Now in chapter 6, since we talked about Joseph not having a tribe in chapter 5, we can conclude some things and make some connections about Levi and his descendants. Levi is the other son of Jacob (Israel) that is not listed as a tribe. He is not one of the 12 tribes of Israel (Jacob); therefore, the descendants of Levi were not given a portion of the Promised Land. What we have learned in Numbers and Deuteronomy, is that the Levite clan was responsible for taking care of the Tabernacle of the Lord. As a result, their duties encompassed everything concerning the Lord…breakdown/construction of the Tabernacle when Moses and the people traveled from place to place; incense burning; burnt offerings; sacrifices; all priestly duties; and after reading this chapter, some were assigned by David to play music in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple that Solomon built. Only Levites did these duties and served as priests and helpers of the Lord. No other tribe had priests. Yes, Moses was a Levite and his brother Aaron served as the first high priest. Moses and Aaron were the great grandsons of Levi.
So the question becomes…why didn’t the Lord bless Moses and his people with some of the Promised Land? They were only given territories and towns within the land given to other tribes. If anyone should have been blessed, it should have been Moses, right? That seems unfair, but it actually makes sense when you think about it. What I have deduced, via the Lord’s grace, is that if the Levites were given a certain portion of the Promised Land to live, and they all lived in that one area, who would perform the priestly duties of the remaining 12 tribes in their particular lot of land? We have churches on every corner of our communities, so we can serve the Lord! Can you imagine living in a community without representation of the Lord, without God’s presence in that community? Therefore, God had to divide the Levites amongst all of the 12 tribes of Israel (Jacob), so His people throughout all of the Promised Land could serve and have access to Him. Lord, thank you! We are making connections!
Something else I recognized after reading the list of descendants in chapter 6, is that several great grandsons later Aaron was the seed producer of Azariah, the high priest at the Temple built by Solomon, and Jehozadak, the high priest at the time of Judah’s exile to Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar’s rule. Aaron and his descendants were the only individuals to serve as priests.
Chapter 6 ends with a recap of the territory given to the Levites which was discussed in detail in Joshua 21.
If any of you have made other connections, please share them as well.
Lord, thank you for your Word today! Thank you for the connections we are developing through your Word. By your grace, our understanding is blossoming. Lord, we love you!
May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
….AND MAY WE ALL PRACTICE THIS WITH ONE ANOTHER.
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