Bird's-eye view
In this passage, God lays out the economic foundation for the Levitical priesthood and, by extension, the entire system of corporate worship in Israel. This is not some dry piece of tax code; it is a theological statement about work, worship, and representation. After the rebellion of Korah, where men who were not authorized tried to usurp the priestly office, God is here re-establishing divine order. He sets apart the tribe of Levi for the sacred service of the tabernacle and provides for their sustenance in a way that constantly reminds all of Israel of their unique relationship to Him. The Levites are to have no territorial inheritance like the other tribes, because Yahweh Himself is their inheritance. Their provision comes directly from the tithes of the people, which are first given to God and then assigned by God to His ministers. This arrangement creates a necessary and healthy interdependence: the people support the ministers, and the ministers serve the people before God, preventing both from becoming spiritually autonomous.
The core principle is this: those who minister in holy things are to live from holy things. The tithe is not a tip for good service; it is God's ordained method for funding His kingdom's work. This passage also establishes a crucial buffer zone around the holy things of God. The Levites are to guard the sanctuary, and the people are to keep their distance, lest they incur guilt and die. This is a tangible picture of the chasm between a holy God and sinful man, a chasm that could only be bridged by a designated mediator. The Levites were a type, a shadow, of the one true Mediator who was to come, Jesus Christ, who is both our Priest and our Inheritance.
Outline
- 1. God's Provision for His Ministers (Num 18:21-24)
- a. The Tithe as Inheritance for Service (Num 18:21)
- b. The People's Restriction and the Levites' Responsibility (Num 18:22-23a)
- c. The Levites' Lack of Landed Inheritance (Num 18:23b-24)
Context In Numbers
This section of Numbers follows directly on the heels of the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram in chapter 16 and the confirmation of Aaron's priesthood through the budding of his staff in chapter 17. The ground has literally swallowed up the rebels, and fire from the Lord has consumed those who offered unauthorized incense. The people are terrified of God's holiness. The central issue is, "Who can approach God?" God has just demonstrated in the most dramatic fashion that He alone sets the terms for worship and appoints His own ministers. Chapter 18 is the constructive answer to the chaos of the rebellion. God is now clarifying the respective duties and privileges of the priests and the Levites. He is establishing the boundaries, the responsibilities, and the means of support for the ministry. This isn't just administrative detail; it is the restoration of order after a direct challenge to God's ordained authority. It provides the practical framework that will allow Israel to live as a worshiping community in the presence of a holy God without being consumed.
Key Issues
- The Nature and Purpose of the Tithe
- The Principle of Ministerial Support
- The Distinction Between Priests and Levites
- The Concept of Yahweh as Inheritance
- Corporate Worship and Representation
- The Holiness of God and the Need for Mediators
The Economics of Worship
We moderns tend to separate our spreadsheets from our prayer books. Economics is over here, and worship is over there. But the Bible knows no such distinction. How a people fund their worship says a great deal about what they actually believe about their God. In this passage, God Himself designs the economic engine of Israel's liturgical life. And the fuel for that engine is the tithe.
The word tithe simply means a tenth. It is God's flat tax. It is a tangible acknowledgment that everything we have ultimately belongs to Him. The first tenth of all our increase, whether from crops, herds, or income, is holy to the Lord. It is not ours to give; it is His to claim. Our offerings, given freely above and beyond the tithe, are where we express our generosity. The tithe is where we express our basic honesty and submission to His lordship. God takes this portion that is His and then graciously assigns it to support the work of the ministry. The Levites work for God, and so God pays their salary. But He pays it through the hands of His people, binding the whole community together in the work of the kingdom.
Verse by Verse Commentary
21 “Now to the sons of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they perform, the service of the tent of meeting.
God speaks here with sovereign authority. "I have given." The tithe is not a voluntary contribution that the Israelites decide to give the Levites. It is a divine payment. The people give the tithe to God, and God, in turn, gives it to the Levites. This is their inheritance. While the other eleven tribes would receive parcels of land, the Levites receive the tithe. This is a direct exchange: their provision is given "in return for their service." They are not religious freeloaders; they are workers. Their work is defined as "the service of the tent of meeting." This involves the hard, practical labor of maintaining the sanctuary, assisting the priests, and teaching the law. This principle, that gospel ministry is real work deserving of real pay, is picked up by the apostle Paul and applied directly to the Christian church.
