Levites

LEVITES

1.    Levi is the third son of Jacob and Leah, born in Mesopotamia

2.    The name of the third son of Jacob by his wife Leah

3.    The name, derived from lavah, "to adhere," gave utterance to the hope of the mother that the affections of her husband, which had hitherto rested on the favored Rachel, would at last be drawn to her: "This time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have borne him three sons."

4.    Moses belonged to this tribe

 Cursed by his Father

Genesis 34

1.         Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.

2.         When Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her.

3.         And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth

4.         Hamor communed with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter: I pray you give her him to wife.

5.         On the third day two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males.

6.         And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went out.

7.         But Jacob, their father became afraid

8.         He was afraid that, because he and his people are less in number the inhabitants of the land - the Canaanites and the Perizzites - shall gather themselves together against him and slay him; and thus he and his house will be destroyed.

9.         So at his death bed, he cursed Levi and Simeon

Genesis 49 : 5 - 6

5   Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.

6   O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall.

7   Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.

 Blessed by God

1.    Later Levi, because of the same reason - instruments of cruelty are in their habitations (Genesis 49:5) - stood forth on the Lord's side

2.    And Moses was charged by God to bless them

Exodus 32

3.    When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount Sinai, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods

4.    All the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.

5.    Aaron fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf

6.    Aaron built an altar before it offered burnt offerings

7.    As Moses came near unto the camp, he saw the calf, and the dancing and Moses' anger waxed hot

Exodus 32:26 - 28

26 Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD'S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.

27 And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.

28 And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.

8.    Moses blessed Israelites before his death

 Deuteronomy 33:8 - 11

8   And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah;

9   Who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children: for they have observed thy word, and kept thy covenant.

10 They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law: they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon thine altar. {They shall teach: or, Let them teach} {they shall put: or, let them put} {before...: Heb. at thy nose}

11 Bless, LORD, his substance, and accept the work of his hands: smite through the loins of them that rise against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise not again.

Blessed Over Curses

1.      The tribe of Levi was, according to Jacob's curses, scattered over all Israel, having no share in the cities in the portions of other tribes.

2.      God chose the Levites for the service of his tabernacle and temple, instead of the firstborn of all Israel, to whom such duties naturally belonged, and who were already sacred to God in memory of the great deliverance in Egypt

3.      Levi stood with God while other first born of Israelites hesitated to give up sin

4.      So God provided them with the tithe of corn, fruit, and cattle

5.      All the tithes, first fruits, and offerings, presented at the temple, as well as several parts of all the victims that were offered belonged to the tribe of Levi.

Duties of Levite

 1.      In the wilderness, the Levites took charge of the tabernacle and its contents; and conveyed it from place to place

2.       After the building of the temple they took charge of the gates, of the sacred vessels, of the preparation of the showbread and other offerings, and of the singing and instrumental music

3.      They brought wood, water, etc., for the priests; aided them in preparing the sacrifices, and in collecting and disbursing the contributions of the people

4.      They were also the temple guards and the salutation and response in Psalms 134:1-3 are thought to be their song in the night. 

5.      The most important duty: Teaching the People

2 Chronicles 30:22 - And Hezekiah spake comfortably unto all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the Lord

6.      Levites were scattered among the people.

7.      They taught the people the Law and thus binding the tribes together, and promoting virtue and piety.

Cities of Refuge – Another Hounour To The Levites

 

1.      God assigned for the habitation of the Levites forty-eight cities, with fields, pastures, and gardens

2.      Six of the Levitical cities were appointed as cities of refuge

 Joshua 20 : 1- 3

1   The LORD also spake unto Joshua, saying,

2   Speak to the children of Israel, saying, Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spake unto you by the hand of Moses:

3   That the slayer that killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither: and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.

 Joshua 21 : 41- All the cities of the Levites within the possession of the children of Israel were forty and eight cities with their suburbs.

Professor Jacob Abraham

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