~~~We know now that the Lewites are not Priests and the Priesthood is a separate entity from the Lewites who were given to them as gift. The duties of the Priesthood are separate from the duties of the Lewites and cannot be combined (2Chr 26, Zec 4:11-14). It must be understood that The Book of Remembrance has been attack by the Illuminated Amalekite Edomite(Psa 83:1) by injecting snares and traps to confuse the reader. It is our recommendation at YHWH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, to read the following seven chapters Exo 28, 29, 30, Num 3, 4, 8, 18 in order to differentiate between the functions of the Priests and the Lewites in serving YHWH of Hosts.
The Lewites
Purification of the Lewites:
Numbers 8:5-19
5 And YHWH spake unto Moses, saying,
6 Take the Lewites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.
7 And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean.
8 Then let them take a young bullock with his meat offering, even fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin offering.
9 And thou shalt bring the Lewites before the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together:
10 And thou shalt bring the Lewites before YHWH: and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Lewites:
11 And Aaron shall offer the Lewites before YHWH for an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of YHWH.
12 And the Lewites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks: and thou shalt offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, unto YHWH, to make an atonement for the Lewites.
13 And thou shalt set the Lewites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for an offering unto YHWH.
14 Thus shalt thou separate the Lewites from among the children of Israel: and the Lewites shall be mine.
15 And after that shall the Lewites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for an offering.
16 For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.
17 For all the firstborn of the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast: on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself.
18 And I have taken the Lewites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.
19 And I have given the Lewites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary.
Ministry of the Lewites:
Numbers 3:5-10
5 And YHWH spake unto Moses, saying,
6 Bring the tribe of Lewi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him.
7 And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle.
8 And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.
9 And thou shalt give the Lewites unto Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel.
10 And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
Numbers 8:23-26
23 And YHWH spake unto Moses, saying,
24 This is it that belongeth unto the Lewites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation:
25 And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more:
26 But shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Lewites touching their charge.
Numbers 4:46-47
46 All those that were numbered of the Lewites, whom Moses and Aaron and the chief of Israel numbered, after their families, and after the house of their fathers,
47 From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that came to do the service of the ministry, and the service of the burden in the tabernacle of the congregation.
- Lewites begin their ministry training at the age of 25 and do not actually begin to minister until the age of 30.
Tithes and Offerings for Lewites:
Numbers 18:25-32
25 And YHWH spake unto Moses, saying,
26 Thus speak unto the Lewites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for YHWH, even a tenth part of the tithe.
27 And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the corn of the threshingfloor, and as the fulness of the winepress.
28 Thus ye also shall offer an heave offering unto YHWH of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the YHWH'S heave offering to Aaron the priest.
29 Out of all your gifts ye shall offer every heave offering of YHWH, of all the best thereof, even the hallowed part thereof out of it.
30 Therefore thou shalt say unto them, When ye have heaved the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted unto the Lewites as the increase of the threshingfloor, and as the increase of the winepress.
31 And ye shall eat it in every place, ye and your households: for it is your reward for your service in the tabernacle of the congregation.
32 And ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, when ye have heaved from it the best of it: neither shall ye pollute the holy things of the children of Israel, lest ye die.
Portions for the Lewites:
Deuteronomy 18:1-3
1 The priests the Lewites, and all the tribe of Lewi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of YHWH made by fire, and his inheritance.
2 Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren: YHWH is their inheritance, as he hath said unto them.
3 And this shall be the priest's due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep; and they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw.
Land for the Lewites
Leviticus 25:29-34
29 And if a man sell a dwelling house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; within a full year may he redeem it.
30 And if it be not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city shall be established for ever to him that bought it throughout his generations: it shall not go out in the jubile.
31 But the houses of the villages which have no wall round about them shall be counted as the fields of the country: they may be redeemed, and they shall go out in the jubile.
32 Notwithstanding the cities of the Lewites, and the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Lewites redeem at any time.
33 And if a man purchase of the Lewites, then the house that was sold, and the city of his possession, shall go out in the year of jubile: for the houses of the cities of the Lewites are their possession among the children of Israel.
34 But the field of the suburbs of their cities may not be sold; for it is their perpetual possession.
Ezekiel 45:1-5
1 Moreover, when ye shall divide by lot the land for inheritance, ye shall offer an oblation unto YHWH, an holy portion of the land: the length shall be the length of five and twenty thousand reeds, and the breadth shall be ten thousand. This shall be holy in all the borders thereof round about.
2 Of this there shall be for the sanctuary five hundred in length, with five hundred in breadth, square round about; and fifty cubits round about for the suburbs thereof.
3 And of this measure shalt thou measure the length of five and twenty thousand, and the breadth of ten thousand: and in it shall be the sanctuary and the most holy place.
