After all the drama with Korah, the Lord speaks to both Moses and Aaron and makes some things VERY clear about the Levites- what they’re allowed to do and what not.

It’s kinda like school. Israel had basically failed their first semester of How To Honor Yahweh 101. So they have to have some remedial tutoring.

👨🏻‍🏫📚📓👨🏽‍🎓

Yahweh goes back over the rules about the meat they can eat- some for priests only, some for the priest’s family.

He goes over how the tithes will work. The Levites collect the tithes from Israel, then they give a tenth of that to the priests.

Yahweh also clarifies that – just because you have been assigned to help carry the Tabernacle and haul the water and carry the ashes and such, does not make you a priest.

That was Korah’s problem. Yahweh is correcting it. Hard. And the sons (descendants) of Korah learned it well. They wrote many of our favorite psalms. This one stood out to me. Note the delight in being as close to the presence of Yahweh as possible and longing to experience the access that the priests have.

“How lovely are your dwelling places, O Yahweh of hosts! My soul longs and even fails for the courtyards of Yahweh. My heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.

Because better is a day in your courtyards than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be at the threshold of the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭84‬:‭1‬-‭2‬, ‭10‬ ‭LEB‬‬

The Sons of Korah would rise up and rebuke Christians today who don’t treasure and celebrate and glory in the incredible access to the presence of the Lord that we have.

“…according to the purpose of the ages which he carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through faith in him.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭3‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭LEB‬‬

“And coming, he proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to the ones who were near, because through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. Consequently, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens of the saints and members of the household of God.” Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭17‬-‭19‬ ‭LEB‬‬

Compare that with this:

“But you with your sons will keep your priesthood to perform your priestly duties for everything at the altar and for the area behind the curtain. I give you the priesthood as a gift, but the stranger who approaches will be put to death.” Numbers‬ ‭18‬:‭7‬ ‭LEB‬‬

The difference in access between the covenants is shocking.

“Therefore, because we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭LEB‬‬

“Therefore let us approach with confidence to the throne of grace, in order that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬ ‭LEB‬‬

The Sons of Korah would’ve given anything for that in their day. And now, because Christ has reconciled us to the Father, they finally get to be part of that royal priesthood. Let’s not take it for granted.

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The Lord calls the priesthood a “gift” to Aaron and his descendants and he calls the tribe of Levi a “gift” to them as well.

Some of this language appears in the New Testament concerning ministries within the church.

“And he himself gave some as apostles and some as prophets and some as evangelists and some as pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ,” Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭LEB‬‬

I think we should be careful to not assume that people in those ministry roles are somehow “the priests” and that everyone else is “laity” (a term I personally dislike along with the word “clergy”).

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s possession, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light,”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬ ‭LEB‬‬

Peter wasn’t writing to pastors. He was writing, “to the chosen who are residing temporarily in the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬ ‭LEB‬‬

He called all the saints “the chosen.”

This is how Paul advised the whole congregation in Corinth:

“Therefore what should you do, brothers? Whenever you come together, each one of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. All things must be done for edification.

For you are all able to prophesy in turn, in order that all may learn and all may be encouraged,”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭14‬:‭26‬, ‭31‬ ‭LEB‬‬

We don’t see 1 or 2 guys doing everything while the rest sit by passively. We see active participation by all.

There aren’t supposed to be permanent consumer Christians. We all have gifts to share and works of service to do.

“For we are his creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that we may walk in them.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬ ‭LEB‬‬

As you go about your good works today, remember that you are functioning as one of the Lord’s priests.