Levi

Now, let us move on to the next tribe, the 3rd tribe of Israel, which is the tribe of Levi.

Levi is the 3rd son of Jacob to Leah. Remember Leah was the unloved wife.

Genesis 29:34 "And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi."

Leah was hoping that this third son would make her husband get closer to her or that her husband would be joined to her. She did not realize that her 3rd son would do more in fulfilling the meaning of his name than she anticipated. Levi is to join the children of Israel to the great Husband. Who is our great Husband?

Isaiah 54:5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

The Lord God, the Creator is the great Husband. The church or the true Israel is the Bride. It is the tribe of Levi who was given the duties to teach Israel the things of God and be found a spotless Bride when the Bridegroom comes.

As much as Levi has a great work to do for the whole tribe of Israel, so it was Satan who tried to ruin Levi by pushing him to join with Simeon in the revenge against the Shechemites for what they did to their only sister. We have talked about this story in the previous sermon where Dinah was taken to the prince of Shechem. Simeon planned the revenge and with him was Levi. The story is found in Genesis 34.

What were Jacob’s pronounced words to Levi? From Jacob’s words, you can sense the magnitude of the crime and how the Lord regarded it. Old Jacob was sad to remember what happened.

Gen. 49:5-7 "O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honor, be not thou united. 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."

It sounds like this is not a blessing but more of a curse to Levi. But the words that sounded like a curse became a blessing. This is what happens to a sinner who repents and turns from his sins. Our God can turn a curse into a blessing, and it was in the case of Levi.

Nehemiah 13:2 "…howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing."

Let us take a look at an event that happened in the wilderness when Israel came out of the Egyptian bondage. Here, we can see how the tribe of Levi was being tested. Our character is formed by how we meet our common duties of life, but our character is tested on how we meet the crises of life. It is like the same thing where a storm can be used to test how strong a house is. When there is no storm or strong wind, you cannot tell whether the house is strong, but unless the house is going to be tested by a strong wind or storm, then it is when we can finally say that the house is weak or strong.

So moving on, when Moses had to go to Mount Sinai to meet God, the nation Israel passed through one of the greatest crises in the history of the church. Do you know what is this? It was when the whole multitude worshipped the golden calf. This was when God was ready to destroy Israel.

Exodus 32:10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them:

God was so upset, and his wrath was so great that He was ready to destroy them, but then the tribe of Levi came forward and through their faithfulness, the cause of God was saved. When Moses found out that the children of Israel were worshipping the golden calf, he stood in the gate of the camp and said,

Genesis 32:26-28 Who is on the LORD'S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. 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. And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.

As we can see here that for the tribe of Levi, nothing was much dearer to them than the honor of God and His cause. Worldly connections neither brotherhood, companions nor friends can stand in between them and their duty to God. They did not compromise their eternal interest with anything or relationship this world can offer. And as a result of their faithfulness, they were rewarded of the birthright of priesthood. So what Reuben lost due to his unfaithfulness in his father’s home, Levi gained by being faithful to God before the eyes of all Israel.

Brethren, let this be an object lesson for us. Satan will do his best to offer us anything and everything that he can but let us remember our birthright that is waiting in the world to come. We have to set aside all worldly honor for the honor of God and His cause. Let us not be found unfaithful to God due to worldly friends or family members who are not willing to give up their sins.

Levi’s father, Jacob, denounced his sin, but in Moses’ parting blessings, he extolled Levi above all others, and this was when the Levites were consecrated to do their lifework as ministers and servants of God in the sanctuary services. The Levites were to guard the tabernacle. When the Israelites traveled, only the Levites can carry the things that pertain to the sanctuary like the tents, the furniture, the ark and such. No other tribes were allowed to do this but the Levites alone.

When the Israelites entered the promise land, Canaan, the tribe of Levites did not receive any inheritance. It was not expected of them to farm or till the ground or raise cattle and such. Their sole burden is the spiritual welfare of all Israel. They were not to devote their time in secular job. So, what was their means of living? Let us read what the Word of God says,

Numbers 18:20-21 And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I [am] thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel. And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, [even] the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.

The Levites were to be sustained by tithes as their inheritance since they received no land but that they have to serve in the tabernacle alone. This is the same as today brethren. The ordained ministers are to be sustained by the church through the tithes. The ministers are fulltime in their work. They do not have any other means to support the family and the ministry. This is according to the plans of God. So, if the church is not faithful in their tithes and offerings, guess what, the ministers and the ministry will be affected. The work is hindered and paralyzed due to the lack of means. And we already know that those who are unfaithful to God in this matter are going to receive not a blessing but a curse. Malachi 3:9. And in the history of Israel, when apostasy came in, the Levites were obliged to seek other employment because they were not able to receive the portion that is due to them. We can read this in Nehemiah 13:10-11

Nehemiah 13:10-11 And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given [them]: for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field. Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place.

