Final answer:
God chose the Levites as priests through direct instructions to Moses on Mount Sinai, where He provided designs for the Tabernacle and established the Levites as guardians and ministers. This divine selection was part of the covenant with the Hebrew people, which included the practice of monotheism and adherence to a set of laws, symbolized by the Ten Commandments.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to the Hebrew Bible, God chose the Levites as priests after the Israelites' Exodus from Egypt. Moses, a key prophet in this tradition, played a central role not only in leading the Hebrews out of slavery but also in establishing their religious and societal rules upon their arrival in the promised land. These included the practice of monotheism and adherence to God's laws, such as the Ten Commandments, which were considered a covenant between God and the Hebrew people. Amongst these practices, the Levites were appointed as the religious leaders and guardians of the Tabernacle, symbolizing their divine selection as priests.
The story in the book of Exodus details how Moses received instructions from God on Mount Sinai, including the designs for the Tabernacle, the portable dwelling place for God among the Israelites, which also acted as a precursor to the Temple. The Levites were given the special role to serve in the Tabernacle, indicating God's choice of them as the priestly tribe (Hebrews 8:5). In other instances, such as the punishment of Miriam for speaking against Moses (Numbers 12:1-10), God's direct interventions served to affirm the authority of Moses and, by extension, the Levitical priesthood he established.