Inheritance
"But to the tribe of Levi, Moses did not give an inheritance; the LORD, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as He had promised to them." Joshua 13
What if someone came up to you and said, "I'm giving everyone else a million dollars, but to you, I give myself." What would your reaction be? What would mine be? I think it depends on the person... If it were OJ Simpson, I would be pretty freaked out. If it were my future husband, I would be overjoyed (although I might encourage him to keep a little money for ourselves). Essentially, that is what God said to the Levites. The tribe of Levi was tasked with ministering in God's temple. They were the custodians, worship leaders and administrators of God's house. But why did God not give them any land of their own? He designated a portion of land in Israel to every tribe but to the tribe of Levi. Without land it meant they had no steady source of income, nothing to rely on, nothing to pass down to their children, no place to call their own. Everyone got a million dollars except them! To the Levites, God said: I give you the offerings of the altar in the temple, a portion of the tithes, and I give you myself. They were completely dependent on the faithfulness of God's people to God's commands and upon God's provision for them. And yet, God speaks of this inheritance as a blessing.
In college I sensed God telling me, "You are a Levite. You will have no inheritance. I am your inheritance." I know I'm not ACTUALLY a Levite. What God was saying is that my life would be a life of dependence on and service to him; to not put my trust in building up stability and security through earthly and monetary means. To make HIM my inheritance, my security, my goal. So far, that has been true! I have had quite the mobile life! Kansas to Texas to Brazil to Oklahoma to Texas to Venezuela to Virginia to San Fran to San Diego to Arkansas. No plans to buy a house or put down roots are in the foreseeable future. I have no idea where I will be next. And that is OK because to have God as my inheritance is pretty amazing; to know that wherever I go, I have him and that he is my reward. To know that if I die, I get him. If I live, I get him again. He is worth more than a million homes.
Today, as I read Joshua 13, God reminded me of that promise. I don't know that this means I will never stay in one place, buy a home or all the normal people things. What it means is a reminder to my heart that God is my inheritance. He is what I get, and that is so good. He is my goal, my treasure, my security, my present and future reward.
It's not just me though. God is also YOUR inheritance. Ephesians 1 says:
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.
What if someone came up to you and said, "I'm giving everyone else a million dollars, but to you, I give myself." What would your reaction be? What would mine be? I think it depends on the person... If it were OJ Simpson, I would be pretty freaked out. If it were my future husband, I would be overjoyed (although I might encourage him to keep a little money for ourselves). Essentially, that is what God said to the Levites. The tribe of Levi was tasked with ministering in God's temple. They were the custodians, worship leaders and administrators of God's house. But why did God not give them any land of their own? He designated a portion of land in Israel to every tribe but to the tribe of Levi. Without land it meant they had no steady source of income, nothing to rely on, nothing to pass down to their children, no place to call their own. Everyone got a million dollars except them! To the Levites, God said: I give you the offerings of the altar in the temple, a portion of the tithes, and I give you myself. They were completely dependent on the faithfulness of God's people to God's commands and upon God's provision for them. And yet, God speaks of this inheritance as a blessing.
In college I sensed God telling me, "You are a Levite. You will have no inheritance. I am your inheritance." I know I'm not ACTUALLY a Levite. What God was saying is that my life would be a life of dependence on and service to him; to not put my trust in building up stability and security through earthly and monetary means. To make HIM my inheritance, my security, my goal. So far, that has been true! I have had quite the mobile life! Kansas to Texas to Brazil to Oklahoma to Texas to Venezuela to Virginia to San Fran to San Diego to Arkansas. No plans to buy a house or put down roots are in the foreseeable future. I have no idea where I will be next. And that is OK because to have God as my inheritance is pretty amazing; to know that wherever I go, I have him and that he is my reward. To know that if I die, I get him. If I live, I get him again. He is worth more than a million homes.
Today, as I read Joshua 13, God reminded me of that promise. I don't know that this means I will never stay in one place, buy a home or all the normal people things. What it means is a reminder to my heart that God is my inheritance. He is what I get, and that is so good. He is my goal, my treasure, my security, my present and future reward.
It's not just me though. God is also YOUR inheritance. Ephesians 1 says:
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.
The whole purpose of your existence is adoption to sonship through Jesus. That is what pleases God. He is yours and you are His. That will change your life. The experience of God as their inheritance kept the Levites focused on their service to and reliance upon God. It can do that for us all.
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