NUMBERS 18
It is important to see that Christ was not a Priest according to the flesh. He did not belong to the tribe from which alone the priests were selected. But as risen, and in the power of indissoluble life, He is a great Priest over the house of God. In the epistle to the Hebrews there are statements which imply that the holy brethren are priests, for they have liberty to draw nigh to God, and even boldness for entering into the holiest, but it is noticeable that the title of priest is only given to Christ. The saints come into priesthood as being His brethren, as the sons of Aaron became priests in virtue of being kindred with Him. By coming to Christ as the living Stone, rejected by the religious builders, but chosen of God and precious, believers become living stones, and are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:4,5). In His love, and in the value of the redemption which He has accomplished, He has made us a kingdom,
[p. 229] priests to His God and Father (Revelation 1:5,6). So that priesthood is exercised in the power of life out of death, whether in Christ or in the sanctified company of holy brethren who are all of one with Him. This shows the impossibility of connecting priesthood with man after the flesh.
A true and spiritual priesthood comes into view in the chapter now before us. Korah and his band had coveted the priesthood for their own exaltation, and had perished in their rebellion. But on the ground that what was abhorrent to God had been judged the holy service was to go on. It had been judged in the sinners who had forfeited their lives; it had also been judged in another way when Aaron made atonement; and it was now to be judged in a continuous way by the holy priesthood.
It is striking that the first thing said of the priestly house is that they should “bear the iniquity of the sanctuary”, and “the iniquity of your priesthood” (verse 1). Iniquity of the sanctuary and the priesthood is not a spiritually normal condition, but it is an actual condition in what answers to this part of the book of Numbers. A time is in view here when iniquity has intruded into both the sanctuary and the priesthood. It is recognised as being there, and it has to be borne in a priestly way. Ability to do this is one practical evidence of life in the priesthood, the proof that they are linked up with Christ as the living Priest typified by Aaron in chapter 17. Evil in the world is not to be wondered at; it is the normal state of things there. But iniquity in the sphere of holy things has to be borne in a priestly way by those who become conscious of it. The pitching of the tabernacle, and Jehovah dwelling in it, set up an altogether new standard of holiness. And God’s thought was that Aaron end his sons should be in accord with this [p. 230] elevated standard, and able to bear in a priestly way anything inconsistent with it.
The seven golden lamps in Revelation 1 - Revelation 3 represent the assemblies as set here responsibly as vessels of sanctuary light. And the Lord is seen as walking in the midst of them in priestly discernment. We might say, in the language of Numbers 18, that He is keeping the charge of the sanctuary. But the one who sees Him in this character falls at His feet as dead (Revelation 1:17). It is the lesson of the staves as learned even by one like the beloved John! If John found himself at the feet of Jesus as dead, we may be quite sure that it is only by His right hand being laid upon us that we can be strengthened for priestly service, or qualified to bear the iniquity of the sanctuary. Aaron’s staff for “the house of Levi” set forth that the power of priestly life in Christ the risen One is for the support of all who are kindred with Him by the call and work of God. I have no doubt that the effect of His right hand being laid upon us would be such a spiritual strengthening that we should become capable of viewing things as He views them, and feeling about them as He feels. We should then recognise that iniquity has come into the sphere of holy things, and that we have responsibility in relation to it. We should thus bear it on our spirits in a priestly way.
We shall only be morally separate from “the iniquity of the sanctuary” as we judge it according to the way in which Christ judges it. We know how He felt when merchandise and robbery had intruded themselves into the temple. “His disciples remembered that it is written, The zeal of thy house devours me” (John 2:17). It was true priestly feeling. And in Revelation 2, Revelation 3, we see how He regards things in the assemblies today. Departure from first love, worldliness, evil doctrine, the woman Jezebel permitted to teach, a name to live [p. 231] but still being dead, unwatchfulness, lukewarmness, boastfulness along with extreme spiritual poverty, is all very grievous under the priestly eye of Christ. John, as having the right hand of the living One laid upon him, would see it all, and feel it all, as He did, and was thus fitted to write as the Lord’s scribe to the assemblies. One cannot doubt that he bore the iniquity of the sanctuary, as in concert with the Lord’s mind about it all. And the overcomer in each assembly would participate in this. One could not be an overcomer without being conscious of what there is to overcome, and feeling the burden of it in a priestly way. I believe this answers to bearing the iniquity of the sanctuary and of the priesthood. The exercise of it is upon the spirit before God.
