** A Message for Rabbi “Bob” on Working for a Living

I am writing this brief article in response to a sad situation, in which someone who claims to be a Levite Messianic Rabbi has found himself in a frightfully bad financial situation, including having his bank account seized, but declared his refusal to take an excellent job that Elohim graciously provided for him that would have made him and his wife financially secure for the first time in a long time, and still enabled him to have Sabbaths and Festivals off and leave plenty of time to teach and preach online and in person.

This person claims that he should be supported by a/his congregation, and not have to have a “day job.”

He also claimed that there was no scripture in either the Tanakh or the NT which said otherwise.  And finally, to add insult to injury, he plans to make his wife, the only one gainfully employed at their home, quit her job and cash out her retirement fund so he can buy an RV and “travel as a missionary and plant messianic churches.”  And the final indignation, this man announced that he planned to travel, which I presume includes stopping to eat and buy gas as necessarily, driving many hundreds of miles, on Tishri 21st and 22nd, which are the 7th and 8th days of Sukkot, designated as Sabbaths by Elohim and not in any way negotiable.

Needless to say, I can hardly agree.

First and foremost, as a Levite, this man would certainly not have been supported entirely by the congregation of Israel.  He would have only been working at the Temple about 50days per year – one regular two week rotation (depending on his family line, as arranged by David and continued by Ezra – see I Chronicles chapters 23 & 24), and 8 days at Pesach, 8 days at Sukkot, and Shavu’ot plus travel time to and from each of these.  We know from Luke chapter 1 that this rotary was still in effect at the Time Yeshua was born, and continued right up until the destruction of the Temple.   There is no reason to believe it will not be in effect in the future, when the Temple is rebuilt and the Messianic Kingdom established, either.

During the rest of the year, the Levites lived in their designated towns, where they had businesses, shops, and farms which they worked at the rest of the time when they were not on Temple duty.  They were expected to earn a living, store up foodstuffs, and be diligent and prudent in providing for their families and planning for the future just like men everywhere are required to be.  The cities appointed to the Levites are listed in the Torah and were also the “cities of refuge” to which the manslayer could flee from the retribution of a kinsman-redeemer, and the manslayer was also expected to set up shop and earn his living there – no man in Elohim’s economy ever got a permanent free ride being supported by others, unless he sold himself into slavery to another Israelite engaged in a profession or farming, or as a last resort, to a Goy.

The Levite’s towns were widely dispersed around the nation of Israel and had their own economies – just like every other town.  While it might have been possible for various priests to bring home some of the tithes and firstfruits and offerings that they were entitled to claim from the Temple, this would certainly have not been enough to support a Levite and his family for more than a short while – and many specific types of sacrifices had to be eaten by the priest and his family right there at the Temple grounds and could not be removed to their town of residence.  Anyone who reads the Torah through every year, especially someone who claims to be a Rabbi himself, ought to know these things.

When Ezra and Nehemia led the returning Israelites back to the land of Judah, both the priests and levites worked on construction of the walls, the city, and the Temple itself when they were not on rotation for sacrificial and teaching duties.  We can see this in chapter 3 of both books.   At no time were the priests or levites declared to be entitled to year-round support from the people of Israel and declared to have no need of a regular profession during the rest of their year, not even by Ezra.

However, the most obvious applicable scripture concerning whether or not preachers and teachers should be gainfully employed are found in 2 Thes. 3: 6-15, which I will quote here for your consideration:

“Now, we command you, brothers, in the name of Adonai Yeshua HaMashiach, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother that walks in idleness, and not after the tradition which he received of us.  For you yourselves know how you ought to emulate us – for we did not behave idly amoung you, neither did we eat any man’s bread for nothing, but wrought with labour and travail night and day that nothing might be chargeable to any of you – not because we did not have power [to do otherwise], but to make ourselves an example for you to follow.  For even when we were with you, we commanded you this:  That if any man would not work, neither should he eat.  For we hear that there are some which walk amoung you in idleness, working not at all, but are busybodies.  Now them that are such, we command and exhort by Adonai Yeshua HaMashiach that with humility they work, and eat their own bread.  But you, brothers, be not weary in doing well.  And if any man does not obey our word by this epistle, take note of that man and do not keep company with him, so he may be ashamed – yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.”

My husband did so admonish this man, this Levite Messianic Rabbi, and for his trouble was called a “lover of money” and was accused of speaking words from hasatan and not Elohim.  Such accusations made it quite clear to me that this man, not my husband, was speaking the words of hasatan, because anyone who was speaking with Elohim’s spirit would have known that not only do we not love money, we have made countless sacrifices throughout our marriage to live in accordance with Elohim’s commandments and we live by a budget so tight it squeals.   Anyone who claims we “love money” doesn’t know us or Elohim and doesn’t speak truth.   He brushed off my husband’s warning about failing to observe the appointed sabbaths, claiming this trip was “scheduled a year in advance,” and obviously putting the authority of man above that of Elohim.  I fear this cannot end well for them – such blatant defiance of YHWH’s commandments will surely bring punishment onto a man who claims to be teaching Torah.

