Learning from Levi

Moses interrupts his narrative in Exodus 6 for a genealogy. And if you read through it, you might think, this is not very interesting reading. Or you may think, who in his right mind would name his son “Mushi?” But remember Paul’s instruction, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” That includes the genealogies, and there are a lot of them in the Bible. This genealogy is intended to contribute to making us complete and equipping us for every good work. 

It starts with, “These are the heads of their fathers’ houses.” The genealogy is organized by families, by father’s houses. Families in the Old and New Testament were usually an extended family living in close proximity with one another and united by their shared blood and a father who was looked to for spiritual authority. A godly family is a means of grace, through whom God extends his blessing. If you are part of a godly family, that is reason for great praise to God. But God also rescues many from ungodly families and adopts them into His family. Tony Merida tells the story of a baby named Benjamin who was thrown into a toilet in a slum in Kenya. I have seen those toilets in Nairobi’s Kibera slum. They are rickety outhouses where you do what you need to do over a hole in the ground. Baby Benjamin was dropped 18-feet into one of those holes, landing in an unspeakable mess. A passerby heard him cry and spent hours digging through the filth to rescue him from death. Benjamin was taken to a ministry in Nairobi where he ended up in the home of Dennis and Allison Omondi, who were unable to have children. That’s a physical picture of the spiritual condition every one of us was in before God rescued us from the filth of sin and adopted us into His family.

 Notice that the genealogy in Exodus 6 starts with the first three sons of Jacob, who were Reuben, Simeon, and Levi. And that’s as far as it goes, because Moses’ intent seems to be to give us more information on Levi. That was the family God chose for ministerial duties in Israel. Levi was the priestly tribe and his descendants ministered in the tabernacle and later in the temple. We are told that Levi lived to be 133 years old and had three sons, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. In his fourth book, Moses gave us more information about these three sons of Levi and what they were responsible for. Gershon and his family were responsible for guarding everything on the west side of the tabernacle and when they broke camp, they carried the screens and coverings that would have to be set up again where they settled next. Kohath and his family guarded the south side of the tabernacle and were responsible for the furniture: the ark, table, lampstand, and more. Merari and his family guarded the north side camped and were responsible for the structural elements: the frames, bars, poles, pillars, and more. If you’re concerned about the eastern side, the front entrance to the tabernacle, Moses and Aaron and their families were camped there. It was a division of labor much like we have today in healthy churches. Antioch. Elders and deacons and many others who serve the church in various ways help make the church flourish, by God’s grace. 

If you read the genealogy on Exodus 6, you will notice two cautionary tales (don’t follow their example) and one worth imitating. Nadab and Abihu sought glory for themselves rather than God and were consumed. Korah was jealous of others’ authority and was swallowed up, literally, along with 250 others who followed him in his rebellion. The zeal of Phinehas was praised by God as he intervened for the name of the Lord and His holiness. 

We can learn a lot from these men of Levi.