Paul, writing in view of the last days, in the second epistle to Timothy, speaks of himself as “apostle of Jesus Christ by God’s will, according to promise of life, the life which is in Christ Jesus”. He speaks of our Saviour Jesus Christ as having “brought to light life and incorruptibility by the glad tidings”. He urges upon Timothy to “be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus”; he tells him that “if we have died together with him we shall also live together”. All this is on the line of the teaching connected with the budding of Aaron’s staff. It implies priestly life, intelligence and sensibilities. Where such things exist the Lord will give understanding, and it will be understood that “the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, The Lord knows those that are his; and Let every one who names the name of the Lord withdraw from iniquity” (2 Timothy 2:19). The question is often asked, What is iniquity? It is what the will of man has introduced, contrary to divine order, into the sphere of holy things. If the Lord gives us understanding in all things, as Paul says He will do if we [p. 232] consider what he says, and we have priestly sensibilities, we shall realise how much has been set up in the Christian profession that is not only the product of human infirmity, but is positively contrary both in principle and practice to the revealed mind of God. Those who bear it on their spirits as being iniquity find that a way of practical freedom from it has been opened up in divine faithfulness by the word, “Let every one who names the name of the Lord withdraw from iniquity”. This is essential if the spiritual service of the house of God is to go on after iniquity has been found in the sphere of holy things. Our link with Christ as the living Priest will be evidenced by holy sensibilities as to what is becoming to the sanctuary and the priesthood. Without such sensibilities one could hardly take the place of being a member of the priestly house; there are no buds of priestly life. Separation from iniquity is essential to priestly service, and there will be no separation from iniquity until it is borne upon the spirit before God as being iniquity.
Then we learn (verses 2 - 4) that the whole “tribe of Levi” is brought near to unite with Aaron in the charge and service of the tent of meeting. Every bit of levitical service is intended by God to “unite” with what is priestly. All ministry of the word has for its object the furtherance of the direct service of God in a priestly way. It unites with the priesthood as promoting holy sensibilities with regard to iniquity, and also as contributing in a positive way to the service of the tent of meeting. “The work of the Lord” covers a wide range of spiritual activity, but it is all to subserve what is priestly, If this were generally understood what an entirely different and more exalted character would service assume! All who in any way take the place of Levites should consider it well.
“The charge of the sanctuary and the charge of the altar” (verse 5) can then be kept in a way that is suitable to God, so that wrath does not come upon His people. “But thou and thy sons with thee shall attend to your priesthood for all that concerneth the altar, and for that which is inside the veil; and ye shall perform the service. I give you your priesthood as a service of gift, and the stranger that cometh near shall be put to death” (verse 7). The priestly service, as contemplated here, falls into two divisions: “all that concerneth the altar”, and “that which is inside the veil”. The offering of gifts and sacrifices has its anti-type in the “spiritual sacrifices” which are offered by the holy priesthood today (1 Peter 2:5). Providing gifts, and bringing them, is the privilege and responsibility of the saints viewed as the people of God, but all offering at the altar is priestly work. In the application of this to ourselves we must remember that we have to take up both sides of the service. Everything of “all the hallowed things of the children of Israel” (verse 8) that was offered at the altar came under the charge of Aaron and his sons. It is not supposed that any lover of God will approach Him without an offering, for there is the repeated injunction, “None shall appear in my presence empty”. We have seen, in considering the book of Leviticus, that the offerings all speak of Christ as known and possessed in affection by the people of God so that they are able and willing-hearted to bring Him to God for His pleasure and glory. The service of God in His house today largely “concerneth the altar”. Much of Christ has been given into the hearts of the saints by the grace and work of God. And it has been given that it may become the material for “spiritual sacrifices”. Offerings are brought out of the wealth bestowed in grace upon the Israel of God, but offering is at the altar, and is priestly work. It is a service sustained in virtue of the ever-living [p. 234] priesthood of Christ. For we must link this chapter with the one that precedes it, and remember that all the living service of the house of God derives character and power from what is true in Christ, so that it becomes the evidence that He is the living One.
