The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 65
SECT. LXV.
THe people being under ſuch a fear and conſternation, the Lord hereupon takes order for the guard of the Sanctuary, and injoyns that every one ſhould remain within the Verge and Limits of his duty, and ſo they ſhould be ſafe, and he tells Aaron, That He and the Prieſts and Levites ſhall bear the iniquity of the Sanctuary; that is, if any pollution, (c)Thus the Lord ſhews himſelf reconciled, and makes the Prieſts watch a ground of appeaſing both the fear and envy of the people.came to it by the people they ſhould anſwer for it, and bear the puniſhment thereof if they did not take care to prevent it; and the Prieſts ſhould bear the puniſhment of all Iniquity committed about their Prieſts Office, if they did carry themſelves amiſs in it, or ſuffer a ſtranger or Levite to meddle therein. He tells them he had joined*Here is an alluſion to Levies name which ſignifies joyned. the Levites to them to miniſter to them in the outward Services of killing and ſlaying the Sacrifices, &c. but they themſelves only ſhould ſerve at the Altar, and within the holy place before the Ark of the Teſtimony, and the Levites ſhall obſerve the Precepts and Charge which he hath given them concerning their Miniſtry, and concerning the ſacred things of the Tabernacle which are committed to their Care, that ſo every one keeping his ſtation, and doing his duty, there may be no wrath any more upon the Children of Iſrael; only they ſhall not meddle with the Service of the Sanctuary and Altar leſt they die. And if the Prieſts did not endeavour to prevent any ſuch Errour or Miſcarriage in their Brethren the Levites, they ſhould alſo incur the like danger. Thus he appoints the Levites to miniſter to the Prieſts, and orders that he that is not of the Tribe of Levi ſhall not be admitted to ſerve and miniſter unto them. For God having taken the Levites inſtead of the firſt-born of the Children of Iſrael to himſelf, he had given them unto Aaron and his Sons for his own Service, and the Service of the Tabernacle. Therefore he and his Sons ſhould exerciſe their Prieſts Office in all things that concern the Altar of Burnt-Offerings; and in all things which are to be done within the outward Veil (whereby the holy place is divided from the Court); the High Prieſt in the moſt holy place, and inferiour Prieſts within the Sanctuary or holy place. And God tells Aaron and his Sons, That 'tis his free Gift and favour to them, that he had made choice of them before others for the Prieſtly Office, and that He had ordained, That whoever is not of Aaron's Line, and goeth about to meddle with the Prieſtly Office, ſhall be put to death, from verſ. 1. to 8.
The Lord having thus ſet down the Office and Work of the Prieſts and Levites, he comes now to ſet out their portion which they ſhould have as a reward of their Service. And firſt, He tells Aaron that for the ſake of his Office to which he was anointed, and becauſe He and his Sons were ſeparated from worldly Imployments, to attend upon holy things, therefore they ſhould have a part in every Meat-Offering, Sin-Offering, Treſpaſs-Offering, and in the Court *See Levit. 6.16.26. & Lev. 7.6. Ezek. 42, 13, 14.of the Tabernacle or Tents round about it [called here the moſt holy place comparatively, in reſpect to the Camp of Iſrael, and the great Court for the people which was without the Prieſts Court,] they might eat of them. 2ly, They ſhould have the Heave-Offerings and Wave-Offerings; that is, the right Shoulder and wave-breaſt of the Peace-Offerings, with all other Gifts that were heaved and waved, no part thereof being burnt upon the Altar. And of theſe the Prieſts Daughters might eat whilſt they remained in their Fathers houſe; but being married to ſtrangers they might not eat of the holy things, [ſee Levit. 22.12, 13.] Neither might any unclean perſon eat thereof. 3ly, They ſhould have the firſt-fruits. Some of the firſt-fruits of the Land were brought to the Lord at their three great Feaſts, as a ſheaf of their Barley, at the Feaſt of the Paſsover, Levit. 