October 14, 2013
HE IS MORE THAN ENOUGH . . . PROMISE!
Deuteronomy 18:1-8
Roxana McCauley
Central Truth
Just as the Levites were separate and holy, we also are to live a life that is holy and pleasing to God.
Key Verse | Deuteronomy 18:2, 5
"They shall have no inheritance among their countrymen; the LORD is their inheritance, as He promised them. . . . For the LORD your God has chosen him and his sons from all your tribes, to stand and serve in the name of the LORD forever." (Deuteronomy 18:2, 5)
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Deuteronomy 18:1-8
Provision for Priests and Levites
1 The Levitical priests, all the tribe of Levi, shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They shall eat the LORD's food offerings 1 18:1 Or the offerings by fire to the LORD as their 2 18:1 Hebrew his inheritance. 2 They shall have no inheritance among their brothers; the LORD is their inheritance, as he promised them. 3 And this shall be the priests' due from the people, from those offering a sacrifice, whether an ox or a sheep: they shall give to the priest the shoulder and the two cheeks and the stomach. 4 The firstfruits of your grain, of your wine and of your oil, and the first fleece of your sheep, you shall give him. 5 For the LORD your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the name of the LORD, him and his sons for all time.
6 And if a Levite comes from any of your towns out of all Israel, where he lives—and he may come when he desires 3 18:6 Or livesif he comes enthusiastically —to the place that the LORD will choose, 7 and ministers in the name of the LORD his God, like all his fellow Levites who stand to minister there before the LORD, 8 then he may have equal portions to eat, besides what he receives from the sale of his patrimony. 4 18:8 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
Dive Deeper | Deuteronomy 18:1-8
The Levites were one of the 12 tribes of Jacob. They were set apart by God for his service (Exodus 32:29) -- they were priests who did not own any land or even their own home. They were separate and distinguished from all the other tribes and were entrusted with the care of the tabernacle of the testimony (Numbers 1:50). They were to get what the people sacrificed, so they were solely dependent upon the people and what they gave out of obedience to God.
As a believer in Jesus Christ, I am called to live out a life that sets me apart from others, much like the Levites. My life should look different by the way I talk to others, by the way I handle conflict, by the way I love my husband, and even by the way I discipline my children. I am to rely solely on Him for everything!
As a person who struggles with control, however, I used to seek to handle things on my own without going to God first and without wise counsel. I relied on my own strength for everything, thinking that it made me a better person and that others would value me because of this. As my relationship with the Lord grew, I learned that "I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:10)
The road has been long, but God has been good. He has shown me just as He did the Levites that He is more than enough! He is my inheritance, and I get to pass this and the hope there is in Christ Jesus down to my kids. "[B]ut sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence." (1 Peter 3:15)
Discussion Questions
1. Can you look at yourself and say with confidence that you are living a life that would set you apart from others? How are you doing that?
2. Are you willing to do what God asks of you?
3. How are you depending on the Lord today?