Principle
The Levites were given the tithes offered by Israel.
Explanation
GOD provided special blessings for the Levites. Among these blessings were the tithe offerings from the Israelites. (A tithe means one tenth; it’s a fraction term.)
25 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 26 “Speak thus to the Levites and say to them, ‘If you receive from the children of Israel the tithe which I give you from them as your inheritance, then you shall remove from it the Lord’s choice portion, a tenth of the tithe. 27 Now your choice portions shall be reckoned to you as the grain from the threshing floor and as the choice portion of the winepress. 28 Thus you shall then remove the Lord’s choice portions from all your tithes, whatever you might receive from the children of Israel, and you shall give from them the Lord’s choice portion to Aaron the priest. 29 From all your gifts you shall remove the choice portion for the Lord, or from all the firstfruits that which is sanctified from it.’ 30 Therefore you shall say to them, ‘When you remove the firstfruit from it, then all the rest shall be accounted to the Levites as the produce of the threshing floor and as the produce of the winepress. 31 You may eat it in any place, you and your households, for it is your reward for your liturgical service in the tabernacle of testimony. 32 Now you shall bear no guilt because of it, for you removed the firstfruit from it. But you shall not defile the holy things of the children of Israel, lest you die.’”
Numbers 18:20 OSB
Grain and wine tithes offered to GOD were to be distributed amongst the Levites. The first tenth of the tithe offering was to be given to the priests. The remaining 90% was to be distributed amongst the other Levites as needed.
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