Day 288: Sharing with those who serve – Deuteronomy 18 vs 1- 8
1-2 The Levitical priests – indeed, the whole tribe of Levi – are to have no land allotted to them or any inheritance with Israel. They shall live on the food offerings presented to the Lord, for that is their inheritance. They shall have no inheritance among their fellow Israelites; the Lord is their inheritance, as he promised them. 3-4 This is the share due to the priests from the people who sacrifice a bull or a sheep: the shoulder, the internal organs and the meat from the head. You are to give them the firstfruits of your corn, new wine and olive oil, and the first wool from the shearing of your sheep. 5 For the Lord your God has chosen them and their descendants out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the Lord’s name always.
6-8 If a Levite moves from one of your towns anywhere in Israel where he is living, and comes in all earnestness to the place the Lord will choose, he may minister in the name of the Lord his God like all his fellow Levites who serve there in the presence of the Lord. He is to share equally in their benefits even though he has received money from the sale of family possessions. Deuteronomy 18:1-8 New International Version (English Standard Version link)
While the word 'Levi' is probably more known in the world for a brand of jeans, it was the name of one of the twelve sons of Jacob whose own name was changed by God to Israel. The names of his sons became the names of the tribes of Israel and the regions they lived in. But God chose one of these tribes, the Levites, to serve Him in a special way. (vs 5).
Listen to what God said through the prophet Malachi (many years later) what 'to minister in His name' meant. “The purpose of my covenant with the Levites was to bring life and peace, and that is what I gave them. This required reverence from them, and they greatly revered me and stood in awe of my name. They passed on to the people the truth of the instructions they received from me. They did not lie or cheat; they walked with me, living good and righteous lives, and they turned many from lives of sin. The words of a priest’s lips should preserve knowledge of God, and people should go to him for instruction, for the priest is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 2:4-7) So, besides assisting with the temple sacrifices, what do those words show the other vital role of the Levites was?
They were called to personal godliness - and their lips were to preserve knowledge of God so that people could go to them for instruction. They were messengers of the Lord. Yet they were not to have a state (or county) of their own like the other tribes. Why do you think that was?
One reason is because God says He Himself was their 'inheritance'. (vs 1-2). It's interesting that the apostle Peter says that’s now true of all who come to Christ. He wrote: “You are a chosen people, you are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God.” (1 Peter 2:9) Then, in vs 11, Peter adds “I urge you as 'temporary residents and foreigners' to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your souls.” Like those Levites of old, our portion is not in this world.
The other reason they were not given a state was perhaps because God wanted them to be spread throughout the land. We see this in vs 6-8. There's always a danger for believers to form a little 'holy club' among ourselves and to forget that we’re called to take His word to others. God even used persecution to spread His people to other parts of the world. In Acts 8:4-5 we read: “The man called Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church and went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison. But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went. Philip went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah.”
The other important truth of these instructions about the Levites is that their daily needs were to be met through the offerings of the other tribes. God’s people were to share what He blessed them with, with the Levites. The apostle Paul applied this principle to Christians as well when he said: “Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them.” (Galatians 6:6) Many Christians have given up careers and personal riches to become missionaries and ministers. And those who live godly lives and faithfully teach Christ’s message are worthy of our generous support.