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Today we commence sharing with our readers a serialization of a relatively short work by a noted British researcher-author from the 20th century. Her name was Isabel Hill Elder. She is “known for her works on early British and Celtic history, with a particular focus on religious and mythological elements. She wrote several books and essays that explored the British Israel message.” Source.
Whether a new visitor to this website understands one of the key Bible truths taught by Stone Kingdom Ministries* or not, any Christian wanting to learn more about Bible characters will find this work to be fascinating.
Here then is part one of The House of Levi by Isabel Hill Elder. All *emphases* and comments in [brackets] are mine—JWB. Unless within my brackets, all words in (parentheses) are presumably by Ms. Elder.
Additionally, we have spelled out the full names of her biblical references and changed the chapter numbers from Roman numerals to Arabic numerals. We have also shortened many of her lengthy paragraphs to make them more readable for the tiny and narrow screens of some of our modern digital devices.
The birth of a third son to Jacob and Leah whom she named Levi, as recorded in the book of Genesis (29: 34), was to prove an event of great significance in the life and history of the descendants of Jacob-Israel, and to influence their lives for upwards of 2,000 years.
The name Levi signifies “joined”; the name was prophetical of the subsequent election of the tribe of Levi to be separated from men, and “joined” to the Lord. (Numbers 18: 2-4).
In the Scriptures, we learn nothing further concerning Levi until, with his father Jacob and the household, he arrived at Shalem in Canaan, and very soon afterwards, with his brother Simeon, took summary vengeance on the prince of Shechem who had defiled his sister, Dinah. This action, on the part of his sons, distressed the patriarch Jacob whose great desire was to pass through the land unmolesting and unmolested. (Genesis 34: 30).
We have, however, a more detailed and explanatory account of this incident in the Testament or Last Will of Levi, included in the “Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs,” translated by R. A. Charles, D.Litt., D.D., Canon of Westminster, wherein Levi records for his sons and posterity the story of those early days in the patriarchal household:
“I, Levi, was born in Haran and I came with my father to Shechem. I was young, about twenty years of age, when, with Simeon, I wrought vengeance on Hamor for our sister Dinah.
[The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs is part of a collection of writings called the Pseudepigrapha (meaning “false writings”). This does not always and in each case mean that these writings are wholly “false,” and not to be given any credence whatsoever. They obviously contain ethical, moral, and indeed biblical principles.
But readers should realize they are not canonical writings; i.e., they are not part of the inspired, inerrant Holy Scriptures. Nonetheless, they may contain many stories and events that may have been passed down over the centuries before Christ, being finally collected and collated by Hebrew scholars before the advent of Jesus.
Many of the pseudepigraphal works are thought by Bible scholars to have been written in the intertestamental period, and perhaps edited by early Christian writers.
We have discussed both the Pseudepigrapha and the Apocrypha in our 20-lecture series entitled Which Bible? Which Version? which is still available from our offices. We continue with Ms. Elder’s quotation from “Levi”.]
And I was grieved for the lawlessness and wickedness of the sons of men, and I prayed to the Lord that I might be saved. Then I fell asleep, and in a vision the angel of God said to me:
“Thou shalt stand near the Lord and shall be His Minister, and shall declare His mysteries to men, and proclaim concerning Him that shall redeem Israel. By thee and Judah shall the Lord appear among men, and from the Lord’s portion shall be thy life.
And He shall be thy fields and vineyards, and fruits, gold and silver…
Know, therefore, that the Lord shall execute judgment upon the sons of men; because when the rocks are being rent, the sun quenched, the waters dried up, the fire devouring and all creation troubled, the invisible spirits melting away, and Hades (the grave) taketh spoils through the visitation of the Most High, men will be unbelieving and persist in their iniquity; on this account with punishment will they be judged.
Therefore, the Most High hath heard thy prayer, to separate thee from iniquity and that thou shouldst become to him a son, and a servant and a minister of His presence.
The light of knowledge shalt thou light up in Jacob, and as the sun shalt thou be to all the seed of Israel; there shall be given to thee a blessing and to all thy seed until the Lord shall visit all the Gentiles (nations) in His tender mercies for ever; therefore there have been given to thee counsel and understanding, that thou mightest instruct thy sons concerning this. Because they that bless Him shall be blessed, and they that curse shall perish.”
Thereupon the Most High said to me: “Levi, I have given thee the blessings of the priesthood until I come and sojourn in the midst of Israel.” And I said to the angel: “I pray thee, O lord, tell me thy name that I may call upon thee in a day of tribulation.”
And he said: “I am the Angel that intercedeth for the nation of Israel that they may not be smitten utterly, for every evil spirit attacketh it.” And after these things I awaked and blessed the Most High and the angel who intercedeth for the nation Israel and for all the righteous.”
RETRIBUTION UPON SHECHEM
“And I kept these words in my heart, and I saw that the sentence of God was for evil upon Shechem; for they sought to do to Sarah and Rebecca as they had done to Dinah our sister, but the Lord prevented them; and they persecuted Abraham, our father, when he was a stranger and vexed his flocks.
Eblaen who was born in his house they most shamefully used, and thus they did to all strangers, taking away their wives by force. But the wrath of the Lord came upon them to the uttermost; and I said to my father Jacob: “By thee will the Lord destroy the Canaanites, and will give their land to thee and to thy seed after thee.”
JACOB’S INSTRUCTIONS TO LEVI
“After two days I and Judah went up with our father, Jacob, to Isaac our father’s father, and he blessed me according to all the words of the visions which I had seen, and he would not come with us to Bethel.” (Isaac’s death had been expected forty-four years before this—Genesis 27: 41—but his life was prolonged to see Jacob return to Canaan). “And when we came to Bethel, my father Jacob saw a vision concerning me that I should be their priest unto God, and he rose up early in the morning, and paid tithes of all to the Lord through me.” (Here at Bethel tithes were first paid through Levi).
“And so we came to Hebron to dwell there, and Isaac called me continually to put me in remembrance of the Lord, even as the angel of the Lord shewed unto me; and he taught me the law of the priesthood, of sacrifices, whole burnt-offerings, first fruits, freewill offerings and peace-offerings.
Each day he was instructing me, and was busied on my behalf before the Lord, and said to me: “Beware of the spirit of fornication (idolatry) for this shall continue, and shall, by thy seed, pollute the holy place. Take to thyself a wife while yet thou art young, and not of the race of strange nations.
[While idolatry does equate to fornication in God’s eyes, we believe that Isaac had both meanings in mind in his instruction to Levi since he goes on immediately to encourage Levi to get married soon. Isaac is still speaking…]
Of twelve trees having leaves offer to the Lord, as Abraham taught me also. Of every clean beast and bird offer a sacrifice to the Lord, and of all thy first-fruits and of wine offer the first as a sacrifice to the Lord God, and every sacrifice thou shalt salt with salt.”
(To be continued.)
* See our Statement of Faith here.
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