The priests and Levites are from the same tribe, yet they had different functions in Old Testament Mosaic Law. The priests were Levites who were Aaron's descendants, while other Levites (not from Aaron's line) assisted with tabernacle and temple service.
All priests were Levites, but not all Levites were priests, since only the descendants of Aaron were appointed to the priesthood while the rest of the tribe assisted in tabernacle and temple duties (Numbers 3:5–10; 1 Chronicles 23:28–32). The priests had the unique role of offering sacrifices and mediating between God and Israel, even though they themselves were sinful and needed atonement (Leviticus 16; Leviticus 9:7). The other Levites supported this system by caring for the sacred space and its ministry but were not allowed to perform priestly sacrifices or enter the most holy functions (Numbers 3:5–9). This distinction highlighted both the holiness of God and the seriousness of sin. The priests and Levites showed that access to God required a qualified mediator. This entire system was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, our perfect and sinless High Priest who offered Himself once for all as the final sacrifice (Hebrews 7:27; 4:15–16). Because of Him, the barrier between us and God was removed so that all who trust in Him for the forgiveness of sins can draw near to God directly with confidence, no longer needing a human priestly mediator. The Old Testament priesthood, then, serves as a shadow pointing forward to the complete and finished work of Christ.
People don’t think much of middlemen; they serve a function in systems like distribution or recruiting, but most people naturally prefer to “cut out the middleman.”
God has done that for us through Christ's sacrifice. Believers today no longer need "middlemen" to God—i.e., a priestly class to intervene on our behalf with God. We have Christ. Being the sinless Son of God, He is our perfect mediator, the only One who doesn't have to offer a sacrifice for Himself because He is sinless.
This means we can, as the writer of Hebrews said, "with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). We don't need to offer sacrifices to be cleansed of sin; Jesus did that for us. We can approach God in prayer and ask for forgiveness because of what Christ did on the cross. God's presence is within us, not localized to a temple. When we sin, we don't have to carry that burden but can confess it to God. So, let's not take that for granted. Let us draw near to Him today, thankful that Jesus has permanently secured for us access to God Himself.