Jo’s Place

​ The Towns Given to the Levites The leaders of the tribe of Levi came to consult with Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders of the other tribes of Israel.  They came to them, at Shiloh, in the land of Canaan and said,  “The Lord commanded Moses to give us towns to live in, and pasturelands for our livestock.”  So… by the command of the Lord, the people of Israel gave the Levites the following towns and pasturelands, out of their own grants of land.  The descendants of Aaron, who were members of the Kohathite clan, within the tribe of Levi, were allotted thirteen towns, that were originally assigned to the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.  The other families, of the Kohathite clan, were allotted ten towns, from the tribes of Ephraim, Dan, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.  The clan of Gershon was allotted thirteen towns, from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Bashan.  The clan of Merari was ...

An Allotment for the Tribe of Levi and the Land Given to the Tribe of Reuben Moses did not assign any allotment of land to the tribe of Levi.  Instead, as the Lord had promised them, their allotment came from the offerings burned on the altar to the Lord, the God of Israel.  Moses had assigned the following area to the clans of the tribe of Reuben.  Their territory extended from Aroer, on the edge of the Arnon Gorge (including the town, in the middle of the gorge) …to the plain beyond Medeba.  It included Heshbon and the other towns on the plain—Dibon, Bamoth-baal, Beth-baal-meon, Jahaz, Kedemoth, Mephaath, Kiriathaim, Sibmah, Zereth-shahar, on the hill above the valley, Beth-peor, the slopes of Pisgah, and Beth-jeshimoth.  The land of Reuben also included all the towns of the plain …and the entire kingdom of Sihon.  Sihon was the Amorite king, who had reigned in Heshbon …and was killed by Moses, along with the leaders of Midian—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Re...

Gifts for the Priests and Levites These are the commands of the Lord, in the book of Deuteronomy Chapter 18: verses 1–8… “Remember that the Levitical priests—that is, the whole of the tribe of Levi—will receive no allotment of land, among the other tribes in Israel.  Instead, the priests and Levites will eat from the special gifts, given to the Lord, for that is their share.  They will have no land of their own, among the Israelites.  The Lord Himself is their special possession, just as He promised them.  “These are the parts, that the priests may claim, as their share, from the cattle, sheep, and goats, that the people bring, as offerings: the shoulder, the cheeks, and the stomach.  You must also give, to the priests, the first share, of the grain, the new wine, the olive oil, and the wool at shearing time.  For the Lord, your God, chose the tribe of Levi, out of all your tribes, to minister, in the Lord’s name, forever.  “Suppose a Levite chooses to...

Towns for the Levites While Israel was camped, beside the Jordan, on the plains of Moab, across from Jericho, the Lord said to Moses,  “Command the people, of Israel, to give to the Levites, from their property, certain towns to live in, along with the surrounding pasturelands.  These towns will be, for the Levites to live in, and the surrounding lands will provide pasture for their cattle, flocks, and other livestock.  The pastureland assigned, to the Levites, around these towns, will extend 1,500 feet from the town walls, in every direction.  Measure off 3,000 feet, outside the town walls, in every direction—east, south, west, north—with the town at the center.  This area will serve, as the larger pastureland, for the towns.  “Six, of the towns, which you give, to the Levites, will be cities of refuge, where a person, who has accidentally killed someone, can flee for safety.  In addition, give them forty-two other towns.  In all, forty-eight tow...

​ Support for the Priests and Levites The Lord gave these further instructions to Aaron:  “I, Myself, have put you in charge, of all the holy offerings, that are brought to Me, by the people of Israel.  I have given all these consecrated offerings, to you and your sons, as your permanent share.  You are allotted the portion, of the most holy offerings, that is not burned on the fire.  This portion, of all the most holy offerings—including the grain offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings—will be most holy, and it belongs to you and your sins.  You must eat it, as a most holy offering.  All the males may eat of it, and you must treat it, as most holy.  “All the sacred offerings and special offerings, which are presented to Me, when the Israelites lift them up, before the altar, also belong to you.  I have given them to you and to your sons and daughters, as your permanent share.  Any member of your family, who is ceremonially clean, may ...

