← The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 54: The Tribe of Levi (2026)
00:20:34
Fr. Mike clarifies some questions surrounding the Tribe of Levi and talks about what it means to be held to a higher standard as a leader in your community. Numbers 3, Deuteronomy 3, and Psalm 87.
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Hi, my name is Fr. Mike Schmitz and you're listening to the Bible in a Year Podcast where we encounter God's voice and live life through the lens of Scripture. The Bible in a Year Podcast is brought to you by Ascension. Using the Great Adventure Bible Timeline, we'll read all the way from Genesis to Revelation, discovering how the story of salvation unfolds and how we fit into that story. Today it is day 54, and today we're going to be reading from Numbers chapter 3 and Deuteronomy chapter 3, keeping a pace with those two stories, those two books, as well as praying Psalm 87. The Bible translation that I'm using is the Revised Standard Version, the second Catholic edition. I'm using the Great Adventure Bible from Ascension. If you want to download your own Bible in a Year reading plan, simply visit ascensionpress.com bibleinayear. You can download that for free and make sure you subscribe on your podcast app to receive the daily episodes. But let's let's get started the Book of Numbers Chapter three the Sons of Aaron these are the generations of Aaron and Moses at the time when the Lord spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. These are the names of the sons of Aaron. Nadab the Firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests whom he ordained to minister in the priest's office. But Nabab and Abihu died before the Lord when they offered unholy fire before the Lord in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the lifetime of Aaron their father. Duties of the Levites and the LORD said to Moses, bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. They shall perform duties for him and for the whole congregation before the Tent of Meeting. As they minister at the tabernacle. They shall have charge of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, and attend to the duties of the sons of Israel as they minister at the tabernacle. And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons they are wholly given to him from among the sons of Israel. And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall attend to their priesthood but if anyone else comes near, he shall be put to death. And the LORD said to Moses, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel, instead of every firstborn that opens the womb among the sons of Israel. The Levites shall be mine for all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for my own all the firstborn in Israel, both of man and of beast. They shall be mine. I am the Lord. Census of the Levites. And the Lord said to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, number the sons of Levi by fathers, houses and and by families, every male from a month old and upward you shall number. So Moses numbered them according to the word of the Lord, as he was commanded. And these were the sons of Levi by their Gershon and Kohath and Merari. And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families Libni and Shemei, and the sons of Kohath by their families Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel, and the sons of Merari by their families Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites by their fathers. Houses of Gershon were the families of the Libnites and the families of the Shemeites. These were the families of the Gershonites. Their number, according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward, was 7,500. The families of the Gershonites were to encamp behind the tabernacle on the west, with Eleasaph the son of Lael as the head of the father's house Gershonites and the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting was to be the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, the screen for the door of the tent of meeting, the hangings of the court, the screen for the door of the court, which is around the tabernacle and the altar and its cords. All the service pertaining to these of Kohath were the family of the Amramites and the family of the Isurites, and the family of the Hebronites and the family of the Uzzialites. These are the families of all the Kohathites. According to the number of all the males from a month old and upward, there were 8,600 attending to the duties of the sanctuary. The families of the sons of Kohath were to encamp on the south side of the tabernacle with Elizaphan the son of Uzziel as the head of the father's house of the families of the Kohathites. And their charge was to be the Ark, the table, the lamp stand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which the priests minister, and the screen, all the service pertaining to These and Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, was to be chief over the leaders of the Levites and to have oversight of those who had charge of the sanctuary of Merari were the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites. These are the families of Merari. Their number, according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward, was 6200. And the head of the father's house of the families of Merari was Zuriel, the son of Abihail. They were to encamp on the north side of the tabernacle. And the appointed charge of the sons of Merari was to be the frames of the tabernacle, the bars, the pillars, the bases, and all their accessories, all the service pertaining to these. Also the pillars of the court round about with their bases and pegs and cords, and those to encamp before the tabernacle on the east, before the tent of meeting, toward the sunrise, were Moses and Aaron and his sons, having charge of the rites within the sanctuary. Whatever had to be done for the sons of Israel and anyone else who came near was to be put to death. All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the Lord, by families, all the males from a month old and upward, or 22,000, redemption of the firstborn. And the Lord said to Moses, number all the firstborn males of the sons of Israel from a month old and upward, taking their number by names, and you shall take the Levites for me. I am the Lord. Instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the first slings among the cattle of the sons of Israel. So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, as the Lord commanded