The Role of Tribes || New Phone, Who Dis? #3

Why Do Tribes Matter?

Welcome back to “New Phone, Who Dis?”! We are looking at the difference between the different covenantal sacrificial systems found in the Old and New Testament. In Part 2, we looked the high priests. The Old Testament system was managed by Aaron. Aaron was anointed, ordained, and set apart as the high priest. His role was to mediate between God and His people, and to make an atonement for his sins and the sins of his family and the Israelites. We talked about how the high priest coming form the same lineage can not create advancements, but can cause stagnation. The New Testament system introduced Jesus as the Ultimate High Priest. Jesus would be our ultimate mediator, and creates a space and relationship for us to go out to God boldly and confidently. Jesus calls us to stay faithful to God despite our challenges.

In Part 3, we’re continuing a part of the conversation from Part. The Old Testament covenant was managed by Aaron, through the tribe of Levi. The New Testament covenant was managed by Jesus, through the tribe of Judah. Let’s talk about the uniqueness of these tribes and see how they played a role in the develop of these sacrificial systems.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: When you think about the tribes of Levi and Judah, what comes to mind? What similarities and differences do you see?

The Levitical Mindset

Let’s look at the impact of the tribe of Levi in Hebrews 7:5:

AMP – It is true that those descendants of Levi who are charged with priestly office are commanded in the Law to collect tithes from the people – which means, from their kinsmen – though these have descended from Abraham.

NRSVUE – And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to collect tithes from the people, that is, from their kindred, though these also are descended from Abraham.

VOICE – Compare him to the priests who serve in our temple, the descendants of Levi, who were given a commandment in the law of Moses to collect one-tenth of the income of the tribes of Israel. The priests took that tithe from their own people, even though they were also descended from Abraham.

The Levitical priesthood came from the Mosaic Law. The tribe of Levi was set apart for religious duties, and only the lineage of Aaron could serve as priests. This came from the covenantal relationship between God and the Israelites, where the Levites were chosen to serve in the tabernacle and later performing the sacrifices and maintaining the sacred rituals. A tithe, or a collection of the tenth, was required under the Mosaic law in order to support the Levites. The Levites did not receive land like the other tribes because of the religious duties. All the tribes, including Levi, were descendants of Abraham, and thus shared this common responsibility.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: It was interesting to learn that the Levitical tribe would obtain the tithe to provide for their livelihood. How would you feel that your local leader would do something like that today?

Supporting Your Local Ministries

The Levites were chosen by God to serve as priests. For us, this is a reminder to go out and support those who serve in ministry. I know that this may be uncomfortable for some of you, and that’s okay. A lot of people struggle with support churches and ministries in today’s climate due to the abuse of the church in the past and the heavy rise and influence of Christian nationalism. A lot of what you’ll hear me say next is the “not all churches” argument.

I have been hurt by churches and their leaders before. It’s created a level of disdain and frustration within the polity of the church. It’s made it hard to come back to the church and be involved in it. However, I recognize that there were moments of positives and helpful ministry. I got to witness and be apart of a lot of positive moments from food pantries, Operation Christmas Child packages, working with foster shelters, provides hygiene resources to the community, creating spaces for teens, kids, and families to enjoy each other’s company, and more. The good definitely outweighs the bad, but it does create a stain on it. Would I still support these opportunities though? Absolutely. How do I view when to do this?

I recognize who’s running it and what’s it for? As long as it’s going for a good cause, and ran within healthy moral, boundaries, and ethics – then most definitely. I would want to go out and support those who are helping people in the margins and running it through Christ’s compassion, love, mercy and justice. There are ministries that do these mission projects for the clout and social media presence. There are leaders and ministries that do this because of legalistic interpretations of Scripture. There are churches that host these events for the revenue. None of that is why we should be support ministries and leaders. We support them because they are out fulfilling the Great Commission, out helping out and supporting those in the margins through advocacy, resources, and more. We support them because they are investing the in future generations.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: How has your experience been with churches? How can you support local ministries and churches in your community?

Changing of the Lineage

Now, let’s rotate over to the tribe of Judah and their impact, through Jesus, in the New Covenant. We’re landing a few verses later in Hebrews 7:14.

AMP – For it is evident that our Lord descended from [the tribe of] Judah, and Moses mentioned nothing about priest in connection with that tribe.

NRSVUE – For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.

VOICE – It’s clear that Jesus, our Lord, descended from the tribe of Judah; but Moses never spoke about priest from that tribe.

There’s a well-established understanding among the early Christians and Jews regarding Jesus’ lineage, based on genealogical records and prophecies that were widely accepted and acknowledged. Jesus Christ is recognized as the divine and powerful ruler. The fact that Jesus came from the tribe of Judah fulfills a lot of Old Testament prophecies and expectations. In the Mosaic law, the priesthood was given to the tribe of Levi. The absence of Judah being connected to any priesthood shows how unique Jesus’ priesthood is. This new priesthood is not based on tribal lineage, but on the power of an indestructible life.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: What do you make of the uniqueness of Christ’s reign? How does it change from the Levitical lineage?

Jesus’ priesthood is based on the order of Melchizedek. You may be asking: Who is Melchizedek? Let’s talk about that. Melchizedek is first introduced in Genesis 14:18-20. He is the king of Salem and one of God’s priests. After Abram’s victory over the kings, he brought bread and wine to celebrate him and bless him. He’s mentioned in Psalm 110:4 as well to describes a messianic prophecy directly related to Christ coming from this lineage. Then, we pick up in Hebrews 5-7, where we find an extensive reading on the significance of Christ coming through this lineage. The lack of genealogy makes him a fitting type of the eternal Son of God.

Melchizedek had the unique role of being both a king and a priest. These roles were typically separated in the ancient Near East, but he was blessed with both – effectively previewing the role that Jesus will assume. His priesthood, as told by the author of Hebrews, shows its’ eternality. Overall, we’re seeing a fresh start with this new priesthood. Honoring what we learned in Part 1, that the old will fade and the new will grow. The Levitical priesthood’s reign was starting to fade. It wasn’t getting dismantled or anything like that, but it was not becoming the dominant rule. The Mosaic law was getting replaced with the Law of Christ. The Christ’s leadership guides us through life through our faith in Him. It lowers our restrictions of the Mosaic law and focus more on living out life full of love, grace, mercy, and compassion.

REFLECTION CHECKPOINT: How do you feel about the change in tribes now? How would you feel moving away from the Mosaic Law to the law and faith of Christ?