Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him. Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were at table with them.
“After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything, he rose and followed him (Lk. 5:27-32).”
Jesus commanded Levi to become His disciple, and Levi obeyed immediately (2:13–14). The lesson for us is that our Lord may call those to ministry who at the time of their call seem to be the unlikeliest of candidates. And He does so in order to show us divine grace.
In the Book of Genesis, Levi and his brother, Simeon, exterminate the city of Shechem in revenge for the rape of Dinah, seizing the wealth of the city and killing the men.
The Hebrew Bible introduces Levi as one of the twelve sons of Jacob (Genesis 29:34), and hence the “father” of one of the tribes of ancient Israel.
The Book of Malachi also spoke of a covenant with Levi: Know then that I have sent this commandment unto you, that My covenant might be with Levi, saith the LORD of hosts. My covenant was with him of life and peace, and I gave them to him, and of fear, and he feared Me, and was afraid of My name.
The tribe of Levi had a special calling to hold the priesthood and perform ordinances under the law of Moses. Because of this calling, they lived among all the other tribes and were not counted in the same way. Israel was generally considered to have twelve tribes—plus the Levites.
When her third child was born she said, Now at last my husband will become attached (feel affection) to me, because I have borne him three sons. This child was called Levi which means being attached or feeling affection for.
[1] The priests the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and his inheritance. [2] Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren: the LORD is their inheritance, as he hath said unto them.
When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
In a common Interpretation, the strong man represents Satan, and the attacker represents Jesus. Satan has control over the earth (the house), but Jesus defeats Satan with his earthly ministry (tying Satan up).
Jesus ate a meal at Levi's house and many other people were there. Some *Pharisees and teachers of God's rules saw Jesus eating the meal. The name 'Pharisees' means 'the separate men'.
I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. "Follow me," Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.
In passages parallel to Matthew 9:9, both Mark 2:14 and Luke 5:27 describe Jesus's calling of the tax collector Levi, the son of Alphaeus, but Mark and Luke never explicitly equate this Levi with the Matthew named as one of the twelve apostles.
Through Leah's life, we learn that while others may reject us, even hate us, God does not. He loves us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). He loves us unconditionally. Nor will He “leave us or forsake us” (Hebrews 13:5).
Leah was the mother of six of Jacob's sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, and Judah; Judah was the ancestor of King David and, according to the New Testament, of Jesus.
Leah is the elder daughter of Laban and the wife of Jacob, father of twelve sons who will become the twelve tribes of Israel. Leah and her sister Rachel, whose names mean “cow” and “ewe,” give Jacob many sons; and their father gives him actual live-stock. Leah is described as having “soft (lovely) eyes” (Gen 29:17).
The priests of Aaron clearly acquired sole right to the Jewish priesthood. Those who performed subordinate services associated with public worship were known as Levites. In this capacity, the Levites were musicians, gate keepers, guardians, Temple officials, judges, and craftsmen.
It is usually translated into English as “concubine” and understood to refer to a wife or sexual partner of secondary status. Although certain men in the Hebrew Bible have both wives and concubines, no wives or additional concubines are referred to in Judges 19.
According to the Torah, Gershon (Hebrew: גֵּרְשׁוֹן Gērǝšôn) was the eldest of the sons of Levi, and the patriarchal founder of the Gershonites, one of the four main divisions among the Levites in biblical times.
The Story of Psalm 54
In the Bible, it is often a picture of Satan. Satan is God's great enemy. When Jesus called people "snakes", he meant that they were friends of Satan. "A snake in the grass" is an enemy that you think is a friend. The men of Ziph were *like this with David.
Levites are the descendants of the Tribe of Levi, one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Levites are integrated in Jewish and Samaritan communities, but keep a distinct status. There are estimated 300,000 Levites among Ashkenazi Jewish communities. Total percentage of Levites among Jews is about 4%.
The Levites were one of the most important tribes of Israel because they were the tribe responsible for the religious leadership of the Jews.