“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says:

‘When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.’

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Ephesians 4:4-8, 11-13

God appointed, anointed, consecrated, and ordained Aaron and his family to serve the Israelites as priests who would be the ones who would come before God to atone for their sins.  God then told Moses to reserve the whole tribe of Levites as His servants for the temple to assist the priests.  God gifted the Levite clan with abilities to care for the Tent of Dwelling and Meeting place for God on their journey through the wilderness.  Only those born into the Levite clan were allowed to serve.

The Old Testament agreement (or covenant) between God and his people required special intermediaries—the priests. Now, Christ is the only intermediary needed for forgiveness of sins. We can go straight to him and ask for forgiveness and He delivers us from our sins forever!  Jesus fulfilled The Law as our one and only “High Priest”. Jesus, God’s Son, God in flesh, has authority to gift each believer with abilities to serve Him by helping others find and follow Jesus, too!  God has given us specific ways to serve as the Body of Christ called church for our good and His glory!

Numbers 3

The Levites

3 This is the account of the family of Aaron and Moses at the time the Lord spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai.

² The names of the sons of Aaron were Nadab the firstborn and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. ³ Those were the names of Aaron’s sons, the anointed priests, who were ordained to serve as priests. ⁴ Nadab and Abihu, however, died before the Lord when they made an offering with unauthorized fire before him in the Desert of Sinai. They had no sons, so Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father Aaron.

⁵ The Lord said to Moses, ⁶ “Bring the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him. ⁷ They are to perform duties for him and for the whole community at the tent of meeting by doing the work of the tabernacle. ⁸ They are to take care of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, fulfilling the obligations of the Israelites by doing the work of the tabernacle. ⁹ Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to him. ¹⁰ Appoint Aaron and his sons to serve as priests; anyone else who approaches the sanctuary is to be put to death.”

¹¹ The Lord also said to Moses, ¹² “I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of the first male offspring of every Israelite woman. The Levites are mine, ¹³ for all the firstborn are mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal. They are to be mine. I am the Lord.”

¹⁴ The Lord said to Moses in the Desert of Sinai, ¹⁵ “Count the Levites by their families and clans. Count every male a month old or more.” ¹⁶ So Moses counted them, as he was commanded by the word of the Lord.

¹⁷ These were the names of the sons of Levi:

Gershon, Kohath and Merari.

¹⁸ These were the names of the Gershonite clans:

Libni and Shimei.

¹⁹ The Kohathite clans:

Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.

²⁰ The Merarite clans:

Mahli and Mushi.

These were the Levite clans, according to their families.

²¹ To Gershon belonged the clans of the Libnites and Shimeites; these were the Gershonite clans. ²² The number of all the males a month old or more who were counted was 7,500. ²³ The Gershonite clans were to camp on the west, behind the tabernacle. ²⁴ The leader of the families of the Gershonites was Eliasaph son of Lael. ²⁵ At the tent of meeting the Gershonites were responsible for the care of the tabernacle and tent, its coverings, the curtain at the entrance to the tent of meeting, ²⁶ the curtains of the courtyard, the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard surrounding the tabernacle and altar, and the ropes—and everything related to their use.

²⁷ To Kohath belonged the clans of the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites and Uzzielites; these were the Kohathite clans. ²⁸ The number of all the males a month old or more was 8,600. The Kohathites were responsible for the care of the sanctuary. ²⁹ The Kohathite clans were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle. ³⁰ The leader of the families of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel. ³¹ They were responsible for the care of the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the articles of the sanctuary used in ministering, the curtain, and everything related to their use. ³² The chief leader of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest. He was appointed over those who were responsible for the care of the sanctuary.

³³ To Merari belonged the clans of the Mahlites and the Mushites; these were the Merarite clans. ³⁴ The number of all the males a month old or more who were counted was 6,200. ³⁵ The leader of the families of the Merarite clans was Zuriel son of Abihail; they were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle. ³⁶ The Merarites were appointed to take care of the frames of the tabernacle, its crossbars, posts, bases, all its equipment, and everything related to their use, ³⁷ as well as the posts of the surrounding courtyard with their bases, tent pegs and ropes.

³⁸ Moses and Aaron and his sons were to camp to the east of the tabernacle, toward the sunrise, in front of the tent of meeting. They were responsible for the care of the sanctuary on behalf of the Israelites. Anyone else who approached the sanctuary was to be put to death.

