The Levites, originally set apart for the service of the Tabernacle and later the Temple, held a unique and sacred role within the religious life of Israel. As descendants of Levi, one of the twelve sons of Jacob, they were chosen by God to perform duties related to worship and the maintenance of the holy places. Their responsibilities included assisting the priests, who were descendants of Aaron, in sacrifices, teaching the Law, and leading the people in worship.

However, during the reign of Jeroboam, the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel following the division of the united monarchy, the Levites faced significant challenges and degradation from their divinely appointed roles. Jeroboam, concerned about the political and religious loyalty of his subjects, took drastic measures to prevent the people from traveling to Jerusalem in the southern kingdom of Judah to worship at the Temple.

In an effort to consolidate his rule and establish a separate religious identity for the northern kingdom, Jeroboam instituted a new system of worship that deviated from the Mosaic Law. He set up golden calves in Bethel and Dan, declaring, "Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt" (1 Kings 12:28). This act of idolatry was a direct violation of the commandments given to Israel and a significant departure from the worship of Yahweh as prescribed in the Torah.

To further solidify his religious reforms, Jeroboam appointed priests from among all the people, rather than exclusively from the tribe of Levi. As recorded in 1 Kings 12:31, "Jeroboam also built shrines on the high places and appointed from every class of people priests who were not Levites" . This decision effectively marginalized the Levites, stripping them of their traditional roles and responsibilities.

The Levites, who remained faithful to the covenant and the worship of Yahweh, found themselves in a precarious position. Many chose to leave their allotted cities in the northern kingdom and relocate to Judah, where they could continue their service in accordance with the Law. 2 Chronicles 11:14-15 notes, "For the Levites left their pasturelands and their property and went to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests of the LORD. And Jeroboam appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat demons and calf idols he had made" .

This migration of the Levites to Judah not only underscored their commitment to the true worship of God but also contributed to the religious and cultural strengthening of the southern kingdom. Their departure from the northern kingdom was a significant loss, as the Levites were instrumental in teaching the Law and maintaining the spiritual integrity of the nation.

Jeroboam's actions had long-lasting implications for the northern kingdom, leading to a pattern of idolatry and apostasy that ultimately contributed to its downfall. The degradation of the Levites from their sacred office under Jeroboam serves as a poignant reminder of the consequences of deviating from God's ordained order and the importance of faithfulness to His commandments.2 Chronicles 11:13-17
And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their coasts.
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2 Chronicles 13:9-11
Have you not cast out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of other lands? so that whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods.
Nave's Topical Index

What were the chief priests? | GotQuestions.org

What were the cities of refuge in the Old Testament? | GotQuestions.org

What was the Levitical priesthood? | GotQuestions.org

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