Introduction: The Gospel Is Not Left Without Ministers

Last week we saw how the Gospel of the Kingdom was beautifully pictured in the ark of the covenant. The ark was what the New Testament calls the throne of grace. And because of Christ, we may boldly approach the heavenly throne of grace for help in time of need.

Today's passage looks at the human representatives of that King — men appointed to guard and preach His testimony, minister the benefits of His covenant, and bless His people in His name. At first blush, these verses may not seem very relevant to us, but they are actually rich with lessons for Christ's church - especially when you read them in light of the book of Hebrews.

For example (and this is not in your notes) - God did not restore His covenant and then leave Israel to autonomous religion. He did not hand every Israelite a copy of the law and say, “You are now your own priest, pastor, elder, theologian, and final court of appeal.” Nor did He allow men to appoint themselves to religious leadership simply because they felt called, gifted, sincere, or popular. The God who established the message also established the ministry through which that message would be guarded, taught, and applied.

That is why the placement of verses 6–11 is so important. This is a very carefully structured book. It is logically tight. Verses 1–5 give us the Gospel of the Kingdom. Verses 6–11 give us the ministers of that Gospel. And verses 12–22 summarize the kind of life they must teach us to live. The chapter moves from the King's covenant, to the King's servants, to the response the King requires.

And there is another reason why this passage matters. Many Christians have a hard time holding together two truths that the New Testament clearly holds together. The first truth is that Jesus Christ is now our only Mediator and our only sacrificing Priest. No human minister can add to His sacrifice, create access to God, or stand as a mediator of redemption between Christ and His people. The second truth is that this same Christ has established real human authority in His church. He calls ministers to preach His Word, administer His sacraments, pronounce His blessing, shepherd His flock, and rule together with other elders.

Romanism obscures the first truth by giving ministers functions that now only belong to Christ's unique temple priesthood. Radical individualism obscures the second truth by treating the visible church and its officers as optional. This passage protects us from both errors. The New Testament tells us that the Aaronic priesthood was 100% fulfilled in Christ, while the teaching, shepherding, blessing, and sacramental work of the broader tribe of Levi continues in the New Covenant ministers. And we will see that since the ruling elders of Deuteronomy 1 and Exodus 18 are not abolished in this passage, those elders work side-by-side with the Levites just as shehpherding elders and ministers work side-by-side today. This passage helps to fill out the picture of Presbyterian church government that began in chapter 1.

The Temporary Priesthood Points to Our Permanent Priest — verses 6–7

Let's look first at the temporary nature of the Aaronic priesthood. It's temporary nature is already hinted at right in these verses, though it is made explicit in the New Testament. Verses 6–7 say,

“Now the children of Israel journeyed from the wells of Bene Jaakan to Moserah, where Aaron died, and where he was buried; and Eleazar his son ministered as priest in his stead. From there they journeyed to Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land of rivers of water.”

At first glance these verses may seem out of place. Moses has been describing the renewal of the covenant at Sinai. Suddenly he mentions several later stages in Israel's travels, the death of Aaron, the succession of Eleazar, and a land of rivers of water. Then in verse 8 he returns to what happened “at that time.”

But this is not a random interruption. We will see that it is thematically tied together with the function of the tabernacle priesthood of Aaron. Let's look at each phrase.

Aaron's death proves that no earthly priest could be final

The text says that at Moserah “Aaron died, and there he was buried.” Those are simple words, but they expose the fundamental weakness of the Aaronic priesthood. Its priests died.

Aaron was enormously important. He represented Israel before God by bearing the names of the twelve tribes on his breastplate, offered sacrifices, supervised the sanctuary, entered the Holy of Holies with blood, and pronounced God's blessing. But for all the dignity of his calling, he could not continue forever. He died and was buried.

Hebrews 7 points to that weakness as one small part of its argument that the Aaronic priesthood has ended - forever ended. It says, “There were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing.” Every priestly grave said, “You must look for another priest.” Aaron died and Eleazar succeeded him. Eleazar would die too. The office continued, but the men could not.

Jesus stands in glorious contrast. Hebrews 7:24 says, “But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood.” Christ rose from the dead in an immortal and glorified body. He will never have a successor because He will never die again. His priesthood cannot be interrupted, transferred, or inherited by another.