22And the sons of Israel shall not come near the tent of meeting again, or they will bear sin and die.
This is a stark and necessary warning, especially in light of Korah's rebellion. The ordinary Israelite was not to casually approach the sanctuary. To do so was to trespass on holy ground. Such a trespass was not a minor faux pas; it was a sin that carried the death penalty. God is holy, and His presence is dangerous to sinful men. This command established a clear boundary, a cordon of reverence around the tabernacle. The people were to be kept at a safe distance, not because God despised them, but because He was protecting them from His own consuming holiness. This teaches us a permanent lesson about the fear of the Lord. We come to God now with boldness through Christ, but it is a boldness that should never degrade into flippancy.
23Only the Levites shall perform the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity; it shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations, and among the sons of Israel they shall have no inheritance.
The Levites are set up as the official intermediaries, the buffer zone. They alone are authorized to do the work of the sanctuary. But this position comes with a heavy responsibility: "they shall bear their iniquity." This means they are responsible for any cultic infractions and must bear the consequences of their own sins in their service. It also means they stand in the breach, bearing the guilt that would otherwise fall on the people for any accidental encroachment. They are the guards at the gate of the King's palace. This arrangement is not temporary; it is a perpetual statute. And the basis for this role is reiterated: they have no inheritance of land. Their vocation is to be entirely God-focused, not land-focused.
24For the tithe of the sons of Israel, which they raise up as a contribution offering to Yahweh, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance; therefore I have said concerning them, ‘They shall have no inheritance among the sons of Israel.’ ”
This verse summarizes and concludes the logic of the passage. The tithe is first defined as a "contribution offering to Yahweh." The Hebrew word for contribution, terumah, often refers to a heave offering, something lifted up to God. The people lift their tithe up to God, formally presenting it to Him. Then, God, having received it, redirects it to the Levites. The logic is airtight. Because their inheritance is this steady stream of provision from God's own hand, they do not need and must not have a territorial inheritance. Their treasure is not in the soil of Canaan but in the service of the God of Canaan. This kept them dependent on God and on the faithfulness of God's people, and it scattered them throughout all the tribes as spiritual resources, rather than concentrating them in one geographical location.
Application
First, this passage establishes the enduring principle of the tithe. While the ceremonial aspects of the Mosaic law have been fulfilled in Christ, the moral principles remain. Paul argues in 1 Corinthians 9 that as the Levitical priests lived from the altar, "even so" New Covenant ministers are to make their living from the gospel. The tithe is God's way of teaching us that He is Lord of our finances and that the work of His kingdom is to be supported faithfully and systematically by His people, not by bake sales or bingo nights. Acknowledging God's claim on the first tenth of our increase is a fundamental act of worship and a guard against the idolatry of mammon.
Second, we see the importance of a called and ordained ministry. God sets men apart for the work of the church. This work is not for everyone to take up on a whim, as Korah discovered. While all believers are priests in a general sense, God still appoints specific men to the public ministry of the Word and sacrament. We should honor those whom God has called and support them financially, allowing them to devote themselves to their service without distraction.
Finally, this passage reminds us of our need for a mediator. The Levites stood between a holy God and a sinful people. We could not approach God on our own then, and we cannot approach Him on our own now. But our mediator is no longer a tribe of mortal men. Our great High Priest is Jesus Christ, who is Himself our inheritance. He did not just serve at the sanctuary; He is the sanctuary. He did not just offer sacrifices; He was the sacrifice. Because of His finished work, we who were kept at a distance can now draw near with confidence. The Levites had to bear their own iniquity, but Christ was sinless and bore ours instead. They had no inheritance in the land, that they might point to Him who is the heir of all things, and in whom we receive an inheritance that is eternal.