In the Bible, “levy” often refers to a formal assessment or collection of taxes, dues, or tributes imposed by a governing authority. It can also denote the act of raising or recruiting troops or resources for military purposes, as seen in various passages regarding the obligations of the people.
Scripture
13 And King Solomon drafted forced labor out of all Israel, and the draft numbered 30,000 men.
14 And he sent them to Lebanon, 10,000 a month in shifts. They would be a month in Lebanon and two months at home. Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor.
15 Solomon also had 70,000 burden-bearers and 80,000 stonecutters in the hill country,
16 besides Solomon’s 3,300 chief officers who were over the work, who had charge of the people who carried on the work.
17 At the king’s command they quarried out great, costly stones in order to lay the foundation of the house with dressed stones.
18 So Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders and the men of Gebal did the cutting and prepared the timber and the stone to build the house.
Biblical Meaning of “Levy” Explained
In the Bible, the term “levy” encapsulates the concept of governmental authority imposing duties on the populace, emphasizing both economic and military responsibilities. A prime example can be found in 1 Samuel 8:10-18, where the prophet Samuel warns the Israelites of the consequences of requesting a king. He describes how the king would “levy” taxes, conscript soldiers, and take a portion of their harvests, highlighting the broader implications of centralized authority in an ancient society. This notion underscores the balance of power between leaders and the people, illustrating how governance can weigh heavily on individuals and communities, often resulting in significant burdens.
Moreover, the spiritual implications of a levy extend into the realm of divine governance. Romans 13:6-7 reflects the broader biblical context of obeying authorities, suggesting that taxes and tributes (moderated by governance) are a part of God’s broader plan for order and stability in society. The act of levying in this sense is both a practical and a moral responsibility, as believers are called not only to comply with earthly authorities but also to engage in stewardship that honors God. By fulfilling civic duties, including taxes and support for leaders, Christians are encouraged to reflect divine justice and order, reinforcing the notion that even societal demands can be reconciled with spiritual obligations. Thus, the idea of “levy” in the Bible serves as a reminder of the interplay between human governance, communal responsibility, and the overarching sovereignty of God.
The concept of “levy” in the Bible can also be associated with the practice of offerings and contributions that are required for the upkeep of religious institutions and the support of the priestly class. In the Old Testament, the Levitical system established a framework where Israelites were required to set aside a portion of their produce and livestock as a form of tribute to God. These required offerings can be viewed as a divine levy, where the act of giving serves both to sustain the worship practices and to reinforce the communal bond that tied the Israelite people to one another and to God. Such provisions illustrate the belief that all possessions ultimately belong to God and that the faithful should willingly participate in supporting the structures that facilitate their relationship with the divine.
Furthermore, the concept of levies can be extended to issues of justice and care for the marginalized within society. The prophetic literature often underscores the duty of the rulers to levy fairness and righteousness, particularly in their treatment of the poor, the widow, and the orphan. In Isaiah and Amos, calls for justice reflect the idea of a moral levy that rulers should impose upon themselves, ensuring that their governance protects the vulnerable and maintains social equity. This understanding of “levy” extends beyond mere taxation to encompass a broader ethical obligation, suggesting that the true weight of a levy is not solely found in economic terms, but also in the call for social accountability and care for one another, rooted in the understanding of God’s intent for a just society. Thus, “levy” resonates in the biblical narrative as both a sign of obligation to earthly authority and a reflection of divine expectation toward communal compassion.
The Concept of Taxation and Tribute
In biblical contexts, “levy” often refers to the imposition of taxes or tributes by governing authorities. This reflects the societal structure where rulers required financial support from their subjects to maintain governance, military, and public works. The act of levying taxes is seen as a means of sustaining the community and fulfilling the needs of the state, illustrating the relationship between authority and the governed.
Spiritual and Moral Implications
Beyond its financial connotation, “levy” can also carry spiritual and moral implications. It may symbolize the burdens placed upon individuals by societal expectations or divine commandments. In this sense, the act of levying can be viewed as a call to accountability, urging individuals to reflect on their responsibilities towards God and their community, and to consider the weight of their actions and choices.
