If Aaron and his sons were the “official clergy” in the camp, serving at the altar and in the tabernacle, then the Levites were the “dedicated laity” who assisted the priests in their ministry. They were taken “from among the children of Israel” (vv. 6, 14, 16, 19) as substitutes for the firstborn males who belonged to the Lord (vv. 16–18; see 3:40–51 and Ex. 13). The Levites belonged to the Lord (Num. 8:14), and He gave them to the priests as His special gift (v. 19). The Levites cared for the tabernacle, took the structure down for each march, carried it during the march, and then erected it again in the new location.
Since they were serving God at the tabernacle, the Levites had to be set apart for the Lord. First, they were cleansed by water (vv. 5–7), but unlike the priests, were merely sprinkled and not washed all over (Ex. 29:4). It is likely that Moses and Aaron sprinkled the 22,000 Levites (Num. 3:39) collectively and not as a group. For further cleansing, the Levites were required to shave their bodies (see Lev. 14:8–9) and wash their clothes. (When consecrated to God, the priests were given special clothes to wear and weren’t required to shave. See Ex. 25:5–9.)
The Levites were presented to God as “living sacrifices” (Num. 8:8–14; see Rom. 12:1). The leaders of the tribes, representing the whole nation, put their hands on the Levites as an act of dedication, as though saying, “You are our substitutes, serving God on our behalf.” In turn, the Levites put their hands on the two young bulls, one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering. It wasn’t enough to purified by washing; it was also necessary that there be cleansing by blood. The burnt offering spoke of their total dedication to the Lord.
Once these prescribed acts had been completed, the Levites were permitted to begin serving the Lord and assisting the priests in their various ministries at the tabernacle (Num. 8:15–26). Numbers 4: states that their work began when they were thirty years old, but 8: gives twenty-five as the age. It’s probable that the Levites had a five-year apprenticeship before entering into the full ministry at the tabernacle, because there was certainly a great deal to learn. When Levites turned fifty, they were released from the more strenuous duties but were still permitted to assist the priests as needed.
Some practical principles relating to Christian service emerge from the consecration of the Levites. First of all, it is God who chooses, equips, and consecrates His people for spiritual service, and we must accept His will. The priests were in charge of the tabernacle ministry and the Levites assisted them. Every priest had to come from Aaron’s family, and no Levite was allowed to take the place of a priest. Levites were not permitted to serve at the altar, wear the priestly garments, or enter the sanctuary (3:10, 38; 4:15–20; 18:1–7; Ex. 28:1; 29:9).
These distinctions in no way disparaged the Levites or minimized the importance of their work. Later, when some of the Levites tried to invade the priesthood, God judged them severely (Num. 16—17). It was no cause for pride to be a priest and no reason for shame to be a Levite, for all that we have comes from the gracious heart of God (John 3:27; 1 Cor. 4:7). There is no competition in God’s service, for “each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor” (3:5–8).
A second principle is that those who serve must first of all serve the Lord and then serve His people. God’s servants must be living sacrifices, “an offering unto the Lord” (Num. 8:13; Rom. 12:1). We serve the Lord by serving His people, but our orders must come from God. “Ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Cor. 4:5). No matter what task the Lord assigns to us, it is important to His work, and we must do it cheerfully and carefully.
Finally, both the Levites and the priests were obligated to protect the sanctuary of God from intruders (Num. 8:19, and see 1:53). The priests and Levites camped immediately around the tabernacle precincts and served as a protective wall against those who wanted to invade the holy area and thus invite the judgment of God. So today, leaders in local churches must be diligent to protect the flock from those who would destroy it. “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock,” was Paul’s admonition to the leaders of the Ephesian church (Acts 20: nkjv), and he warned them that dangerous enemies would arise from both outside the church and within the congregation (vv. 29–31). God’s servants must ever be on the alert and courageous to confront the enemies of God’s truth.