"The Levitical priests, the whole tribe of Levi, shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the Lord's offerings by fire and His portion. They shall have no inheritance among their countrymen; the Lord is their inheritance, as He promised them." (Deuteronomy 18:1-2)As the Israelite stood on the east side of the Jordan, they stood ready to enter the promised land; a land given to them as an inheritance; a land filled with unimaginable wealth, property, and provisions. "O Israel, you should listen and be careful to do it, that it may be well with you and that you may multiply greatly, just as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey... Then it shall come about when the Lord your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build, and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied." (Deuteronomy 6:3,10-11) It was a land that excited even their widest dreams and imaginations, yet for the tribe of Levi, none of it was for them. "Those who were numbered of them were 23,000, every male from a month old and upward, for they were not numbered among the sons of Israel since no inheritance was given to them among the sons of Israel." (Numbers 26:62) Of all the wealth, splendor, and treasure of this new land, none was given or deeded to any of the Levites; none of the inheritance of the promised land was to be theirs.
While at first blush it may seem that the Levites missed out, in truth they inherited something of infinitely greater value. "They shall eat the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and his inheritance... the Lord is their inheritance." (Deuteronomy 18:1-2 KJV) While the rest of Israel inherited a land, the Levites inherited the Lord. God Himself became their inheritance, their portion and lot, and what was God's, He shared with them. They not only inherited God but all that was His became theirs. What of this creation could even begin to compare with the unspeakable riches of possessing God?
This inheritance is not only for the Levites, but for all those who are of faith. Jesus came that we too might partake of that inheritance that is God. "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:12-13) Paul also reminds us that we are heirs of this inheritance. "The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him." (Romans 8:16-17)
Faced with this reality, we must ask ourselves, "which inheritance will I choose?" Will we be content with earthly riches, with prosperity, with the blessings of this creation? Or will our hearts only be satisfied with something more, something more than even the greatest riches of this life and world? Will we be satisfied with the blessings of God, the gifts of God, or the ministries of God? Or will our hearts long with a longing that only God can fill? There are many blessings in this life but they all pale in comparison to the reality of God. Paul put it this way, "More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ." (Philippians 3:8)
One of the sons of Korah of God, "He chooses our inheritance for us, the glory of Jacob whom He loves." (Psalms 47:4) And the inheritance He has chosen for us is Himself! Let us not be satisfied with the things of this world, as great and desirable as they may be. Rather let our hearts be satisfied with nothing less than God Himself. For when God becomes our inheritance, we will be able to say with David, "The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; you support my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me." (Psalms 16:5-6)
David Robison
Powered by ScribeFire.
No comments:
Post a Comment