(God says) 6
And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the
children of Israel:to you they are given as a gift for the Lord, to do
the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.
...
7 Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest's office
for every thing of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve:I
have given your priest's office unto you as a service of gift:and the
stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
(The stranger who tries to do the priest's work will be put to death
... God appoints whom HE wills to the work of the ministry ... No man
can "achieve" this nor appoint himself. Even in NT this is the case and
the man who tries to appoint himself will suffer serious consequences
and so will those who follow such ... God says, "They and their
followers will die.")
Eph. 4 ... 8 Wherefore
he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and
gave gifts unto men. 9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he
also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He that
descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that
he might fill all things.)
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christ:13 Till we all come in the unity of the
faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto
the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:14 That we
henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about
with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning
craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the
truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head,
even Christ:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and
compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the
effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the
body unto the edifying of itself in love.
==========
In the OT, the Levites had no inheritance with the other tribes.
They were separated by God for the service of the tabernacle of God.
But God did give the Levites the best of the fruits of the land through
the offerings the people gave to God.
Numbers 18 ... 12 All the best of the oil, and all the best
of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall
offer unto the Lord, them have I given thee. 13 And whatsoever is first
ripe in the land, which they shall bring unto the Lord, shall be thine;
every one that is clean in thine house shall eat of it. 14 Every thing
devoted in Israel shall be thine.
... 20
And the Lord spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their
land, neither shalt thou have any part among them:I am thy part and
thine inheritance among the children of Israel. 21 And, behold, I have
given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance,
for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle
of the congregation.
==========
Numbers 19 ... 11 He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days.
Being
around the dead is very dangerous ... the death rubs off on you. I
would not put myself around a physically unliving body ... nor do I want
to be around the living dead. I know I have to fight to be restored
after being around the living dead.