Monday, February 28, 2011

Joshua 13; Levite Land

"But to the tribe of Levi, Moses had given no inheritance; the LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as he promised them." Something in that statement is so very spiritual and something in that statement stirs the depths of my carnal nature.

What a blessing that the tribe of Levi had. They were allowed to serve God more directly and intimately than anyone else. They were given the privilege of being one curtain away from his presence. They were his ambassadors to the people and the people's representatives before Him. Yet they had no land, no permanent source of income apart from the offerings of the people. Would it be enough? What if the affection of the people waned?

As a veterinarian turned missionary, I've lived both sides of this. It is indeed a privilege and a pleasure to spend more time than most in the pursuit of God. It can also produce anxiety when "offerings" struggle. But perhaps that is the greatest blessing in disguise. Somehow God always comes through to take care of our needs. Whether great or small, it always works out. Maybe that is one of the reasons behind not giving land to the Levites, i.e., he wanted them to walk by faith daily. Just as they arose daily in the desert to pick up manna, they would attend to his needs at the temple and he would take care of them daily via what they could not control. Surely anything that pushes us to walk by faith on a daily basis is a blessing in disguise, even if it possessing less security than others.

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