Lessons from the Law of the Levites
Lessons from the Law of the Levites
Leviticus 6:8-7:38
George Washington was arguably the greatest president in US history. He served so well and was so honored by the people that, after two terms, the country wanted him to serve a third. He decided the new country should not be ruled by another King George, so he stepped aside and let another man lead. Every leader has their faults, but Washington had the respect of the people. How did George Washington develop into a great leader? He knew character was built not in grand moments but in the simple everyday moments of life. Washington believed,
The turning points of lives are not the great moments.
The real crises are often concealed in occurrences
so trivial in appearance that they pass unobserved.
Washington was known as meticulous, thoughtful, reflective, and precise in how he approached life. One of his favorite sayings was an old Scottish proverb, “Many mickles make a muckle.”--alot of small things lead to big things. Washington may be remembered for grand accomplishments, but the genius of his leadership was in the daily habits of life that built his character.
Although the Levites did not know the Scottish proverb, “Many mickles make a muckle”, they lived its meaning. The Levites had to be meticulous, thoughtful, and precise in the small daily habits of worship to honor and exalt the worthiness of their task. They knew they were responsible for the worship and praise of Almighty God, their Redeemer and Savior. We can learn lessons on leadership from men like George Washington, but the commands and character required to lead God’s people in the Levitical priesthood offer lessons from God’s law.
In the first six chapters of Leviticus, God speaks to the people of Israel through Moses. Then, beginning in Leviticus 6:9, God speaks to the Levites, “Command Aaron and his sons.” Chapters six and seven are a retelling of the five sacrifices described in the first six and a half chapters but, this time, God is addressing those who would officiate those sacrifices. Just as many mickles make a muckle, the lessons we learn from the Levites should help us to learn that daily habits of grace and trust will grow our character and prepare us for great moments of obedience and faith that will become turning points in our lives. Let me share fifteen lessons we can learn from God’s commands to the Levites.
Remember your constant need for mercy (6:8-9)
Aaron and his sons, the Levitical priests, needed to remember that they, too, were in constant need of mercy. Their leadership position did not remove their need but, rather, exposed it daily.
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering. The burnt offering shall be on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning on it. Leviticus 6:8–9
God is referring to the daily priestly sacrifices that He had commanded in Exodus 29, saying to the Aaron and his sons,
Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old day by day regularly. One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight. Exodus 29:38–39
Even though the Levites were set apart to lead Israel in worship, they were also worshippers. The Levites were sinners, who needed to make daily morning and evening sacrifices, so they would remember their constant need for mercy.
We must remember this, too. Friends, we are sinners who need mercy every day. Whether we are leaders in the church or the home, our positions do not eliminate our need, they expose it. We must live with the constant realization that we need God’s mercy as we lead our children, our students, our employees, and ourselves.
Everything in ancient Israel revolved around the sacrifices. Their need for forgiveness was an ever-present reality, and with their need for forgiveness came their utter daily dependency on the Lord. Beloved, we must build remembrances of our need for forgiveness into each of our days. Maybe we need to drop to our knees at the beginning and end of every day to offer a sacrifice of praise to the Lord. Maybe, rather than just thanking God for our food before each meal, we need to thank Him for forgiveness. Whatever it is, build in reminders of your constant need for mercy.
The Lord and His people are distinct from the world (6:10-11).
The priests were to handle the offering while wearing specific clothing to remind them that they were dealing with holy things.
And the priest shall put on his linen garment and put his linen undergarment on his body, and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire has reduced the burnt offering on the altar and put them beside the altar. Then he shall take off his garments and put on other garments and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place. Leviticus 6:10–11
Notice that the priest put on his holy garments while he was dealing with the holy offering. This was to remind him of his need to be holy. Remember, the priests had to offer sacrifices for themselves before they were able to offer sacrifices for the people. When they put on their holy garments, they were reminding themselves that their internal attitudes should match their external appearances. So, when they left the holy place, they took off their holy garments and put on their common garments to remove the ashes from the camp.
The change in garments communicated the distinctiveness of the worship of God’s people. The special attire communicated a special moment. My wife teaches at a private Christian school that requires uniforms. Once a month, the students are required to wear dress uniforms for chapel. She has often remarked about how different the students' behavior is on chapel days. Without saying anything, their dress instinctively reminds them of the importance of the occasion. The Levites were required to wear special garments to remind them of the special moment of entering into the Lord’s presence. It is probably why I dress the way I do on the Lord’s Day when I handle the holy Word before the people. Although we are living under the New Covenant and have no dress requirements for the Lord’s Day, putting on my Sunday best instinctively reminds me of the importance of this day, this hour, this moment when the people of God come into the presence of God.
