Moses’ Final Blessing on the Levites
Notes
Transcript
Scripture reading: Deut. 33:8-11.
8 And of Levi he said, “Give to Levi your Thummim, and your Urim to your godly one, whom you tested at Massah, with whom you quarreled at the waters of Meribah;
9 who said of his father and mother, ‘I regard them not’; he disowned his brothers and ignored his children. For they observed your word and kept your covenant.
10 They shall teach Jacob your rules and Israel your law; they shall put incense before you and whole burnt offerings on your altar.
11 Bless, O Lord, his substance, and accept the work of his hands; crush the loins of his adversaries, of those who hate him, that they rise not again.”
Response Hymn: Hymn 492 – Thou My Everlasting Portion
Introduction
Introduction
Hallelujah.
We have been studying the different kinds of offerings in Leviticus. By studying the offerings, we learn about what Christ has done for us. And we learn about the worship God desires from us.
Today, I’d like us to look at the people who performed these offerings. They were the Levites. Out of all the twelve tribes of Israel, God appointed the tribe of Levi to serve in the Tabernacle.
They were once a cursed tribe. Levi, their forefather, was a mass murderer. Together with his brother Simeon, Levi killed all the men of an entire city. The prince of the city had raped their sister. So Jacob declared a curse upon them before he died.
They were to be a divided people, scattered among the Israelites.
But they became the spiritual leaders of Israel. And their journey to spiritual leadership is our focus today. God gave them the authority to carry out sacrifices and teach God’s Word. They were a great help to Moses’ own ministry.
And before he died, Moses bestowed a final blessing upon the tribes of Israel. But the longest blessing was given to the Levites. That’s our passage for today, Deuteronomy 33:8-11.
In his blessing, Moses talks about their past, their present, and their future. He acknowledges their past devotion to God. He speaks of their present duties to the people. And he asks God to bless their future ministry with success and victory.
Now, the story of the Levites is our story today. We were in the curse of sin, but God has made us a royal priesthood. We were to receive the wages of death, but God has made us into stewards of eternal life. So as we look at the blessing of the Levites, let us receive it as our own blessing today, and find strength to carry on in our Christian walk.
#1. The Levites’ authority among the tribes (v.8-9)
#1. The Levites’ authority among the tribes (v.8-9)
8 And of Levi he said, “Give to Levi your Thummim, and your Urim to your godly one, whom you tested at Massah, with whom you quarreled at the waters of Meribah;
First, Moses asks God to give the Thummim and Urim to the godly one. That’s the high priest, who was from the tribe of Levi.
The Thummim and Urim were two stones used to discover God’s will. The high priest would store them in his breastplate. And he would ask God a question with two possible answers. “Yes or no”? “A or B”? It was similar to casting lots. And God would speak to them through the stones.
So the Levites became God’s ambassadors to the rest of Israel. They became the spiritual authority among the tribes. Why? Because of their devotion to the Lord.
Moses talks about Massah and Meribah. The Israelites ran out of water at these two places. Massah at the beginning of the wilderness journey, Meribah at the end. But while everyone else grumbled, the Levites did not. They held on to God’s Word rather than the word of man. They valued God more than water.
But they also valued God more than family.
9 who said of his father and mother, ‘I regard them not’; he disowned his brothers and ignored his children. For they observed your word and kept your covenant.
This is talking about the golden calf incident. In Exodus 32, Moses climbed Mount Sinai to receive God’s Word. He spent 40 days away from the Israelites. But when he came down, they were worshiping a golden calf.
So Moses shouts, “Who is on the Lord’s side? Come to me.”
Everyone looked to the left and to the right.
But the Levites gathered around him. And at Moses’ command, they pulled out their swords and killed the idol worshipers. They cut down familiar faces. Whether it was their parents, their siblings, or even their children, they cut down 3000 people. They were totally devoted to the Lord. And so God made them a tribe of spiritual authority.
This is important for those of us who have considered applying for a leadership role in the church, or if you already have a position of authority. Your spiritual authority should only come second to your personal devotion to the Lord.
After Judas betrayed Jesus, the apostles needed to appoint another person to join their ranks. The were two requirements. The person had to have followed Jesus from the beginning of His ministry. And the person had to be a witness to Jesus’ resurrection.
There were two candidates. Joseph and Matthias. And because they didn’t have the Thummim and Urin, the apostles cast lots to see the Lord’s decision.
Joseph had two other names. Barsabbas, and Justus. Barsabbas means “son of Sabbath”, and “Justus” was a Roman name, meaning “Just.”
What this tells us is that Joseph was known as a man of integrity. He was probably a well-known and well-respected man, both in the Jewish communities and in the Roman society.
Compared to Joseph, Matthias was less impressive. He had no titles or other names. All we know is that he faithfully followed Jesus’ ministry from the beginning until now. He was devoted to Jesus.
Who did God choose? God chose Matthias, and gave him the highest position of authority in the church.
So what factors do we consider when appointed people to positions of spiritual authority? I pray that devotion to the Lord will be the first criteria.
This should also make us tremble. Because our God is a God who looks at the heart. He knows whether our devotion is real or fake. He knows whether we come to give or gain.
So let us pray that the leaders of Zion church, as well as our members, will be totally devoted to the Lord like the Levites. Amen?
#2. The Levites’ duty to the people (v.10)
#2. The Levites’ duty to the people (v.10)
Next, let us now consider the duties of the Levites. They have been given spiritual authority. Now Moses talks about their spiritual responsibilities.
