We are learning that the 144,000 are without sin, without fault, and undefiled. This is how they are described in Revelation. They are like that, not because they began that way, not because they were always like that, but that they were purified by going through some very tough times. This is vividly illustrated by the tribe of Levi. And remarkably the purification process of the tribe of Levi is expressed in the book of Malachi:

Malachi 3:3 – “And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness”.

Revelation 7:7 . . . Of the tribe of Levi [were] sealed twelve thousand.

The sealing is a purifying process. As the Spirit of Prophecy tells us, it is a settling into truth both intellectually and spiritually so that we cannot be moved. In our study of the tribe of Levi we shall see just such a process.

LEVI’S BACKGROUND

Read Genesis 29:34 - Levi means joined. We will see the relevance of that soon. He was born to a mother who was stressed and anxious because of her husband’s greater love for his second wife, who also happened to be her sister. She saw herself as being hated by him. This was Levi’s inheritance, and it affected his future course.

As we recall from our previous study, Simeon and Levi were cahoots together in cruelty.

Read Genesis 34:25  - They didn’t just kill the Shechemites  they completely devastated the city.

Read Genesis 34:28-29 - They really did a thorough job. Levi was such a person. And God was not pleased:

God does not annul His laws. He does not work contrary to them. The work of sin He does not undo. {Ed 148.2}

Although God forgives, the consequences of the sins committed are not undone. The work of sin He does not undo. This is why Jesus had to come and make an atonement for us and to suffer with us, because the work of sin cannot be undone. It is something that must be allowed to run its course.

CONSEQUENCES OF SIN

As with Simeon, who was given no land of his own in Canaan, so with Levi. There were consequences Levi could not escape from:

Read Genesis 49:5-7 - Jacob’s ‘blessing’ was actually a curse. And the consequences?

The sin could not be undone; they would be scattered. We saw it with Simeon, and now Levi had no territory of his own either. Recall how God dealt with them through Joseph.

During the years since Joseph had been separated from his brothers, these sons of Jacob had changed in character. Envious, turbulent, deceptive, cruel, and revengeful they had been; but now, when tested by adversity, they were shown to be unselfish, true to one another, devoted to their father, and, themselves middle-aged men, subject to his authority.  {PP 225.3} 

A great change had taken place in their lives. ‘Envious, turbulent, deceptive, cruel, and revengeful,’ they had been. But as they went through the purifying fires that culminated in the experience with Joseph in Egypt, they had become very loyal and faithful.

The consequences of sin are not altered, but sin can be changed into victory. And that is what we need to see here. This is a description of what the 144,000 will be and are experiencing. See Rev 3:18-19.

Let us reflect upon Levi’s experience and observe the purification process working in that tribe. Aaron is a good example.

Read Exodus 32:1-5 and 21-24. Can you see the sinful character of Aaron being revealed here?  And he a priest!  

Exodus 32:25 - Aaron was responsible for this. Now remember, priests will suffer worse than those who are not priests. Aaron’s weakness in giving in to the people resulted in a very hard and purifying experience for him. His character needed to be strengthened.

Read Leviticus 10:1-3  - A serious situation had developed. Aaron’s two sons had died. You can just imagine how Aaron would have felt. ‘Oh no . . . my sons, slain by the Lord. They are lost!!!’

He was going to fall apart over this, and the brothers too. But they were not allowed to. 

If you are weak, if you are wavering and indecisive, if you are of the tribe of Levi, you can be made strong. We are here watching the purification process of Aaron. We are told in the Spirit of Prophecy that Aaron was a very weak father; he did not correct his sons (PP 361; 3T 295). Aaron was a vacillating man. As he was with the people in the incident of the golden calf, so he was with his sons. Now that his sons were dead, and he was not even allowed to mourn lest all the people be led to murmur against God.

The great leader (Moses) reminded his brother of the words of God, “I will be sanctified in them that come nigh Me, and before all the people I will be glorified.” Aaron was silent. The death of his sons, cut down without warning, in so terrible a sin–a sin which he now saw to be the result of his own neglect of duty–wrung the father’s heart with anguish, but he gave his feelings no expression. By no manifestation of grief must he seem to sympathize with sin. The congregation must not be led to murmur against God. {PP 361.1}

If he had mourned, the people would have felt sorry for Aaron, and they would have questioned in their hearts, ‘Why is God so cruel?’

You see a very important principle here. Don’t blame God for the things that go wrong. How many times I heard people say, ‘why did God do this?’ or ‘why did God allow that?’  What does this sound like? Are we in our inward soul murmuring against God?  Aaron was commanded not to even express sorrow over the death of his wicked sons. Both he and his other two sons were to sanctify God in the eyes of the people so that they could teach them, by example, that such flagrant disobedience must be punished. Here you see a new development in the purification process of Aaron, son of Levi.

At the time of the golden calf incident, Moses called for all the people who were on the Lord’s side and who had not participated in its idolatrous worship to gather around him.  And who came? The tribe of Levi.  And what were they then called to do? They then had to be strong. They had to take their swords and slay the people who were worshipping the golden calf. The purification of the tribe of Levi was played out in very real and visible terms.   As a result, the whole tribe of Levi was blessed. They had at last developed strength of character and conquered their weaknesses. See Exodus 32:26-28

The lawlessness and insubordination into which Aaron had permitted them to fall, if not speedily crushed, would run riot in wickedness, and would involve the nation in irretrievable ruin. By terrible severity the evil must be put away . . . Those who had not joined in the apostasy were to take their position at the right of Moses. {PP 324.1}

Because of his sin at Shechem, the descendants of Levi were not granted a place of their own in the land of Canaan. However, their faithfulness to God at the foot of Mt Sinai, turned their father’s curse into a blessing.   