The Role of Authority and Governance
“Levy” also signifies the authority of leaders to impose rules and regulations. This aspect highlights the biblical theme of governance, where leaders are tasked with the responsibility of guiding their people. The concept underscores the importance of just leadership and the ethical obligations that come with authority, reminding believers of the need for fairness and righteousness in the exercise of power.
How to Embrace Faithful Stewardship and Service
Embracing faithful stewardship and service is a beautiful journey that invites us to reflect on how we can best use our gifts and resources for the glory of God and the benefit of others. Start by recognizing that everything we have—our time, talents, and treasures—are ultimately gifts from God, and it’s our responsibility to manage them wisely. This means being intentional about how we spend our time, whether it’s volunteering in our community, supporting those in need, or simply being present for friends and family. Consider setting aside a portion of your income for charitable giving, and don’t underestimate the power of small acts of kindness; they can have a ripple effect far beyond what we can see. Remember, stewardship isn’t just about money; it’s about cultivating a heart of service that reflects Christ’s love. As you step out in faith, you’ll find that serving others not only enriches their lives but also deepens your own relationship with God, reminding you that we are all part of a larger story of grace and redemption.
Bible References to the Meaning of “Levy”:
1 Kings 9:15-23: 15 And this is the account of the forced labor that King Solomon drafted to build the house of the Lord and his own house and the Millo and the wall of Jerusalem and Hazor and Megiddo and Gezer.
16 (Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up and captured Gezer and burned it with fire, and had killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and had given it as dowry to his daughter, Solomon’s wife.)
17 And Solomon rebuilt Gezer and Lower Beth-horon,
18 as well as Baalath and Tamar in the wilderness, in the land of Judah,
19 All the storage cities that Solomon had, cities for his chariots and cities for his horsemen, and whatever Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.
20 All the people who were left of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of the people of Israel—
21 Their descendants who were left after them in the land, whom the people of Israel were unable to devote to destruction—these Solomon drafted to be slaves, and so they are to this day.
22 But of the people of Israel Solomon made no slaves. They were the soldiers, they were his officials, his commanders, his captains, his chariot commanders and his horsemen.
23 These were the chief officers who were over Solomon’s work: 550 who had charge of the people who carried on the work.
2 Chronicles 2:1-2: 1 Now Solomon purposed to build a temple for the name of the Lord, and a royal palace for himself.
2 And Solomon assigned 70,000 men to bear burdens and 80,000 to quarry in the hill country, and 3,600 to oversee them.
2 Chronicles 8:7-10: 7 All the people who were left of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel,
8 Their provisions were for all Solomon’s daily rate of 30 cors of fine flour and 60 cors of meal,
9 But of the people of Israel Solomon made no slaves for his work; they were soldiers, they were his officials, his commanders, his captains, his chariot commanders and his horsemen.
10 And these were the chief officers of King Solomon, 250, who exercised authority over the people.
1 Samuel 8:10-18: 10 So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking for a king from him.
11 He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots.
12 He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots.
13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.
14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants.
15 He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants.
16 He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work.
17 He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves.
18 And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”
2 Kings 12:4-16: 4 Jehoash said to the priests, “All the money of the holy things that is brought into the house of the Lord, the money for which each man is assessed—the money from the assessment of persons—and the money that a man’s heart prompts him to bring into the house of the Lord,
5 let the priests take it for themselves, each from his donor, and let them repair the house wherever any need of repairs is discovered.”
6 But by the twenty-third year of King Joash, the priests had made no repairs on the house.
7 So King Joash called Jehoiada the priest and the other priests and said to them, “Why are you not repairing the house? Now therefore take no more money from your donors, but hand it over for the repair of the house.”
8 And the priests agreed that they should take the money to repair the house, each from his donor, and that they should repair the house of the Lord.
9 Then Jehoiada the priest took a chest and bore a hole in its lid and set it beside the altar on the right side as one entered the house of the Lord. And the priests who guarded the threshold put in it all the money that was brought into the house of the Lord.