23.10. And two loaves of their new-Wheat at the Feaſt of Pentecoſt, verſ. 17. And the firſt of their Wine and Oil at the Feaſt of Tabernacles. But theſe were brought in the name of all the Inhabitants of the Land in general. Beſides theſe, particular men were of their own Corn and Fruits to bring the firſt-fruits unto the Lord, as is enjoyned Exod. 22.29. & 23.19. concerning which there is no other direction given, but that they ſhould be of the firſt, and of the beſt; the quantity being left to the liberty and diſcretion of the Owner, to bring according as he had found the bleſſing of God upon his Grounds. 4ly, They ſhould have all things devoted, that is, all votive and freewill-Offerings, ſee Levit. 27.28. except ſuch things as were devoted as a Sacrifice unto God. 5ly, The firſt-born of men and beaſts. The firſt-born *The firſt-born of men, before they were redeemed, were to be preſented before the Lord in the Temple, Exod. 13.12. Levit. 2.22. And that could not be done before the Mother was purified, which required forty days time, Levit. 12.4. The firſt-born of the Tribe of Levi were free from this Redemption.of men they were to permit to be redeem'd at a month old (d)V. 16. Secundum aeſtimationem ſeu ordinationem tuam] Refero ad illud poſt menſem: q. d. Conſtitues diem quando velles eum redimi. Hic dies Communi uſu erat 40 a partu, ut eadem opera & mater purificaretur, & filius redimeretur. Bonfrerius.for five Shekels, [ſee Levit. 27.6.] and the firſtlings of unclean Beaſts they were to permit to be redeemed after eight days at a lower price; but the firſtlings of Cows, Sheep and Goats were not to be redeemed, they muſt be ſacrific'd, and their blood ſprinkled, and their fat burnt on the Altar, that they may be a ſweet ſavour to the Lord, but their fleſh ſhould go to the Prieſts. God tells them, He had allotted them theſe things for their Maintenance(e)The Hebrew Doctors write of 24 Gifts which God beſtowed on the Prieſts, with the order and uſe of them. See Ainſworth, pag. 113. for ever, (that is, whilſt this Diſpenſation laſted) by a perpetual and unchangeable Covenant, called a Covenant of Salt, becauſe firm and incorruptible; Salt having a vertue to preſerve any thing from corruption. God further tells Aaron, That when the Land ſhall be divided by Lot, there ſhall be no lot for the Levites. They ſhould have no Inheritance in it; He himſelf would be their part and portion. Indeed they had Cities (f)Concerning the 35 Cities and Suburbs of the Levites, and 13 Cities and Suburbs of the Prieſts. See Richardſon, pag. 32.and Suburbs, but they were given them by the other Tribes.
The Lord further tells Aaron, That He had given the Levites all the Tenths or Tythes of the Children of Iſrael (g)V. 24. Which they offered as an Heave-offering, that is, an Oblation to the Lord, and a ſign of their homage and ſubjection, and thankfulneſs to him for his bleſſings.as a reward of their Service, Levit. 27.30. And ſtraitly charges that no Iſraelite that is not of that Tribe preſume to come nigh to the Tabernacle to do any part of the Service belonging to the Levites, leſt they die for it. And He tells him, That the Levites ſhould bear the puniſhment of their own Iniquity, if they ſhould tranſgreſs, yea and of the peoples too, if by their not watching over the holy things, they ſuffered the people to tranſgreſs about them. He further injoyns that the Levites ſhall offer as an Oblation to the Lord, and pay a tenth of all the Tythes they receive unto the Prieſts, and this the Lord would accept at their hands no leſs than if having Lands as others had, they ſhould pay Tythe of the increaſe of them, as the reſt of the people did to them, and hereby they ſhould teſtifie their homage and thankfulneſs to God. And they were to offer and ſeparate out of the Tythes paid to them for the hallowed part to be paid to the Prieſts that which was of all the beſt. And the Prieſts might eat of theſe Tythes indifferently in any place. And He further declares, That if the Levites do heave or ſeparate a tenth part of the beſt of their Tythes for the Prieſts uſe, they ſhall not expoſe themſelves to puniſhment, which they would elſe do if they neglected it. In concluſion here is added a general warning, that both Prieſts and Levites ſhould take heed of polluting or profaning the holy things, or ſuffering them to be profaned by others, (which might be done many ways) that ſo they might prevent wrath from falling on themſelves and others.
Ch. 18. whole Chapter.