Then the priesthood attends also to “that which is inside the veil”. The veil here probably refers to the “curtain for the entrance of the tent”, which would be the first veil in contrast with “the second veil” mentioned in Hebrews 9:3. The priesthood of Aaron and his sons as exercised “inside the veil” would include dressing the lamps of the candlestick daily and lighting them, burning fragrant incense on the golden altar every morning and evening, and setting the twelve cakes of shewbread before Jehovah every sabbath day. For remarks bearing on this service in detail the reader is referred to “An Outline of Exodus”, chapters 25 and 30, and “An Outline of Leviticus”, chapter 24.
“The way of the holy of holies” was not made manifest then; none entered the holiest save “the high priest only, once a year, not without blood”. But now it can be said, “Having therefore, brethren, boldness for entering into the holy of holies by the blood of Jesus, the new and living way which he has dedicated for us through the veil, that is, his flesh, and having, a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, sprinkled as to our hearts from a wicked conscience, and washed as to our body with pure water” (Hebrews 10:19 - 22). I advert to this because I believe that priestly service in the sanctuary, as taken up at the present time, derives its character from the fact that the consecrated priesthood has boldness for entering into the holy of holies. What answers, anti-typically, to the service in the holy place is taken up now in the light of approach to the holiest. So that this is not only a privilege [p. 235] accorded in grace, but it is essential to the intelligent service of God. “The blood of Jesus” obviously refers to the blood of the sin-offering which the high priest took in on the day of atonement, and sprinkled upon and before the mercy-seat. The blood of the bullock was for Aaron and his house, setting forth typically that Christ would by His own blood enter in once for all into the holy of holies, but that He would enter in that His “house” might enter in also. By entering in on sacrificial ground He has dedicated a new and living way for us.
While as yet the first tabernacle had its standing, and, indeed, even so long as Christ was here in flesh, the purpose of God’s love was, so to speak, hidden behind the veil. Christ had to die that He might enter into the holiest in a condition which was in accord with what was in God’s purpose for man. He is now the true Aaron, the Head of the priestly house, in a new and heavenly condition. As the Sin-offering He bore vicariously the judgment due to sin, the flesh, and everything that was old and imperfect, and His blood before the mercy-seat and on it is the eternal witness that divine holiness and majesty have been vindicated in the fullest way about the sin and uncleanness of man. There could never be a stain in the holy of holies, but there is the witness there that every stain has been removed, and God’s glory enhanced by the way it has been removed. And now Jesus has gone from the cross and the grave to the holy of holies that a new and living way might be dedicated by Him for us. It is, of course, a way to be trodden spiritually. The holy of holies is a spiritual conception connected with “the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hand; that is, not of this creation” (Hebrews 9:11). It is the most holy part of “the true tabernacle, which the Lord has pitched, and not man” (Hebrews 8:2).
