Serving the Lord is Always a Privilege
Not enough people hear this but it is true. Serving God's purpose is the most privileged life we can experience. Remember the Levites? They were the tribe that sided with Moses in the golden calf incident. They took up swords against the immorality of the people and zealously defended the honor of God. For this they got?
No land inheritance in Israel.
Yes. The tribe that served the Lord righteously and did not bow to the calf was rewarded with something far better than material wealth. And what was it? Life in the presence of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 18:1–5 (ESV) “The Levitical priests, all the tribe of Levi, shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They shall eat the LORD’s food offerings as their inheritance. 2 They shall have no inheritance among their brothers; the LORD is their inheritance, as he promised them. 3 And this shall be the priests’ due from the people, from those offering a sacrifice, whether an ox or a sheep: they shall give to the priest the shoulder and the two cheeks and the stomach. 4 The firstfruits of your grain, of your wine and of your oil, and the first fleece of your sheep, you shall give him. 5 For the LORD your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the name of the LORD, him and his sons for all time.
What God is doing for Israel in Deuteronomy 18 is outlining the rights, responsibilities and rewards of being a Levite Priest. I read this line from a commentator and thought it was so apt: "What they lacked in territorial terms they gained by virtue of their privileged position as intercessors between the Lord and His people." This is a powerful statements and a wonderful illustration of the Christian's life before those far from God.
No Christian, your life may not have the territory of the powerful players in society. I have to think hard of a devoted Christian who is a power player in Wall Street or on the Forbes 500 list. If they are there, they are few in comparison to those attached to this world and disconnected from faith in God.
So it can very much feel like we Christians are destined to the outside of the "in" crowd for the most part. But what do we have? We have the Lord's food. We eat of His bounty from the Word of God. We have access into the presence of the Lord to stand before Him and worship or to stand before the world and intervene on God's behalf. Christian, you are the new priesthood of God (see 1 Peter 2). You are not defined by what you own, but by who you serve. And it is freeing to be freed from the constrains of property here on Earth. Deuteronomy 18 goes further:
Deuteronomy 18:6–8 (ESV) “And if a Levite comes from any of your towns out of all Israel, where he lives—and he may come when he desires—to the place that the LORD will choose, 7 and ministers in the name of the LORD his God, like all his fellow Levites who stand to minister there before the LORD, 8 then he may have equal portions to eat, besides what he receives from the sale of his patrimony.
No land inheritance in Israel.
Yes. The tribe that served the Lord righteously and did not bow to the calf was rewarded with something far better than material wealth. And what was it? Life in the presence of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 18:1–5 (ESV) “The Levitical priests, all the tribe of Levi, shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They shall eat the LORD’s food offerings as their inheritance. 2 They shall have no inheritance among their brothers; the LORD is their inheritance, as he promised them. 3 And this shall be the priests’ due from the people, from those offering a sacrifice, whether an ox or a sheep: they shall give to the priest the shoulder and the two cheeks and the stomach. 4 The firstfruits of your grain, of your wine and of your oil, and the first fleece of your sheep, you shall give him. 5 For the LORD your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the name of the LORD, him and his sons for all time.
What God is doing for Israel in Deuteronomy 18 is outlining the rights, responsibilities and rewards of being a Levite Priest. I read this line from a commentator and thought it was so apt: "What they lacked in territorial terms they gained by virtue of their privileged position as intercessors between the Lord and His people." This is a powerful statements and a wonderful illustration of the Christian's life before those far from God.
No Christian, your life may not have the territory of the powerful players in society. I have to think hard of a devoted Christian who is a power player in Wall Street or on the Forbes 500 list. If they are there, they are few in comparison to those attached to this world and disconnected from faith in God.
So it can very much feel like we Christians are destined to the outside of the "in" crowd for the most part. But what do we have? We have the Lord's food. We eat of His bounty from the Word of God. We have access into the presence of the Lord to stand before Him and worship or to stand before the world and intervene on God's behalf. Christian, you are the new priesthood of God (see 1 Peter 2). You are not defined by what you own, but by who you serve. And it is freeing to be freed from the constrains of property here on Earth. Deuteronomy 18 goes further:
Deuteronomy 18:6–8 (ESV) “And if a Levite comes from any of your towns out of all Israel, where he lives—and he may come when he desires—to the place that the LORD will choose, 7 and ministers in the name of the LORD his God, like all his fellow Levites who stand to minister there before the LORD, 8 then he may have equal portions to eat, besides what he receives from the sale of his patrimony.
The stipulation here was clear. A Levite could at any time leave where he lived and come live in the Temple of the Lord. This is the great opportunity of any Christian. You may live geographically in a place that does not very much reflect the love of God or Christian value. But you have unhindered access to God! You can come to Him from wherever you live and experience His presence. It is this right that Saul sought to have and lost his kingdom over. It is what Uzziah desired and instead got leprosy. Access to God is a privilege belonging to those the Lord calls to Himself.
Christian, lift up your head. Draw close to your Lord. He is waiting for you to come and be with Him.
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