10 They shall teach Jacob your rules and Israel your law; they shall put incense before you and whole burnt offerings on your altar.
The Levites were divided into different clans or lineages. Levi had three sons. Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. From the line of Kohath came Moses and Aaron. God appointed Aaron as the high priest, and the sons of Aaron as the priests. Every other Levite were the assistants to the priests, and looked after the Tabernacle operations.
But they were all teachers of God’s Word. And the important thing is that the Levites were not to speak their own thoughts or ideas. They were not to teach great ideas by great men. They were only authorized to teach the Word of God.
In the same way, any person of spiritual authority in the church has no authority apart from the Word of God. Spiritual leaders are only authorized to teach, counsel, and lead the church according to the Word of God. This goes for how we run our worship services. This applies to how we run our ministries as well.
Next, the Levites offered sacrifices to God on behalf of the people. That’s the forgiveness of sins. But they couldn’t offer any kind of sacrifice they wanted. The sacrifices had to be exactly as God required. This foreshadows Jesus Christ, whose death on the cross is the only sacrifice by which our sins are forgiven. There is no forgiveness outside of Christ. There is no salvation outside of Christ. We must not offer anything but Christ to sinners. We have no other authority.
So in total, the Levites had two duties. The Levites had two duties. They were to teach the Law of God, and they were to offer forgiveness of sins. By teaching God’s Word, they taught the people to live according to God’s righteous standard. After hearing the Word, the people would repent of their sins and bring sacrifices to the Lord.
The Levites were to hold righteousness in one hand, and mercy in the other. That foreshadows the cross of Jesus Christ. On the one hand, the cross was God’s righteousness wrath upon sin. On the other hand, the cross was God’s mercy upon sinners. It was a ministry of reconciliation between man and God.
The Bible says that we have also received a ministry of reconciliation.
18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
So how do we do this? First, we need to know what the Bible says. Then we can explain it to others. Through God’s Word, we can point people to their sinfulness. And through God’s Word, we can point people to Jesus Christ. That is our ministry.
Does that sound difficult? Moses knew it was difficult. That’s why he prays a special blessing upon the Levites. And I pray we will also receive this blessing for ourselves.
#3. The blessing upon the Levites (v.11)
#3. The blessing upon the Levites (v.11)
11 Bless, O Lord, his substance, and accept the work of his hands; crush the loins of his adversaries, of those who hate him, that they rise not again.”
Moses asks God to bless their substance, accept their service, and crush the loins of their enemies.
The word for “substance” is hayil, which means strength, power, or courage. And here, it refers to whatever is needed for the Levites to fulfill their ministry. But the most important thing is for God to accept the work of their hands. What’s the point of having a big church, a good praise team, a wonderful choir, if God doesn’t receive our worship? So Moses prays for God to accept the work of their hands.
Let us think about this. What does God desire from our worship? The Bible teaches that He desires our devotion. He desires our hearts. God doesn’t accept offerings served on a cold heart.
6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
This brings us back to our previous points. Our devotion to God, our devotion to God’s Word, and our devotion to God’s people. In the midst of our service to the Lord, let us be wary that our hearts do not grow cold.
Jesus taught that God is spirit. Those who worship God must worship in spirit and truth. This means that God does not receive physical things. What use does He have for our money? He created all things. To worship in spirit and truth means to offer God our hearts.
We understand this as human beings. Husbands, would you pay for your wedding anniversary dinner using CDC vouchers? You’d better not.
Likewise, let us offer ourselves to God with sincerity and integrity. Make it a habit to ask yourself, “Why am I here?” before you step into church. Reverend Abraham Park used to say to come early to the sanctuary and pray before the service. Don’t make conversation in the sanctuary. We used to do that many years ago. Unfortunately, we have lost that tradition along the way.
Finally, Moses asks God one last thing for the Levites. He prays for God to crush the loins of their enemies. This is a prayer to protect them in battle.
But who were the enemies of the Levites? What battles did they fight?
Their true struggle was not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of darkness. The ministry of reconciliation is a form of spiritual warfare, and their enemy was the devil himself. And He is our enemy as well. The devil wants pull our hearts away from God and from each other. He wants to make our love grow cold.
And so we must remain wholly devoted to God. How? The Levites were a scattered, wandering people. They had no inheritance among the promised land. They had received an even greater promise.
9 Therefore Levi has no portion or inheritance with his brothers. The Lord is his inheritance, as the Lord your God said to him.
Let us receive this blessing also. We have received a difficult ministry. But please believe we have received an even greater reward. The Lord is my inheritance and my portion. What use have I for earthly good? I will gather for myself treasures in heaven. I will reconcile to God my loved ones and bring them to heaven with me. Let us have this attitude.
Let us claim the blessing of the Levites in faith. And let us become the true ministers of God’s grace wherever we go. Amen?
Conclusion
Conclusion
As human beings, we still sin against each other. We are slow to offer forgiveness. We are slow to give love and care to people we don’t like. But reconciliation is never cheap. It will cost us our comfort, our energy, and especially our pride. For Jesus, it cost Him His life. Can we follow His example?
I’d like to conclude with a time of reflection. Do you have any relationships in your life that need reconciliation? I’d like you to think of one person. Keep that person in mind. Whether it’s your friend, your family member, your work colleague. Let’s take a minute to pray for that relationship.
Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Christ. We could never measure up to your righteous Law. But You have made us teachers of Your Word. We could never forgive others freely. But You have made us stewards of grace. We claim this blessing upon the Levites for ourselves. Bless our substance. Receive our service. And protect us in the spiritual battle. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