[p. 236] And now Christ as the true Aaron is “a great priest over the house of God” (Hebrews 10:21). The purpose and calling of God are set forth in Him as Man before God, and He is Priest to bring the influence of it to bear on the whole house of God, to make the thoughts of divine love dominant there. God has great thoughts in regard of His saints as the many sons whom He is bringing to glory, for they are sanctified and all of one with the Sanctifier; they are Christ’s brethren, and have boldness for entering where He has entered, even the holy of holies. If we approach now, we approach to where every divine thought regarding us is held for us by a great Priest. Who knows God as He does? Who knows the holy of holies as He does? Who understands the service of God as He understands it? How wonderful to have such a Priest there, attracting us to where He is! The Ark of the covenant and the Mercy-seat are there, but there is also a great Priest whom we can appropriate as One who has full intelligence of all that in which God would be known and served. His lips, indeed, do keep knowledge (Malachi 2:7). We shall only get a due appreciation of what is set forth in the Ark of the covenant and the Mercy-seat as we come under the great Priest.
The holy of holies is not a place for activity, but for the contemplation of God as known in the light of Christ as the Ark of the covenant and the Mercy-seat. The thought of contemplating in the house of God or the sanctuary appears again and again in Scripture. For example, we read, “One thing have I asked of Jehovah, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of Jehovah all the days of my life, to behold the beauty (or graciousness) of Jehovah, and to enquire in his temple” (Psalm 27:4). Again we read, “My soul thirsteth for thee ... to see thy power and thy glory, as I have beheld thee in the sanctuary”
(Psalm 63:1,2). Then again, “They have seen thy goings, O God, the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary” (Psalm 68:24). If such thoughts were suggested by the prophetic Spirit, we may be sure that they take a very exalted and intensified meaning now that Christ has entered into the holy of holies. There is great blessedness in approaching God to see His power and glory, and His goings, and these are beheld in a wondrous way in the holiest. Such contemplation, in the company of Christ as the great Priest, gives intelligence of the mind and glory of God, and this qualifies those who approach to come into the assembly with priestly ability to carry on the service of God for His pleasure. We cannot please Him better than to approach, in suitable moral conditions, to behold all that in which He is pleased to be known. Such approach will have a transforming effect, displacing human thoughts, and bringing the holy priesthood in heart and mind into correspondence with the great thoughts of divine love, so that the service of God in the assembly can be intelligently taken up. The service connected typically with the holy place is now rendered by those who can bring into it the value of what is known in the holiest. To what a high spiritual level this brings all priestly service!
“I give you your priesthood as a service of gift” is a word ever to be borne in mind. Exalted and dignified as the priesthood is, involving sonship and being brethren of Christ, it is “a service of gift”. It is purely, and in every way, the fruit of divine grace. It pleases God to give it to those whom He has called with a holy calling, and this alone accounts for the fact that there is a priesthood now in blessed association with the living, glorious Priest in heaven, composed of those who live because He lives. Anyone who assumed to come near on any other ground is a “stranger” who comes in some fleshly way, and such will surely be “put to death”.
The priestly service Godward as “concerneth the altar” is not spoken of here in detail; for that we must go to Leviticus. The offerings are seen in this chapter as given to the priesthood to be their food. Jehovah says to Aaron of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel, “To thee have I given them, because of the anointing, and to thy sons by an everlasting statute”, and also that what is given is by “an everlasting covenant of salt before Jehovah” (verse 19); this indicates the perpetuity of this wonderful provision for the sustenance of priestly life. Aaron and his sons had been anointed many years before this, but it is precious to see that, notwithstanding many sad things that had intervened, Jehovah regards the anointing as having all its original value. The gifts of this chapter are all “because of the anointing”. Jehovah would remind Aaron and his sons, as the end of the wilderness drew near, that their priesthood was in virtue of the anointing, and that it retained before Him the same blessed character that it had at the beginning. Something precisely analogous to this has taken place in the history of the assembly. Saints were anointed at the beginning, for it is written, “He that ... has anointed us is God” (2 Corinthians 1:21), and the body of Christ is referred to as “the Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12), that is, as anointed. Whatever was holy and priestly in apostolic times was in the power and grace of the anointing. But many sad things have come in since then, and even true believers have largely got away from that spiritual state which goes along with the anointing. Even the truth of being anointed is very little known in a practical sense. But during the last century a most gracious revival has been going on, and one of its most marked features has been the [p. 239] attention which God has called to the presence of the Holy Spirit. It is evident that if place is given to the Spirit as the anointing it is the same anointing as was known in power at the beginning of the dispensation. There is not another Holy Spirit, and whatever priestly conditions were brought about as the anointing was in power at the beginning will be brought about as saints recognise the anointing now, and are exercised to be in suitability to it. The anointing, as taken account of by God, is exactly the same today as it was at the beginning, notwithstanding all the corrupting influences that have been active in the Christian profession, It is for us to recognise as a great spiritual reality that it is the anointing which puts us on a priestly footing with God.