him in all the firstborn males according to the number of names from a month old and upward as numbered, were 22,000, 273. And the Lord said to Moses, take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle, and the Levites shall be mine. I am the Lord. And for the redemption of the 273 of the firstborn of the sons of Israel over and above the number of the male Levites, you shall take five shekels apiece, reckoning by the shekel of the sanctuary, the shekel of 20 gerars, you shall take them and give the money by which the excess number of them is redeemed to Aaron and his sons. So Moses took the redemption money and those who were over and above those redeemed by the Levites from the firstborn of the sons of Israel. He took the money, 1,365 shekels reckoned by the shekel of the sanctuary. And Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons over according to the word of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses. The Book of Deuteronomy, chapter 3. The defeat of Og the king of Bashan. Moses continued. Then we turned and went up the way to Bashan. And Og, the king of Bashan, came out against us, he and all his people to battle at. But the Lord said to me, do not fear him, for I have given him and all his people and his land into your hand. And you shall do to him as you did to Sihon, the king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon. So the Lord our God gave into our hand Og also the king of Bashan and all his people. And we struck him until no survivor was left to him. And we took all his cities. At that time there was not a city which we did not take from them. 60 cities, the whole region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. All these cities were fortified with high gates, walls and bars, besides very many unwalled villages. And we utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon, the king of Heshbon, according to every city, men, women and children. But all the cattle and the spoil of the cities we took as our booty. So we took the land at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan from from the valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon. The Sidonians called Hermon Sirion, while the Amorites call it Seir. All the cities of the Tableland and all Gilead and all Bashan as far as Selecah and Edreai, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. For only Og, the king of Bashan, was left of the remnant of the Rephaim. Behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron. Is it not in Rabbah of the Ammonites? Nine cubits was its length and four cubits its breadth, according to the common cubit. When we took possession of this land at that time, I gave it to the Reubenites and the Gadites. The territory beginning at Aroer, which is in the edge of the valley of Arnon and half the hill country of Gilead with its cities. The rest of Gilead and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og, that is all. The region of the Argob I gave to the half tribe of Manasseh. The whole of that Bashan is called the land of Rephaim. Jair the Manassite took all the region of Argob, that is Bashan, as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and called the villages after his own name, Havath Jair, as it is to this day. To Makir I gave Gilead. And to the Reubenites and the Gadites I gave the territory from Gilead as far as the valley of Arnon, with the middle of the valley as a boundary, as far over as the river Jabbok, the boundary of the Ammonites, the Arabah also with the Jordan as the boundary from Chinnareth, as far as the sea of Arabah, the salt sea under the slopes of Pisgah on the east. And I commanded you at that time, saying, the Lord your God has given you this land to possess. All your men of valour shall pass over armed before your brethren, the sons of Israel. But your wives, your little ones and your cattle, I know that you have many cattle. So remain in the cities which I have given you until the Lord gives rest to your brethren as to you. And they also occupy the land which the Lord your God gives them beyond the Jordan. Then they shall return every man to his possession which I have given you. And I commanded Joshua at that time your eyes have seen all that the Lord your God has done to these two kings. So will the Lord do to all the kingdoms into which you are going over. You shall not fear them, for it is the Lord your God who fights for you. Moses views Canaan from Pisgah and I begged the Lord at that time, saying, O Lord God, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what God is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as you? Let me go over, I pray, and see the good land beyond the Jordan, that excellent hill country and Lebanon. But the Lord was angry with me on your account and would not listen to me. And the Lord said to me, let it satisfy you. Speak no more to me of this matter. Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes westward and northward and southward and eastward, and behold it with your eyes. For you shall not go over this Jordan, but charge Joshua and encourage and strengthen him. For he shall go over at the head of this people, and he shall Put them in possession of the land which you shall see. So we remained in the valley opposite Beth Peor. Psalm87. The joy of living in Zion. A psalm of the sons of Korah. A song. On the holy mountain stands the city he founded. The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob. Glorious things are said of you, O city of God. Among those who know me, I mention Rahab and Babylon. Behold Philistia and Tyre with Ethiopia. This one was born there, they say, and of Zion it shall be said, this one and that one were born in her. For the Most High himself will establish her. The Lord records as he registers the people's. This one was born there. Singers and dancers alike say, all my springs are in you, Father. In heaven we give you praise and we thank you. Even in the midst of the depths, even in the midst of darkness, you are faithful and we can trust in you. Amen. Amen. We make this prayer in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Okay, quick, I want to. I want to highlight a couple quick things. One is in Numbers, chapter three. What do we have? We have the tribe of Levi. Remember that among the other tribes of Israel, the tribe of Levi was set apart. Right? They had set themselves apart. You have ordained yourselves this day. You know, when, when Levi, the tribe of Levi rose up against the other people of Israel who had worshiped