In the Word of God this morning the Lord showed me something about why our nation has been experiencing so many unmatched disasters and rapid increasing tragedies. Here’s the passage in Scripture He used:
“The Levites are to set up their tents around the tabernacle of the covenant law so that My wrath will not fall on the Israelite community.” Numbers 1:53
In America we have far too many priests and pastors no longer upholding the Word of God, by teaching the whole truth, and therefore all the people under them have a form of godliness (self-righteousness) yet denying the Holy Spirit power for real change; they are sheep without true shepherds of God.
The Levite men, of the tribe of Levi, one of Jacob’s 12 sons/tribes, were appointed by God to carry with them the “covenant law” from place to place as God led them through the desert to the Promised Land to possess so that what God told them (written down), would be carried out fully so that God’s wrath would not come upon the community of His people.
While the Lord’s ‘freed’ slaves were in the desert waiting for Moses to come down from the mountain with God – God gave Moses His Law: The Ten Commandments. God told Moses to tell the people: “You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now if you fully obey and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be My treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” Then Moses came down the mountain with the Ten Commandments and many other instructions (Exodus chapters 20-31) for the people to live by for their good.
Moses received the two stone tablets with the Ten Commandments twice, because the first time as Moses came down from the mountain with it – all God’s people were immorally celebrating the golden calf they had formed with all the gold they brought with them from Egypt and with Aaron’s help, Moses’ priestly brother. Moses and Aaron were from the tribe of Levi, the priestly tribe of Levites.
God saw their idolatrous celebration as Moses was with Him on the mountain and God was ready to strike them all dead for disobeying God and Moses: “I have seen these people, they are a stiff-necked people. Now leave Me along so that My anger may burn against them. Then I will make you (Moses) into a great nation.” But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. “Lord, why should your anger burn against Your people, whom You brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth?’ Turn from Your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on Your people. Remember Your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom You swore by Your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’ Then the Lord God relented and did not bring on His people the disaster He had threatened.” (Exodus 32:9-14) Moses came down with the first stone tablets and threw them on the ground in front of them symbolizing how the people had already so quickly left the God who had delivered them with so many amazing miracles.
Moses then said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me.” All the ‘Levites’ rallied to him. And all those who didn’t, were killed by the Levites, as instructed to do. (The yeast of wickedness spreads and must be removed.) Three thousand died that day for rebelling against God and His servant Moses. After God showed Moses He placed in the cleft of a rock “His glory” by passing by Moses, showing him His back, Moses was now filled with all the confidence he needed to finish his purpose, for the Lord said to him: “ I will cause all My goodness to pass in front of you Moses, and I will proclaim My Name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” (Exodus 33:19-20)
Moses then chiseled out two new stone tablets with God’s Ten Commandments and pleaded for the Lord to go with them to finish the journey to the Promised Land, after God said He wouldn’t because they are too stiff-necked, repeating their unbelief – tempting God to strike them dead. But the Lord honored Moses’ faith and said, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you Moses and I know you by name.” (Exodus 33:17)
Moses had this honor from God because Moses, a Levite, obeyed the Word of the Lord telling him what to do, but not without a personal struggle all along the way. And so we are also to obey and not deny God’s Word, but rather uphold all that Jesus Christ has told us to do in His name and for His heavenly Kingdom, our Promised Land. He’s given us His Holy Spirit so we can overcome every hindrance along the way: our flesh, the world and the devil always at us.
Are you a true Levite? You don’t have to be a Jew you know. The Gentiles who believe and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ from every race, tribe and peoples – have been grafted into the faith of Abraham for the “reward of faith” in following the Lord to the end of our time on earth. God, through Moses, said of the tribe of Levi:
“Your Thummin and Urim belong to him. (Thummin and Urim = decision making, judgments and wisdom from God.) I tested the Levites at Massah; I contended with them at the waters of Meribah. Levi said of his own father and mother, ‘I have no regard for them.’ He did not recognize his brothers or acknowledge his own children, but he watched over My Word and guarded My covenant. He teaches My precepts and laws to the people. He obeys all My instructions for My people’s well-being and future inheritance. Therefore, I bless all his skills and I will be pleased with the work of his hands. I will strike down those who rise against him, till his foes rise no more.” Deuteronomy 33: 8-11
Many years ago, when our children were still living at home, the Lord said to me that I was a “true Levite priest,” and I thought “I’m neither a man nor a Jew Lord!” Then He showed me it is because of my love and honor for God’s Word, faithful in daily reading, studying, teaching, and in judging everything by it, and along with their father, in holding our children accountable to what God tells us as a family. AND, in not allowing my mother or father any longer be the voice I listen to, and obey in what I’m to do with my life in Christ. Honor your father and mother YES! But never let your parents take the Lord’s place.
The Lord has told His ‘faithful’ church that we will be a “kingdom of priests” unto our God, but note that it’s only those who walk by faith in God’s Word – to the very end of my life on earth.
“Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. And they sang a new song, saying:
‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” Revelation 5:6-10
In America, God’s Word is under severe attack, and far too many pastors are caving in to fear of what they will lose or suffer if they speak the truth and teach the whole Word of God, no matter who it angers or offends, because while most are angered or offended, a few will be reached and saved by faith in their Savior.
In the Lord’s letter to the ‘faithful’ church of Philadelphia He tells them how He will “keep them from that hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to TEST the inhabitants of the earth.” (Revelation 3: 7-13) The Lord commends them for NOT denying the Name of the Lord and for holding to His Word, and tells them what they will receive from Him for their faithfulness, and they will called “New Jerusalem” the Lord’s bride coming down from heaven at the end of the Lord’s reign on earth, making all things new and ready for eternity.