THE LEVITE'S INHERITANCE

NUMBERS

CHAPTER 18 & 19

            Greetings to you from Daily Bread.  We're always happy to have you join us for our Daily Bread Bible Study.  Last time, we studied the story about how the Lord made Aaron's rod to bud as to show His people that the Levites were the chosen tribe to minister as a priesthood to the Lord.

            As we pick up at Chapter 18, the Lord speaks to Aaron and explains the responsibilities that go along with the priesthood.  Although the entire tribe of Levi was appointed the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, only Aaron and his sons were allowed to minister before the tabernacle of witness.  His sons were to minister according to Aaron's instructions and they weren't allowed to come near the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar or they all would die, and no stranger was to come near them.

            The Lord told Aaron, This is so that there'll be no further judgment on the children of Israel.  God explained to him that everything that was given in worship in Israel will be his.  The Lord gave to Aaron all the offerings (explained in Numbers 18:8-19) for him and anyone that is clean in his family to eat, and they must eat it in the holy place.

            Then the Lord told Aaron, You won't inherit any part of the Promised Land, or any part of what the children of Israel possess, I am your part and your inheritance.  I have given the children of Levi 1/10 in Israel for their share, for their service.  And the children of Israel from now on can't come near the tabernacle of the congregation in case they have sinned, or they'll die.  But the Levites will do the service of the tabernacle and they'll carry their sins.  It will be this way for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel, the tribe of Levi has no inheritance.  The tithes of the children of Israel which they offer as an heave offering to the Lord, I have given to the Levites to inherit, so I say, they'll have no share in the Promised Land.

            This is quite an interesting thing.  We've talked about tithing before and in today's world, things are much different now than in those biblical times.  It can get kinda confusing if you don't look at it from different perspectives.  Remember, these laws were for the Israelites in the Old Testament.  Don't forget also, these people were all in the same boat, so to speak.  They didn't have "income."  They weren't richer or poorer than anyone else.  Their standard of living was pretty much equal.  One tent wasn't much more luxurious or elaborate than the next family's.  None of them had a little "nest egg" for a nice little starter home once they got to the Promised Land.  They weren't taxed.  They were all kin, and God was providing everything for them.  Notice that none of these tithes are money offerings.  Money was used, however, when the firstborn were redeemed.       

            The Lord gave instructions to Moses, saying, Tell the Levites that when you take tithes from the children of Israel, that I've given you from them for your inheritance, then you will offer up 1/10 of it for an heave offering for the Lord.  You will also present an heave offering to the Lord of all your tithes that you receive from the children of Israel and give them to Aaron.  Out of all your gifts you will offer every heave offering of the best of it, the sacred part out of it. 

            So, the Levites were given the offerings of the children of Israel (which were their best gifts to God) and the Levites offered the best of the best as their offerings to God.  And they were allowed to eat the heave offering anywhere because it was like their wages for their service in the tabernacle of the congregation.  Because of it they carried no sin when they heaved the best of it.  They could not pollute the holy things of the children of Israel, or they would die.  In other words, the gifts that the children of Israel brought for sacrifices, were made holy, and for the Levites to disobey any of God's commands about them would mean death.

            Well, now you're halfway through the book of Numbers!  Chapter 19 is all about the laws of purification, so if you would like to study what things made people unclean and how they purified themselves, you will find it all there.  When we come back, we'll pick up at Chapter 20 and it's a very eventful one as the children of Israel chide Moses once again, so join us again here at Daily Bread, you won't want to miss it!

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