MAIN DEFINITION: LEVITES
- “And the Levites shall speak, and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice,” – Deuteronomy 27:14
- “And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them the Lord thy God hath chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of the Lord; and by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be tried:” – Deuteronomy 21:5
- “And the Levites that went far from me, when Israel went astray, which went astray away from me after their idols; they shall even bear their iniquity.” – Ezekiel 44:10
- “And the sons of Levi, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.” – Exodus 6:16
- “And the Levites shall be mine; for all the firstborn are mine; on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the Lord.” – Numbers 3:13
LEVITE DEFINITION..OVERVIEW
The Levites were a tribe of Israel who were descended from Levi, one of the sons of Jacob. In the Old Testament, the Levites played an important role in the religious life of Israel. They were set apart as a special tribe, with the task of serving in the tabernacle and later the temple.
The Levites were not given a specific portion of land when the Israelites entered the Promised Land, but were instead dispersed throughout the other tribes to serve as religious leaders and teachers. ** (**BIG IRONY Dispersed through the Land, CROSS BODY MINISTRY in a far fetched NT manner, akin to a Paul Galatians 1:1-2 and like myself!)
These Levites were responsible for teaching the law to the people, leading worship and sacrifices, and performing other religious duties.
Within the Levite tribe, the descendants of Aaron, the brother of Moses, were set apart as priests. The priests were responsible for performing the more specialized duties of the tabernacle and temple, such as offering sacrifices and entering the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement. The office of high priest was also established within the Aaronic line.
Over time, the Levites also became associated with other roles and duties, such as musicians, gatekeepers, and scribes. Some Levites even served as judges or held other leadership positions within Israel.
In the later period of Israel’s history, during the Babylonian exile and the post-exilic period, the Levites played a central role in the rebuilding of the temple and the restoration of worship in Jerusalem. They were also responsible for preserving and transmitting the scriptures and religious traditions of Israel, and many of the post-exilic writings in the Old Testament were likely written or edited by Levites.
Overall, the Levites played a crucial role in the religious and cultural life of Israel throughout the Old Testament period.
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