12 sons…Simeon …Levi…1

 12 sons…Simeon…Levi ….1

Now the sons of Jacob were twelve. The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob's firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. The sons of Bilhah, Rachel's servant: Dan and Naphtali. The sons of Zilpah, Leah's servant: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

Genesis 35:22b-26

I put these together because Jacob put them together in his final words to them…as the article relates…there are over 200 references to the Levites throughout scriptures…over 345 listings of Levi…

She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon.

Simeon=he who hears..

Again she conceived and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will be attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi.

Genesis 29:33-34

Levi=joined, joiner

“Simeon and his brother Levi forfeit their prominence by revenging the rape of their sister Dinah by Shechem the Hivite (Genesis 34). Because of this revenge, Jacob decrees that Levi and Simeon's progeny, the tribes of Simeon and Levi, are not to be assigned territory of their own but will forever live within the borders of the other tribes (Genesis 49:7). The Levites regain their prominence by becoming the kohanim, the nation's priests and the Simeonites (שמעוני or שמעני) survive by living among the people of Judah (Joshua 19:1). When the other tribes are taken to Assyria and virtually vanish, Simeon goes with Judah to Babylon and, we may assume, return. This Simeon is referred to in the New Testament only in REVELATION 7:7.” Abarim Publications 

Jacob’s “ blessing” on these two brothers…who go hand in hand.. 

Genesis 29:33



5  Simeon and Levi are brothers;

weapons of violence are their swords.

6  Let my soul come not into their council;

             my glory, be not joined to their company.

For in their anger they killed men,

and in their willfulness they hamstrung oxen.

7  Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce,

and their wrath, for it is cruel!

I will divide them in Jacob

and scatter them in Israel. Genesis 49:5-7

After such a blessing, the Levites were assigned a very prominent task of the responsibility of taking care of the tabernacle in the wilderness wanderings…

“Only the tribe of Levi you shall not list, and you shall not take a census of them among the people of Israel. 

But appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. 

They are to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall take care of it and shall camp around the tabernacle. 

When the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down, and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up. 

And if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death. But the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the people of Israel. 

And the Levites shall keep guard over the tabernacle of the testimony.”

Numbers 1:49-51,53 

“Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the people of Israel. The Levites shall be mine,

Numbers 3:1

For the tithe of the people of Israel, which they present as a contribution to the Lord, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance. Therefore I have said of them that they shall have no inheritance among the people of Israel.”

Numbers 18:24 

The Levites have no portion among you, for the priesthood of the Lord is their heritage. And Gad and Reuben and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan eastward, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave them.”

Joshua 18:7 

The cities of the Levites in the midst of the possession of the people of Israel were in all forty-eight cities with their pasturelands. These cities each had its pasturelands around it. So it was with all these cities.

Joshua 21:41-42

Then David said that no one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, for the Lord had chosen them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister to him forever.

1 Chronicles 15:2

They were spoken of when Ezra and Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem, their priestly duties to perform…

Ezekiel speaks of their defilement…

But the Levites who went far from me, going astray from me after their idols when Israel went astray, shall bear their punishment.

Ezekiel 44:10

He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord.

Malachi 3:3 

One of their  listings is when John the Baptist is alive…

And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”

John 1:19 

Finally, they listed with other tribes in the book of Revelations…

Notes…

Barnabas, was from the tribe of the Levites…

The Levite did not help the injured man that the “good Samaritan” helped.

For having such a poor blessing from Jacob, the line of Levi played a prominent role in history….they were the priestly line…

Takeaway ….

“Finally, the ultimate lesson in the tribe of Levi, for Christians, is that of restoration of the sinner to the privileged position of children of God. Through the high priestly intercession of Christ, who exchanged His righteousness for our sins on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21), we become a nation of priests in our own right. “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).” Got questions, a website.

Thank YOU…that you have given us Jesus, our restorer…our redeemer…