This chapter makes very clear that the food of the priesthood is derived from the offerings of the people. “Every offering of theirs, of all their oblations, and of all their sin-offerings, and of all their trespass-offerings, which they render unto me, it is most holy for thee and for thy sons” (verse 9). We are familiar with the thought of spiritual food in the form of milk for babes and solid food for full-grown men; we read also of the measure of corn in season being given to the Lord’s household, and of His sheep and lambs being fed. But all that is from the divine side — grace taking account of the need, and supplying it according to the divine bounty. But the food of the priests, as seen in this chapter, does not come from that side, but from the offerings of the people. It is derived from what goes from the people Godward. It is reserved from a spiritual wealth that goes out to God from the enriched hearts of His people, or that is the expression of their moral exercises in sin and trespass-offerings. It is not the down-flow from God — though that is surely the first producing cause of it all — but the up-flow of [p. 240] offering Godward that results in His priests being well-nourished. He is pleased to assign to His priests a goodly part in what is rendered to Him by His people. It is an important and helpful instruction, for it indicates that priestly vigour will only be maintained as the people of God are so affectionately in the bond of the covenant that they bring offerings to Him.
We may conclude that the priesthood was very poorly nourished in the wilderness, for Jehovah asked long afterwards, “Did ye bring unto me sacrifices and oblations in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of your Moloch, and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye had made to yourselves” (Amos 5:25, 26). What an awful thing that He should have had to say, “your Moloch”, “your images”, “your god”, as though they had given Him up altogether! It is evident that the general state was such that offerings were not brought. In such conditions there would be little food for the priesthood. How prophetic is this of a prolonged period when what was idolatrous prevailed in the Christian profession! Not that it submerged everything, for God had those who loved Him even at such a time. We may depend upon it that Moses and Joshua and Caleb, and probably many others, were a reserved remnant for Jehovah who took no part in the worship of Moloch or Chiun, and there were such in the darkest period of church history. But as to the public history of the Christian profession there was a long time without very much to sustain or invigorate priestly conditions.
But the chapters now before us, referring to the very time when such sorrowful neglect of Jehovah was general amongst His people, show that He did not give up His own thoughts, and that He had before Him to secure from His people what His heart desired, and that in securing it He would provide food for the [p. 241] priestly house. It is a beautiful intimation of what God would bring to pass as the end of His ways in the pure sovereignty of His mercy and love. And it is a lovely picture of what He is working out today after all the failure that has come in, and, we might say, in spite of it all. It is good to get to God’s side of things, and these chapters bring us there.
Our attention has been called in chapter 17 to Christ as the living Priest, having a spiritual house and tribe associated with Him. And now in chapter 18 an Israel of God comes into view, bringing offerings and oblations, and the firstfruits of the land, and the tithes of its produce. Notwithstanding the utter breakdown of the flesh in responsibility, which has been as fully seen in the Christian profession as it was seen in Israel, God has before Him to secure by His gracious working that there shall be an answer to what is in His mind, and Re brings it into view as the end of the wilderness approaches. This is going on today in the mighty power and grace of God. He is bringing His people to know His covenant love, as witnessed in the death of Christ, with the result that they are so enriched, and their hearts so moved in appreciation of Christ, that they bring copious and varied offerings. And this becomes the means of nourishing a holy priesthood. As the saints are liberated by being brought into the good of the covenant, and as they are enriched in Christ, there is increasing capacity and willingness to bring offerings of praise. And this is not only acceptable to God by Jesus Christ, but it ministers to the strength and gladness of all that is priestly.
