Levitical Priesthood & Sacrifices
Mosiah 2:3; “And they also took of the firstlings of their flocks, that they might offer sacrifice and burnt offerings according to the law of Moses.”
Exodus 28:1; “And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.”
Numbers 3:2-3; “And these are the names of the sons of Aaron; Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests which were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest’s office.”
As we see in God’s word, He gave Moses & Aaron specific directives of who would serve as priests in the temple. The mandate included that only the sons or those born into the line of Aaron were qualified.
How did these people offer sacrifices if they weren’t from the line of Aaron? If they were Israelites and truly following the Law they’d know they weren’t qualified to offer anything in the temple.
When Mormons tell you they could do this because they were part of the Levitical Priesthood you can show them from God’s word why they couldn’t possibly be part of the Levitical Priesthood because as the Book of Mormon says the Nephites came from the tribe of Manasseh.
The Levitical Priesthood was made up of men from the line of Levi and more specifically those who were from the line of Aaron. Obviously, both Moses and Aaron were descendants of Levi.
Descendants of Levi weren’t allowed to be landowners because God told them He was their inheritance and their food supply came from the offerings made at the temple, prepared by fire. They were also given as payment the first-fruit of textiles, food, oil and wine. (Deut. 18:1-5).
Do you see the significance of how Jesus fulfilled the Law in just this example? While there were many ways in which He fulfilled the Law, this example is a great one to show your Mormon friend/loved ones.
He was the first-fruit
He was the offering
He came from the line of Levi
He alone holds the Levitical Priesthood
Also important to point out is Numbers 3:10; “And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest’s office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.”
So how could the Nephites perform sacrifices without dying?
Hi,
First of all, I would like to say that I really appreciate your posts and like to stop by each day. Regarding today’s post on the Levitical Priesthood and Sacrifices, you need to check something out more carefully.
Just as there are many people today with the same first name, throughout history, many people have had the same first name. The name Levi is mentioned in the lineage of Jesus — but the Levi mentioned is not one of the twelve sons of Jacob. When Moses appointed the sons of Levi to be priests, he was referring to the Levi, who was a son of Jacob. So, we need to note which one of Jacob’s sons is the ancestor of Jesus. It is Judah, who is listed.
Somewhere in the New Testament (I think Revelation) it mentions that Jesus is from the tribe of Judah, which was to be the tribe from which the kings of Israel came. And both listings of His lineage in Matthew and Luke list Judah as the son of Jacob from whom Jesus is descended. That makes Jesus our eternal King.
As far as His priesthood is concerned, the book of Hebrews says Jesus is a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Of course, Mormon teachings have really dishonored biblical truths on that one, too.
Because the Mormon teachings have no basis, no rhyme or reason, to any of their teachings, it is difficult to show their lack of connection to any truth. But, I must say you do very well. It is so important to specifically point out the truths in God’s word, so they can finally get something solid to stand on, instead of stumbling around in the murkiness of their slough of “untruths”.
Have a great day and keep up the good work.
Love,
Margaret
Hi Margaret!!
Thanks so much for commenting and pointing this all important subject out – I truly appreciate it!
You’re absolutely right, Jesus’ lineage is from Jacob and then Judah. I’m remorse that I wasn’t more clear on that and obviously left the impression that Levi was a son.
I appreciate your insight and contribution so I didn’t want this to go unnoticed on my part. I’ve not been available to sit and respond till now so when new posts go up it looks like I’m ignoring you and it’s not so! I have posts written for the next several weeks and scheduled to post at the same time each day. So when they go up and I haven’t responded it looks like I’ve ignored you. 🙁
Again, thank you so much for commenting and your encouragement – I love hearing from those who visit the blog!
With Love in Christ;
Michelle