³⁹ The total number of Levites counted at the Lord’s command by Moses and Aaron according to their clans, including every male a month old or more, was 22,000.

⁴⁰ The Lord said to Moses, “Count all the firstborn Israelite males who are a month old or more and make a list of their names. ⁴¹ Take the Levites for me in place of all the firstborn of the Israelites, and the livestock of the Levites in place of all the firstborn of the livestock of the Israelites. I am the Lord.”

⁴² So Moses counted all the firstborn of the Israelites, as the Lord commanded him. ⁴³ The total number of firstborn males a month old or more, listed by name, was 22,273.

⁴⁴ The Lord also said to Moses, ⁴⁵ “Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites are to be mine. I am the Lord. ⁴⁶ To redeem the 273 firstborn Israelites who exceed the number of the Levites, ⁴⁷ collect five shekels for each one, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. ⁴⁸ Give the money for the redemption of the additional Israelites to Aaron and his sons.”

⁴⁹ So Moses collected the redemption money from those who exceeded the number redeemed by the Levites. ⁵⁰ From the firstborn of the Israelites he collected silver weighing 1,365 shekels, according to the sanctuary shekel. ⁵¹ Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, as he was commanded by the word of the Lord.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

“The work is too much for you,” Moses’ father-in-law told him. “Divide the work into smaller pieces and appoint those gifted to handle their part of work.”  This wise counsel came from God through Jethro to Moses.  And God is doing it again—giving others in the Levite clan specific tasks as ways to help the priests in their work. 

As a congregation of believers, we should seek God first, ask Jesus for specific ways we can help the mission of His church, and wait for His answer. Jesus will answer this sincere prayer with opportunity for sure!  As God/Jesus/Holy Spirit leads us, tell someone in leadership!  God will lead leaders to match the teachable and willing to the right place to serve! 

Know the difference between MEinstry of our own making vs. God-led ministry of serving in His church.  When we self-appoint, we will become frustrated in the work. If it is God-led we will thrive, learn, grow, and be helpful to the mission of the redemption of lost souls seeking a Savior. Disagreements may arise, but solutions come as the Holy Spirit of God molds and shapes each one of us for our good and His glory!

The Honesty Factor:  The difference between MEinstry and ministry can be seen when God calls us to do what we feel we not equipped or qualified to do but we do it anyway knowing God will gift and equip us along the way.  It is in the being and doing that we realize we are fully reliant on God.  Then, no cause to boast, says Paul, when God leads—all glory goes to Him!  Be honest.

The Maturity Factor:  Paul’s expresses the goal of maturity; “so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” 

How Is Maturity Is Expressed?  We see evidence of maturity emerging in our lives when:

• Our concern for others outweighs our concern for ourselves.
• The presence of evil or danger is detected before it is obvious.
• We have more than high ideals; we have discipline to carry them out.
• Emotions are tempered by responsibility and thoroughness.
• Awareness of needs are matched by compassion and involvement.
• There is not only an understanding of a task, but also the fortitude to stay at it until it is done.
• There is a willingness to change are teachable.
• There is the ability to grow spiritually as we seek wisdom from God.

The entire nation of Israel was to be a “kingdom of priests” before God (Exodus 19:5-6).  God appointed a special priesthood to help His people obey His law and bear witness of His goodness. The Levites were God’s gift to the priests, substitutes for the redeemed firstborn sons of Israel who already belonged to God. The Levites did for the Lord and the priests the service that the firstborn sons would have done, for the Levites ministered in their place.

“All this information about the ministry of the Levites reminds us that our God is concerned with details and wants His work to be done by the people He has chosen and in the way He has appointed. Nothing in the camp of Israel was left to chance or human contrivance. Each Levite and priest knew his responsibilities and was expected to “serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (Hebrews 12:28). Caring for the tabernacle was serious work, a matter of life and death.” Warren Wiersbe, Wiersbe Study Bible

We are likened unto the firstborn at our rebirth when we repent of our sins to Jesus, our High Priest, who paid the price with His sacrifice for all the sins of the world.  We who believe belong to God.  We are gifted to serve Jesus, who is the King of kings and Lord of lords forever and ever, Amen!  Yes!

Lord,

Lead me. I’m yours and I’m listening.

In Jesus Name, Amen