Who Are The Levites In The Bible
Levites were the priestly tribe of Israel. The descendants of Levi were the only tribe of Israel not given land to live on; instead, they were called to serve as a “priestly class.” There are four subgroups of Levites: priests, who performed sacrifices and other ceremonies; gatekeepers (who guarded holy places); singers and musicians; and family heads.
The Levites Were The Priestly Tribe
The Levites were the priestly tribe of Israel. The other Israelite tribes were given land to live on, but Levi was not. This was because they were expected to perform priestly duties at the tabernacle (a tent where God dwelt).
The descendants of Levi include Moses and Aaron, who were both descended from him through his son Kohath.
Four Sub-Groups of Levites
The Levites were divided into four sub-groups: the Gershonites, Kohathites, Merarites, and Aaronites.
The Gershonites were responsible for transporting the Tabernacle when it was first constructed (the “tent of meeting”) and then later moved to a permanent location at Shiloh in Canaan. They were also responsible for moving furniture within the Tabernacle whenever needed. The Kohathites carried these items on their shoulders as they transported them into or out of the tent where God’s presence rested inside his sanctuary during this time period.
The Merarite group was responsible for transporting other pieces of furniture used inside both tents that housed God’s presence throughout Israel’s journey through wilderness until they arrived at Promised Land Canaan after leaving Egypt by going through upper Galilee (2 Chronicles 35:3). The Merarite group also carried items up hillside into Jerusalem when King David established his capital there during Solomon’s reign over Israel (1 Chronicles 15:16-17).
Finally, there was an Aaronite subgroup which included priests who served as high priests or lower ranking priests depending on whether they had been born from Levitical parents or not (Numbers 8:5-12).
The Duties of the Levites
The Levites were the priestly tribe, entrusted with a number of important duties. They were responsible for maintaining and caring for the Tabernacle; they carried it from place to place during their wanderings in the wilderness, and when it was built in Jerusalem, they guarded it day and night. The Ark of the Covenant belonged to this tribe as well; it was placed inside their tent as a symbol of God’s presence among His people. In addition to these duties, the Levites were also responsible for sacrifices offered on behalf of Israel (Leviticus 10:16). It was their responsibility to collect tithes (Numbers 18:26-28).
The Levites at the Set Apart Place
Levites were the only tribe of Israel that was not given land to live on. As the tribe of the priests, they were given charge over God’s dwelling place and appointed to serve in it. In fact, during their time at Mount Sinai there was a special place set aside just for them—the “Set Apart Place.”
When they arrived at Mount Sinai, Moses told them:
“You will be holy men (set apart) as I am holy; you will honor me by being loyal to me in every way you can think of.” Leviticus 19:2
Offering Guidelines for the Levites
The Levites were allowed to eat only the parts of animals that were considered “unclean” by the rest of Israel. These included the meat that was not burned on a fire, as well as the fat surrounding it. They also had permission to eat animals that had been offered as sacrifices but not completely burned.
Levites could receive these parts from their fellow Israelites, but they could not sell them or use them for profit. If a person gave a piece of meat or fat to a Levite, he was obligated to give it back if asked (Deuteronomy 25:8-10).
A Sinful Priest Became a Faithful Priest.
The Levites were the only tribe of Israel that were not given land to live on. This was because they were God’s servants and the other tribes did not want them in their lands. Instead, God gave each tribe an area to live in (known as a territory) except for Levi since he had a special mission from God: To perform priestly duties for Him.
The priests worshiped at the Tabernacle/Temple, sacrificed animals for sin offerings, taught about God’s laws and performed other duties related to worshiping Him like preparing oil lamps and incense so that people could pray at night when it was dark outside without having light sources like candles or matches available then
The descendants of Levi were the only tribe of Israel not given land to live on. Instead, God gave them a special mission – to perform priestly duties.
The descendants of Levi were the only tribe of Israel not given land to live on. Instead, God gave them a special mission – to perform priestly duties.
In this article, we’ll look at:
- The four sub-groups of Levites and their duties
- The niche that came from being set apart for God’s service
- Offering guidelines for the Levites (and how one priest turned out well)
As you can see, the Levites were an important tribe of Israel. The duties and responsibilities of the Levites were given to them by God, and they needed to be taken seriously all throughout history.