The gathering of the saints on the Lord’s Day is intended to show our distinctiveness from the world. We are the ekklesia, the called-out ones, those who leave the world and assemble as the Lord’s people, foreshadowing the great assembly at the end of days. This gathering is meant to be distinct and unique as we enter into God’s presence. We do not experience the blazing fire, darkness, and gloom of Mount Sinai, but rather Hebrews 12.
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel…
Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:22-24, 28-29
God wants our hearts to be grateful and our worship to be acceptable, with reverence and awe. I am not saying you have to dress a particular way, but I am saying that your external appearance may help shape your internal attitude when you come into the presence of God.
The Lord's presence is always with His people (6:12-13).
The priests were required to keep the fire on the altar burning constantly to remind the people that God was always with His people.
The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not go out. The priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and he shall arrange the burnt offering on it and shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings. Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out.
Leviticus 6:12–13
The fire shall not go out because the Lord is always with His people. God’s presence defined His people. Remember Moses’ words to the Lord in Exodus 33.
And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” Exodus 33:15–16
God’s presence was the “team jersey” of Israel letting the world know that they belong to Him. The priests had to keep the fire burning on the altar, but we have the fire in our hearts, sealed by the Holy Spirit who is the guarantee of our eternal inheritance where, “He will be our God, and we will be his people.” Jesus said, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14
The Lord Jesus has mediated the presence of God for His people. Jesus lived and died as our High Priest to save us from our sins, and He didn’t merely save us, but saved us to be with Him. Jesus came to be with us.
Beloved, I do not know what trials you are facing today, but the Lord is with you. I don’t know your pain or grief, but the Lord is with you. I don’t know the sorrows and the shame but, believer, the Lord is with you. The fire will never go out.
Leaders should be an example in their worship (6:14).
The priests were required to offer the burnt offering in the morning and evening, but they also voluntarily offered the grain offering of thanksgiving before the Lord.
“And this is the law of the grain offering. The sons of Aaron shall offer it before the LORD in front of the altar. And one shall take from it a handful of the fine flour of the grain offering and its oil and all the frankincense that is on the grain offering and burn this as its memorial portion on the altar, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. Leviticus 6:14–15
The Levites were an example to the people in their worship. It has been said, “An organization will only rise as high as its leaders.” God has always set aside leaders for His people to follow. The Levites cared for the people and modeled a life of holiness before them. God gave pastors and teachers to the church for the same purpose.
So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 1 Peter 5:1–3
Pastors are to exemplify a holy life set on the Lord.
Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Hebrews 13:7
Beloved, pray for the elders and deacons that we would be men of character and holiness. Pray that we would set an example for the flock.
If you are a leader in any way, people will follow your example. Make it an example worth following.
The people of God should provide for their leaders (6:16).
The burnt offering to the Lord was entirely consumed as a sign of complete devotion to Him, but parts of other sacrifices were left as an offering to the priests.
And the rest of it Aaron and his sons shall eat. It shall be eaten unleavened in a holy place. In the court of the tent of meeting they shall eat it. Leviticus 6:16
A portion of the people’s sacrifices was given to the priests for their daily survival. Because the Levites did not have a portion of the land, they were given their portion from the sacrifices. It has always been God’s design that the people of God support their leaders. We see the same in the New Testament.
Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel. 1 Cor. 9:13–14
Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. Galatians 6:6
Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” 1 Timothy 5:17–18
I am grateful for a congregation who cares well for its leaders. You fulfill the words of Paul to the church at Thessalonica.
We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. 1 Thessalonians 5:12–13a
God is the giver of all good gifts (6:17).
It is a helpful reminder that this is God’s design; He has established ways to care for His leaders.
It shall not be baked with leaven. I have given it as their portion of my food offerings. It is a thing most holy, like the sin offering and the guilt offering. Leviticus 6:17
The Lord says, “I have given it as their portion of my food offerings.” The sacrifice is given to the Lord, and the Lord gives it to the priests as a holy offering.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17
All good gifts come from God.
Leaders should be holy (6:18).
