And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.
Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him;
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.
and they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole assembly, before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle.
Numbers 3:7 sets out the working life of the tribe of Levi. At the tent of meeting they had a charge to keep: Aaron's, the people's, and the service of the tabernacle. What does keeping a charge involve? And does work assigned this closely by God still shape how believers serve today?
The verse names more than one party the Levites answered to, and the order matters. One writer traces it outward, from Aaron to the people (his wording follows an older translation):
So the Levites were commanded to "keep the charge of Aaron" — this was the primary consideration — and to keep "the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle" (Num. 3:7). Christian service is for Christ, but it is carried out for the benefit of God's people and for the sake of the testimony for God.
A "charge" is not just a task to do. It is a trust to protect. God gave the tabernacle vessels into the Levites' keeping:
The Levites are now to be brought near and given to Aaron and his sons, to serve him and to keep the charge of the vessels of the tabernacle. It is a weighty service, and for it they must depend on the Priest. They are given wholly to the service of the priests. Ministry belongs to those who worship, and its first and most urgent duty is to guard and care for the holy things they handle. The tabernacle vessels, we know, set forth the truth of what Christ is in all His offices; and all ministry must watch over and preserve this.
No Levite chose his own post. One writer calls that a mercy, though not every heart feels it as one:
The priest appointed each Levite's service. Self-will had no more room among the Levites than it had among the men of war. God settled it all, and this was a marked mercy to everyone whose heart was in a right condition. A man whose will was unbroken might feel it a hardship, a tiresome task, to have to stay in the same place and do exactly the same work… But where the will was subdued and the heart adjusted, each one would say, "My path is perfectly plain; I have only to obey."
The same point is pressed on the question of who does the choosing:
It was no question at all of picking out those who might seem best for carrying the boards and the curtains, or the vessels of the sanctuary. God arranged it all, taking it completely out of man's hands: He chose suited men Himself.
The tabernacle filled a Levite's whole working life. One writer turns that into a test for the Christian:
It is just the same for Christians now. Their exclusive business — their one great work — their absorbing service, is Christ and His belongings… A true Levite of old could say, "To me to live is the tabernacle;" and a true Christian now can say, "To me to live is Christ." In everything that comes before the Christian, the great question is this: "Can I connect Christ with it?" If not, I have nothing whatsoever to do with it.
One writer asks who the Levites are today, and counts practical help as real service:
The Levites now, as then, are to minister to the priests, that is, the church. Who are the Levites? They are the ones who watch over the saints and care for the flock of God: they teach, explain the word, do pastoral work, rebuke, and warn against the evil around them. In Israel there were different orders of Levites, each with its own duties. In the same way, those who had to serve tables (Acts 6:1-4) were doing true Levitical service. All, whether teachers or simply caring for the wants of the poor, ministered to the saints of God. These servants are called by the Master, and they take up the service willingly, not under compulsion… The Lord distributes to each according to his ability.
The priests and the Levites picture two sides of the Christian's place, and many prize one and neglect the other:
If Aaron and his sons represent the Church as a holy priesthood offering up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ, then the Levites picture the saints as set apart to God for His will and service… Some prize the privilege of being in God's presence as worshippers above everything else. Others count it the highest favour that they are allowed to serve. But the perfection of the Christian life lies in the combination of the two, as seen, for instance, in Elijah. "As the Lord of hosts lives," he says, "before whom I stand." He lived within, and so he was ready to serve without. The one who most enjoys his priestly privilege will be the best qualified for his Master's service.
- Charge, not career. God handed the Levite a trust to keep: Aaron's charge first, then the people's, then the tabernacle service.
- Keep means guard. The charge covered the holy vessels, so the first duty was to watch over and preserve them.
- Assigned, not chosen. God fixed each man's post; self-will had no room, and a subdued heart finds that a mercy.
- One thing only. The tabernacle was the Levite's whole business, as Christ is the Christian's.
- Inside, then outside. Standing before God as a worshipper is what equips anyone to keep the charge for others.
And they shall keep all the utensils of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.
God set the Levites apart from the rest of Israel and placed them around the tabernacle. This verse hands them two charges — the furnishings of the tent of meeting, and the people of Israel — and both raise one question: what does God want from those He calls to serve Him?
The duty here points two ways. The Levites served Aaron the priest, but their work also met the needs of the whole camp.
As well as serving Aaron, the Levites attended to the needs of the whole congregation of Israel (v.7). Those needs centered on the tabernacle and its service. They had to care for all the furnishing of the tabernacle (v.8). Today the answer to this is the ministry God has provided for the Church of God. Are we concerned to minister what will be of real help and blessing to the people? Every believer should have such a concern.
The order matters. One commentator puts the priest first and the people second:
So the Levites were commanded to "keep guard over" Aaron — this was the primary consideration — and to keep guard "over the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, as they minister at the tabernacle" (Num. 3:7). Christian service is for Christ, but we carry it out for the benefit of God's people and for the sake of the testimony for God.
The verse tells the Levites to guard. Commentators read the tabernacle's vessels as pictures of Christ, so guarding them comes first for anyone who serves.
