Today's Scripture
The Gift of Serving – Numbers 8: 14-22
14 Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the other Israelites, and the Levites shall be mine. 15 Thereafter the Levites may go in to do service at the tent of meeting, once you have cleansed them and presented them as an elevation offering. 16 For they are unreservedly given to me from among the Israelites; I have taken them for myself, in place of all that open the womb, the firstborn of all the Israelites. 17 For all the firstborn among the Israelites are mine, both human and animal. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I consecrated them for myself, 18 but I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn among the Israelites. 19 Moreover, I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the Israelites, to do the service for the Israelites at the tent of meeting, and to make atonement for the Israelites, in order that there may be no plague among the Israelites for coming too close to the sanctuary.
20 Moses and Aaron and the whole congregation of the Israelites did with the Levites accordingly; the Israelites did with the Levites just as the Lord had commanded Moses concerning them. 21 The Levites purified themselves from sin and washed their clothes; then Aaron presented them as an elevation offering before the Lord, and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them. 22 Thereafter the Levites went in to do their service in the tent of meeting in attendance on Aaron and his sons. As the Lord had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so they did with them.
RJ's Devotion
What the passage says
V. 14-19 The Levites were set aside for the service to the Lord
V. 20-22 Then the Israelites did all that was commanded with the Levites, and the Levites were consecrated to the service of the Temple.
What does the passage mean to me/us?
Today’s passage describes how God set aside the Levites for the service of the Temple.
They were called out, so they no longer were counted in the twelve tribes.
They were called out, so they did not inherit a land when the Israelites entered into the Promise Land.
They lived among the people, serving the temple.
Then some might say, are clergy considered to be like Levites. I would say yes and no.
In the manner to purify ourselves and serve the Lord; yes.
However, after Christ died for us, the call expands to all believers.
We are all called out for the service of our Lord to the world.
Prayer
Lord, help us to live according to your will. Let us live as a servant to the world.
In Christ Name, we pray, AMEN
Click to subscribe to our Daily Devotion.
You will receive a devotion in your inbox every morning.