林后三6　祂使我们够资格作新约的执事，这些执事不是属于字句，乃是属于灵，因为那字句杀死人，那灵却叫人活。

　　弗三8　这恩典赐给了我这比众圣徒中最小者还小的，叫我将基督那追测不尽的丰富，当作福音传给外邦人。

　　利未人不是直接作祭司的，他们是祭司职任中服事的人。这就是说，他们服事祭司体系。在祭司职任，就是在祭司的服事中，有许多事务都需要利未人的服事。所以，利未人是为这些事务分别出来的支派。利未人既是这样分别出来的支派，就没有得到美地的一分。然而，神命定要把城和城四围的郊野给他们（民数记生命读经，四一二页）。

　　2 Cor. 3:6 Who has also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant, ministers not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

　　Eph. 3:8 To me, less than the least of all saints, was this grace given to announce to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ as the gospel.

　　The Levites were not priests directly but were the serving ones of the priesthood. This means that they served the priesthood. In the priesthood, or in the ministry of the priests, there were many business affairs that required the service of the Levites. The Levites, therefore, were a tribe separated to these business affairs. As such a separated tribe, the Levites were not given a portion of the good land. However, God ordained that cities with their suburbs should be given to them. (Life-study of Numbers, p. 329)

　　利未人的服事乃是照管会幕，就是预表基督与召会之见证的帐幕（民十八1上、2上、3~4、6）。利未人在照管帐幕及其内的物件时，并不是直接事奉神；他们乃是服事祭司职任和祭司，而祭司是直接事奉神的人。

　　利未人是给亚伦和他儿子们的礼物（6下）。神原先要所有以色列人的长子来事奉。后来，神用利未人来顶替他们。以色列人将他们的长子当作礼物归与神，而这些长子由利未人所顶替。然后神将归与祂的利未人，当作礼物赐给祭司。……利未人要与亚伦和他的儿子联合，并服事他们。

　　在英文里，祭司职任（priesthood）一辞有时用以指祭司体系，就是一群集合的祭司。这辞也用以指祭司的事奉，这乃是民数记十八章这里主要的意思。

　　祭司要看守圣所（帐幕）和坛（5）。整个帐幕乃是圣所。在圣经里，圣所（sanctuary）一辞有一种以上的含义；可以指圣所，或指至圣所，或兼指二者。圣所预表基督，也预表召会。在圣所外面的坛，表征基督的十字架。所以，圣所和坛预表基督同召会，以及祂的十字架。

　　利未人是在祭司以下服事，照管圣所和坛。例如，当以色列人奉命移动的时候，利未人就收拾并扛抬帐幕及其器具。当百姓抵达某处，利未人就立起帐幕以及与帐幕有关的一切。

　　“我将祭司的职任当作礼物给你们，使你们事奉我。”（7中）祭司的职任是神百姓对神最高的事奉，乃是神给亚伦和他儿子们的大礼物。这也许是可拉起野心要寻求祭司职任的主要原因（十六10）。……见证的帐幕及其一切物件和祭坛，由祭司所服事，预表基督各面的丰富，由新约信徒服事给人。帐幕是帐棚；位于外院的祭坛，是献祭牲给神的地方。祭坛指基督的救赎；帐幕指基督是神的具体化身，借着祂，神住在人中间，人也能进入神里面，享受祂一切的所是。

　　服事就是事奉，事奉就是借服事供应人，就如侍者用食物供应人。祭司和利未人的服事总是用基督的丰富供应人。基督的十字架是为着救赎，基督的丰富是为着供应。今天我们新约的信徒，乃是将基督的十字架服事给人，使人得着救赎；并将基督的丰富服事给人，使人得着生命的供应（民数记生命读经，二○七至二○九、二七至二八页）。

　　参读：民数记生命读经，第四篇；真理课程三级卷二，第二十一至二十二课。

　　The service of the Levites was to take care of the Tent of Meeting, the Tabernacle of the Testimony, which is a type of Christ and the church (Num. 18:1a, 2a, 3-4, 6). In taking care of the tabernacle and its contents, the Levites did not serve God directly; rather, they served the priesthood and the priests, who served God directly.

　　The Levites were a gift to Aaron and his sons, a gift that had been given to God (v. 6b). God wanted all the firstborn of the children of Israel to do the service. Eventually, God used the Levites to replace them. The children of Israel gave their firstborn to God as a gift, and these were replaced by the Levites. God then gave the Levites, who had been given to Him, as a gift to the priests.

　　The Levites were to join Aaron and his sons and minister to them. For the Levites to minister to the priests meant that they served the priests.

　　In English the word priesthood is sometimes used to denote a body of priests, that is, a number of priests who have been grouped together. This word is also used to denote the service of the priests, and this is mainly the meaning here in Numbers 18.

　　The priests were to keep the charge of the sanctuary, the tabernacle, and of the altar (v. 5). The whole tabernacle was the sanctuary. In the Bible the word sanctuary is used in a very ambiguous way; it may refer to the Holy Place, to the Holy of Holies, or to both. The sanctuary typifies Christ and also the church. The altar, which was outside the sanctuary, signifies the cross of Christ. Therefore, the sanctuary and the altar typify Christ with the church and His cross.

　　The Levites served under the priests in caring for the sanctuary and the altar. For instance, when the children of Israel were commanded to move, the Levites packed and carried the tabernacle and all its furnishings. When the people arrived at a particular place, the Levites set up the tabernacle and everything related to it.

　　"I give you the priesthood as a service of gift" (v. 7b). The priesthood, as the highest service rendered by God's people to God, was a great gift given by God to Aaron and his sons. This was the reason Korah was ambitious to seek it (16:10).

　　The Tabernacle of the Testimony with all its furnishings and the altar, to which the priests minister, are types of Christ in all His rich aspects, whom the New Testament believers minister. The tabernacle is the tent, and the altar, located in the outer court, is where the sacrifices were offered to God. The altar refers to Christ's redemption, and the tabernacle refers to Christ as the embodiment of God, through whom God dwells among men and through whom men can enter into God to enjoy all that He is.

　　To minister is to serve, and to serve is to supply people by ministering to them, just as a waiter supplies people with food. The ministry of the priests and the Levites always supplies people with the riches of Christ. The cross of Christ is for redemption, and the riches of Christ are for supply. Today we, the New Testament believers, serve others with the cross of Christ for redemption and the riches of Christ for the life supply. (Life-study of Numbers, pp. 189-190, 25-26)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Numbers, msg. 4; Truth Lessons—Level Three, vol. 2, lsns. 21-22