10 And whenever they saw that there was much money in the chest, the king’s secretary and the high priest came up and they bagged and counted the money that was found in the house of the Lord.
11 Then they would give the money that was weighed out into the hands of the workmen who had the oversight of the house of the Lord. And they paid it out to the carpenters and the builders who worked on the house of the Lord,
12 The money from the guilt offerings and the money from the sin offerings was not brought into the house of the Lord; it belonged to the priests.
13 But there were not made for the house of the Lord basins of silver, snuffers, bowls, trumpets, or any vessels of gold, or of silver, from the money that was brought into the house of the Lord,
14 But they did not ask an accounting from the men into whose hand they delivered the money to pay out to the workmen, for they dealt honestly.
15 And they did not ask an accounting from the men into whose hand they delivered the money to pay out to the workmen, for they dealt honestly.
16 The money from the guilt offerings and the money from the sin offerings was not brought into the house of the Lord; it belonged to the priests.
Nehemiah 5:1-13: 1 Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers.
2 For there were those who said, “With our sons and our daughters, we are many. So let us get grain, that we may eat and keep alive.”
3 There were also those who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine.”
4 And there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards.
5 Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards.
6 I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words.
7 I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them.
8 and said to them, “We, as far as we are able, have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!” They were silent and could not find a word to say.
9 So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies?
10 I also said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies?
11 Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them.”
12 Then they said, “We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say.” And I called the priests and made them swear to do as they had promised.
13 I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said “Amen” and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.
Exodus 30:11-16: 11 The Lord said to Moses,
12 When you take the census of the people of Israel, then each shall give a ransom for his life to the Lord when you number them, that there be no plague among them when you number them.
13 Each one who is numbered in the census shall give this: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as an offering to the Lord.
14 Everyone who is numbered in the census shall give this: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as an offering to the Lord.
15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when you give the Lord’s offering to make atonement for your lives.
16 You shall take the atonement money from the people of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may bring the people of Israel to remembrance before the Lord, so as to make atonement for your lives.”
2 Chronicles 24:4-14: 4 Some time afterward, Joash decided to restore the house of the Lord.
5 And he gathered the priests and the Levites and said to them, “Go out to the cities of Judah and gather from all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that you act quickly.” But the Levites did not act quickly.
6 So the king summoned Jehoiada the chief and said to him, “Why have you not required the Levites to bring in from Judah and Jerusalem the tax levied by Moses, the servant of the Lord, and the congregation of Israel for the tent of the testimony?”
7 For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken into the house of God and had also used all the dedicated things of the house of the Lord for the Baals.
8 And the king commanded, and they made a chest and set it outside the gate of the house of the Lord.
9 And they made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem to bring in for the Lord the tax that Moses the servant of God laid on Israel in the wilderness.
10 And all the princes and all the people rejoiced and brought their tax and dropped it into the chest until they had finished.
11 And whenever the chest was brought to the king’s officers by the Levites, when they saw that there was much money in it, the king’s secretary and the officer of the chief priest would come and empty the chest and take it and return it to its place. So they did day after day, and collected money in abundance.
12 And the king and Jehoiada gave it to those who had charge of the work of the house of the Lord, and they hired masons and carpenters to restore the house of the Lord, and also workers in iron and bronze to repair the house of the Lord.
13 So those who were engaged in the work labored, and the repairing went forward in their hands, and they restored the house of God to its proper condition and strengthened it.
14 And when they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, and with it were made utensils for the house of the Lord, both for the service and for the burnt offerings, and dishes for incense and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord regularly all the days of Jehoiada.
Reverend Ogunlade is a seasoned Church Minister with over three decades of experience in guiding and nurturing congregations. With profound wisdom and a serene approach, Reverend Ogunlade has carried out various pastoral duties, including delivering uplifting sermons, conducting religious ceremonies, and offering sage counsel to individuals seeking spiritual guidance. Their commitment to fostering harmony and righteousness within their community is exemplified through their compassionate nature, making them a beloved and trusted figure among the congregation.