That is why Hebrews concludes, “He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” Our salvation is as permanent as our Priest. Because He always lives, all who come to the Father through Him are saved completely and forever.

So Aaron's grave points us to the need for Christ's empty grave. It's a small point, but because Hebrews refers to it, I am referring to it.

Aaron's death reminds us that he too was saved by grace

We should also remember the immediate context - that Hebrews also appeals to. In Deuteronomy 9:20 Moses said, “And the LORD was very angry with Aaron and would have destroyed him; so I prayed for Aaron also at the same time.”

Aaron was not preserved in office because he was sinless. The man who represented Israel before God himself needed someone to intercede for him. That fact logically shows that Aaron could never be the ultimate mediator. A priest who needs forgiveness cannot be the source of forgiveness. A priest who deserves destruction cannot provide the final ground by which others escape destruction.

So that’s another contrast that Hebrews brings out. Jesus did not offer sacrifice for His own sins because He had none. Hebrews 7:26 calls Him “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners.” Aaron could only offer the blood of another creature, and he had to offer it for himself as well as for the people. Jesus offered Himself, not for His sins, but for ours.

This should deliver us from putting any minister on a pedestal that belongs only to Jesus. Please do not put us on a pedestal. Ministers may hold an office established by God, yes. Their authority within that office may be real, yes. But they remain sinners who need the same blood, the same justification, and the same Mediator as every other believer.

The church suffers when people confuse respect for an office with idolization of the officer. Aaron held a high office, but Aaron made a golden calf - and everyone knew it. Peter was an apostle, but he had to be publicly rebuked for compromising the Gospel. No human office is immune from error or discipline. Only Christ and the Bible are infallible today.

Our faith must never rest upon the personality, charisma, intelligence, or reputation of a minister. It must rest upon Christ. Faithful ministers say with Paul, “We do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake.”

Eleazar's succession shows that biblical authority comes from divine appointment

Verse 6 does not merely say that Aaron died. It says, “Eleazar his son ministered as priest in his stead.” The Old Testament priesthood did not end when Aaron died. God had prescribed a lawful succession within the Aaronic family.

Israel did not conduct a nationwide search for the most charismatic candidate or vote to broaden the office. An ambitious Levite could not say, “I feel called to sacrifice at the altar, and no one may quench my calling.” Ordination does not work that way. God defined the office, restricted its duties, and appointed its lawful succession.

And the lesson is that zeal is not the same thing as authorization. Korah was zealous, Saul was impatient to sacrifice, and King Uzziah thought royal power qualified him to burn incense. God judged each attempt to seize an office He had not given.

There is an increasingly common idea that an inward sense of calling is sufficient authority for ministry. A man says, “God told me to preach,” and he expects that private claim to end all discussion. But the Bible never treats an unverified inward impulse as self-authenticating. The church must use Scripture's qualifications to examine a man's doctrine, character, gifts, training, life, and call. The laying on of the hands of the presbytery publicly recognizes that a man has indeed passed Christ’s qualifications.

Of course, ordination does not grant a minister the right to teach whatever he pleases either. Eleazar's authority was defined by God's law - and by God's law alone. He could not revise the sacrifices, redesign the sanctuary, or invent a new blessing. In the same way, church authority is always ministerial and declarative. Ministers possess authority to declare and apply Christ's Word, not to legislate beside it or against it.

Biblical authority says, “Thus says the Lord,” and is willing to be tested by Scripture. Authoritarianism says, “Thus say I,” and resents being tested. The first binds the conscience with God's Word (that's OK); the second binds it with human preference or man-made tradition (that's not OK).

Eleazar ministered “in his stead,” but he ministered under the same divine law. The man changed; God's revelation did not.

The Aaronic office was restricted to the earthly redemptive sanctuary

But it is important to distinguish the sons of Aaron (he was alive, so there weren't many sons) from the rest of the tribe of Levi. Every Aaronic priest was a Levite, but not every Levite was an Aaronic priest. Priests could do everything that a Levite did, but they also oversaw the tabernacle and its sacrifices.

