Not long ago I had a brief debate with someone who claimed that the Levites had absolutely NO OWNERSHIP OF ANY LAND (and were not permitted to do so) in the Promise Land. He made it clear that the Levites were permitted to own NO LAND whatsoever, NOT ONE SQUARE INCH of land in the Land of Israel; they were to be completely disenfranchised of any land.
I keep all of my comments that I post on my laptop just in case I want to use them again, and reading what he said, I noticed that I had not answered his claim with a scripture reference clearly holding him in error.
The scripture he was referring to, and relying on to make his point that the Levites had no land at all, and were not permitted to own land, was Numbers 18:20-21 which reads...
"And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel. And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation."
The Law of Moses, of which Numbers 18:20-21 is part of, is telling the Levites that they will not have a specific section of the Land of Israel designated to them as an inheritance as did the other tribes of...
Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Benjamin, Joseph; (Ephraim, Manasseh).
Numbers 18:20-21 made it clear that the Levites would not have a specific Tribal Land designated to them (what we might call a "state," "territory" or "land grant") in the Land of Israel. One of the reasons for this is because the authority of the Levites in matters both civil and spiritual was not to be limited to any particular tribal territory. They would serve the entire Nation of Israel, serve and govern in all of the tribal inherited territories.
Not only were Levites permitted by Mosaic Law to own land, there were specific Laws that governed and protected their land, their homes and the land designated as "the cities of the Levites." Leviticus 25:32-34 tells us this...
"Notwithstanding the cities of the Levites, and the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Levites redeem at any time. And if a man purchase of the Levites, then the house that was sold, and the city of his possession, shall go out in the year of jubile: for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel. But the field of the suburbs of their cities may not be sold; for it is their perpetual possession."
>> Note the following important phrases;
> "cities of the Levites"
> "the houses of the cities of their possession"
> "And if a man purchase of the Levites"
> "the city of his possession"
> "cities of the Levites are their possession"
> "Levites are their possession among the children of Israel"
> "the field [land] of the suburbs of their [Levites] cities may not be sold; for it is their [Levites] perpetual possession"
Clearly the Levites could own land and not violate the Law of Moses. The Levitical cities were 48 cities in ancient Israel that were set aside for the tribe of Levi, who were not allocated their own territorial land when the Israelites entered the Promised Land.
I bring this up because recently I've read a couple of claims made by people teaching against tithing that one point you can make to disprove that a Pastor (or perhaps other ministers such as Evangelists) are not permitted to receive a tithe (for among other reasons)" because they own land" such as home or other land. That claim is NOT TRUE and is FALSE DOCTRINE. There was nothing in God's Word (i.e., The Law of Moses) prohibiting a Levite from receiving the tithe that he had inherited simply because he owned a home or another piece of land. Deuteronomy 18:8 is also evidence that Levites held property privately, though the tribe itself did not receive inheritances as did the other tribes did.
Concerning the Levites, Deuteronomy 18:8 says this..
"They shall have like portions to eat, beside that which cometh of the sale of his patrimony." ("patrimony" - property inherited from one's father or male ancestor.)
Deuteronomy 18:1-7 tells us that while owning land, the Levite was to minister for the Lord their God, AND continue to receive that which God had given him...
"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. Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren: the LORD is their inheritance, as he hath said unto them.""
Note; "and his inheritance." Question; What did the Levite inherit? ...the tithes of all of Israel (see - Numbers 18:20-24).
Continuing with Deuteronomy 18:1-7...
"And this shall be the priest's due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep; and they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw. The firstfruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him. For the LORD thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name of the LORD, him and his sons for ever. And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourned, and come with all the desire of his mind unto the place which the LORD shall choose; Then he shall minister in the name of the LORD his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, which stand there before the LORD." - Deuteronomy 18:1-7
One major point of fact that the person I was debating had missed is that Numbers 18:20-24 says the Levite would have NO INHERITANCE of land, but says NOTHING concerning any prohibition of a Levite, as with any other person from the tribes, from BUYING LAND and owning it.
CONCLUSION
The Levites, while not receiving a territorial land grant in the Land of Israel, could and did own land while lawfully continuing to minister and receive tithes. Claiming that a pastor or other minister cannot receive a tithe if they own land is FALSE.
There are many other reasons why tithing is not a New Testament commandment to any Christian Believer, and that no pastor has the right to demand or receive tithes, but a prohibition against owning land is NOT one of them.
Also, pastors are not Levites, and even if tithing was still enforce, the "own land, no tithe" clause would not apply because such a clause doesn't exist.
We must remember to keep ALL scripture in proper context and permit scripture to interpret scripture.
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