The Sure,Sealed Covenant with Present-Day  Christlike Levites

Numbers 8:14-15; Nehemiah 9:38; 13:29-30; 2 Timothy 2:19-22

Today we are looking at the Levites, and we compare them to the Christlike Levites of today, we as Christians. We are the people who remain committed and consecrated to the Lord. And we want to learn what it entails to be cleansed and cleaving to the Lord. We are sealed with a covenant as present-day consecrated and committed Levites. “Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine. And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for an offering.” (Numbers 8:14-15). The Lord took the Levites to Himself, that they are consecrated to the Lord perpetually. What an example to the believers today, for those who are called out of the world, sins, evil and corruptions, then we are totally separated unto the Lord. It is after we are separated unto the Lord, that we go into the service of the Lord, and we cannot serve the Lord in defilement and sinfulness. We need to learn how to give ourselves to the Lord this year totally without any reservation. “And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it.” (Nehemiah 9:38). As present-day Levites, we are sealed and consecrated to the Lord totally. “Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites. Thus cleansed I them from all strangers, and appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites, every one in his business;” (Nehemiah 13:2930). We need total cleansing and washing by the Blood of the Lamb to be useful to the Lord and as we present ourselves to the Lord as the present-day Levites. “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” (2 Timothy 2:19-22). This is the seal that every one who names the Name of the Lord will depart from all iniquity. 

1. THE COVENANT WITH CONSECRATED LEVITES AND CONVERTED CHRISTIANS

Nehemiah 9:38; Jeremiah 33:20-21

The covenant we have as Christians is like the covenant of those Levites who came out voluntarily and by decision to follow the Lord. In this same way, we have taken that decisive act to follow the Lord and remain like that. “And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it.” (Nehemiah 9:38). This is a covenant that we are sealed in, that we are totally committed unto the Lord, like a marriage covenant between husband and wife. We are locked in that relationship with God, no going back. 

• The Calling of Levites out of the Congregation – Exodus 32:25-26,29-33; Numbers 3:8-9; Deuteronomy 17:18. “And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:) Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD’S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.” (Exodus 32:25-26). Something happened in the nation of Israel that Aaron in his backslidden act and weakness led the people to idolatry. As a result of this act, God was so grieved and unhappy with them that He wanted to destroy them. But Moses intervened with his prayers unto God to plead for mercy. But the call came, and this is the call that brought the Levites out of the backslidden people, and they responded to the call of Moses to be on the Lord’s side. And this is what the Lord wants us to do, to respond to the call of the Lord, to repentance and conversion. And you come out of sin, to be on the Lord’s side, and the Lord will receive you even today. This was an instantaneous change and separation from sin for the Levites, and they knew the day and the time that they took that decision. You must be able to tell the date, time, and moment when you make that decision to follow the Lord and come out of your sin. Today, you can make that decision to repent from all your sins and be saved through the Atoning Blood of Jesus Christ. When you give your life to the Lord, you consecrate your life to the Lord, and you will follow the Lord for the rest of your life on earth, and never go back. This was what the early disciples Peter, John and others did, that they followed the Lord, and laid their lives on the altar. And when you do this also, there will be blessings that will follow into your life. “And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:” (Deuteronomy 17:18). The Levites actually kept the laws of God, they were custodians of the Laws of God. And we as Christians are the custodians and proclaimers of the word of God, and we do not allow any of that word to fail in our lives. Our lives must reflect the totality of the word of God.

• The Consecration of Levites against Corruption – Exodus 32:7-8,26; Nehemiah 13:28-29; 2 Corinthians 11:3,13-15. Remember that these Levites were examples unto us. And that we singled out ourselves that our consecration and commitment will make us oppose the corruptions in the land, and we will not carry these corruptions into our Christian homes and Church of God. “And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD’S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.”(Exodus 32:7-8,26). If you are on the Lord’s side, corruption will not be part of your life, you will separate yourselves from the corruption in the land. Moses was conscious of the purity of the Lord in him, and he kept himself out of the corrupted Israel, that he stood outside the gates. This is what we do, that we don’t join, act, or behave like them, we are separate from them, they can come to you when they repent and are saved. The Lord does not want us to join the corruption of the people and the land. “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” (2 Corinthians 11:3,13-15). When corruption comes, it comes into the mind, then influences the soul, and spirit and it will appear in their language, appearance, dress, behaviours, that want to lead people into evil. As Christians, we are children of God, we are separated from the corruptions of the people and the land. Anyone who corrupts the minds of other people are ministers of Satan, so we must avoid them.

