SERIES E --- YHVH’S LAWS --- LESSON 19

YOUR INHERITANCE

HOW THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES MADE A LIVING

From Numbers 18

Here are Adonai’s Instructions to Aaron concerning the work of the priests and Levites: You and your sons and family are responsible for any sin against the sanctuary, Adonai said. And you and your sons will be responsible for any sin against the priesthood. Bring your relatives, the descendants of Levi, to the tabernacle to help you serve Adonai. They will help you in all the duties of the tabernacle, but they must not come near the altar or the sacred vessels of the tabernacle, for if they do, they will die and you will die along with them. Only the Levites will be permitted to work with you in the service of the tabernacle. But only you and your sons will be permitted to serve in the tabernacle itself or at the altar. Remember that only you and your sons are to go beyond the veil of the tabernacle, for I have given you the priesthood as a special gift. The Levites will serve with you as My special gift to you. If you follow My Instructions concerning these things, you will keep the wrath of YHVH from coming upon the people of Israel. But if any other person tries to do these things, he will die. Adonai also gave these instructions to Aaron: Some of the offerings brought to Me are for you and your sons to eat. All of the heave offerings are yours, for I have set them aside as an allowance for you and your descendants. When people bring meal offerings, sin offerings and trespass offerings, you are to keep the part that is not burned. As you and the males in your family eat these most holy gifts which the people have brought to Me, you must consider them as sacred. It is holy, but it belongs to you. The heave offerings, which are waved before Me as a sign of giving to Me, are for you and your family to keep. These will be an allowance for all members of your family for all generations, except those who may be ceremonially unclean when the offerings are received. The first-fruits, the best of the oil, wine and grain which the people bring to Adonai, are also yours. The first-fruits of all that is in the land, which the people bring to Adonai, are for you and your family to eat, except those who may be ceremonially unclean at the time. Everything that is dedicated to Adonai becomes yours, even the firstborn of the people and animals. But the firstborn children and the firstborn of unclean animals, that is, animals that must not be eaten, must be redeemed by the owner. He will pay you the redemption money for them. The firstborn male child shall be redeemed when he is a month old. The payment will be five shekels of silver. The firstborn of a cow, sheep or goat must be sacrificed to Adonai and cannot be bought back or redeemed. Sprinkle its blood on the altar and burn its fat as a sweet fragrance to Adonai. You are to keep the meat of the animal, especially the breast and the thigh, but these must first be waved before Adonai as a heave offering. All of the heave offerings which the people bring to Adonai as their holy gifts are for you and your family to eat. This is a Covenant of salt that is a permanent agreement, between Adonai and your descendants. You who are priests must not own property or inherit any of the Promised Land. I am your income and your inheritance among the people of Israel. The Levites however, will receive pay for their service in the tabernacle. This will come from the tithes that the people bring. From this time on the people of Israel must not enter the tabernacle or they will die. Only the priests and Levites may go in. The Levites will serve there, helping the priests and they will be held responsible if they fail in this service. Throughout all generations, the Levites shall own no property and have no inheritance among the people. The tithe which the people bring to Me shall be the Levites’ inheritance. This is why I have told them that they do not need any further inheritance. Adonai also said to Moses, tell the Levites that when the people bring their tithe or tenth to the Levites, the Levites in turn must give a tenth of this tenth, a tithe of the tithe, to Adonai. They will present it to Adonai by waving it before the altar, then giving it to Aaron the priest. Adonai will receive it as though it had come from the threshing floors and the wine presses of the Levites themselves. Aaron and his sons and their families may eat this wherever they wish, for it is their reward for serving in the tabernacle. The Levites will not be guilty of using Adonai’s tithes if they present their best portion to the priests. But the Levites must never consider these gifts as something ordinary, for if they profane them, they will die.”

COMMENTARY

HOW PRIESTS EARNED THEIR LIVING: LEVITES AND EGYPTIAN PRIESTS

In Bible times, every male Israelite born to the house of Levi was set apart to serve YHVH. They were the privileged ones who took care of the tabernacle and officiated at the sacrifices. The income of the Levites came from the Israelites themselves. Priests, all of whom were Levites and descendants of Aaron, were particularly fortunate. Part of the meat and all of the hide from each sacrifice kept them provided with food and clothing. They also received a share of the first-fruit offerings and of the people’s tithes. The Levites not descended from Aaron did not have as many privileges. They received ten percent of the crops and a part of all the people’s tithes every ten years. The Israelites were instructed to invite Levites and poor people to the meals where they ate that part of their sacrifices that had been returned to them. Egyptian priests had great power over the people and even the pharaoh himself. Sometimes the pharaoh had to get the priest’s approval before he could act on a decision. For an income the priests received tomb gifts, sacrifices, a portion of the people’s taxes and a share of the booty, spoils and even some of the slaves from each conquest. The Egyptian priesthood grew richer and stronger, until finally the high priest himself took over the throne of the pharaoh.