Only the sons of Aaron could minister at the altar, enter the sanctuary, sprinkle the blood, burn the incense, and perform the redemptive ceremonies associated with the tabernacle and later with the temple. The vast majority of Levites (or church officers) were not allowed to do any of those things. Instead, they were the pastors of the synagogues, and they knew their sheep; they were close to their sheep. It was the local pastors who circumcised and baptized babies and new converts. It was the local Levitical pastors who received the elements of the sacrament from the priests and distributed it to those that they knew were the communicant members of their congregations that they brought with them to Jerusalem. After all, they were the ones who would know whether a person was not under discipline in their synagogue. They also assisted and had many other important ministries, but they were forbidden from seizing these exclusively Aaronic functions.

The book of Numbers carefully maintains this distinction. The Levites could carry, guard, teach, sing, judge, and assist in many ways, but only Aaron's house could perform the rituals of the altar and sanctuary.

This distinction matters because some Christian traditions transfer the Aaronic or temple-priestly system into the New Covenant church. That's not OK. For example, it is not OK to call the communion table an altar, or to speak of the minister as a sacrificing priest, or to treat the Lord's Supper as a repetition of Christ's sacrifice.

Here's the thing: the New Testament never transfers Aaron's sacrificial work to Christian pastors. It transfers that work to Jesus Christ alone. Hebrews does not say that Christ established a new class of earthly sacrificing priests (as Rome claims). It says that Christ is our final Priest in the heavenly sanctuary and that His one sacrifice has forever ended the need for any further offering for sin.

Hebrews 10:11–12 says,

“And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.”

The Old Testament priests stood because their work was unfinished. Christ sat down because His sacrifice was complete. They offered repeatedly; Christ offered once and perfected His people forever.

So the important point to take home is that the Aaronic priesthood has not been transferred to Christian ministers and the pope does not occupy the office of Aaron. There are a lot of serious errors that creep into the church when pastors think of themselves as Aaronic priests. The Aaronic priesthood reached its goal and ended in Christ.

But that doesn't mean that there are no lessons we can learn from the relationship between the Levites and the Aaronic priests. For example, just as the scattered Levites (who were the pastors in the synagogues) brought the members of their synagogues to the temple to receive the sacrament from the Aaronic priests, we bring the members of our congregation to the heavenly temple to receive grace from our final and perfect Priest in heaven. So there is a lot we can learn from the Aaronic priesthood, but the tabernacle-temple is now in heaven. Hopefully that makes sense.

Christ now occupies the royal-priestly throne in the heavenly temple

Last week we saw that the ark was God's earthly throne. But Hebrews tells us that the earthly tabernacle was a copy and shadow of the heavenly reality. It says, Christ has entered “the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands.”

But each of the phrases in these verses teaches us the relationship of our ministry to the heavenly ministry of Jesus.

The journey to a land of rivers displays the Shepherd's preservation

Verse 7 adds a curious detail that may not seem to be related to tabernacle and Aaronic priesthood, but it is. It says that Israel journeyed “to Jotbathah, a land of rivers of water.” This small geographical note is not without theological significance. It foreshadows how our heavenly priest will cause living waters to flow from His throne and bring healing to the entire world. So the physical waters that the Aaronic priesthood led them to is symbolic of the spiritual waters that Jesus leads us to. And I won’t get into that in detail, though the book of Revelation does.

The King Separates Ministers to Serve His Church — verses 8–9

But now come some verses that directly relate to the continuing leadership that we ministers of the Gospel now provide in the New Testament under Christ. Verses 8–9 say,

“At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister to Him and to bless in His name, to this day. Therefore Levi has no portion nor inheritance with his brethren; the LORD is his inheritance, just as the LORD your God promised him.”

These verses summarize the calling of the whole tribe of Levi - not just the small portion of Levi that had the Aaronic priests. And we will see that the Levites who were synagogue leaders in every community most closely parallel ministers in the New Testament church.

In this passage God assigns four characteristics to this Levitical calling. The Levites were separated to God. They bore the ark. They stood before Yehowah to minister. And they blessed in His name. Verse 9 then explains how their lack of a normal tribal inheritance enabled their devotion to full-time pastoral work. But let's look at each phrase.

Their ministry began with God's sovereign separation

The verse begins, “At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi.” Ministry begins with God, not man. God defines the office. God determines its work. God supplies its message. God sets its boundaries. And God calls men to fill it.

The verb “separated” means that God claimed the Levites for a particular work. Numbers says that He took them in place of Israel's firstborn sons. That background needs a little explanation. If you had read Genesis to Deuteronomy, you would already know that background, but for those of you who haven't, let me briefly give it to you.

