The name of Levi seemed a prophecy of the life-work of the whole tribe. As Satan, through envy and jealousy, separated Leah from her husband's regard, so he sought to ruin Levi by persuading him to unite with Simeon in avenging the wrong done their only sister. Genesis 34

The words of Jacob on his deathbed reveal the magnitude of the crime, and how the Lord regarded it. The old father's heart was stirred at the remembrance, and he exclaimed, O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united. . . . Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel. And then, as if he could not bear to think of their ever growing into a strong tribe to perpetuate such crimes, he exclaimed, I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel. Genesis 49:5-7 It was more like a curse than a blessing; but when a sinner repents and turns from his sins, our God turns even curses into blessings, and thus it was in the case of Levi. Nehemiah 13:2

There is nothing to indicate that the tribe of Levi had any special pre-eminence over the other tribes during the Egyptian bondage. It is quite evident that the original plan of having the first-born officiate as priest of the household, continued until the encampment at Sinai. The young men of the children of Israel offered the sacrifices at that time. Exodus 24:5 In the Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, it is expressly stated, He sent the first-born of the children of Israel, for even to that time the worship was by the first-born because the tabernacle was not yet made, nor the priesthood given to Aaron. Character is formed by the way individuals meet the common events of every-day life; but it is tested by the way they meet the crises of life. At Sinai the people of God passed through one of the greatest crises in the history of the church, when the whole multitude of Israel worshipped the golden calf. It was at this time, when even God Himself was ready to destroy Israel, Exodus 32:10 that the tribe of Levi came forward, and by their faithfulness helped to save the cause of God.

When Moses came down from the mount and found the children of Israel worshipping the golden calf, he stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord's side? Let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. And he said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses. Exodus 32:26-28

At the time of this crisis the honour of God and His cause was dearer to the Levites than all worldly connections; neither brothers, companions, or friends, stood between them and their duty to God. As a reward for their faithfulness, the priesthood, - a portion of the birth right, - was given to the sons of Levi. What Reuben lost by unfaithfulness in his father's home, Levi gained by being true to God before all Israel.

Jacob on his deathbed denounced Levi's sins; but Moses in his parting blessing, extolled him above all others. Of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah; who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children: for they have observed Thy word, and kept Thy covenant. They shall teach Jacob Thy judgements, and Israel Thy law: they shall put incense before Thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon Thine altar. Bless, Lord, his substance, and accept the work of his hands. Deuteronomy 33:8-11 From the fall of man, each household had celebrated its worship with a priest of its own. When the time came to change this method of worship, God did it in a way that gave all Israel a thorough understanding of the matter.

The first-born males of all Israel were numbered, and found to be 22,000. Then the tribe of Levi was numbered, and there were 22,273. Thus the Levites outnumbered the first-born; so the redemption price for the first-born, - five shekels apiece by the poll, was paid for the 273 Levites, - the number by which they outnumbered the first-born. Numbers 3:46-49 Then all the Levites were set apart for their life-work.

The sum of the numbers given in the third chapter of Numbers for each of the three branches of the tribe of Levi is 22,300. It is understood that these extra 300 were the first-born of Levi, and as such were already consecrated, and could not take the place of others.

The tabernacle was a sign to the children of Israel of their unseen King, and the Levites were as a royal guard that waited exclusively upon Him. When the people were encamped, the Levites were the guardians of the sacred tent. When they travelled, the Levites alone carried all that pertained to the sanctuary.

When Israel entered the promised land, the tribe of Levi was given no inheritance. It was not expected that they would spend their time and strength in cultivating the soil and rearing cattle. The spiritual welfare of all Israel was to be their burden; and, that they might the more easily perform this work, the Levites were given forty-eight cities, scattered throughout all the twelve tribes, and the tithe was used for their support. Numbers 18:20,21. Thus Jacob's prophecy, was fulfilled; they were divided in Jacob, and scattered in Israel.

The history of the temple and its service is a history of the Levites. When God was honoured by His people, the Levites were given their appointed work; but when apostasy came in, the Levites were obliged to seek other employment for their support. Nehemiah 13:10,11

Levi, like the other tribes, had a checkered history; not all were true to God, but the tribe continued to exist in Israel to the time of Christ, and had a worthy representative among the early apostles in the person of Barnabas. Acts 4:36

It was in the time of a crisis that the Levites gained their great victory. In a crisis decisions are made quickly. Many fail at such times, because they do not have independent Christian characters. They are in the habit of following the leadings of those in whom they have confidence, and they have no strength in themselves. He who would always prove true in the crises of life, must have a clear connection with the God of heaven, and must fear God more than man.

Moses and Aaron are two of the most noted characters in the tribe of Levi. There was a marked contrast in the two men. Moses stood like a great rock, against which the waves beat continually. Aaron was gentler, and at times he seemed almost vacillating; but Aaron was a strong character, although different from his brother.

Aaron's crowning test came when his two sons were smitten down in the tabernacle, because, under the influence of strong drink, they offered strange fire before the Lord. Aaron was not allowed to show any signs of grief; thus teaching the people that God was just in punishing evildoers, even if they were his own sons.

This was no small test, and after studying Lev. 10:11 we can better understand how, notwithstanding the murders committed in Levi's early life, the Lord could speak of Aaron as the saint of the Lord. Psalms 106:16

One twelfth of the one hundred forty-four thousand will be marshaled under the name of Levi. They will be persons who, on account of sin, merited only curses, but who forsook sin; and while men all around them were wavering and falling, they stood true to God and His cause, and will receive a rich blessing from the hands of a merciful God.

SUMMARY

Levi had three sons, whose descendants formed the tribe which bore his name. Gen. 46:11. Aaron and his sons officiated as priests. The remainder of the tribe assisted in the work of the temple. Noted Characters Moses and Aaron were the most noted Levites in the Old Testament.
Barnabas and Mark are prominent characters in the New Testament.