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Leviticus 25:23
The land shall not be sold for ever: for the landis mine; for yeare strangers and sojourners with me.

Acts 4:36,37
And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite,and of the country of Cyprus, …

may not be sold
This prohibition against selling the pastureland underscores the importance of maintaining the Levitical cities' integrity and function. The Levites' role as spiritual leaders and mediators required stability and continuity, which could be compromised if their lands were sold. This command reflects the broader biblical principle of stewardship and the idea that the land ultimately belongs to God (Leviticus 25:23). It also highlights the importance of preserving the resources necessary for the Levites to fulfill their duties.

for this is their permanent possession
The phrase "permanent possession" indicates the enduring nature of the Levites' claim to these lands. Unlike other Israelites, who could sell and redeem their property, the Levites' lands were to remain with them perpetually. This provision ensured that the Levites could continue their service to God and the community without the distraction or instability that might come from losing their land. This concept of a permanent possession can be seen as a type of the eternal inheritance promised to believers in Christ, as mentioned in1 Peter 1:4, which speaks of an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.

Leviticus 25:34 begins, “But…,” tying the thought to verses 32–33, where God protects the Levites’ houses from permanent transfer.

• The conjunction signals a divine “exception clause.” While ordinary Israelites could permanently sell an urban house after a year (Leviticus 25:29–30), the Levites are treated differently.

• God sets the Levites apart for continual ministry (Numbers 18:21–24). Therefore, any rule affecting their livelihood requires special care.

• By starting with “But,” the Lord highlights a gracious boundary that safeguards His servants, echoing the pattern of divine concern seen inDeuteronomy 18:1–2, where Levites receive no tribal land but rely on God Himself.

“the open pastureland” (literally, the surrounding greenbelt) forms a buffer between the Levites’ houses and the cultivated fields.

• Numbers 35:2–5 describes these tracts as extending roughly a thousand cubits beyond city walls, providing space for flocks, gardens, and daily needs.

• This green zone keeps the cities from becoming crowded slums and supplies the Levites with food, echoing the orderly provision God made inJoshua 21 when He distributed forty-eight Levitical cities across Israel.

• The phrase underscores that ministry families require practical resources, not only spiritual provision—a theme carried into the New Testament, where those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:13-14).

The command is crystal-clear: “may not be sold.”

• No temporary lease, no permanent transfer—zero exceptions.

• This absolute prohibition parallels the protection of family inheritance inLeviticus 25:23, where all land ultimately belongs to the Lord; the Levites, however, receive an even stronger safeguard.

• Israel’s obedience ensured stable worship throughout the nation; if the pasturelands could be sold, Levites might drift into poverty, diluting their God-given calling (Nehemiah 13:10-12).

The reason comes last: “for this is their permanent possession.”

• God Himself assigns and guarantees this inheritance (Psalm 16:5-6).

• By declaring it “permanent,” the Lord secures ministry continuity from generation to generation (Deuteronomy 33:10).

• The permanence also prefigures the believer’s eternal inheritance in Christ, “an inheritance imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” (1 Peter 1:4), reminding us that God keeps what He promises.

Leviticus 25:34 affirms God’s unwavering commitment to provide for those who serve Him. By forbidding the sale of Levitical pasturelands, the Lord:

• protects His ministers from economic vulnerability,

• preserves a space conducive to worship and service, and

• displays His faithfulness to every word He speaks.

The verse calls us to trust that when God assigns a stewardship, He also supplies all that is needed—permanently, securely, and graciously.

For it is their perpetual possession.--The estates belong to the whole tribe to all futurity, and the present occupiers have to transmit them intact to their successors. Hence no present owner, or all of them combined, have a right to dispose of any portion of the estates, or materially to alter it. They must hand these estates down to their successors as they receive them from their predecessors.

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