To the tribe of Levi alone Moses gave no inheritance. The offerings by fire to the Lord God of Israel are their inheritance, as he said to him. (Joshua 13:14, ESV)
But to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance; the Lord God of Israel is their inheritance, just as he said to them. (Joshua 13:33, ESV)
Have you been in a situation where you lose something “big” in your life? Let it be a situation where you lose someone dear to you, or you lose your occupation / business, or maybe you were born with no parents, or you are now living “alone” for some reasons. This verse may become an encouragement to you, for God understands your situation, and God wants to speak to you through this verse. If you are not one of those people, you may still relate with this verse, as this will remind and tell you of what is your portion, and the highest satisfaction that man could ever get.
Levites is one of the twelve tribes of Israel which God commanded to have no land as their inheritance. The rest of tribes of Israelites has their own land from the promised land that God gave to them, but here Moses said that Levites shall have no land as their inheritance. Why would God do such thing? If we stop only to that sentence, i think we will see this Levites as a poor tribe, won’t we? But here, God actually puts Levites as a priestly tribe a much bigger inheritance. God purposely puts the Levites with no inheritance, because their inheritance is God alone - God wants to become their inheritance, and not the land. God the creator, where all things are from Him becomes their inheritance - can you imagine that? Isn’t that greater than to possess the land?
But what does it mean to have God as an inheritance or portion? To have something as your inheritance meaning: “that” thing becomes your precious possession. For the rest of the tribes the land from the promised land is their portion, meaning that the land becomes something very precious that they will hold for the rest of their lives. We can also understand “inheritance” in the context before our parents died, they will give us an inheritance, because we are their child. We as a child becomes the heir of the inheritance that our parents gave. Inheritance has a sense of exclusiveness because only the heir could receive the inheritance and not everyone. Now can you imagine for Levites to have God as their inheritance? It means that God becomes their precious lot. It is a privilege for the Levites to receive such portion. God wants to be their all in all, the utmost in their lives. God wants an intimate relationship with them, as they serve Him, God will also take care of them. That is why the Priests (which is Levites) are not to entangle themselves with the affairs of this life and not to make any enrichment of themselves with the wealth it offers, so that they may devote themselves for the LORD. And so out of God’s love and consideration, He has taken care of their comforts and convenience of life. God wants them to taste the highest satisfaction in life, that is to serve God. What seems to be a disadvantage is actually the highest advantage that God has revealed to us. If there is any tribe that may represent Christian living, then Levites is the one.
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1 Peter 2:9 ESV)
We are the royal priesthood as 1 Peter 2 says, and as a priest we live to serve God; as a priest we live a holy life because our God is a holy God; just like a priest that can come closer to God in His temple, we too can come closer to God in our lives because God is our portion. Isn’t that a beautiful thing to have such intimate relationship with the Creator?
But this earthly nature of man is to desire anything but God, and that’s why God mold us in His way so that our hearts may longing the most desirable thing that the man would ever want to have - which is Himself. Remember Abraham when God asked him to give Isaac as a sacrifice? God knows that if God didn’t ask Abraham to do that, Isaac were still sitting on his throne of his heart. God’s command was a way for God to remove Isaac from the throne of Abraham’s heart, so that God could sit on the throne of his heart. God knows that He alone is what Abraham needs and not His creation, because only God can satisfy Him.
The Psalmist says, “The Lord is my portion.” and the Psalmist prays, “Whom have I in heaven but you, Lord, and earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:26). In other words the Psalmist wants to say “God, I wouldn’t even want to be in heaven if you weren’t there and this earth has nothing that satisfies me except You, O God. My own strength and abilities often fail, but with you living in my heart I have all the power I need and more joy than I can contain.”
Is this prayer true for us? What would it be like for us to continually thirsted for Jesus and found delight in Him? Imagine if the way we work, or relate to people, or spending our free time, and even the things we think about were an expression of our love for Jesus. I’m not talking about perfection, but growing towards it, by God’s grace, little-by-little.
Lastly, I would like us to ponder or reflect on this thing: Did God works in a similar way in your life? Does God didn’t give you a “land” for your inheritance? Does God take something that you possess? Maybe God wants you to look for Him, and to have Him as your portion. I know God has taught me this, and I realise He has mold my character so much, that if now i have a heart that long for His presence in my life, i know that God teaches me day by day to have Him as my only portion. And He is still working gently in my heart, so that I would gladly take Him as my inheritance, and to serve Him as a royal priesthood, so that through my life His name is proclaimed, because He has taken me out from the pit of darkness into His marvelous light. Truly Jesus who has offered us an eternal life is our inheritance as God’s people.
What is your portion or inheritance? May this short reflection inspire and encourage us to live a holy life for God who is our Lord and Savior.
Amen,
Paul Hartono
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