God now commands that the Levites be brought near and given to Aaron and his sons, to serve him and to keep the charge of the vessels of the tabernacle. It is a weighty service, and for it they must depend on the Priest. They are given wholly to the service of the priests. Ministry belongs to those who worship, and its first and most urgent duty is to guard and care for the holy things they handle. We know that the tabernacle vessels set forth the truth of what Christ is in all His offices, and all ministry must watch over and preserve this.
God left nothing here to the servant's preference. The priest directed the work, and each Levite kept the place given to him.
All who would be true Levites — proper workmen, intelligent servants — need to weigh this point with all seriousness. The priest's appointment regulated Levite service. Self-will had no more room in the service of the Levites than it had in the position of the men of war. God settled it all, and this was a clear mercy to everyone whose heart was in a right condition.
The same point is drawn from God's choosing of the men themselves:
It was no question at all of picking out those who might seem best for carrying the boards and the curtains, or the vessels of the sanctuary. God arranged it all, taking it completely out of man's hands: He chose suited men Himself. Where is there any happiness except in simply carrying out the will of God?
Their service also had a boundary. The tabernacle and its belongings were their whole occupation.
Their service had to do only with the tabernacle and its belongings. They had nothing else to do. If a Levite had turned his hand to anything else, he would have denied his calling, abandoned the work God gave him, and defied God's commandments… A true Levite of old could say, "To me to live is the tabernacle." A true Christian today can say, "To me to live is Christ."
Behind the duty stands an earlier fact: God had already taken the Levites for Himself.
Verse 12 of Numbers 3 reveals the secret behind the special place of the Levites: God had chosen them "instead of all the firstborn". In Egypt, God had spared the firstborn of the Israelites on the basis of the blood of the Passover lamb. This was the price that redeemed the firstborn. So they belonged to God. A Levite would therefore regard himself as redeemed by God and so as God's possession.
- Redeemed. God took the Levites for Himself in place of the firstborn He had spared. They served as men who already belonged to Him.
- Given. God then gave them to Aaron. Commentators apply this to service done for Christ, and wholly for Him.
- Guarding. Their first duty was to watch over the holy vessels. These picture what Christ is in all His offices, so ministry guards the truth about Him.
- Reaching. The charge reached the whole congregation. Work done for the priest brought real help to the people.
- Assigned. No Levite chose his own place or load. God settled it, and happiness lay in simply obeying.
And thou shalt give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons they are wholly given to him out of the children of Israel.
Numbers 3 sets the tribe of Levi apart for service. Verse 9 settles who they belong to, and commentators read that handover as a picture of every servant of Christ. The word that carries the weight is "wholly."
The order matters. God claims the Levites as His own first, and only then do they pass into the priest's hands.
Notice too, on the passage just quoted, that the Levites are first declared to be God's property. Only then are they "WHOLLY GIVEN TO AARON." So we read: "Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word" (John 17:6).
Levites and priests are not the same thing. One group pictures believers serving; the other pictures them coming near to God.
In Numbers 3 we have the Levites set apart, according to the thoughts of God, for service. They are a figure of the church, or rather of the members of the church in their service. The priests are the figure of Christians drawing near to the throne of God. Both are a shadow, not a perfect image.
Commentators read Aaron as a picture of Christ. That changes how a Christian sees his own life: God does not only rescue him; He gives him away.
The Levites were given as a gift to Aaron and to his sons, for service in the tent of meeting. Seen in this light, the Levites picture all believers as servants. So we learn that the Church is given to Christ for His service on the earth. We were given to Him for salvation, as every believer is. But we must also remember that we are a gift to Him for His absolute disposal. Our only proper attitude, therefore, is that of Saul of Tarsus, who said, "Lord, what do you want me to do?"
A total gift leaves nothing for a second owner. One writer traces what that means for a servant: how God separates him, how plainly his call must show, and whom he stands for.
They were separated "from among the people of Israel, and the Levites shall be Mine." It is no light thing, then, to enter on the Lord's service... They were marked out for their work by the Lord Himself. So every true servant must be marked out by God, and so plainly that his call will be clear to God's people. They were wholly the Lord's. He claimed them completely, for they were His through redemption. In the same way now the servant must recognise that he is not his own, that he is wholly devoted to the Lord's will. He must never allow any other claim to come between him and the Lord. In their service they stood for the whole congregation.
The Levites also had the tabernacle's furniture in their care. One writer takes those objects as standing for Christ Himself, which makes the job far bigger than carrying equipment.
The Levites are now told to be brought near, and to be given to Aaron and his sons. They are to minister to him and keep charge of the vessels of the tabernacle. It is a weighty service, and for it they need to depend on the Priest. Indeed, they are wholly given to the service of the priests. Ministry belongs to those who worship. Its first and most urgent duty is to guard and care for the holy things they handle. The tabernacle vessels, as we know, set out the truth of what Christ is in all His offices. All ministry must watch over and preserve this.
Levi's character earned him nothing. Something had to change first — and the place he was given is not the fighter's or the worshipper's.