Of the sons of Jacob, Levi was one of the most cruel and vindictive, one of the two most guilty in the treacherous murder of the Shechemites. Levi’s characteristics, reflected in his descendants, incurred for them the decree from God, “I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.” But repentance wrought reformation; and by their faithfulness to God amidst the apostasy of the other tribes, the curse was transformed into a token of highest honour.

The Lord separated the tribe of Levi, to bear the ark of the covenant . . . to stand before the Lord to minister unto Him, and to bless in His name.

As the appointed ministers of the sanctuary, the Levites received no landed inheritance; they dwelt together in cities set apart for their use and received their support from the tithes and the gifts and offerings devoted to God’s service. They were teachers of the people, guests at all their festivities, and everywhere honoured as servants and representatives of God. (Ed 148)

God does not alter His law.  Sin always has its consequences; but He can turn the curse into a blessing.  It is interesting to note that the Levites seemed to have no qualms about shedding blood. They were foremost in destroying the Shechemites which God did not approve of, and did not hesitate to kill fellow Israelites who apostatised at Mt Sinai - which God did approve of. Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron, did not hesitate to thrust a javelin through the man of Israel and the Midianite woman when Israel committed idolatry at Shittim - right on the borders of the promised land. See Numbers 25:1-13. Perhaps for this reason God gave them the priesthood which entailed the daily shedding of blood. 

Numbers 3:45 - The Levites shall be Mine, said God.

Numbers 18:20(a) - This was the curse; they were to have no inheritance in the land of Canaan. But what does God say next? Numbers 18:20(b) – 24

In his final blessing before he died, Moses confirmed the priestly role of the Levites - Deuteronomy 33:8-11.

They received no earthly inheritance; but because of their loyalty and faithfulness to God when He demanded it of them, God turned their curse into a blessing. God Himself was to be their inheritance.

God does not annul His laws. He does not work contrary to them. The work of sin He does not undo. But He transforms. Through His grace the curse works out blessing.  {Ed 148.2} 

God can turn darkness into light.  Although our sins are red like crimson, they shall be as white as snow. The consequences of our sins remain, but those consequences can be turned into a blessing.

When we see people who were once far from the Lord and corrupt, but are now faithfully serving Him, we should remember that God can and does, transform the character.

HOW DOES GOD DO THIS?

Observe God’s amazing way of turning curses into blessings:

Jacob in his distress was not overwhelmed. He had repented, he had endeavoured to atone for the wrong to his brother. And when threatened with death through the wrath of Esau, he sought help from God. “Yea, he had power over the Angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication.” “And He blessed him there.” Hosea 12:4; Genesis 32:29.

 In the power of His might the forgiven one stood up, no longer the supplanter, but a prince with God. He had gained not merely deliverance from his outraged brother, but deliverance from himself. The power of evil in his own nature was broken; his character was transformed.  

At eventide there was light. Jacob, reviewing his life-history, recognized the sustaining power of God – “the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, the Angel which redeemed me from all evil.” Genesis 48:15, 16. {Ed 147}

The same experience is repeated in the history of Jacob’s sons, – sin working retribution, and repentance bearing fruit of righteousness unto life. 

God does not annul His laws. He does not work contrary to them. The work of sin He does not undo. But He transforms. Through His grace the curse works out blessing.  {Ed 148.2}

Isaiah 1:18 - . . . though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

This is the refining and transformation process – turning the curse of sin into a blessing. We see it with Levi. They “washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

JOINED

You will remember the meaning of Levi – joined. What was Levi to become an instrument in joining?

2 Chronicles 11:14 - For the Levites left their common-lands and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them from serving as priests unto the LORD:

This is the time when Jeroboam, the Ephraimite, had rebelled against King Rehoboam and turned the ten northern tribes of Israel to pagan worship. At that time the Levites who were dwelling in Israel came to Jerusalem.

Read 2 Chronicles 11:16-17 

These Levites, who were living among the other tribes of Israel, came to Jerusalem and began the ministry of reconciling, or joining, the people to God. These overcomers from the tribe of Levi were used by God to be His instruments of righteousness.

2 Corinthians 5:18-20 - All things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself. . .  Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be ye reconciled to God.

This work of reconciliation, the work of the ministry, was given to the Levites. They were to be a ‘joiners’– joining sinners to God. This is what it says in Ephesians 4:11-13, 15, 16. God has given various talents to different people – some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some teachers etc. Why? To join us to Christ, and to join us together in unity with Christ.

PURIFICATION

As we read in Malachi, God will purge His people as silver and gold is purged.

I have been shown in regard to the individuals mentioned that God loves them and would save them if they would be saved in His appointed way. “And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years.”

 This is the process, the refining, purifying process, which is to be carried on by the Lord of hosts. The work is most trying to the soul, but it is only through this process that the rubbish and defiling impurities can be removed. Our trials are all necessary to bring us close [to join us] to our heavenly Father, in obedience to His will, that we may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness. To each whose name is here mentioned, God has given capabilities, talents to improve. You each need a new and living experience in the divine life in order to do the will of God. No amount of past experience will suffice for the present nor strengthen us to overcome the difficulties in our path. We must have new grace and fresh strength daily in order to be victorious. {3T 541.1}

To be among the 144,000 we need to be victorious; we need to learn how God works with us, as He worked with the tribe of Levi. And to whatever tribe we may belong, the message is the same - the Lord will bring a blessing from the curse if we want to be overcomers. This is our message; this is present truth – to learn from the experience of the sons of Jacob what it means to overcome.