Deuteronomy 33:8-118And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah; 9Who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children: for they have observed thy word, and kept thy covenant. 10They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law: they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon thine altar. 11Bless, Lord, his substance, and accept the work of his hands: smite through the loins of them that rise against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise not again. (Deuteronomy 33:8‑11)
IN MOSES’ blessing the tribes of Israel Levi comes next.
“And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah; “Who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew nis own children: for they have observed Thy word, and kept Thy covenant.”
Levi means “joined"; in an earlier day he had been joined with his brother Simeon in a dark, cruel deed of murder, and this Jacob never forgot, for he spoke of it on his death bed. But since then grace had wrought in Levi and his history is marked by outstanding faithfulness to the Lord. Once in the darkness of nature his feet had been “swift to shed blood,” but now under grace his feet were swift to follow the cloud in the wilderness.
When Moses came down from the mount and found Israel worshiping the golden calf, he cried “Who is on the Lord’s side?” It was then that the tribe of Levi separated themselves unto Moses. The Lord’s glory meant more to them than even father or mother, and they “joined” with the Lord and His servant Moses for the execution of righteous judgment upon idolatry.
Israel had lost sight of the fact that Moses was alive on high in the presence of God for them and they fell into idolatry; “the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” What a picture we have here of Christendom today. The professing church has largely forgotten that Christ is alive and on high in the presence of God interceding for His own. How many have gone into idolatry; how many also are seeking to find satisfaction in worldly pleasures! May the Lord preserve us from such forgetfulness, but keep us instead with our eyes fixed on Him, waiting and watching for His coming in the air.
As a reward for their faithfulness God had chosen the tribe of Levi for the priesthood and for the service of the tabernacle. Moses requests that the Urim and Thummim, meaning “lights and perfections,” might be always with them. We are not told what they were, but they were put into the breastplate of the high priest, and by them God answered questions. They are lost to Israel now, but when His people are restored Christ Himself will take the place of the Urim and Thummim of old. How He delights to prove Himself the answer to all the needs and problems of His people now!
Levi was to teach Israel God’s law, to burn incense and offer burnt offerings unto the Lord. Thus Levi’s service is ours. It is our happy privilege to bring the Word of God before others, but best of all to present Christ before the Father in the service of worship and praise.
The blessing of Levi reminds us of the Lord’s words: “Every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive an hundred fold, and shall inherit everlasting life.” Matt. 19:2929And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. (Matthew 19:29).
ML-07/18/1976