God established very strict distinctions between the priests and the rest of the people of Israel. The priests were from a specific tribe and had special obligations,
Every male among the children of Aaron may eat of it, as decreed forever throughout your generations, from the LORD’s food offerings. Whatever touches them shall become holy.” James 1:17
The last line is hard to decipher. Some scholars view this as a prohibition to the laity to avoid the holy things, while others see this as a reminder to the priests to be holy. I think it may be best to read this as the NKJV which says, “Everyone who touches them must be holy.”
Again, this is a reminder to the leaders that they should lead holy lives. Brothers and sisters, if God is calling you to lead, you must be holy.
Leaders should be humble (6:19-23).
Pride is one of the greatest dangers of spiritual leadership. It is dangerous to think that one has special ability or knowledge because of a certain position. God reminds the priests to be humble as they regularly sacrificed along with the people as seen in verses 19-23. This is a good reminder that leaders should be humble.
But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:25–28
The Lord Jesus, the Chief Shepherd, the Son of Man, the Messiah, chose not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. Jesus lived and died for the people. He gave His life as a ransom for anyone who would repent of their sins and trust in Him. If Jesus gave His life as a servant, then so, too, should leaders in Christ’s church.
God cares about orderly worship (6:24-30).
Chapters six and seven lay out specific details regarding how the priests were to order worship in the Tabernacle. Even in this paragraph, we can see specific instructions on how to use and clean plates used in the offering. It is a reminder that God is a God of order.
For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. 1 Corinthians 14:33
As pastors, we must be careful about how we structure our worship. We must allow the Word of God to govern our gatherings. In the free church tradition, and under the banner of the freedom of Christ in the New Covenant, we tend to allow everything and anything in worship. We have to be careful to allow the Word of God to set both the why and the how of worship because God cares about the how as well as the why. We model our services after the Word. We make supplications and intercessions each week and pray for those in authority.
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 1 Timothy 2:1–2
We confess our sins each week.
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8–9
We have public scripture readings and teachings each week.
Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 1 Timothy 4:13
We give each Lord’s day.
Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. 1 Corinthians 16:1–2
God is a God of order, not confusion. We should structure our services by and from His Word.
God will care for His leaders (7:1-10).
God care for His leaders by providing for their needs. In Leviticus 7:8, the officiating priest is permitted to keep the skin from the offering so that it could be used in the home or sold at the market. In verse 10, we see that all Aaron’s sons share the grain offering equally. Across America, we are experiencing a looming pastoral crisis. In 2017, a Barna study found that the median age of a Protestant pastor was 54. This was up from 44 in 1992. A more recent study found that the average pastor’s age is 57. One of many reasons for these increasing numbers is that men do not believe pastoral ministry will provide them with a high quality of life. People should not go into ministry for money, but they should know that if they do choose ministry, God will provide for them.
Leviticus teaches that God provided ways to care for His leaders while they cared for His people. God does the same today by caring for the leaders of the church through the generosity of His people. If you go into ministry, God will provide for you.
God delights in fellowship (7:11-18).
In Leviticus 7:11-18, in the longest section addressed in the priestly regulations, God lays out the requirements for the peace offering. Each of the three fellowship offerings, the praise offering, the vow offering, and the freewill offering, had different requirements regarding who could eat and what could be eaten. Instead of focusing on the uniqueness of the offerings, I would like to highlight how the fellowship offerings as a whole communicated God’s desire to eat with His people. The priests would share their food with each other, their families, and the worshippers. God delights in fellowship. He delights when God’s people break bread together.
I pray that we continue to work on this in our own fellowship. I pray we will be known for breaking bread together and sharing our lives with one another. So much of the Bible takes place around food; we must make time for food fellowship because that's where friendships are built. Recently, we have seen an increase in Sunday School fellowship meals. If you desire more fellowship, let me encourage you to plug into a Sunday School class or bring your dinner on Wednesday nights and fellowship in the CAB before the service or take advantage of the monthly potlucks at the residents’ house.
God demands holiness from His people (7:19-21).
As we continue to study Leviticus, we will see clear distinctions between what is clean and unclean, but notice the consequences God lays out for those who are unclean when they eat of the peace offering.
