Numbers 18:20—Then the LORD said to Aaron: “You shall have no inheritance in their land, nor shall you have any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel.” The Levites were the only tribe allowed to do the work of priests. Likewise, they were the only tribe to not be allotted a portion of land. So where did they live? Did they sleep around the Tabernacle? No. They were given cities within the land of each of the tribes. Six of these cities were what were called “cities of refuge”. These were cities men could flee to if they killed a person accidentally (Numbers 35). We will see more about them when we get there. In Numbers 35:6, it says they were to have an additional 42 cities, bringing the total number to 48 (4 in the land of each tribe). They owned nothing. No land, no cattle, no grain fields. Nothing. Why? Because they had the Lord for their inheritance. They did not own cattle, for they received of the sacrifices of cattle. They owned no grain fields, for they received of the Grain Offerings that were given. They did not own olive trees, for they received of the oil given in sacrifice. They were to live in cities they did not own. This was another type of sacrifice for the people, giving up land for the service of God.
So outside of the sacrifices (which may not be enough to support the entirety of the Tribe of Levi), how were the Levites supported? Numbers 18:21—“Behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work which they perform, the work of the tabernacle of meeting.” Okay, so here’s another controversial opinion: are we 21st Century Gentiles commanded to tithe? No, we are not. Tithing is mentioned in the New Testament, but it is never commanded. “So you’re saying that Christians should not give anything at all?” Did I say that? No, I did not. I said we are not commanded to tithe. Many churches would disagree with that, and many lay people, but it is the truth. “But what about Malachi 3:8-10? That says by not tithing, you are robbing God.” Yes, it does. But is Malachi in the New Testament or in the Old? Yes, it is in the Old Testament. Were the people still under the Law? Yes, they were. So then that does not apply to the New Testament church. “But Jesus commended the Pharisees for tithing of mint and anise and cumin! (Matthew23:23 and Luke 11:42)”. This is also true. But again, were the people not still under the Old Covenant? Yes, they were. They were doing that which was prescribed in the Law. But the New Covenant had not been initiated yet, so they were doing that which was right and lawful. “But what about Hebrews 7:8-9? Where it talks about Melchizedek receiving tithes from Abraham?” Again, tithes are mentioned, but this passage does not speak of tithes being commanded from the New Testament Gentile church. Did Abraham give tithes to Melchizedek? Yes. And where did he get those tithes to give to him? From the spoils of war when he fought the kings of the East (Genesis 14:1-24). Have you fought the kings of the East? Do you have spoils from war? Then this passage does not apply to you. Besides, where did the tithes go? To the Levites. So if you’re going to tithe, find a Levite and give him your 10%. “So should Christians be giving?” Yes. And we find the principle in 2nd Corinthians 9:6-7—6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And who do we give to? We give in Christ’s name, but where do we give our money? Well, wherever God leads us. Some give to the church, that they may disperse it to various needs. Some give to different charities, that they may help as they are led. Some give privately, helping family and friends and neighbors. But wherever you give, don’t do so because you feel that if you don’t, God will rain death upon you. Rather, give because that is what God wants us to do, and it helps our fellow man. All the Earth belongs to God (Deuteronomy 10:14), and if you ask, He will guide you and direct you to give where it is needed. A great resource for learning more about this subject is “A Guide to New Covenant Giving” by Jim McClarty of Grace Christian Assembly (the PDF can be downloaded here:
Numbers 18:22-24—22 “Hereafter the children of Israel shall not come near the tabernacle of meeting, lest they bear sin and die. 23 But the Levites shall perform the work of the tabernacle of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity; it shall be a statute forever, throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance. 24 For the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer up as a heave offering to the LORD, I have given to the Levites as an inheritance; therefore I have said to them, ‘Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.’” As we saw before, the Levites did not have a land inheritance as did the tribes of, say, Issachar and Zebulon. They were given cities in which to reside, but were not apportioned a specific amount of land. We will see in Chapter 35 that six of these cities were to be set aside as “cities of refuge”, where a man who committed what we would call involuntary manslaughter could flee for safety, and they were given 42 other cities. Why? Because, as God said, “I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel”. They had something better than land; they were in the hand of God, to go between Him and the people, and to make intercession for the people. They were truly God’s chosen ones, the ones He had redeemed from all the people of all of the redeemed people of Israel—the redeemed of the redeemed, if you will—to be His special people.
“Hereafter the children of Israel shall not come near the tabernacle of meeting, lest they bear sin and die”. God warned the people thus so that they knew, under no circumstances were they to come to the Tabernacle on their own, but were to bring their sacrifices to the Levites to offer them up for the people for the forgiveness of their sins. Today, we have One who offered up one sacrifice for sins (Hebrews 10:12), and that is the only sacrifice that God will accept. There is nothing we can offer that will satisfy the righteous requirement that God demands (and deserves). In the Parable of the Wedding Feast (Matthew 22:1-14), Jesus tells a parable about a king who threw a banquet for his son’s wedding. He invited many prominent people to this banquet. When they decided the minutiae of their lives were more important, the king sent his servants to round up whomever they could find. All who came in wore the robes the king gave them. Except for one man. He decided he did not need to be clothed with what the king was offering. What happened to him? Matthew 22:13—“Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness’”. We who are clothed in the righteousness of Christ (2nd Corinthians 5:21), however, are invited to feast with Him at the table of His Father (Revelation 19:7-9) at the wedding feast He will prepare for the Bride of His Son!
