At that time the Lord separated the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to minister to Him and to bless in His name, to this day. Therefore Levi has no portion nor inheritance with his brethren; the Lord is his inheritance, just as the Lord your God promised him. (Deuteronomy 10:8-9)
As discussed in the previous devotion, the sons of Levi were set apart from the rest of the nation in order to serve as God’s priests and attendants. Because they had set themselves apart from all others in a time when many were led astray, God rewarded them with the privilege of serving in His house. Of course, with this reward came many responsibilities that some might even consider to be a burden. Nevertheless, the LORD was their portion and, as such, He instituted statutes and ordinances especially with His servants in mind.
By that I mean to say that, because they were not given lands in Canaan — meaning that they would not be able to farm as the rest of the nation — the LORD had to make sure they had provision. Because they did not have fields to labor in like other tribes, a significant portion of the priest’s provision came from the offerings brought to the Sanctuary by the people of the other tribes. In some ways, it is reminiscent of the fact that, before the fall of man, Adam could “freely eat” of the food growing in the garden (which I believe was the first earthly Sanctuary).
The point is this: there are indeed benefits for those in service to the Almighty and there are responsibilities — duties that overshadow the day-to-day routine of life. In other words, if we are to serve God faithfully, we will be required at times to lay aside our needs in deference to what God needs us to do, which I might add, often translates into tending to the needs of others. However, He knows what we need even before we think or ask and, according to His Word, has already made provision for us. So with that in mind, “Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:9-10).
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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