(ThyBlackMan.com) Better minds from better men have already attempted to delve into this subject with great success and impact. Paris Reidhead most notably comes to mind, who preached on the implications of this concept in his sermon “Ten Shekels and a Shirt.” He dealt with a Levite who had wandered from his way, who had previously decided that his occupation wasn’t profitable enough and sought substance and position elsewhere. I, however, want to appeal to the “Levites” who haven’t yet made up their minds; to the Levites who may be on the fence concerning the vocation of their calling while using Korah as a cautionary tale to inspire reverence of your place before God, hopefully.
I openly confess I knew little concerning the role, task, and employment of a Levite. The Levitical priesthood at first appeared to be regarded as workers in the Tabernacle, performing the sacrifice according to the Law of Moses that he received on Mount Sinai. A tribe displaced in the Promised Land, not to mention the keeping of the law and ordinances of offerings and so forth. However, what I discovered was that they were much more than that. Being a Levite was a privilege and an honor. To be chosen as a tribe to minister the holy things before a holy God is not a small thing. To stand before God, presenting the nation’s offerings to appease the just wrath of God, was to serve as the nation’s preserve and protector, an act of intercession and mediation. It can seem they were a “lesser” tribe because they received no inheritance in the land of their forefathers, but in reality, they had a more significant legacy than all their brothers combined. God, Himself would be their portion. His holiness would be their inheritance!
Oh, what a blessed place to be in, being chosen to be the physical representation of the Holy standards of God, carriers of God before the nation of men! Who needs land with all its corruption, toil, and strain when you possess the God of heaven as your heritage? Who fights over plots and titles when you’ve been set apart for God’s service? Who squabbles over landmarks and livestock when you have the Lord God as your inheritance and exceeding great reward? They were possibly unaware of their position’s gravity or the solemnity of their responsibility. That would be a shame, for as the Scripture says in Psalm 49:20, “Man that is in honor, and understandeth not, Is like the beasts that perish.”
What else can we say of the Levites? They had their spiritual honor and instruction from God to have cities where they could reside and have clothing and food. Their mainstay, their permanent place, was the presence of God, the Tabernacle, and the various holy materials inside. They executed God’s will and ministered to the entire nation of the Israelites. The Levites also acknowledged the healing of disease; it was the Levites that administered the nation’s sacrifices; it was the Levites that kept the people “holy” in the sense of keeping to the Law and statutes of God. That was a special place, but it wasn’t enough. The greed of their ambition sought the priestly ministry of Aaron and Moses as well.
Dear Christian, we, too, hold a special place due to being called to be a royal priesthood before God. The Scriptures are clear that we are “made a kingdom and priests unto God.” As Christians, we serve as ambassadors of His heavenly kingdom, calling men to repent by evangelism and praying for their conversion by intercession. We represent God before men and present men before God, thus joining the intercessory ministry of our Lord. Is this enough for you, child of God?
Is being a Christian enough, or do you seek some other status or significance from the world you’re supposed to serve? Or perhaps you desire a throne, like the sons of thunder? The point of application is we should be happy with our portion from the Lord and not emulate the ungrateful habit of Israel, and Korah in particular, by always desiring something other than the precious opportunity to serve the true and living God.
Staff Writer; C. E. Davis
This man of God can also be found online over at; InfiniteTruth Devotion.
One may also drop an email: CEDavis@ThyBlackMan.com.