What a place for the self-willed, fierce and cruel Levi! What a triumph of grace! What an illustration of the power of the blood of atonement and the water of purification! By nature and by practice they were far off from God. But the "blood" of atonement, the "water" of cleansing and the "razor" of self-judgment had done their blessed work. So the Levites were now fit to be presented as a gift to Aaron and to his sons, and to be joined with them in the holy services of the tent of meeting. In all this the Levites were a striking picture of God's people now... As men of war, we are called to fight; as priests, we are privileged to worship; but as Levites, we are responsible to serve.
- Owned. The Levites are God's property before they are Aaron's. Verse 9 hands on what God already owned.
- Given. God hands what He owns to the priest — the Church given to Christ for His service on earth, at His absolute disposal.
- Wholly. A total gift leaves no room for a second claim. The servant is not his own, and God marks out his call plainly enough for others to see.
- Guarding. The gift comes with a charge: care for the holy things, which show what Christ is. That weighty task keeps the servant leaning on the Priest.
- Grace. Blood, water and self-judgment made fierce, self-willed Levi fit to serve. The whole arrangement is a triumph of grace, not a reward.
And Aaron and his sons shalt thou appoint that they may attend to their priest's office; and the stranger that cometh near shall be put to death.
The chapter has just given the Levites to Aaron as helpers for the tabernacle, and this verse draws the line where their work stops. Only Aaron and his sons may serve as priests, and anyone else who steps in faces death — so why did God guard the way to Himself so closely?
The death sentence here has a positive truth behind it: God gave the priesthood, and no man could take it. One writer ties that rule to Christ, and to men who ignored it.
As to the appointment of the earthly priest, "no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was." Here again there is an analogy to the priesthood of Christ. No one can truly take the place of priest, in any sense of the word, who is not called of God. The judgment that overtook Korah and those with him shows how serious it is to neglect this great truth. They sought to establish themselves in the priesthood without being called of God.
The threat was not idle. One writer points to a king who tested it.
Aaron's family had a great privilege. It was forbidden — under penalty of death — for an outsider to take up the priest's office (see Numbers 3:10, 38). When king Uzziah presumed to claim this office and tried to burn incense, he was struck with leprosy. He remained a leper until the day of his death (see 2 Chronicles 26:18-21).
Verse 10 follows straight after God gives the Levites to Aaron, and the two halves belong together. Writers draw a lasting principle from that link.
The ministry of the tabernacle depended at its root on the priesthood of Aaron; apart from that it had no place and no right to exist. The value and acceptance of the outward service hung entirely on the inner worship... All real service flows from the Lord, and so it depends on Him in the sanctuary and refers to Him there. Otherwise it becomes false — when its source becomes human, or its motives worldly.
Another writer draws out where ministry should lead, and what happened to the intruder.
Verse 9 insists again that the Levites were to be given to Aaron and his sons, reminding us that all true ministry is subject to the more important function of worship. Ministry done right will lead the hearers to worship the Lord. But if a man who was not a priest or Levite dared to come near, as though he had some place there, he would suffer the penalty of death (v. 10).
Verse 10 shuts one door. The verses around it show how the Levites came to be inside at all.
Jehovah took them in a very special way as the formal substitute for the firstborn of Israel, who were spared when the destroying angel struck Egypt. They were redeemed by blood, and counted in the fullest sense as belonging to Jehovah... So the Levites, tied in this way to mercy — the great distinguishing mercy that rescued Israel from the doom of Egypt — were all the better fitted to do the service of the sanctuary. Who can presume to undertake the service of God without knowing that God has accepted him on the ground of redemption? Salvation precedes ministry.
The barrier still stands, but the line has moved. One writer says who may now come near to worship.
First, it is evident that worship is the privilege only of the children of God. Worship is offered "in spirit and truth," and it is offered to Him who cannot admit sin into His presence. So only those who are washed in the blood of the Lamb, and who have received the Spirit, can draw near to God to adore Him. If a man who is not converted thinks he can draw near to God, that only proves he does not know what he is in himself, or who the God is whom he means to serve.
No one could install himself among Aaron's sons. One writer applies that to the practice of ordaining a separate class of priests today.
Forgetful or ignorant of the truth that all true believers, and no others, are priests (1 Peter 2), they have devised a way of making priests — of filling their "holy" offices by a human ordination. And such, when appointed this way, claim for themselves the exclusive right of approach to God... God alone makes priests, and everyone who is washed with water (born again) is brought under the value of the one sacrifice of Christ... and is set apart by Him for this office.
- Called — Priesthood was never taken; it was given. "No one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was."
- Redeemed — The Levites stood in for the firstborn spared in Egypt. Salvation comes before service; no one serves God who has not first been accepted on the ground of redemption.
- Given — Handed to Aaron, their work had no meaning apart from him. Service cut loose from Christ in the sanctuary becomes false.
- Guarded — The outsider who pushed in died. Uzziah's leprosy and Korah's judgment show the warning was carried out.
- Opened — Now every believer is a priest, and no human ordination can make one. The line now runs between those brought near by the blood of Christ and those still outside.