the golden calf. One thing that I think I may have not been clear about is the following. That while all of the tribe of Levi was set apart for service in the tabernacle or service in the temple, not everyone of the tribe of Levi was a priest. And I think this is important. All priests have to be Levites, but not all Levites are priests. That just is an important note because I think that sometimes we can fall into the trap of thinking that, oh, if you serve in the tabernacle, if you're a Levite, you're therefore a priest. That's not exactly the case. And here in Numbers, chapter three, it spells that out. It spells out that there were a number of the tribe of Levi who were set to particular tasks, right? So you have the sons of Levi, Gershon and Kohath, the Merari. And so they're all given different tasks to do. So the family of Gershon is on the west side of the tabernacle, and they're given charge over like the screen and the tent of meeting in its covering. And you have Kohath and It's on the south side. And they're giving, they're given a number of tasks has having to do with the ark and the table and the lampstand. And so what we realize is that all Levites are there for the service of the temple, but not all are serving in the same particular way. And it is noted by the Lord God here in Numbers, chapter three, that you only the Levites are those allowed to have this temple service. And among that tribe of Levi, right. Is the sons of Aaron. And those are the ones who are the priests working in the, the, the service of offering up the worship or offering up performing out those, those rites and duties in the tabernacle. The other duties that have to do with maintaining and making sure that everything's running well, that has to do with those other families of the tribe of Levi. I hope that that makes sense. It is a. A often missed little piece that us as modern Christians can sometimes not understand or realize. So again, all priests are from the tribe of Levi. Not all Levites are priests. The next thing to kind of highlight is Deuteronomy chapter three. I just want to pull out two quick things. The first is that the tribe of Reuben and the tribe of Gad and the tribe of Manasseh, they're given land in what they call the Transjordans. This is before they've crossed over the Jordan river and entered into the Promised Land. Their land, their in Transjordan is given to them. That's where those tribes dwelt. That's where those tribes ultimately are going to exist. But the Lord God, through Moses, says, okay, this is your land, but you have to keep coming with us. You have to keep journeying with us over the Jordan river because we still have battles to fight. We still have the promised land to obtain. And so we need you to go with us across the Jordan. And after you've taken the land, you can come back to this land. This is going to be your land. And there's this element of here's a gift. This is almost like a future promise, or it's a current promise about a future reality. But you're going to have to continue to fight. You're going to have to continue to serve your brothers and sisters here, the other tribes of Israel. And I think there's something just really powerful about that, that imagine here's your home. Oh, great. This is our land. Yes, it is. But keep moving with us, because we are not done yet. And that's something that can just weigh on our hearts so often, is Like, I want to be done. I just want to be able to have, like, put my stake in the ground and say, okay, this is home. These are my roots. This is. I'm done. And for Reuben and Gad and Manasseh, okay, they got, this is your home, but you can't be here yet. Speaking of here's your home, but you can't be here yet is the last point. And we have in the story of Moses. And he recounts, he said, I begged the Lord at that time, lord, your God, you've only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. What God is there in heaven or earth or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as yours? Let me go over. I pray that I may see the good land beyond the Jordan. But he says, the Lord was angry with me because in numbers 21, Moses is going to strike a rock twice. When God did not tell him to do that, in fact, he told him to do something else. And Moses, in anger, struck a rock twice. And because of that, he, as the leader, was held to a higher standard. And because of that rash act, he was not able to cross over into the Jordan. And something that can be a difficult teaching for us is that here is Moses, who was very faithful for a long time, a long, long time. And yet, even in the midst of that, there are consequences to his actions. He was not displeasing to the Lord. God loved Moses. God loves Moses. And Moses was a faithful man. But there also are consequences to our actions. And so you have Moses saying, I plead with you once more. You know, O Lord, let me go over. And God basically says, do not bring this up anymore. He says, speak no more to me of this matter. Go up to the top of Pisgah, this top of this mountain, and look and behold the promised land. But you're going to die here. Now, that can seem harsh to us. But at the same time, it is true, isn't it, that the leaders among us and the teachers among us are held to a higher standard. And Moses is one of those. And he was held to a higher standard. Not a standard of perfection, but a higher standard nonetheless. And so we recognize, all of us, that. My gosh, Lord, please help me. Because if you have a family, you're held to a higher standard. You're the mom or the dad of that family. If you're a teacher, you have a higher standard. James, chapter three, verse one, says that not many of you should. Should aspire to be teachers because you'll be held to a more strict judgment. All of us are in some ways, responsible for others. And so here's Moses, who, in his responsibility, he failed that task. Nonetheless, he still was loved by the Lord. It just meant that he couldn't enter the promised land. Sometimes the answer to our prayer is no. And today, the answer to Moses prayer was no. And yet, God is faithful. And God still loved Moses. And God still loves you. And God still loves me. I'm praying for you. As we continue this journey through the Bible. We are going step by step, just like the children of Israel, through the wilderness. And yeah, we need. We can only do this if we pray for each other. So I am praying for you. Please pray for me. My name is Fr. Mike. I cannot wait to see you again tomorrow. God bless.