“Flesh that touches any unclean thing shall not be eaten. It shall be burned up with fire. All who are clean may eat flesh, but the person who eats of the flesh of the sacrifice of the LORD’s peace offerings while an uncleanness is on him, that person shall be cut off from his people. And if anyone touches an unclean thing, whether human uncleanness or an unclean beast or any unclean detestable creature, and then eats some flesh from the sacrifice of the LORD’s peace offerings, that person shall be cut off from his people.” Leviticus 7:19–21
If you eat of the peace offering without offering a burnt offering to atone for your sins, you shall be cut off from the people. This means that you cannot enjoy fellowship with God if you are unclean. This is why, before he came before the throne, Isaiah told the Lord,
And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” Isaiah 6:5
No unclean thing can enter the presence of God. We must be cleansed before we have fellowship with Him, and our cleansing must come from God. When Isaiah stood before the throne, his uncleanliness was exposed.
Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” Isaiah 6:6–7
God is the only one who can make us clean and atone for our sins. Although the peace offering was available to everyone in Israel, they first had to offer a burnt sacrifice and confess their sin before a holy God in order to have their sins atoned for.
Unbeliever, do you know that you will be cut off from God and His people if you are not cleansed? Do you know you need to be cleansed? Do you know that you have unclean lips, which reveal an unclean heart. You are a sinner. You are unholy, and God demands holiness from His people. What will you do? Simply put, you must confess that you are a sinner and ask God to cleanse you.
If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:6–9
Only the blood of Jesus can cleanse your sin and cover your unrighteousness. If you come to Him, He will deal with your sin and cleanse you of your unrighteousness. Friend, confess your sin today and trust in Jesus to save you. Because He lived, died, and rose from the dead, we know that He is both willing and able to cleanse our sins and bring us into God’s presence.
The best of life is the Lord’s (7:22-27).
The fat of the animal and the blood of the animal belong to the Lord. God gives the following command in Leviticus 7, because the best part of the animal, the fat, and the blood, which symbolizes the animal’s life, both belong to Him.
For every person who eats of the fat of an animal of which a food offering may be made to the LORD shall be cut off from his people. Moreover, you shall eat no blood whatever, whether of fowl or of animal, in any of your dwelling places. Whoever eats any blood, that person shall be cut off from his people.” Leviticus 7:25–27
Whoever eats the fat or the blood shall be cut off from the people. Does this remind you of the Garden of Eden where God commanded His people not to eat of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil or they would surely die? In Leviticus, if the people ate the animal’s fat or blood, they were cut off from God’s people. Just as God cast Adam and Eve out of the Garden, He will cast us out of His presence if we do not obey His commands. God is true to His word, and He cares about how we worship.
The Lord sees our labor (7:28-36).
God sees our labor. Again, we see that He provided for all the Levite priests and specifically for the priest who was officiating the sacrifice.
The priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast shall be for Aaron and his sons. And the right thigh you shall give to the priest as a contribution from the sacrifice of your peace offerings. Leviticus 7:31–32
The Lord saw the labor of the priests and rewarded them. Beloved, the Lord also sees our labor and rewards us.
But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray
to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:6
God always sees our labor, and He will take care of us. His care for the Levites should remind us of His ever present care for us.
The Lord will redeem His people from the wilderness (7:37-38).
The last two verses of this section provide a summary of the previous two chapters and close the larger section that began in Leviticus 1.
This is the law of the burnt offering, of the grain offering, of the sin offering, of the guilt offering, of the ordination offering, and of the peace offering, which the LORD commanded Moses on Mount Sinai, on the day that he commanded the people of Israel to bring their offerings to the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai. Leviticus 7:37–38
God gives specific commands about how He is to be worshipped, but also notice why He does this. The Lord’s commands are not burdensome. They are not overwhelming. They are given to save us from the wilderness and usher us into His presence in the Promised Land. This world is the wilderness where we experience the harsh realities of isolation, lack of comfort, and sinful darkness. But it is also in this worldly wilderness that the Lord meets us.
After being baptized, Jesus went into the wilderness to face Satan’s temptations, and because He defeated those temptations in the wilderness, He can also save us from the wilderness.
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Hebrews 2:14–18
When Jesus defeated the devil and his temptations, He freed us from the wilderness of fear and death and reconciled us to God through the shedding of His blood.
Leviticus 6 and 7 describe the regulations and demands for the Levite priests and point us to a greater merciful and faithful High Priest who followed the law perfectly. He chose to suffer for us on the cross and was raised from the grave, so that we can be saved from the wilderness. Every little thing Jesus did added up to our salvation. “Many mickles make a muckle.” Many acts of righteousness made a Redeemer.
I pray that we will learn from the Levites and worship the true God through daily dependence on Him and small acts of obedience in the wilderness as we wait to receive the reward of eternity in the presence of our God and Savior in the Promised Land.