CALLING AND CREW
Numbers 18:1-5 NET.
1 The LORD said to Aaron, “You and your sons and your tribe with you must bear the iniquity of the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you must bear the iniquity of your priesthood. 2 “Bring with you your brothers, the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, so that they may join with you and minister to you while you and your sons with you are before the tent of the testimony. 3 They must be responsible to care for you and to care for the entire tabernacle. However, they must not come near the furnishings of the sanctuary and the altar, or both they and you will die. 4 They must join with you, and they will be responsible for the care of the tent of meeting, for all the service of the tent, but no unauthorized person may approach you. 5 You will be responsible for the care of the sanctuary and the care of the altar, so that there will be no more wrath on the Israelites.
We are continuing our bunny-hop through the Bible. This week, we have landed on the Book of Numbers, chapters 18-19. Last week, we were still at Sinai preparing for launch into the wilderness and on the way to Canaan.
On Monday, we learned about the Nazarite vow. It was the consecration of a period during which a person could set himself apart for God. The others could look around and see visible examples of those who had chosen to dedicate themselves to the LORD, which would encourage the whole community to seek God’s purity and holiness.
Also, on Monday, we read the Aaronic blessing. The LORD dictated these words through Moses to Aaron, the high priest. Aaron and his sons—the priests—were instructed to say this prayer as a blessing from God upon the whole congregation.
They were to say, “Yahveh bless you and keep you; Yahveh make his face to light upon you and be gracious to you; Yahveh lift his face to you and give you peace.” They asked Yahveh to protect the people from outside enemies and evil within. They asked Yahveh to manifest his presence among the people, shining a joyful face of grace and lifting a face of favor. They asked Yahveh to bring wholeness, health, and peace to the people. We all need these blessings from God every day. We need his protection, his presence, and his peace.
On Tuesday, we learned some special instructions about lighting the lamps in the lampstand, the dedication of the priests, and the annual Passover.
On Wednesday, woo-hoo! The camp dismantled the Tabernacle and began marching toward their destination! But it did not take long for the people to start complaining. They complained that they didn’t have any meat to eat – just this Manna stuff. So, God gave them the quail. But while they were still chewing these birds, God struck them with a plague.
You would think that they would straighten up and fly right after this punishment, but on Thursday, it got worse. Miriam and Aaron, with words of criticism and if that had not been dealt with immediately, it would have resulted in rebellion. The LORD stepped in and defended Moses. Miriam was struck with leprosy, and Aaron confessed their sin and pleaded for Moses’ intercession. Moses prayed for them, and God took away their punishment. But she did have to be shut outside the camp for seven days.
Then the LORD instructed Moses to send 12 men to explore the land that they were heading to. One man from each tribe was chosen for this duty. When they returned, ten of the men said that conquering the land would be impossible.
On Friday, we learned that this majority report of the scouts led to the attempt at rebellion that Aaron and Miriam came close to. They even planned to stone Moses and return to Egypt. The two faithful scouts – Joshua and Caleb – pleaded for the larger community not to rebel. The LORD was ready to destroy them all and start over with just Moses. But Moses interceded and prayed for God’s mercy. The LORD agreed to spare the nation, but they did suffer for their disobedience.
Yesterday’s chapters tell of another rebellion—this one aimed at the priests. Another plague killed thousands, but God showed his approval for Aaron and his priests in an obvious way. He had each tribe contribute a wooden staff, and Levi’s staff had Aaron’s name written on it. Moses placed the staffs in the Tent of Meeting. The next day, Levi’s staff sprouted. Then all Israel knew that God himself had appointed Aaron and his family to serve as priests for the whole community.
Now we know why the action stops again at this point—in Chapter 18 —and the LORD gives instruction concerning the priests and Levites. There had been an attempted rebellion in the camp centered around who was qualified to speak to God on behalf of the people and administer the sacrifices at the Tabernacle.
Both the priests and the Levites were from the tribe of Levi. Why was that tribe set apart and chosen for this peculiar ministry? When the 12 tribes sent out scouts (you might have noticed from your reading) that one tribe was not included. The tribe of Joseph had been split into two, and both his sons became tribal leaders. So, there was a tribe of Ephraim and a tribe of Manasseh. Each of those tribes sent out a scout, so Levi’s tribe did not participate in the scouting party. So, Levi’s tribe was the only one that would not be punished for the attempted rebellion.
