they were for the sons of
Aaron, one of the families of the Kohathites, of the sons of Levi, for the lot
was theirs first (v. 10). The reason was
because Moses and Aaron were sons of Kohath. So the
Aaronic priesthood came from this branch of the Levites.
PT: The Levite cities in the north and the east were placed
there as deterrents against idolatry that could easily infiltrate from Tyre and Sidon, and from the Midianites, Ammonites, and
Moabites. So the entire nation had someone near enough
who knew the Law of God that they could easily visit and get advice, counsel
and instruction. It was essential that the nation stay faithful to the Law of
God in all areas of their lives because their propensity to stray and forget
God would forfeit the privileges they enjoyed in covenant with God.
Since they
were to be spiritual leaders of the nation at large, the Levites were
trans-tribal not bound by any borders or boundaries. It was clear they did not
own these cities or the grazing land
surrounding
them. According to Numbers 35:6-7 Levi’s allotment included the six cities of refuge… all
the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight cities, together with their
pasture lands. The cities and the surrounding countryside would provide for the tribe
of Levi, but they were to focus on the spiritual influence they were to have
amongst the people.
PT—Apparently, the Lord meant for the verdict of justice to
be decided by the Levitical priests. The point is that God established due
process to control vigilantism.
An Application—Premeditated sin is worse than other sin because it involves our
intention. It assumes we know what is sin and do it anyway. But believers who
claim to be unaware of some particular sin should be informed, not disciplined
or punished. All people accused of anything who claim to be innocent should be
assumed innocent until proven guilty. Provisions should be made to protect
unknowing sinners—such as new believers—from the attacks of other believers.
Verses
43-45—Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to
pass. —Looking back at the beginning, then
summarizing the conquest and division of land, Joshua emphasized God’s
faithfulness in all of it the Lord gave Israel all the land which He had sworn to give to
their fathers, and they possessed it and lived in it (v. 43). That God gave victory over their enemies and then the Lord gave them rest on every side (v. 44). That God keeps His promises as they all came
to pass (v. 45). There was still territory the tribes needed to possess, and
while Israelites lived there many Canaanites still did too. There was still
much trouble ahead and tragedies that would develop during the Judges and the
Kings. But those would be Israel’s fault, not God’s.
God was faithful to the promises He made to the tribes including the Levites.
Observations from the Tribe of Levi
· Although landless regarding their inheritance in the land, the Levites
actually were the most privileged of all the tribes. Moses declared this
privilege Therefore,
Levi does not have a portion or inheritance with his brothers; the Lord is his inheritance, just as the Lord your God spoke to him (Deuteronomy 10:9).
· Both priests and Levites were financially supported by
the tithes of the people, thus enabling them to give their full time to
ministering before the Lord the Levitical priests, the
whole tribe of Levi, shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel; they
shall eat the Lord's offerings by fire and His
portion. They shall have no inheritance
among their countrymen; the Lord is their inheritance, as He promised them (Deuteronomy 18:1-2)
· The responsibility for the tabernacle
was serious business as it represented God amidst the Israelites as they
journeyed. Approaching God is like approaching a hot fire—you get close enough
to warm yourself but never too close that you get burned. So the Levites shall keep charge of the
tabernacle of the testimony” (Numbers 1:53). The point was to prevent any
unnecessary profane approach or activity around the Tabernacle which
represented sacredness and holiness never to be taken lightly. The Levites,
like godly people today, were the sentry posts of protection for the people
from the wrath of God.
An Application—Similarly, we belong to the household
of God—a collection of individuals united together as a family, each distinct
and individual in gifts, opportunities, and responsibility. In this sense, the
church is never called a community—a collective for the common good. Even in
Israel, they fought as an army of tribes—each distinct, but contributing to the
overall battle strategy together.
· Unfortunately, it seems the influence
of the Levites diminished over time and even the priesthood became corrupted,
until God had to judge His nation and people. God commanded Ezekiel to dig through the wall of the entrance
to the court." So I dug through the wall, and behold, an
entrance. And He said to me, "Go in
and see the wicked abominations that they are committing here" (Ezekiel 8:7-8). When Ezekiel looked he saw every
form of creeping things and beasts and detestable things, with all the idols of the
house of Israel, were carved on the wall all around. Standing in front of them were seventy elders
of the house of Israel (vv. 10-11).
PT: Even though God ensured a spiritual influence among His
people that was no guarantee that the influence would produce what it was
designed too. Just because the body of Christ teaches the Bible, prays, sings,
and meets does not guarantee devoted believers.
An Application—Today we might say of churches and
ministries, dig through the wall and you will see they justify divorce and
remarriage. Dig through the wall and you will see women clergy. Dig through the
wall and you will see they encourage homosexuality. Dig through the wall and
you will see them cohabitating and fornicating. Dig through the wall and you
will see their spiritual immaturity and biblical ignorance.