"Fear God, Love God, Serve God": "Levitical Holiness"

"Then David said, None ought to carry the ark

of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry

the ark of God, and to minister unto him for ever."

(I Chronicles 15:2)

Levites carrying the Ark

"Take the Levites from among the children

of Israel, and cleanse them."

(Numbers 8:6)

The Levities were consecrated, taken from the first born of Israel, descended from Jacob's third son, their zeal against idolatry was cause for their appointment; they entered their service at twenty-five years of age and numbered as ministers at thirty; they were superannuated at fifty; and they encamped around the tabernacle. They had many duties, and the elders of Israel laid hands on them as anointing them in their service before the Lord and the children of Israel, and presenting them to God as an "offering" for the people. The services of the tabernacle were appointed to them.

Levi is the ancestor of the Tribe of Levi and the name is derived from the words, "he shall Accompany." Moses and his brother, Aaron, were both descendants of Levi. Levite is the name given to Levi's descendants through his sons, Gershon, Kohath and Merari. The tribe was set apart for services in the temple, and for worship; they were priests, psalmists, and musicians, as well as a teacher and a pastor. Levites were also involved in government; they were gatekeepers, judges, looked after the royal treasury; they were craftsmen, and they were also bakers. The most important part is that they were, above all, dedicated to God and His commandments.

You say, "What does this have to do with me?" That's a great question. The saints of God must move on to perfection, meaning "wholeness;" the Book of Hebrews 6:1-2 explains:

"So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again.

Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we

don't need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from

evil deeds and placing our faith in God. You don't need further instruction

about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the

dead, and eternal judgment." (New Living Trans.)

In other words, we are kings and priests, a chosen generation, and we, therefore, have the obligation to conduct our lives as we have been appointed. When Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose again, He handed all of the responsibility to us, His Church, to do the work of the ministry, to be holy and acceptable in His sight, to offer the sacrifice of praise and worship, to go into all the world teaching and preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. We should, now move beyond the first principles of christianity: repentance, baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the infilling of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues. We should not need further instruction about these things and laying hands on the sick; we now have become anointed in the gifts of the Spirit, going forth in Jesus' name doing the work of the ministry, as Levites unto God.

We, as Christians and Saints, belong to the most high God on the grounds of redemption just as absolutely as the Levites did, and through grace we accept this position. The cleansing and holiness before God, was essential for the Levite. So, we, as Christians must not slap the hand of grace by living impure lives. The Levites were "separate," and so must we, as Christians, be separate; we are 'in' the world, but not 'of' the world. Some take this to extremes, but purity in heart has a way of manifesting itself on the outside as well. We must remember that we are representatives of Jesus Christ in all that we do and all that we are; the only Jesus people see today is the Jesus they see in you and me.

The Lord is looking for a few Levites today to march before the world in such a way that the love of Jesus Christ is manifested; the joyful worship of His name and His diety is presented; the offerings of sacrificial praise are exhibited; the truth of His Word is taught and preached without compromise; and the purity of His holy essence is still alive thousands of years later ... He's just looking for someone to sound the call and to come back to Holy ground, or "Levitical Holiness."