The Specialness of the Tribe of Levi
“Thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony … and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle” (Numbers 1:50).
Background — Following the Exodus from Egypt, Numbers chapters 13 and 14 recount that twelve spies, one selected from each tribe, were sent out to reconnoiter the Promised Land. Ten of the twelve spies brought back a bad report about the military strength of the peoples of the land. It was a report based on fear and lack of faith. Two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, brought a faithful perspective and encouraged the people to go up in the strength of God and take their inheritance. The congregation of Israel accepted the bad report and for that faithlessness they were judged by Jehovah and condemned to wander the wilderness for 40 years, excepting Joshua and Caleb who trusted that God would give them the land as He promised. Were Joshua and Caleb the only ones who survived to go into the Promised Land?
Premise — The Tribe of Levi was exempt from the judgment on the rest of the nation to die in the wilderness
Observation (1): Judgment was on those numbered (Numbers 14:29). But the tribe of Levi was specifically not numbered. “Only thou shalt not number the tribe of Levi, neither take the sums of them among the children of Israel” (Numbers 1:49).
Observation (2): The tribe of Levi was not represented in the spies (Numbers 13:2-16).
Observation (3): Judgment was upon the “men of war” (Joshua 5:4-6). But Levi was exempt from military service and therefore not “men of war.”
The Levites had special privileges of service.
Observation (4): Levi was a particular example of loyalty (Exodus 32:26).
Observation (5): Eleazar the Priest is an example of this exemption. He is first seen in Exodus 6:25, coming out of Egypt with his sons. Exodus 28:1 says that he served as a priest. He must therefore have been older than 30 (Numbers 4:3). Finally, we find him alive and working with Joshua in the promised land (Joshua 14:1, 17:4, 21:1, 24:33).
Conclusion: Levi was not one of the twelve tribes of Israel that came under the judgment for their lack of faith and was therefore probably exempted from the punishment.
They were the special possession of Jehovah and had a special service in the Tabernacle (Numbers 3:5-9,11,12). This service was taken over from the responsibility that had previously attended the first-born male of each family. A special census was taken of the Levites in this chapter in order to process a special redemption of the first born for the Levites (Numbers 3:40-51).
Because the Levites were not part of the 12 tribes that had land inheritance, where did the Levites live? According to Numbers 35:1-8, they lived in 48 Levitical (which included the six cities of refuge).
We recognize in Levi a type of the church of the spirit begotten, with the priestly family of Aaron representing the overcoming church and the non-priestly Levites representing the Great Company. Both classes have consecrated their lives to God, giving up their earthly inheritance promised in the ransom.
— Br. David Stein