The offerings as given to the priests are spoken of as “most holy”, and they are to be eaten in this character (verse 10). They do not represent mere utterances, but they typify what is brought as spiritual substance in the affections of the saints, and voiced [p. 242] by the Holy Spirit. No fleshly, or even merely natural, element has place in such offering. The substance of it is of Christ, and it is brought by the true circumcision “who worship by the Spirit of God” (Philippians 3:3). It is thus “most holy”. What exercise there should be with us that the “spiritual sacrifices” in the assembly should truly have this character. Much more is needed than correctness in expression. There must be spiritual substance in the affections, for without it there will be nothing really for God, nor will there be anything to support living priestly conditions. All this would teach us that any lack of priestly vigour could be traced to lack of spiritual offerings, and the absence of these would indicate that the people of God have not had their hearts much directed into the love of God.
It will be noticed that “heave-offerings” are specially mentioned, suggesting energy in offering. Then of the oil, the new wine and the wheat it is “the best” or “the fat”, and “the firstfruits”, “the first ripe”, that are to be given. The very choicest products of divine grace and of spiritual industry are essential to the nourishment of what is priestly. The acceptability of such offerings to God is not what is spoken of here. The teaching is that it is by such excellent things that a living priesthood is sustained in vigour. Both sides of the type have to be taken up by us. As the people of God there has to be spiritual wealth, and willingness to bring the offerings. Then as the priestly family the offerings become ours by divine gift, to be eaten in a holy way for the strengthening of priestly constitution.
The offerings of verse 9 are for the males of the priestly house; those of verses 11 - 13 are for daughters also, though only for those that are “clean”. The males represent those who, as in the power of the anointing, are competent to appropriate and assimilate the “most holy” things. But the heave-offering and [p. 243] wave-offering of verses 11 - 13 represent a wider range of things; they are “holy things” (verse 19), but are not ranked amongst the “most holy”. And these are given to be the portion of daughters also. This type shows that saints may be viewed as of divine generation, members of the priestly family, and partakers of privilege in regard of food and constitution, without being regarded as exercising priestly functions. The “daughters” of Aaron represent those who can take up things family-wise, as identified affectionately with priestly interests and service, though not actually functioning as priests themselves. They are introduced here to show how grace extends the privilege of receiving priestly food to the whole priestly household. Probably many believers feel that they do not know much of the power of the anointing, or of the priestly competency which attaches to “sons”. But if we are conscious that our affections and desires are linked up with what is priestly, and that we have part in the interests connected with the holy service of God, we can come in as “daughters”, and have a full share in the holy things which are assigned to us as food by divine gift. The “sons” are the most privileged, for they may eat of the “most holy” things, but it is better to be a “daughter” and as such eat of the “holy things”, than to be altogether outside the priestly family. Speaking practically, it is to be feared that many believers have hardly known what it is to be “daughters” in the house of the true Aaron, much less “sons”.
Then “Every devoted thing in Israel shall be thine” (verse 14). Every movement of heart-devotion contributes to the strength of what is priestly. We have all something which can be devoted, if our affections move Godward in response to His love, and one feels persuaded that we should be stimulated to much more devotedness if we realised what a gain it would bring to the priestly service of God.