The priests: called and accountable.
The Lord told Aaron and his sons that they would bear the guilt of offenses connected with the sanctuary. They were called to a unique position, and that calling made them accountable before God for a unique ministry. They were allowed to minister within the Tabernacle, but when they did so, they would be coming on behalf of a stubborn, rebellious, and sinful people. It was their task to approach a holy God and plead for forgiveness for their nation. The sacrifices offered before God in the Tabernacle were symbols of the confession of those sins and the prayers for restoration and atonement. Without the ministry of the priest, the nation would have to perpetually suffer the wrath of God for their transgressions and violations of his law.
If this unique group of servants had not been there, no nation would have made it to the Promised Land. They were a gift from God. What they did on a regular basis was essential for the survival and success of the Israelite nation.
The Levites: called to assist.
A special group of holy soldiers from the tribe of Levi assisted them in meeting their practical needs. The Levites were God’s chosen partners in the ministry of the priests, and the whole tribe of Levi had a special calling to assist the priests with their unique calling. But there were limits to where the Levites could go and what ministry they could perform. Korah had been a Levite who overstepped the boundary of his function and tried to do the work of a priest. He and others dared to come near the articles in the sanctuary and the altar, and they all died as a result of their rebellion.
The Levites were there to help and make it possible for the priests to do what only they could do. They were to be a gift to the priests, who were a gift to the nation.
Jesus saw hypocrisy in priests and Levites.
Jesus told the story of a man who robbers attacked on his way to Jericho. He said a priest was going down that road. When he saw the poor victim, he passed by on the other side. He was too busy to stop and help this injured man. Then he said a Levite was walking down the same road and saw the same victim. He also passed by on the other side. Why did Jesus use the priest and the Levite as examples in his story? Both the priests and the Levites in Jesus’s day were expected to be super-spiritual. They were called to unique positions in their community and were expected to be accountable to God for their actions. But in Jesus’s story, both of these individuals acted hypocritically. Instead of representing God’s love and compassion, they used their positions as religious professionals to ignore the hurt and the needy. By so doing, they testified that God did not care for the poor and needy. By contrast, the Samaritan had no unique position. No one expected this foreigner to care, but he did. He was the only example of someone who loved his neighbor as himself. He was the only one who obeyed the great commandment.
The New Testament priesthood.
Jesus did not command a special priestly class for his New Testament church or a Levitical class of assistants of the priests. He abolished the Aaronic priesthood and started a new priesthood. He, himself, serves as the high priest of that new order. The Old Testament had predicted that God would establish an eternal priest after the pattern of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4). The Book of Hebrews, chapters 5, 6, and 7, describe this new priesthood.
With Jesus as our High Priest, every believer is now a priest in this new pattern. Offering sacrifices at the Tabernacle of the temple is no longer necessary because Jesus’ death on the cross has once and for all time made atonement for sin. But the priestly role of intercession is still ours to accomplish. We still have a rebellious world that needs our prayers in order to give them access to God’s presence.
1 Peter 2:5 states that believers are living stones built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood and to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. There is no longer an exclusive priesthood of a single tribe or group. There is equality in the church. All Christians are equal in their ability to approach God directly, without needing a priest to intercede on their behalf. When you go to God in prayer, you don’t need a pastor or church leader to pave the way for you. Jesus spoke against the modern church’s tendency to create hierarchies. The priesthood belongs to all believers. We have different ministries depending on our gifting, but we are all gifted with the same Holy Spirit, so each of us can access God’s throne.
Under the new covenant, there are no Levites because they were excluded from service within the Tabernacle. Now, the veil has been torn by the blood of Christ. Access to God’s presence is available to all. New Testament priests also have a new ministry: building the body of Christ through evangelism and discipling. Not only can we bring people to God by intercession, but we can also bring God to people by sharing the gospel with them.
LORD, we accept your call to the privileged ministry of the New Testament priesthood. Use us to reconcile people to you and share the good news of salvation by grace.
jeffersonvann 