In the patriarchal period, the spiritually qualified firstborn son ordinarily had the pastoral responsibility within the household or clan. His double portion of the clan's inheritance accompanied the responsibility to preserve the covenant inheritance, teach the household, and lead in worship. If he was spiritually disqualified (which they sometimes were), that role of firstborn could pass to another son (which it sometimes did). So you will see the second or third born son being called the firstborn because in God's eyes he was better qualified to be the pastor. So that was in the patriarchal period.

Under Moses, God transferred this pastoral responsibility to the qualified members of the tribe of Levi. In Numbers 3:12, God said, “I Myself have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn.” so it’s explicit. The household ministry of the firstborn was now transferred to a tribe that would itself be scattered throughout Israel, placing Levitical ministers in easy access of all of the people.

Exodus 18 established ruling elders alongside the Levitical ministers

But there is another background note that we need to remember. We must also distinguish the Levites of this verse from the elders in Exodus 18 and Deuteronomy 1:13–15. We've already looked at those elders when I preached on Deuteronomy 1, but let me briefly give you that background as well. Exodus 18 established representative ruling elders — called the “elders of the people” because they represented the people - and organized them into graded courts. The transfer of the firstborn ministry to Levi came after Exodus 18 and occured in Numbers chapters 3 and 8. That means that the elders (or representatives of the people) are different than the Levites (or ministers).

And this is at the heart of historic presbyterianism. God did not establish only one kind of ecclesiastical leader. The elders of the people existed alongside the firstborn ministers before the Levitical transfer, and they continued to exist alongside the Levites afterward. The tribe of Levi did not do away with the ecclesiastical elders in every tribe. Though they were both called "elders," they were distinguished into two orders.

How important were the elders? Well, Moses needed those elders because people came to inquire of God, resolve disputes, learn His statutes, and be shown “the way in which they must walk and the work they must do.” Handling all that shepherding and counseling alone was crushing both Moses and the people.

As a prophet, Jethro urged Moses to select wise and knowledgeable men who feared God, loved truth, and hated covetousness. He placed them over tens, fifties, hundreds, and thousands. Local elders handled ordinary matters close to the people and they referred difficult cases to the broader courts.

And let me remind you again that Exodus 18 absolutely does not fit a civil bureaucracy. One civil official for every ten households would be a staggeringly huge civil government. The truth of the matter is that the concerns of Exodus 18 are not civil. They are pastoral, including pastoral—instruction, pastoral counseling, pastorally helping to resolve disputes among covenant members, and pastorally applying God's revelation to the issues people faced. The ancient Jews themselves treated Exodus 18 as foundational to the synagogue system. So, down through history Presbyterians have exegetically demonstrated that presbyterianism was established in the Old Testament synagogue system of church government. (And by the way, church fathers from the earliest centuries did so as well - including Origen, Augustine, and even Gregory the Great. Even on Ecclesiology, Presbyterianism stands in continuity with the early church, the New Testament, and the Old Testament. So if you want continuity, it is Rome that left it, and it is Presbyterianism that most closely returned to it.)¹

All of this gives us the roots of session, presbytery, general assembly, and ecumenical council. The church is ruled neither by one exhausted Moses nor by the undifferentiated multitude. Qualified elders shepherded members personally, deliberated together, and (when needed) referred difficult questions to broader assemblies.

When God later separated Levi, He did not abolish those elders of the people. The two orders of elder functioned side by side.

Both orders shared in rule and shepherding

But the elders of the people and the Levitical ministers were not unrelated ministries. They are two orders, yes, but one office. (And not all Presbyterians agree with this - some say elder and ministers are two completely separate offices.) But what is clear is that both orders (or offices) shepherded, applied God's Word, participated in ecclesiastical judgment, and needed wisdom and godliness.

This is why the New Testament can place shepherding elders and teaching elders within the one office of elder (that’s my view). All elders rule. All elders shepherd. All elders must be apt to teach to some degree. The ruling elder does much of that teaching informally through discipleship, counseling, visitation, discipline, and the explanation of biblical decisions.