• The Conservation of Levites in Constant Conviction – Exodus 32:26,29; 1 Chronicles 29:5-6; Psalm 118:27. That constant conviction that we belong to the Lord. There are people that change their convictions from year to year, and from place to place. But a Levite is a Levite anywhere and everywhere. And as a Christian, anywhere you find yourself, you carry your conviction with you always. “The gold for things of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and for all manner of work to be made by the hands of artificers. And who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the LORD? Then the chief of the fathers and princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers of the king’s work, offered willingly,” (2 Chronicles 29:5-6). When you come to the Lord, you come to consecrate yourselves on the altar of the Lord. And then you are to keep that consecration on the altar of the Lord constantly. This was what the Levites did. If you are converted and convicted before you get married and have children, you are to remain in that same conviction. To serve the Lord in holiness and righteousness transparently should be the conviction of every present-day Levite as a Christian. “God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.” (Psalms 118:27). Like Abraham, we must be watching over our lives, consecrations, and convictions, that we don’t allow any bird to come and take our convictions away. We are to reaffirm our convictions and consecration unto the Lord every year and everywhere we are. And the Lord will bless you in Jesus Name.

2. THE CLEANSING OF COMMITTED LEVITES AND CRUCIFIED CHRISTIANS

Nehemiah 13:29-30; Galatians 2:20

Levites are not people that did wish-watching service, they were committed and crucified Christians. “Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites. Thus cleansed I them from all strangers, and appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites, every one in his business;” (Nehemiah 13:29-30). These are the cleansed and crucified Christians today. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20). A real child of God in a covenant relationship with the Lord will say the same thing as Paul the Apostle that he is crucified with Christ and that Christ continually lives in him. 

• Genuine Conversion and Cleansing of the Inner Life – Matthew 23:26-28; 1

John 1:5-7,9; Ephesians 5:25-27. The life starts from the inner life. “Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so, ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.” (Matthew 23:26-28). Yes, the Lord wants outward cleanliness, but He begins with the inner life first. The Lord wants our inner life, thoughts, and minds to be cleansed first so that we don’t become like the Pharisees that He rebuked for their hypocrisy. God hates hypocrisy just as Christ hates this as well. This new year, a change is coming, that we are beautiful on the inner, our minds, and thoughts cleansed and holy on the inside, with no hypocrisy. And this you will carry out outwardly in Jesus Name. A welldressed soul and mind, and after that a well-dressed body. “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1 John 1:5-7).

Hypocrites don’t walk in the light; they have a lot to cover and shield from others. Our fellowship with one another should not be based on inconsistencies. “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:25-27). This year, let love be without pretence. Husband love your wife. Let there be a cleansing by the Blood of Jesus in our hearts and lives this year. 

• Generative Commitment and Cleaving to the Invisible Lord – Deuteronomy 13:1-4; Romans 12:1-3,9-11; Hebrews 11:24-27. Generating a righteous life, and inspiring others that we will be like God has created us. A kind of commitment that you make that generates the same desire and interest in other people to emulate your lifestyle. “If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.” (Deuteronomy 13:1-4). There are many false prophets in our lands, and people are gullible to follow these false prophets with their prophecies. But we are to cleave unto the Lord, and nothing will shift you away from your convictions. “By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.” (Hebrews 11:27). We must cleave to the Lord, that we do not fear the wrath or frowns of men that will want to cripple us to walk in the way of the Lord. Moses saw the Invisible God no wonder he cleaved unto the Lord till the very end. As you go to your office this year, you must act and live as one seeing the Invisible God. And God is always there, He sees the actions of our hearts and the things we do even in the secrets. You will hear noise and see sights that dazzle, but you will cleave unto the Lord as one who sees the Invisible.