​ Duties of Priests and Levites The Lord said to Aaron:  “You, your sons, and your relatives, from the tribe of Levi, will be held responsible, for any offenses, related to the sanctuary.  But you and your sons, alone, will be held responsible, for violations connected with the priesthood.  “Bring your relatives, of the tribe of Levi—your ancestral tribe—to assist you and your sons, as you perform the sacred duties, in front of the Tabernacle of the Covenant.  But, as the Levites, go about all their assigned duties, at the Tabernacle, they must be careful, not to go near, any of the sacred objects or the altar.  If they do, both you and they will die.  The Levites must join you, in fulfilling their responsibilities, for the care and maintenance of the Tabernacle, but no unauthorized person may assist you.  “You, yourselves, must perform the sacred duties, inside the sanctuary and at the altar.  If you follow these instructions, the Lord’s anger wi...

The Levites are Dedicated to the Lord The Lord said to Moses,  “Now set the Levites apart, from the rest of the people of Israel, and make them ceremonially clean.  Do this, by sprinkling them, with the water of purification… have them shave their entire body, and wash their clothing.  Then, they will be ceremonially clean.  Have them bring a young bull, and a grain offering, of choice flour, moistened with olive oil, along with a second young bull, for a sin offering.  Then, assemble the whole community of Israel, and present the Levites, at the entrance of the Tabernacle.  When you present the Levites, before the Lord, the people, of Israel, must lay their hands on them.  Raising his hands, Aaron must then present the Levites, to the Lord, as a special offering, from the people of Israel, thus dedicating them, to the Lord’s service.  “Next the Levites will lay their hands, on the heads, of the young bulls.  Present one, as a sin offering, a...

​ Summary of the Registration Moses, Aaron, and the other leaders of the community listed the members, of the Kohathite division, by their clans and families.  The list included all the men, between thirty and fifty years of age, who were eligible for service, in the Tabernacle, and the total number came to 2,750.  So, this was the total, of all those, from the Kohathite clans, who were eligible to serve, at the Tabernacle.  Moses and Aaron listed them, just as the Lord had commanded, through Moses.  The Gershonite division was also listed, by its clans and families.  The list included all the men, between thirty and fifty years of age, who were eligible for service, in the Tabernacle, and the total number came to 2,630.  So, this was the total, of all those, from the Gershonite clans, who were eligible to serve, at the Tabernacle.  Moses and Aaron listed them, just as the Lord had commanded.  The Merarite division was also listed, by its clans an...

​ More about the Levites The descendants of Kohath were composed of the clans that descended from Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.  There were 8,600 males, who were one month old or older, among these Kohathite clans.  They were responsible for the care of the sanctuary, and they were assigned the area south of the Tabernacle, for their camp.  The leader of the Kohathite clans was Elizaphan son of Uzziel.  These four clans were responsible for the care of the Ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the various articles used in the sanctuary, the inner curtain, and all the equipment related to their use.  Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, was the chief administrator over all the Levites, and he had the special responsibility for the oversight of the sanctuary.  The descendants of Merari, were composed of the clans that descended from Mahli and Mushi.  There were 6,200 males, who were one month old or older, among these Merarite clans.  They wer...

The Levites are Appointed for Service This is the family line of Aaron and Moses, as it was recorded, when the Lord spoke to Moses, on Mount Sinai:  The names, of Aaron’s sons, were Nadab (the oldest), Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.  These sons, of Aaron, were anointed and ordained, to minister, as priests.  But Nadab and Abihu died, in the Lord’s presence, in the wilderness of Sinai, when they burned before the Lord, the wrong kind of fire, different than the Lord had commanded.  Since they had no sons, this left only Eleazar and Ithamar, to serve as priests, with their father, Aaron.  Then the Lord said to Moses,  “Call forward the tribe of Levi, and present them to Aaron, the priest, to serve as his assistants.  They will serve Aaron, and the whole community, performing their sacred duties, in and around the Tabernacle.  They will also maintain …all the furnishings, of the sacred tent, serving in the Tabernacle, on behalf of all the Israelites....

The Budding of Aaron’s Staff The Lord said to Moses,  “Tell the people of Israel to bring you twelve wooden staffs, one from each leader of Israel’s ancestral tribes, and inscribe each leader’s name on his staff.  Inscribe Aaron’s name on the staff of the tribe of Levi, for there must be one staff for the leader of each ancestral tribe.  Place these staffs in the Tabernacle in front of the Ark containing the tablets of the Covenant, where I meet with you.  Buds will sprout on the staff belonging to the man I choose.  Then I will finally put an end to the people’s murmuring and complaining against you.”  So Moses gave the instructions to the people of Israel, and each of the twelve tribal leaders, including Aaron, brought Moses a staff.  Moses placed the staffs in the Lord’s presence in the Tabernacle of the Covenant.  When he went into the Tabernacle of the Covenant the next day, he found that Aaron’s staff, representing the tribe of Levi, had spr...