We do not want this to happen, brethren. The church would not want to see the ministers going around looking for some secular employment because the church failed to give honest tithe to the Lord. How would you want us ministers to be running around looking for other ways in order to survive and sustain the ministry due to the church’s unfaithfulness to God? To think about this makes my heart so sad.

It is during the time of crises that the Levites gained victory. Many failed during crises because they rather follow the one leading them instead of deciding for themselves. They have no independent character. They always love to depend on someone else who is influential. They have no strength in themselves. Their confidence is in man.

Jeremiah 17:5 Thus saith the LORD; Cursed [be] the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.

A curse will rest to this kind of people who trust in man rather than God. The person who proves himself true to God amidst the crises of life must fear God more than man. They must have a clear connection with God above everything.

Let us see a few characters that belong to the tribe of Levi. We will name a few like Moses and Aaron. These two were brothers. Aaron was elder to Moses. Moses stood like a rock, while Aaron at times seems to sway. Aaron was gentler though he sways at times. We can see both are different from each other.

When Aaron’s sons sinned against God by offering strange fire before the Lord, Aaron was not allowed to show signs of grief when his sons died. This is to teach the people that God is just in punishing evildoers. He is no respector of person, it can be a son of a minister or anyone in the church. He deals with all justly. Now when the sons of Aaron died, he was instructed of several things to do and not to do. We can find this in Leviticus 10:1-11.

Leviticus 10:1-11 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. Then Moses said unto Aaron, This [is it] that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace. And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp. So they went near, and carried them in their coats out of the camp; as Moses had said. And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled. And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: for the anointing oil of the LORD [is] upon you. And they did according to the word of Moses. And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying, Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: [it shall be] a statute for ever throughout your generations: And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean; And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses.

This was no easy test of Aaron, but he had to comply. Now his sons were put to death. And regardless of this, God tells us that Aaron remained faithful. So because of this, Aaron was called the saint of God.

Psalms 106:16 "…Aaron the saint of the LORD."

So in review of Levi:

SUMMARY:

Positive Character	Stood true to the honor of God and His cause
Negative Character	They waver at times
Sin	Joined with Simeon in revenge to the Shechemites for what they did with Dinah
Judgment	Scattered and divided among Israel
Fulfillment	They were scattered among Israel to be teachers to the nation
Blessing	They receive the birthright of priesthood
Why they be found in heaven?	They forsake sin

There will be 12,000 members from the 144,000 who will never taste death till Jesus comes and will march in under the faithful name of Levi. These are the people who because of their sins received curses but did highly forsake their sins; and while men around them were wavering, where they were being tossed like the waves of sea, back and forth from their allegiance to God, the faithful ministers stood true to God and His cause and will therefore receive a rich blessing from the hands of our merciful God. Take note: The Ministers of today need to remain faithful in obedience to the law in how we love our Creator and how we treat and love our neighbors no matter who they are. We are to always reflect the Saviour's love to others in hopes that they may see Jesus and Love Him too. If we do not show love to our neighbors, how can we win souls to Christ? So we have to be faithful in fulfilling the law of Love. The character of God and if we do not then we will be CURSED and will receive no inhabitants in heaven.

We so truly do have a loving and gracious God that has given us a clear path to walk on that will bring us through one of the pearly gates. Christ has done His part, the heavenly Father has cleared the way and the Spirit is there to lead us unto victory if each and every one of us would allow the three Most Highest powers in heaven work through us and in us the Righteousness, the Character of God. And though we may all be from different backgrounds in life, where we have all sinned before God, some great and some less, we shall all know that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through our Lord Jesus, THE CHRIST. Romans 6:23. When we forsake our sins, a blessing will rest upon us just like what happened with the tribe of Levi. The gift of God is eternal life. If we transgress, death awaits us. But if we forsake sin, eternal life will be ours.

Let us fight the good fight of faith and strive to overcome our weaknesses, overcome sin, strengthen our connection with the Most High, stand true for the honor of God and His cause and be found among the 144,000 that will marshal in, under one of the pearl gates of heaven. May God continue to strengthen us and give us more of Jesus’ power to be able to accomplish what God has set before each and every one of us.