• Generous Contribution and Cleaning with Increasing Love – 2 Chronicles 29:5-6,15-16; 1 Corinthians 13:1-7; 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10. We are generously giving our time, talents, money, and treasures, and we do not grudge the Lord. You will not allow any litter or unclean thing in the sanctuary of the Lord this year. What kind of Levite will be you when you allow all the uncleanliness in the House of the Lord? But the contribution of our time, talents, treasures, and everything that you do and contribute is not to allow any uncleanliness in your service. “And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place. For our fathers have trespassed, and done that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD our God, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD, and turned their backs. And they gathered their brethren, and sanctified themselves, and came, according to the commandment of the king, by the words of the LORD, to cleanse the house of the LORD. And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad into the brook Kidron.” (2 Chronicles 29:5-6,15-16). Thank God that after many years, the Levites were still hearing the word of God. The house of God should be as clean as your heart is. There is no defilement in the house of God, and there is no defilement in your heart and life. Your outward expression of life, the inner place, your soul, and mind, then your inner man, the heart and spirit, you will take filthiness out of that place just like the temple of the children of Israel that has the outer, inner and the most holy place. We do not accept all the filthiness and practices that our fathers handed over to us. We just have the courage and boldness of mind to remind our fathers of the old-time religion and faith when they are going astray and deviating from the Truth. The cleansing should begin in the inner part of the heart. We are to continue that generous contribution of our time, talents, expertise, and treasure, and we do this with increasing love. “But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;” (1 Thessalonians 4:9-10). When God teaches you that you love one another, that love will be so deep in your heart, not superficial kind, but genuine love. Then you will practise that love very well. In this new year, we are to increase our love, contribution, dedication, and absolute surrender unto the Lord. That we give our lives and everything in total surrender unto the Lord with increasing love.

3. OUR CONSISTENCY WITH CHRISTLIKE LOYALTY AND COMMENDABLE COOPERATION

2 Chronicles 29:15-16,34; John 8:29-31

No matter what we do, if there is no loyalty, honesty, and transparency there, it is not recognised by God. “And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. As he spake these words, many believed on him. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;” (John 8:29-31). The consciousness of God Who sent us is what makes us loyal, faithful, and honest all the time. This is the reason that we are consistent and loyal unto the Lord with commendable cooperation.

• Our Commission to Labour for the Lord – Luke 19:10-13; John 4:34-38; 1 Corinthians 15:10-11,51-52,58. “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.” (Luke 19:10,13). What the Lord did was to seek where the sinners are, and go after them. This is our commission as well, to seek and save that which was lost. Occupy till He comes as long that there are sinners to save, backsliders to restore, saved souls to be sanctified, captives to be delivered, and the sick to be healed. “Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.” (John 4:34-38). No matter what others say, or do unto you, you must not stop doing the work of the Lord, they are not the ones who sent or commissioned you. As Levites of the Lord, our commission is from the Lord. “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:10,58). That grace will be upon your life. Hypocritical, unscriptural labour will be in vain, but those with transparency and holy lives will labour and their labours will not be in vain in the Lord. 

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• Our Cooperation in Loyalty to the Lord – John 17:17-23; Philippians 2:2-5; 1 Corinthians 1:10. “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” (John 17:17,21,23). Sanctify them that they all may be one. And there should be no debate or disputation between them. We walk in the same decision and go in the same directions as one just like the Father and Son Jesus are as One. “Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” (Philippians 2:2-5). We are all to be like-minded, and nothing should be done through strife or vainglory. And we are not to seek for our advantage or interest in all that we do for the Lord. The Levites were not looking for their self-interests. We are cooperating together to see how others will make progress in life. Let the mind of Christ, unity and cooperation be in you. “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1 Corinthians 1:10).   We must all teach the same doctrine, no difference in our teachings and preaching as fellow ministers of the gospel of Christ and Church workers.

• Our Concentration in Love for the Lord – John 21:15-17; 2 Corinthians 5:1415,17-20; Luke 10:27-28. Our concentration is what brings our love to focus. “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.” (John 21:15-17). Do you love the Lord more than all these you have got from the Lord? You will give up those things when God demands them from you to give them up in the service of the Lord. In this new year, are you serving the Lord for material things, pieces of fish? No comparison, no qualification, no condition, do you love the Lord unconditionally and absolutely? Do you have the mind, and resources to feed the sheep? What are seeking or passionate about? We should not be grieved when our GS is preaching the same thing and the word of God to us just as Christ asked Peter thrice. We must allow the word of God to change our lives and behaviours, don’t allow the word to be wasted on our lives and hearts. We are to prove the word of God; our love and loyalty to Him by how we feed His sheep and ourselves that we take in the word of God daily, and let there be no hypocrisy or superficial Christianity in us, but to be like the Levites that we consecrate and give ourselves absolutely unto the Lord, and His service.