Christ today
spreads a banquet of mercy,
And his
servants invite to his home;
Sinner, all
now is ready and waiting,
On the
highways of sin cease to roam.
Slight no
longer the kind invitation,
And the message
of mercy we bring;
O accept now
the bounty of Jesus,
And sit down
at the feet of thy King. [Refrain]
Still the
Spirit so tenderly woos you,
And the Bride
full of love, echoes, “Come;”
Him that
heareth and will, whosoever,
Let him come
to the heavenly home
[Refrain]
Out on the
highways, into the byways,
Over the
mountain, over the sea,
Carry the
message, tell of salvation,
Ring out the
tidings, “Mercy is free.”
We can not only approach the Tabernacle in the Heavens, we can even go near the very throne of God, as we have been clothed in the righteousness of Christ. And we do not come meekly, as a dog that has misbehaved and fears reprisal from its owner. No, friend, we come as a son who comes to the Father of Mercies, knowing that we who are in Christ will have our pleas for forgiveness heard by our Faithful and Merciful Father, who will extend to us forgiveness for our faith in His Son—that Son who will not allow even one of His sheep to be lost—that we may come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need! (Hebrews 4:16)
Numbers 18:25-32—25 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 26 "Speak thus to the Levites, and say to them: 'When you take from the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them as your inheritance, then you shall offer up a heave offering of it to the LORD, a tenth of the tithe. 27 And your heave offering shall be reckoned to you as though it were the grain of the threshing floor and as the fullness of the winepress. 28 Thus you shall also offer a heave offering to the LORD from all your tithes which you receive from the children of Israel, and you shall give the LORD's heave offering from it to Aaron the priest. 29 Of all your gifts you shall offer up every heave offering due to the LORD, from all the best of them, the consecrated part of them.' 30 Therefore you shall say to them: 'When you have lifted up the best of it, then the rest shall be accounted to the Levites as the produce of the threshing floor and as the produce of the winepress. 31 You may eat it in any place, you and your households, for it is your reward for your work in the tabernacle of meeting. 32 And you shall bear no sin because of it, when you have lifted up the best of it. But you shall not profane the holy gifts of the children of Israel, lest you die.'"
The people gave their tithes to the Levites, as the Levites did not own flocks or herds or fields. Did that exempt the Levites from giving? No. They were to take their tithes, take a tithe of those tithes, and give them to God. These would be counted as a Heave Offering. “What is a heave offering?” The Heave Offering was not a separate offering, but part of the Peace Offering (and other offerings as well). Leviticus 7:29-32—29 "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'He who offers the sacrifice of his peace offering to the LORD shall bring his offering to the LORD from the sacrifice of his peace offering. 30 His own hands shall bring the offerings made by fire to the LORD. The fat with the breast he shall bring, that the breast may be waved as a wave offering before the LORD. 31 And the priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast shall be Aaron's and his sons'. 32 Also the right thigh you shall give to the priest as a heave offering from the sacrifices of your peace offerings.'"
So why are they called “Wave Offerings” (הַתְּנוּפָה, tenuphah) and “Heave Offerings” (תְּרוּמָה, terumah)? Allow me to explain. These were not separate offerings, but described how the different parts of the Peace Offering were to be given. The Wave offering was the whole Peace Offering. When the Wave Offering was given, what would happen was the offeror would hold the Wave Offering in his hands, and the priest would put his hands underneath, and they would wave the offering from side to side, signifying peace between God and man, and that the whole of the Earth belonged to God. The Heave Offering was lifted up and down, the person confessing to God that it was from His hand, given to the person, and the person was giving it up to God in the person of the priest. Think about it. The Wave Offering was moved from side to side, the Heave Offering was lifted up and down. Side to side and up and down. Make these motions with your hands and what do you get? Looks like a cross, yes? Matthew 5:17—“I did not come to destroy [the Law] but to fulfill.”
The signs pointing to Jesus are found all throughout the Law. The blood on the night of the first Passover (Exodus 12:7) was to be placed on the vertical doorposts and the horizontal lintel. The Wave Offerings and Heave Offerings were moved side to side and up and down as a foreshadowing of the Cross. When we get to the brazen serpent in Numbers 21, we will see that that too was a foreshadowing of Christ on the Cross. Which is why we must not only read the Law, but study the Law, that we may see that Christ was not any kind of Plan B by God, but was foreshadowed even in the earliest sections of Scripture.
Lord, let us never trifle with Your Word or with Your holiness, knowing that You are the infinite God who created the heavens and the Earth. May we separate ourselves from the profane things, and always seek Your righteousness, which comes only from Christ. And may we always be looking for Christ, the Author and Finisher of all faith and be ready for His anticipated glorious return!
Jesus Christ
is Lord.
Amen.