The two orders nevertheless had distinct callings

But their callings were not identical. The elders of the people continued in ordinary vocations while sharing in the government and shepherding of the church. The Levitical ministers were separated from ordinary inheritance for full-time sacred ministry. Only some of the ruling elders were full time, but most of the qualified Levites were supposed to be full-time in ministry. They received specialized training. They preserved and expounded the Scriptures. They publicly preached. They administered covenant ordinances. They pronounced God's blessing. They lived from the tithes of God's people.

So the distinction between ruling elder and teaching elder is not that one is administrative and the other is spiritual. Ruling elders must be spiritual shepherds too who rule by applying the Word. Nor is the difference simply that one happens to be a little more gifted than another. The teaching elder has a distinct calling, training, ordination, work, and means of support.

This gives unity without sameness and distinction without hierarchy. Teaching elders need the wisdom, accountability, and shared shepherding of ruling elders — and we (at DCC) desperately need ruling elders in this church. Gary and I are doing both shepherding and ministering roles and as the church grows, it is imperative that shepherding elders be added. But we also need teaching elders who can give concentrated study, preaching, sacramental ministry, and theological leadership. The two orders need each other. And I know that's a lot of background material that I have needed to repeat in order to give context to what in the world is going on in this passage. And I think it’s helpful anyway, since we will be facing these issues in the next two to three years. But let's move on.

The Levites were entrusted with God's covenant revelation

Let's look at the duties of these Levites as expressed in this passage. The first stated duty of Levi was “to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD.” We should not reduce this to furniture moving. I think almost everyone is agreed on that. Commentaries agree that it didn't take 22,000 Levites to move an ark physically. This is symbolic. The ark was the throne of the King. Inside it was the covenant testimony. To carry the ark was symbolically to guard and carry the revelation and the presence of the covenant Lord. It's a beautful symbol with a lot of significance.

God, not the Levites, wrote the tablets, determined the ark's contents, and assigned its significance. Their calling was to receive, guard, carry, and minister what He had given.

That is a beautiful picture of the ministry of the Word. Ministers are carriers of revelation, not creators of revelation. Rome claims that it creates new revelation. No. Scripture says that all prophetic revelation for the church ceased in AD 70. You can liken us to mail carriers rather than authors of the mail. We are ambassadors, not kings. We are stewards of mysteries that belong to Christ.

Paul makes this point in 1 Corinthians 4:1–2. He says, “Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.” The great requirement is not novelty, popularity, cleverness, or cultural relevance. It is faithfulness.

A steward may explain how the master's household should function, but he doesn't own the master’s household, and shouldn't pretend to. An ambassador may apply his king's policy, but he may not rewrite it. A minister must carefully exegete and apply God's Word, but he has no authority to improve upon it.

This obviously confronts liberalism, which edits the Bible to conform to modern autonomy, but it also confronts subtle conservative temptations as well. I've seen even conservative pastors sometimes be tempted to avoid preaching on doctrines that might offend donors, or to soften biblical ethics to attract outsiders, or to preach hobbyhorses, or to settle personal scores through their preaching, or bind consciences with things God never commanded.

In each case he has forgotten that the ark is not his. The tablets are not his. The church is not his. The sheep are not his. Everything belongs to Christ. We are simply stewards.

The congregation must remember this too - when they don’t like what a preacher is preaching. A faithful mail carrier does not rewrite a letter that the congregation finds unwelcome. The greatest kindness a minister can show is to deliver God's message accurately, including the parts that expose our idols. So they were to be carriers of everything symbolized by the ark.

The Levites stood before Yehowah as accountable servants

Their second stated duty was “to stand before the LORD to minister to Him.” To stand before a king was the posture of an appointed court servant. It spoke of access, readiness, duty, and accountability.

Before ministers stand before the people, they stand before God. Before they answer to session, presbytery, or congregation, they answer to the Lord of the church.

That truth should put steel into a minister's spine and trembling into his heart. It should give him courage because human opposition is not ultimate. But it should also make him fearful of abusing his office because divine evaluation is ultimate.

This is why Paul told Timothy, “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead … Preach the word!” That was Timothy's task as a pastor.

Every sermon, counseling session, meeting, act of discipline, baptism, and administration of the Lord's Supper occurs coram Deo — before God's face. That is why James says teachers receive a stricter judgment. Authority is a stewardship for which we must give account.