The firstborn “of men or of beasts” (verse 16) could not be offered in sacrifice, for both were unclean. No doubt there is instruction in the firstborn “of men or of beasts” being classed together, for man as having come under sin and death is no better morally than an unclean beast. But Jehovah had redemption rights over both, and whatever He was entitled to, in virtue of those rights, He transferred in its full value to the priest. But, inasmuch as they could not be offered in sacrifice, they had to be ransomed. Ransom in this connection meaning that their full value “after the shekel of the sanctuary” was to go to the priest. God thus showing that from the outset of His ways in grace He had in mind that they should all contribute to the priestly element amongst His people. We are accustomed to think of God claiming the firstborn as if He took him, so to speak, directly for Himself. But this chapter teaches us that He takes him by way of giving him to the priest. God would have the youngest convert to have a sense that he is intended to benefit and support the priestly service which at the present time ministers to God’s pleasure and glory. His full value is to go to support that.
“But the firstborn of a cow, or the firstborn of a sheep, or the firstborn of a goat, thou shalt not redeem: they are holy” (verse 17). They are typical of Christ, and are to take their place along with the other holy offerings which furnish food for the priesthood. And all that is thus given to the priestly family is “by an everlasting statute. It shall be an everlasting covenant of salt before Jehovah unto thee and thy seed with thee” (verse 19). The faithfulness of God is pledged in the fullest way to secure that what is offered to Him shall be the portion of His priests. What a comfort to true lovers of God it is to be assured of this! Every spiritual sacrifice that is offered at His altar becomes [p. 245] food for the holy priesthood. It is by His grace and peculiar mercy that some of His people have been brought back in these last days from Babylonish captivity, and the altar has been rebuilt as in Zerubbabel’s time (Ezra 3:2). And, though things are in a remnant condition, offerings are being brought, and there is food available for the priestly family. Our great concern should be to be nourished by the food which the faithfulness, of God has secured to us, so that priestly conditions and service may be maintained in a living and vigorous way for the pleasure of God. God Himself thus becomes the portion and inheritance of His, priests (verse 20).
Then “all the tithes in Israel” become the inheritance of “the children of Levi” (verses 21 - 24). We have noticed that the staff of Aaron was “for the house of Levi” (chapter 17:8). All levitical service is to take character from Christ as the living Priest chosen of God, and it is all to be united to what is priestly, and to minister to what is priestly. What an elevated and spiritual thought this gives us of levitical service! Its object is not the good of man, though it will undoubtedly secure that, but that GOD may be served in relation to the tent of meeting. So the tithes, which are God’s due from all His people, are given to the Levites as their inheritance.
The order is divinely beautiful. The people prosper spiritually as cultivating the land given to them by God, and they gladly render to Him what is due “as a heave-offering”. Their affections move energetically Godward in rendering the tithes, and these are given to the Levites for their service in the tent of meeting. All that is levitical derives strength from what is rendered to God by His people. So that, if levitical service is lacking in competency and vigour, it raises a question as to whether we are bringing the tithes?
[p. 246] The tithes support the Levites, then the Levites minister to the priests, and the priestly and spiritual service of God goes on according to the due order. It is instructive to see that it all works upward.
In keeping with this we see in the last section of the chapter that the Levites have to offer a heave-offering of what they receive — “the tenth of the tithe”. They are to “heave the best thereof”, and “give thereof Jehovah’s heave-offering to Aaron the priest” (verses 28,29). The Levite not only helps the priest in the direct service of the tent of meeting, but he contributes support to him in the way of food. It shows plainly that every movement towards God benefits what is priestly. All service has to yield its tithe to the priest; otherwise it may bring sin, and lead to the profanation of the holy things (verse 32). There, is perhaps more danger of this than we are aware.
The whole chapter is most instructive and encouraging, as showing how divine service is to be carried on and supported, notwithstanding the great outward failure which has taken place. God does not give up His thoughts; He rather gives them increased prominence when failure has come in. It is in this connection that His mind is given us in this chapter. We do not see here the original taking up of what is priestly and levitical, but how God speaks of it at a time long after its first institution, when the general state of things amongst His professed people has become manifestly deplorable. It is thus of peculiar importance at the present time.