As a general teaching elsewhere in the Tanakh, there is a considerable amount of verbage in Proverbs concerning those who refuse to work for a living.

Proverbs chapter 6, for example, gives the lowly ant who works hard as an example to uphold, and there are various verses about refusal to work or the prudence/diligence of one’s work sprinkled throughout the book of Proverbs.  For example:

Proverbs 10:4-5 says plainly that those who refuse to work become poor, while the diligent harvest their fields.  In verses 15-16 of that same chapter Elohim says that such wealth enables one to live a proper life, but poverty causes the destruction of a man.  Verse 22 tells us that such prosperity “is a Divine Blessing,” and “He (Elohim) adds no sorrow with it.”  In chapter 11 we read (v29) “He that troubles his own home shall inherit the wind…” which should be a warning to us not to neglect our duties.  Chapter 12 verse 11 adds, “He that tills his land shall be satisfied with bread, but he that follows vanity is devoid of understanding.”  In verse 27 we read, “The slothful man has naught to roast which he took from hunting, but the substance of the diligent man is precious.”  Slothful, of course, means a person refuses to work for a living.

In Chapter 13, Elohim issues a related warning.  “Every prudent man deals with knowledge, but a fool lays open his folly.”  The KNOWLEDGE we are supposed to have is knowledge of the SIGNS OF THE TIMES, and those signs are PEAK OIL, which will render gasoline/diesel unavailable for traveling all over the country, as this man plans to do.  Another sign of the times is the CURRENCY DEVALUATION that is fast eroding the purchasing power of the American Dollar.  And finally, we know that in the last days, which are practically on our doorstep, that private homes consisting of a family and their immediate neighbors are the only places of worship that will be viable during the last days – big congregations with buildings, requiring people to travel by car and attracting the attention of the Beast and his government will not survive.  “Planting” more of them is a waste of time – we have entered the age of Laodicea, when the churches which have buildings and wealth are devoid of spirit and will be vomited out of the Body of Messiah. Someone who claims to be speaking with Elohim’s truth should be warning his followers to get ready for the time when both fuel and money will be very scarce or unavailable, not making themselves even more dependent up on the cash economy and petroleum products.

Continuing on in Proverbs, we see that (13:22) “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,” which is hard to do when one refuses to be gainfully employed.  In 18:9 we read, “He also that is slothful at his work is brother to him who is a great waster.”  Neither is being good stewards of their talents and resources. Also 19:24, “A slothful man hides his hand in his bosom and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again,” and in 21:25 we see, “The desire of the slothful kills him, for his hands refuse to labour.”

In Chapter 22 verse 3 we learn again that “A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, but the simple continue on and are punished.”   Clearly this Levite Messianic Rabbi is not being prudent, for his plan relies on being supported with cash by people who won’t have any, and traveling by RV when there will be no fuel for it.  This Levite Messianic Rabbi claimed his seized bank account was a “taste of the future for us believers,” but I know of no circumstances at this time other than failing to pay taxes and refusing to pay legitimate bills that would cause any judge to allow a freeze on his account – and neither of those things are acceptable according to scripture for one who claims to be an obedient believer.   The real “taste of things to come” that he should be concerned about is the recent weeks in Charlotte, NC and Atlanta, GA where there was absolutely not a drop of gasoline or diesel to be had.

And finally, I will close with words from Ecclesiastes.

In Chapter 5, verses 18-19, we read, “Behold that which I have seen:  It is good and comely for one to eat and drink and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he works under the sun, all the days of his life which Elohim gives him, for this is his portion.  Every man to whom Elohim has given wealth and riches and has given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion and to rejoice in his labour, this is the gift of Elohim.

In chapter 9 we are told to “go your way, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for Elohim accepts your labours…so whatsoever your hand finds to do, then do it with all your might.

In chapter 11 we are advised in verses 1-2 to “Cast your bread upon many waters, for you shall find it after many days.  Give a portion to seven, also to eight [different ventures].”  And in verse 6 we are instructed “in the morning, sow your seed, and in the evening, withhold not your hand [from labour], for you do not know which one shall propser, this or that, or whether they both shall be equally good!”

We are not to rely on one source of income, and a teacher of Elohim’s word is especially commanded not to expect to be supported by those he is teaching, but must work in a profession and eat his own bread – even if that person is a Levite.

Shalom.