And interestingly, the Levites not only stood before the Lord, but the text says that they also ministered “to Him.” Does God need our ministry? No! But He receives it. Elders must see their ministry as primarily offered to the Lord. What are the negative implications if we don't primarily serve the Lord? Well, if ministry serves consumer preference, the minister gradually becomes a marketer; if it serves self-expression, he becomes a performer; if it seeks influence, he becomes a politician. There are so many ways in which these verses correct modern ministry.

When ministry is first offered to God, the question becomes, “What has the Lord commanded, and what will please Him?” Only then can a minister truly serve rather than manipulate the people.

The Levites pronounced a blessing that came from God

Their third stated duty was “to bless in His name.” The ministerial blessing was neither a pious wish nor a display of personal power. It was an authorized proclamation of God's own covenant favor.

The phrase “in His name” gives both authority and limitation. God commissions the minister to speak, but he may only speak that which is consistent with God's character, revelation, and promise. We may not bless those whom God curses.

When a lawfully ordained minister raises his hands and pronounces the biblical benediction, he is not saying, “I hope you have a good week.” It's much more than that. Because we are representatives of Christ, there is something that transfers from heaven through the minister into your lives when he blesses you. Christ Himself places His name upon His covenant people through the appointed words of His representatives. So when you receive the benediction by faith, you will be blessed.

This does not make the minister a mediator who competes with Jesus. It is precisely because Jesus is the sole Mediator that the minister can pronounce the blessing. The servant has no blessing stored in himself. He announces what the heavenly Priest has purchased and promised.

That is why we can have a high view of the ministry without taking one inch of glory away from Christ. The minister's authority is the authority of an empty hand that receives from Christ and gives to the people.

The Levites taught the law that grace had restored

We have already touched on the next subpoint through the image of carrying the ark, but many other Scriptures make teaching a primary Levitical duty. And it is implied in the rest of this chapter. But I want to introduce you to a sampling of those Scriptures that make this duty crystal clear. Deuteronomy 33:10 says of the Levites, “They shall teach Jacob Your judgments, and Israel Your law.” That is why I preach books like Deuteronomy that are often neglected: teaching the whole counsel of God belongs to my calling.

You may wonder how a Gentile minister could be called a Levite. But we are. Isaiah 66 prophesies that in the New Covenant God would take Gentiles as the teaching Levites. This is not a claim to literal descent but to continuity of the function of the teaching office that all Levites had (including the small class of priests - they too could teach). Just as Levites weren't technically the firstborn - but occupied the function of the firstborn, we Gentiles are not technically descendants of Levi, but we occupy the function of the Levites. So that is Isaiah 66.

James 2:2 calls the Christian assembly a "synagogue", while the Gospels and Epistles use the familiar language of synagogue officers. That’s never changed from Old Testament to New Testament. For example, elders appear in the book of Acts without any explanation of where those elders came from. That makes sense if the church carries over the synagogue system, but it makes no sense if they constituted a radically new office. And Christ speaks of New Covenant churches as having “wise men and scribes.” Those are all terms of the already-established synagogue system into which Gentiles were engrafted.

The New Covenant minister therefore corresponds most closely to the synagogue Levite - who was also called a scribe. He is specially trained in Scripture, ordained, devoted to Word and sacrament, supported by God's people, and joined with ruling elders in governing and shepherding the church. Malachi 2 says people should seek the law from the Levitical minister's mouth; Chronicles and Nehemiah repeatedly show Levites teaching and giving the sense of Scripture - not tradition, but Scripture.

That teaching function fits Deuteronomy 10 perfectly. The restored law is placed in the ark in verses 1–5; the Levites bear it in verses 8–9; and verses 12–22 summarize what those Levites must teach. God's grace and God's law must therefore remain together in our ministry.

The Levites were supported by the tithes of God's people

Verse 9 says, “Therefore Levi has no portion nor inheritance with his brethren; the LORD is his inheritance, just as the LORD your God promised him.”

What does that mean? Well, it does not mean that Levites lived on air. When you look at God’s promise when He removed the Levites from ordinary tribal inheritance, He gave them the tithes of His people.

For example, Numbers 18:21 says, “Behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work which they perform.” It was the divinely appointed inheritance of men separated to full-time ministry.

