What was the Levitical priesthood?

The first thought in priesthood is that those appointed might minister to the Lord in the priests' office, that they might be a company in nearness to and in communion with the Lord. God had said of Israel that He had brought them to Himself, and redemption had been accomplished; but the people, having placed themselves under law, could not be in nearness, and needed the priesthood to maintain their relations with God, and to help them by the way. The high priest was appointed that he might offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins, and might exercise forbearance towards the ignorant and the erring Heb. 5:1-2. The priest was to teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord had spoken. Lev. 10:11. He was the messenger of the Lord of hosts. Malachi 2:7. He offered up the sacrifices, and blessed the people. Lev. 9. He daily offered incense and attended to the lamps of the 'candlestick.' Minute instructions were given by God respecting everything the priest had to do, nothing being left for his own individual devising. Ample provision was made for the priests in portions of the sacrifices being given to them and by the first-fruits. After the death of Nadab and Abihu, Aaron was allowed to enter the holiest of all only once a year, and then not without blood. Lev. 16:1-2. Whenever he officiated in the sanctuary in his garments of glory and beauty, the people were also presented, for in his breastplate and on the shoulder-pieces were the names of the children of Israel. Proper priestly work for the people was not to work out redemption for them, but to maintain their relations with God.See MELCHISEDEC.

Before the institution of the Levitical priesthood, Israel had been redeemed out of Egypt. The object of priesthood was not therefore to bring them into redemption, but to maintain their position based on redemption before God. At first it was said that they should all be priests (Ex. 19:6), but law afterwards came in, and the service of priesthood was very definitely confined to the house of Aaron. The names of the twelve tribes were engraved on the breastplate and on the plates on the priest's shoulders: whenever he went in to the presence of God, the people were thus represented. So Christ is the great High Priest at the right hand of God, not for the world, but for His saints: "We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens." Heb. 8:1. He represents His saints there, and in virtue of His presence there, and of His experience here, He is able to sympathise with them in trial and to succour them in temptation.

Mosaic law made a sharp distinction between the priesthood and the people. Jehovah would have regarded all Israel upon their redemption from Egypt as a kingdom of priests, but the nation proved itself incapable of bearing the honour, and thus the divine purpose became narrowed, — one tribe out of Israel was selected for the ministry, one family of that tribe for the priesthood, and one person of that family for the high priesthood.

Besides the erection of the tabernacle, God revealed His mind as to the service to be carried on, and marked out those who were privileged to have part in it. A sacrificial ritual He ordered, and chose the tribe of Levi to be ministers in the sanctuary. Then there was a new institution — that of a holy priesthood, to be confined to the family and house of Aaron. Aaron and his sons designated for that office, a high priest in the person of Aaron Israel were to acknowledge. Priests there had been, as Melchisedec, but no family set apart for priestly service is mentioned in the Word till the consecration of Aaron and his sons. Minute directions were given as to their consecration, and the garments of the high priest were specially described (Ex. 28; 29). Then the service of each day in the sanctuary and at the brazen altar was regulated by divine enactment; and the order of their ecclesiastical year (Lev. 23), as well as that of the festal sacrifices, was subsequently made known to Moses (Num. 28; 29) for communication to Israel.

*All the Levites were taken for the service of the tabernacle, given unto Aaron and his sons for this purpose, sanctified to God on the day that He smote the firstborn of Egypt (Numbers 8); but the priesthood was confined to the family of Aaron.

The Levites are separated from the midst of the people, to be the peculiar servants of the sanctuary, and from their midst the house of Aaron is, in like manner, separated, to be the only priesthood of that sanctuary. Israel was not to affect the services of the Levites, nor were the Levites to affect the priesthood of the family of Aaron. God was to be sanctified in them that drew near to Him, and to be approached in His holiness in the due and ordained order.

The Aaronic priesthood was God's provision for a people who were, in themselves, at a distance, and needed one to appear for them in His presence continually. We are taught in Hebrews 7, that this order of priesthood belonged to the law — that it was made "after the law of a carnal commandment" — that it "could not continue by reason of death" — that the priests belonging to it had infirmity. It could not, therefore, impart perfection, and hence we have to bless God that it was instituted "without an oath." The oath of God could only stand connected with that which was to endure for ever, even the perfect, immortal, untransferrable priesthood of our great and glorious Melchisedec, who imparts, both to His sacrifice and His priesthood, all the value, the dignity, and the glory of His own peerless Person. The thought of having such a sacrifice and such a Priest as He causes the bosom to heave with emotions of the liveliest gratitude.

How plain that in every way perfection was not in, nor by, the Levitical priesthood. It was given of God provisionally for an earthly people, a dying priesthood for a dying people; for the people had the law given based upon it. If there had been perfection thereby, what need still that a different priest should arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be named according to the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, there comes to pass of necessity a change also of the law. … And it is yet more abundantly manifest, if according to the likeness of Melchizedek a different priest arises who has not been constituted according to a law of fleshly commandment but according to power of indissoluble life. For he is testified, Thou [art] priest for ever according to the order of Melchizedek. For there comes to pass a disannulling of foregoing commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness (for the law made nothing perfect), and an inbringing of a better hope through which we draw near to God. Heb. 7.

The priest. All the sons of Aaron were priests. They became such by birth. They were born into this highly-privileged position. They did not reach it by effort, but simply by birth. Being sons of Aaron, they were priests. They might be disqualified for the discharge of the functions of their position through bodily blemish or ceremonial defilement (Lev. 21-22), but as to the position itself, it was a necessary result of their being sons of Aaron. Position is one thing; ability to discharge the functions or capacity to enjoy the privileges thereof, is quite another.

Aaron and his sons were called to the priesthood by the Lord, and were consecrated to serve Him in the tabernacle, and later in the temple. For this service they were separated to God, as were also the Levites, to be a tribe apart from the other tribes of Israel. It was a great privilege that Israel enjoyed to be God’s peculiar people, having His word and His presence; and it was a remarkable privilege for the priests to serve so near to the presence of God, and for the Levites to serve God’s priests.