4 The holy portion of the land shall be for the priests the ministers of the sanctuary, which shall come near to minister unto YHWH: and it shall be a place for their houses, and an holy place for the sanctuary.
5 And the five and twenty thousand of length, and the ten thousand of breadth shall also the Lewites, the ministers of the house, have for themselves, for a possession for twenty chambers.
Purification of the Lewites:
Numbers 8:5-19
5 And YHWH spake unto Moses, saying,
6 Take the Lewites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them.
7 And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean.
8 Then let them take a young bullock with his meat offering, even fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin offering.
9 And thou shalt bring the Lewites before the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together:
10 And thou shalt bring the Lewites before YHWH: and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Lewites:
11 And Aaron shall offer the Lewites before YHWH for an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of YHWH.
12 And the Lewites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks: and thou shalt offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, unto YHWH, to make an atonement for the Lewites.
13 And thou shalt set the Lewites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for an offering unto YHWH.
14 Thus shalt thou separate the Lewites from among the children of Israel: and the Lewites shall be mine.
15 And after that shall the Lewites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for an offering.
16 For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me.
17 For all the firstborn of the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast: on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself.
18 And I have taken the Lewites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.
19 And I have given the Lewites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary.
Ministry of the Lewites:
Numbers 3:5-10
5 And YHWH spake unto Moses, saying,
6 Bring the tribe of Lewi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him.
7 And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle.
8 And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.
9 And thou shalt give the Lewites unto Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel.
10 And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
Numbers 8:23-26
23 And YHWH spake unto Moses, saying,
24 This is it that belongeth unto the Lewites: from twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation:
25 And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more:
26 But shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation, to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Lewites touching their charge.
Numbers 4:46-47
46 All those that were numbered of the Lewites, whom Moses and Aaron and the chief of Israel numbered, after their families, and after the house of their fathers,
47 From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one that came to do the service of the ministry, and the service of the burden in the tabernacle of the congregation.
- Lewites begin their ministry training at the age of 25 and do not actually begin to minister until the age of 30.
Tithes and Offerings for Lewites:
Numbers 18:25-32
25 And YHWH spake unto Moses, saying,
26 Thus speak unto the Lewites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for YHWH, even a tenth part of the tithe.
27 And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the corn of the threshingfloor, and as the fulness of the winepress.
28 Thus ye also shall offer an heave offering unto YHWH of all your tithes, which ye receive of the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the YHWH'S heave offering to Aaron the priest.
29 Out of all your gifts ye shall offer every heave offering of YHWH, of all the best thereof, even the hallowed part thereof out of it.
30 Therefore thou shalt say unto them, When ye have heaved the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted unto the Lewites as the increase of the threshingfloor, and as the increase of the winepress.
31 And ye shall eat it in every place, ye and your households: for it is your reward for your service in the tabernacle of the congregation.
32 And ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, when ye have heaved from it the best of it: neither shall ye pollute the holy things of the children of Israel, lest ye die.
Portions for the Lewites:
Deuteronomy 18:1-3
1 The priests the Lewites, and all the tribe of Lewi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of YHWH made by fire, and his inheritance.
2 Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren: YHWH is their inheritance, as he hath said unto them.
3 And this shall be the priest's due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep; and they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw.
Land for the Lewites
Leviticus 25:29-34
29 And if a man sell a dwelling house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; within a full year may he redeem it.
30 And if it be not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city shall be established for ever to him that bought it throughout his generations: it shall not go out in the jubile.
31 But the houses of the villages which have no wall round about them shall be counted as the fields of the country: they may be redeemed, and they shall go out in the jubile.
32 Notwithstanding the cities of the Lewites, and the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Lewites redeem at any time.
33 And if a man purchase of the Lewites, then the house that was sold, and the city of his possession, shall go out in the year of jubile: for the houses of the cities of the Lewites are their possession among the children of Israel.
34 But the field of the suburbs of their cities may not be sold; for it is their perpetual possession.
Ezekiel 45:1-5
1 Moreover, when ye shall divide by lot the land for inheritance, ye shall offer an oblation unto YHWH, an holy portion of the land: the length shall be the length of five and twenty thousand reeds, and the breadth shall be ten thousand. This shall be holy in all the borders thereof round about.
2 Of this there shall be for the sanctuary five hundred in length, with five hundred in breadth, square round about; and fifty cubits round about for the suburbs thereof.
3 And of this measure shalt thou measure the length of five and twenty thousand, and the breadth of ten thousand: and in it shall be the sanctuary and the most holy place.
4 The holy portion of the land shall be for the priests the ministers of the sanctuary, which shall come near to minister unto YHWH: and it shall be a place for their houses, and an holy place for the sanctuary.
5 And the five and twenty thousand of length, and the ten thousand of breadth shall also the Lewites, the ministers of the house, have for themselves, for a possession for twenty chambers.