And by the way, just as a side note, the collection of tithes preserved the distinction between ordinary Levites and Aaronic priests. The ordinary Levites who were the pastors in the synagogues received tithes from their congregation, and they then gave a tenth of those tithes to the priests at the central sanctuary. Since there is no earthly temple priesthood in the New Covenant, the general equity is that each church should devote a tenth of its budget to broader kingdom work. And our church does that. Some people have asked me, "Why on earth do we give so much money to external ministries?" It's because the synagogues sent a tenth of their tithe to God's temple-throne-room.

But the primary function of the tithes was to support the Levites and their full-time ministry. Paul explicitly carries this principle into the New Covenant. In 1 Corinthians 9, after referring to the support of Levites in the Old Testament, he says, “Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.” He does not carry forward the temple sacrifice. He carries forward the principle that men devoted to sacred ministry are to be supported by the people who receive that ministry.

First Timothy 5 likewise says elders who labor in Word and doctrine are worthy of double honor — meaning generous remuneration — and then adds, “You shall not muzzle an ox,” and “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”

This is God's provision, not a fundraising technique. A congregation that refuses to support faithful ministry may save money briefly, but eventually starves itself of studied preaching, careful shepherding, and sacramental ministry. Make sure that whoever you call to be Levites in the future are up to the job of feeding the sheep in that deep way.

Ministers, however, must never manipulate the flock with high-pressure fund-raising techniques, or use tithes for luxury. God's officers must hate covetousness. That's one of their qualifications. So, while the church should generously support those who labor in the Word with their tithes, ministers should demonstrate that Christ — not money — is their treasure.

The New Covenant ministry continues the synagogue-Levitical pattern

The New Covenant ministry thus continues the synagogue-Levitical pattern without continuing the Aaronic sacrifices that Christ fulfilled. And in your outline I have given a graphic that shows how the synagogue system is identical to the presbyterian system of church government - identical. I won't get into that any further here, but I at least wanted you to see it visually.

The Heard Mediator Sends the Church Into Its Mission — verses 10–11

Verses 10–11 say,

“As at the first time, I stayed in the mountain forty days and forty nights; the LORD also heard me at that time, and the LORD chose not to destroy you. Then the LORD said to me, ‘Arise, begin your journey before the people, that they may go in and possess the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.’”

After describing the Aaronic priests and the rest of the Levites, Moses returns to his intercession. This reminds Israel that its entire ecclesiastical order also rested upon grace. Israel still existed because the mediator had been heard - Moses being a symbol of Christ.

Every church office rests upon answered intercession

We should love the church because Christ loved her, honor her offices because He established them, and submit to lawful discipline because He rules through His Word. But we must never confuse the instruments with the Savior.

Think of a pipe bringing water to a thirsty household. A broken pipe can contaminate or block the water, so the pipe matters — but the pipe does not create the water. Likewise, faithful church structures carry Christ's means of grace, but Christ is the fountain. Maintain the pipes carefully - yes, but drink from Christ.

Moses' temporary intercession points to Christ's perpetual intercession

Moses' intercession was a shadow of something better. Romans 8 says that Christ is at God's right hand making intercession for us and then asks who can separate us from His love. Our perseverance does not finally rest on the strength of our grip upon Christ, but on His priestly grip upon us.

When Satan accuses you, your answer is not that you have never sinned. Israel could not say that. Aaron certainly could not say that. Your answer is that your Mediator has been heard. His blood has been accepted. His righteousness is sufficient. His intercession does not fail.

When your prayers feel weak, remember that Christ's intercession is not. When the church appears weak, remember that His priesthood is not. When a minister dies or brings reproach, remember that Christ's ministry continues and His righteousness remains spotless.

Our hope is not “Aaron lives forever.” Aaron is buried at Moserah. Our hope is “Jesus lives forever.”

Grace says “Arise” and sends the people forward

Verse 11 says, “Then the LORD said to me, ‘Arise, begin your journey before the people.’” God's forgiveness did not leave Israel lying motionless at Sinai. Grace restored them to a mission. And that mission was to enter the land of Canaan.

Grace gives more than relief from guilt. Or as the the movie, The Forge, words it, grace does more than add new members to fill pews; it turns new converts into disciples who pick up their cross and follow Christ. God did not forgive Israel so that they could remain beneath the mountain discussing how forgiven they felt. He told them to arise and move. There was an inheritance to possess and a calling to fulfill.

