After the rebellion had been silenced and Aaron's staff had blossomed as a sign of God's choice, the Lord spoke directly to Aaron.
"You, your sons, and your father's family will bear the responsibility for any offenses against the sanctuary," said the Lord. "And you and your sons alone will bear responsibility for any offenses against the priesthood. Bring your fellow Levites from your tribe to assist you. They will help you serve at the Tent of Meeting, but they must not come near the holy furnishings or the altar, or both they and you will die. They are given to you as a gift—to serve under your direction and care for the work of the tabernacle. But only you and your sons may perform the duties of the priesthood at the altar and within the curtain. This priesthood I give you is a sacred gift. Anyone else who comes near will die."
Then the Lord said to Aaron, "I place you in charge of all the sacred offerings presented to Me. Every holy gift that the Israelites bring belongs to you and your sons as your regular share. The most holy offerings—grain, sin, and guilt offerings—are yours; every male among you may eat them, for they are most holy. You will also receive the wave offerings and the firstfruits of the land—the finest oil, wine, and grain. All that is devoted to the Lord in Israel is yours. The firstborn of every womb, both man and animal, is also yours. You must redeem every firstborn son and every firstborn of unclean animals for five shekels of silver. But the firstborn of oxen, sheep, and goats you must not redeem—they are holy. Their blood shall be sprinkled on the altar, their fat burned as an offering pleasing to Me, and their meat is yours to eat."
And the Lord added, "This covenant is an everlasting covenant of salt before Me, for you and your descendants forever. You will have no share or inheritance in the land, for I am your portion and inheritance among the Israelites."
The Lord then spoke of the Levites' portion: "I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel in return for their service at the Tent of Meeting. The Israelites must not come near the tent again, lest they die for their sin. The Levites will carry out the duties of the Tent and bear responsibility for any offenses against it. They will have no inheritance among the tribes, for the tithes given by the Israelites are their inheritance."
Finally, the Lord instructed Moses, "Tell the Levites: When you receive the tithes from the Israelites, present a tenth of it as an offering to the Lord. This will be counted as your own produce from the threshing floor or winepress. From this tithe, you will give the Lord's portion to Aaron the priest—the best and holiest part of what you receive. The rest of the tithe you and your households may eat anywhere, for it is your rightful wage for your service in the Tent. By offering the best portion, you will not be guilty or defile the holy offerings, and you will not die."
And so the Lord established order and fairness among His servants—the priests to minister at the altar, and the Levites to serve in His house—each rewarded by His own hand, each bound by covenant to serve Him faithfully.