Why the Levites?

Reading:   Numbers 3

Why the Levites?

NUMBERS 3:12-13

12 And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine; 

13 Because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the Lord. 

I have spent some time on this one because I really wanted to understand the choice.  Why, of all the tribes, did God choose the Levites?  For the greatest while I was strictly bent on the idea that the Levites had received the birthright reserved for the firstborn because of righteousness and the ultimate folly of the tribes above them (Reubenites and Simeonites). There still is something to that theory but no definitive point where Simeon or the Simeonites could have lost their place in line for the birthright.  Yes, there was the slaughter of men after the defilement of Dinah (Gen 34) but that was a crime conducted by both Simeon and Levi and would exclude Levi from the birthright as well.  As for the rightful heir, the literal firstborn, Reuben, it is feasible that he lost the birthright for himself and his progeny after taking his father's wife to bed (Gen 49:3-4) but to extend a punishment through   centuries of descendants is quite unlikely.  The idea, then, of the birthright being lost by Reuben and Simeon and settling upon Levi and his progeny is still interesting but not likely.

Another possibility is the straight up blood relation of Moses and Aaron as members of the Levite tribe.  The priests of the tabernacle were all direct descendants of Aaron and therefore all of his family had to be directly involved with and near the tabernacle.  The family and extended family of Moses would also want to be near the tabernacle as that is where Moses would spend the majority of his time.  So, considering the familial relationship of Moses and Aaron to the Levite people, it is possible that, for logistical purposes, the Levites were chosen to fill the role of tabernacle custodians to better accommodate there brethren.

The problem with my theories and research was my inability to think outside of the box - I continually pressed the idea of why God had chosen these people over the others and repeatedly found speed bumps obstructing my theoretical progression.  Finally I came across a blog that discussed the Levites willingness to choose God and a lightbulb brightened in my mind.  I had been looking at it all wrong.  It wasn't necessarily that God chose the Levites but a reciprocal effect of the Levites first choosing God!  When Moses descended from Mt. Sinai (Ex 32:19-29) to find the people worshipping and dancing before a golden calf he stood before them and asked, "Who is on the Lord's side?"  Without further explanation there was an immediate stirring and response within the congregation, "...And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto [Moses]."  By choosing The Lord, the sons of Levi were then given the task of taking up the sword against their brethren and slaying all those that danced before the calf.  They did as they were required and consecrated themselves to The Lord, an act that ultimately blessed them.

By choosing The Lord, the Levites, in turn, were blessed by The Lord and taken as His, not to be counted among the Israelites.  They were exempted from war, not that they weren't capable, but had earned the right of peace having chosen God and conducted a warlike act within the Israelites by God's decree.  They, and their children, were blessed for choosing God.

Why did God choose the Levites as His?  The Levites chose Him!

~Kipling