Deuteronomy 18:1-81The priests the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and his inheritance. 2Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren: the Lord is their inheritance, as he hath said unto them. 3And this shall be the priest's due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep; and they shall give unto the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw. 4The firstfruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him. 5For the Lord thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name of the Lord, him and his sons for ever. 6And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourned, and come with all the desire of his mind unto the place which the Lord shall choose; 7Then he shall minister in the name of the Lord his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, which stand there before the Lord. 8They shall have like portions to eat, beside that which cometh of the sale of his patrimony. (Deuteronomy 18:1‑8)
THE RIGHTS of the priests and the Levites are before the eye of God in this chapter. They had no inheritance in the land as did the other tribes, for the Lord was their inheritance. But they were His servants, ministering in His name, and were to live of the offerings of the Lord. Thus He identifies them with Himself in a very blessed way. The people were to minister to them a recognized portion of their offerings — the shoulder, the firstfruits of their corn, of their wine, of their oil, and of their fleece. In a typical way these all speak of Christ, the portion of those who serve Him.
What a beautiful picture then we have here of those who serve Him now. By His grace we are priests unto God and His Father and we are not to seek our inheritance down here, for our inheritance is above. God does, however, provide for all our needs as we pass through this world "according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus," and He gives us to find our truest joys in serving Him. May we remember His faithful promise.
"And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourned, and come with all the desire of his mind unto the place which the Lord shall choose; then he shall minister in the name of the Lord his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, which stand there before the Lord."
If there was a longing desire in the heart of a Levite to dwell near the sanctuary of the Lord's presence, no matter where he might be located he was to have this privilege. He could come and minister among his brethren who stood there before the Lord, and he was to find his portion among them.
How sweet this is for it tells us how God delights to welcome one who has a desire to come and draw nigh to Him, to worship and to dwell in His presence. May we have more of this faith in our own hearts and experience the loving encouragement of the blessed Saviour, who when He was here on earth told the poor Syrophenician woman, "0 woman, great is thy faith. Be it unto thee even as thou wilt."
Messages of the Love of God 6/8/1975