Several Wednesdays ago, Don Gregory gave a devotional where he talked about a following a string through the Bible. He talked about hyssop and how it ‘strings’ together certain events throughout Biblical history.
I would like to look at another possible string. This one starts when Moses came down off the mountain with Ten Commandments (the first time). The people were worshiping an idol and Moses called for the faithful. “Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, “Who is on the Lord’s Side? Come to me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him” (Ex 32:26). And God, through Moses, tells the Levites to take a stand against the idolatry, and in this case cut some of their brothers down with the sword. “Then Moses said [to the Levites], “You have been set apart to the Lord today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day” (Ex 32:29).
If we grab that string and slide our fingers along it, we come next to Deuteronomy. “At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister and to pronounce blessings in his name, as they still do today. That is why the Levites have no share or inheritance among their brothers; the LORD is their inheritance, as the LORD your God told them” (Deu 10:8-9). Instead of getting land or stuff from God, Levites received God Himself as their inheritance. They were allowed to be closer to Him than anyone else. They were the priests. They received a special connection with God.
What do you think when you meditate on these stories? Do you think about God giving out the inheritance like a Christmas morning? All of the kids are opening presents to find new phones, except one kid whose only present is a hand-made book of coupons for one-on-one time spent with Dad. Do you see that one child as getting the best present, or getting gypped?
Let’s grab that sting again and follow it to John 15:19 and 1 Peter 2:5. Jesus said “you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world” and then Peter said “You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood…” We, like the Levites, have been set apart to be a nation of priests. We, like the Levites need to take a stand against the idols of our world. If we do that, our inheritance is God Himself. And there is no land or phone or any possession that can compare with the one-on-one time that He is offering.
Today, may you recognize your responsibility and inheritance as a priest.