The Levites - Should We Retire at Fifty?

Bienhome Muivah *

One individual had said it more than once, "I do not believe in retirement in God's service". So today many of us would like to say, "We do not believe in retirement in God's service". But we do believe in succession-and succession requires a role change tied to age.

In 1989, Derek Davies pointed to one curse that remained in the region: that of old men who cling to power and refuse to retire. Twenty year on, in 2010, George B. N. Ayittey of Ghana writing for Foreign Policy Magazine, echoes that same indictment. He named 23 of "the worst of the worst" dictators, among them, Kim Jong II of North Korea, Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Than Shwe of Burma, Al-Bashir of Sudan, Mubarak of Egypt and Al-Qaddafi of Libya - these six have held power for a total of 155 years.

"Although all dictators are bad in their own way, there is one insidious aspect of despotism that is most infuriating and galling to us: the disturbing frequency with which many despots - began their careers as erstwhile freedom fighters who were supposed to have liberated their people... So familiar are Africans with this phenomenon that we have [a] saying: We struggle very hard to remove one cockroach from power, and the next rat comes to do the same".

They started well, but overstayed their tenure. Such leaders have several things in common: they wield considerable power, they rule into their old age, and they refuse to step down from their position once they got into it. As a result, the good they achieved in the earlier years of their office became undone. Had they retired at the right time with the right successor, their countries would have suffered less turmoil and hardship, and realized more stability and prosperity. These leaders did not believe in retirement, neither did they believe in succession.

The Bible says little or nothing about retirement. Many of God's faithful servants served into their ripe old age. Moses stepped down from office only when the Lord called him home. Samuel served as prophet and priest till, in his own words, he became "old and gray". David ruled as king till he died. Daniel served through the reign of four kings spanning seven decades. Paul wrote letters from prison to his congregations as he awaited execution.

Though the word "retirement" is never used of such men, nor the examples of retirement ever cited, one Biblical passage lays down the principle of a role change linked to age.

And the Lord spoke to Moses saying, "This applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall come to do in the service of the tent of meeting". And from the age of 50 years, they shall withdraw their duty of the service and serve no more. They minister to their brothers in the tent of meeting by keeping guard, but they shall do no service. Thus shall you do as the Levites in assigning their duties.

The Lord spells out the lower and upper limits of actively serving Levites. As regards the lower limit, a Levite must be at least 25 years of age to serve in the tent of meeting. The ages rise to 30 in some references, and drops to 20 in others. This disparity has spawned various explanations. The period between 20-25 to 30 could have been an apprenticeship. The age limit could have been lowered to enlist more Levites to meet the growing demands of a settled population.

We cannot know for sure, but the chronicler gives us a hint when he noted the transition from a movable tabernacle in the wilderness to a permanent one in Jerusalem. Upper Limit For Lower Class

While the lower limit varies, the upper limit remains constant at fifty. To understand such a limit, we turn to the work of the Levites which is described as "to do the work for the service of the house of the Lord", to assist the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the Lord, and "to keep charge of the tent of meeting and the sanctuary, and to attend the sons of Aaron, their brother, for the service of the house of the Lord". The duties come in general terms, and fall into the category of supporting services.

With such a job description, commentators have assessed their work as "drudgery", "servile and menial", and in other similar terms. Perhaps, such sentiments arise when we think of the work of a church janitor or warden. He keeps the promises clean and secure, unlocks and locks rooms, arranges chairs for meetings, switches on and off lights, ensures supplies are in stock, know where everything is kept, attends to enquires and requests, and so on.

Though the role of the Levites appears menials, they provide vital support for the priests. The Levites take care of "the courts and the chambers, the cleansing of all that is holy" and ensure supplies and quality control as they "assist with the show bread, the flour for the grain offering, the wafers of unleavened bread, the baked offering, the offering mixed with oil, and all measures of quantity or size".

Moreover, they assumed the privileged trust and function of praising God in the sanctuary, "to stand every morning, thanking and praising the Lord, and likewise at evening .....".

However important their role maybe, the Levites assist the priests, they do not do the work of the priests. The differentiation between the two may be seen in the way they are inducted into the ministry and the way they serve. Unlike the priests, the Levites receive no special with blood at their initiation. Unlike the priests, they wear no special vestments to set them apart from the people. One commentator describes them as a "bridge" between the priests and the people.

Indeed, as the priests represent the people of God, so the Levites represent the people to the priests. Not all the people can serve the priests, so the Levites are chosen to take their places.

The Levites are subordinate to the priests in role, not inferior to them in importance. As such, we wonder why a retirement age is set for the Levites, and not for the priests. How do we extrapolate for such a requirement, spelled out so clearly as a divine directive? Do we argue from the lesser to the greater? If so, then priests should have a retirement age too.

If an assistant to an airline pilot should work no more than so many hours at a stretch, the pilot would be kept to a stricter limit. Likewise, would be a surgeon in any operating theater if the assisting nurse has to be relieved after working a specified number of hours. By this argument the priest would be retired too, and by a more stringent measure.

Some may argue that the work of the Levites may be more demanding. The priests merely show up and carry out their duties. The work involves long and unearthly hours, seemingly impossible deadlines, conflicting demands from different parties, and many other variables.

What are some principles we can draw from the mandatory retirement age for the Levites? Firstly, it speaks of the human laws God has set in place for those serving him. These laws reflect the compassion and consideration that God shows towards working people. For the Levites, the age of 50 is the finishing line for their service. Thereafter, they may in good conscience step aside for others to take over, "to be loaded with the honors of their office, as hitherto they had been with the burdens of it".

Secondly, it tells us that God wants us to serve him in the prime of our lives. The Levites, in offering God the year between 30 and 50, gave of their best years. This in contrast to those who choose ministry as a second career later in life or after they retire from success in the corporate world.

Thirdly, the role change enforced on the Levites ensures a succession of younger Levites in service. The one beyond the age of 50 do not abdicate their responsibility. They merely change their role, from doing the work to assisting those who now do the work. This shift provides the critical impetus to succession. Strictly speaking, the older Levites did not retire from service. They became mentors to the younger Levites. They continue to serve but in a different capacity: "they shall withdraw from the duty of the service and serve no more. They minister to their brothers in the tent of meeting by keeping guard, but they shall do no service".

We all should not believe in retirement but believe in a change of role to his age. We should believe in succession, and practiced it to the blessing of all. Give your best years to the Lord!