Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him.
God brought the tribe of Levi near and presented them before Aaron the priest to minister to him in the service of the tabernacle, a sacred assignment made by God Himself rather than left to the choice of any tribe or person. Their service was to stand under Aaron's direction in erecting and taking down the tabernacle, in camping around it, and in carrying it with its sacred furnishings when Israel traveled. God honored them with this work because of their faithfulness at the time of the golden calf, when they refused to join in its worship and obeyed His command against the idolaters. That appointment to assist Aaron did not give them a claim to the priesthood, which was assigned to Aaron and his family.
The honor of that Levitical service nevertheless stirred in some a desire for higher office, exemplified by Korah, a Levite appointed to this service who grew dissatisfied with his position and sought the priesthood. The same assignment is illustrated later by Elkanah, a Levite especially devoted to tabernacle service, for whom the irregular and incomplete worship at Shiloh left no regular employment there.
God brought the tribe of Levi near and presented them before Aaron the priest to minister to him in the service of the tabernacle, a sacred assignment made by God Himself rather than left to the choice of any tribe or person. Their service was to stand under Aaron's direction in erecting and taking down the tabernacle, in camping around it, and in carrying it with its sacred furnishings when Israel traveled. God honored them with this work because of their faithfulness at the time of the golden calf, when they refused to join in its worship and obeyed His command against the idolaters. That appointment to assist Aaron did not give them a claim to the priesthood, which was assigned to Aaron and his family.
The honor of that Levitical service nevertheless stirred in some a desire for higher office, exemplified by Korah, a Levite appointed to this service who grew dissatisfied with his position and sought the priesthood. The same assignment is illustrated later by Elkanah, a Levite especially devoted to tabernacle service, for whom the irregular and incomplete worship at Shiloh left no regular employment there.