The same pattern appears in the Great Commission. The risen Christ claims all authority and sends His church to disciple, baptize, and teach the nations. Ministers do not perform all ministry themselves; they equip the saints for the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:12), and send the saints into the world for the New Covenant conquest of Canaan.

But that means that a faithful minister must preach more than private devotional comfort. If our duty is to equip you for the work of the ministry, that means that we need to teach you what the Bible says about your callings - about family, education, vocation, wealth, sexuality, justice, mercy, citizenship, and culture. Christ's Great Commission says to teach the nations all things He has commanded. Yeah, the movie “The Forge” is somewhat cheesy, but it captures how transformational each of you can be in your circles of influence.

The ministers lead, but God gives the inheritance

So even though this passage says that the leaders minister to the people, the people themselves had a real duty to arise, travel, fight, and possess.

But the land still remained God's gift. Israel's activity did not turn grace into merit. They could possess only what God had sworn to give.

So we reject both passivity and self-reliance. Ministers must labor, elders must shepherd, parents must disciple their children, the church must evangelize, and the nations must be taught. But only God can regenerate, sanctify, preserve, and give increase.

Paul captures the balance when he says, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.” This is why prayer is so important.

The church's mission rests upon God's covenant oath

The final words of verse 11 are “the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.” Israel's hope rested upon God's oath.

Their possession of Canaan fulfilled promises made by God to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Israel's sin could not make God forget His covenant; their unworthiness magnified His faithfulness.

The church's worldwide mission rests on the same covenant faithfulness. God promised that all the families and nations of the earth would eventually be blessed by Abraham's Seed, Jesus.

So when Jesus commands us to disciple all nations, He is simply claiming the inheritance promised by His Father. The mission faces opposition and setbacks (yes), but it cannot finally fail because it rests upon God's oath to His Son. That oath is one foundation stone for postmillennialism.

Human ministers come and go. Aaron dies. Eleazar succeeds him. Moses finishes his course. Generations rise and fall. But God's oath remains. Christ's intercession continues. The Spirit keeps applying the Word. And the river of life flows outward to the nations.

The Gospel, Its Ministers, and Its Required Life

So the chapter's entire structure symbolically gives us a complete theology of kingdom life. Verses 1–5 give the Gospel of the Kingdom, whose grace restores us to God and His rule. Verses 6–11 give the ministers of that Gospel. Verses 12–22 summarize the Word they must teach.

Conclusion: Receive the King's Ministry as a Gift From the King

I know this has been a long sermon, but let me summarize six main lessons that we should take away from this passage. And sorry, I didn't have room to put these into your notes. But they are:

First, rest in the permanent priesthood of Jesus Christ. You do not need an earthly sacrificing priest because your heavenly Priest has finished the sacrifice. You do not need another mediator because Christ's intercession is perfect. You do not need to wonder whether His blood is sufficient because He has sat down.

Second, do not use the reality of Christ's heavenly priesthood as an excuse to despise His non-priestly earthly ministers - the Levites and the elders. The Christ who alone mediates redemption is the Christ who establishes ministers, elders, and their ministries. Submission to Christ includes submission to every lawful expression of His authority that the New Testament says continues. You cannot honor the Head while treating His ambassadors poorly.

Third, test every minister by the Word he is called to carry. No minister is worthy of the office if he is not willing to be tested by the Word. Does he open the ark, as it were, and faithfully explain the King's testimony? Or does he bring his own message? Does he bind consciences with Scripture or with his personal opinions? Does he direct attention to Christ or to himself? Does he serve before the face of God or perform before the face of man?

Fourth, financially support the ministry God has established. Cheerful support for faithful ministry is an investment in the spiritual nourishment of our children, churches, and generations yet unborn.

Fifth, pray for both teaching and ruling elders to be raised up in every church. Ministers need courage to preach the whole counsel of God. Ruling elders need wisdom to shepherd particular people through complicated burdens, disputes, sins, and sorrows - yes, that is the work of shepherding elders. They are not just administrators. Both need humility, purity, love, theological discernment, and freedom from covetousness. And both will answer to the Chief Shepherd.

Finally, arise and pursue the kingdom mission. God did not restore Israel so that it could remain at Sinai. He sent the nation forward under His appointed order to possess the promised inheritance. Christ has not redeemed and organized His church so that we can remain inward-looking, timid, and passive. He sends us to disciple the nations under His universal authority. May we do so with joy. Amen.