So, I've been thinking a lot about this topic lately and what it means to work in the church and be a "Levite" now as compared to when God called the Tribe of Levi to serve. So, that's what I'm going explore in this series of posts. I can't say they'll come one exactly a week apart, but I'll do my best.
I think the first thing we should dive into is what a Levite was and did in scripture. The original model is always a great place to start.
So, the descendants of Levi are through out the Old Testament, but they are not given specific instructions until Moses and Aaron are numbering the 12 Tribes of Israel in Numbers 1:17-54. Now, without quoting the whole passage of scripture the general gist of it is that the Levites were not to be listed because they were appointed and called to serve in the Tabernacle. They could not own land (Joshua 13:14) because "The offerings by fire to the Lord God of Israel are their inheritance." And they worked only in the the Tabernacle. The were fed and paid by the tithe that the rest of the nation of Israel gave to the Lord. So, God made sure that his people serving in the Tabernacle and ministering there were taken care of, and that their ministry could be their full-time occupation.
Now, what exactly did they do? Well, there are several times in Numbers where the duties of the Levites are spelled out. One of them is in chapter 3, verses 7 & 8. "They shall keep guard over him and over the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, as they minister at the tabernacle. They shall guard all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, and keep guard over the people of Israel as they minister at the tabernacle." (It's important to point out that the Tribe of Aaron were the Priests. The Levites and the Priests were not the same!) They were also musicians, as appointed by King David in 1 Chronicles 6. This is the first place we see the Levites assigned the task of leading worship in scripture, but I would venture to guess that they did this long before David appointed them "officially". Their tasks were generally to serve under the Priests.
The tribe of Levites was also ceremonially set apart by God and the whole nation of Israel witnessed it. In Numbers 8 beginning at verse 5, the Levites are washed clean with water, atoned for with the sacrifice of a young bull, the nation of Israel lays hands on them, and they are offered to the Lord as an offering. The scripture says that the Levites are "to be given wholly to me [God]." This to me is essential. Yes, they are serving the community, but they are God's, and He has called them specifically for this purpose.
Now, I know this seems to jump around a bit, but the main thought I want to convey is this: the Levites were worship leaders, not priests. They were called by God to serve in this way, and they were wholly devoted to their God and service. I think this reflects on us, the post-modern worship leaders. We have been called by God, we are not pastors (most of us serve under a pastor), and we are (hopefully) wholly devoted to our God and serving Him in this way. I'm hoping to dive a little deeper into what it looks like to be a post-modern Levite in the weeks to come.
I pray that this bit of history helps you root yourself in the deep richness of worship in the scriptures and your position as a leader.
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