Levi's Inheritance

In Joshua 13:33 we read, "But unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not any inheritance:the Lord God of Israel was their inheritance, as he said unto them."

If this also was "written for our admonition," as i Cor. 10:ii tells us, what a rich feast for our souls there is in it, for who would not rather possess the spring than to get a glass of water from it from time to time. The other tribes, if they were obedient to God, were to prove the rich blessings of His hand in that "good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; a land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive and honey; a land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack anything in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass" (Deut. 8:7-9).

Levites would, of course, share all these blessings too, as we Christians share in all the blessings common to mankind. But as a tribe it could not point to any territory, as the other tribes could, and say, This is mine. God counted them out of all status in the nation, even as He counts us Christians out of all status in this world. It was not to leave them out desolate, but to have them near Himself and for Himself, as a king severs a regiment from the army to make them his own body-guard and closer companions. This was great honor put upon Levi, and it is the greatest honor heaven can bestow to be called to have "fellowship with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ." This is the portion of all true Christians, and the Saviour says of them, "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world" (John 17:16). They are a people severed from the world, without a status in the world, political or national, to be to Christ what Levi was to Jehovah. How exceedingly precious to have God Himself, the Father and the Son, for our inheritance! With this we can well afford to give up the world in all its forms, even the most attractive.

There were three families of the Levites, each having special relations with Jehovah, and special responsibilities in the service of the Temple, even as we Christians have three leading characteristics in our Christian relations and services. Out of one was the priestly family whose chief business was with things within the Sanctuary, in the immediate presence of God. So we Christians have for our chief and leading character the priestly worship, praise and celebration suited to the place of nearness in which we are brought to God. We are, all of us, the priesthood of the New Testament; and with Christ, the Great High Priest, among us (Matt. 18:20) and leading our praises (Heb. 2:12). It required all the forms of festivity, vestments, instruments of music and singers of the Jewish economy to illustrate the exalted privileges we enjoy in Christianity-not as now, seen largely in a degraded state, but as revealed in the word of God. It has indeed something higher, infinitely higher, than to go and hear a sermon, no matter how good it may be, and an artistic service of music, no matter how sensuous. True Christian worship- redeemed men offering to God what His grace has wrought in their hearts-is the foretaste of heaven on earth. Rev. 5 gives us a vision of this.

The other Levites were occupied, by God's appointment, some in the outposts of the Tabernacle area -the curtain, the posts and ropes which supported it, etc., the others in the care of the Tabernacle itself; even as we Christians have two great lines of service, one toward the world, for the salvation of lost men, the other toward the Church, for the care and spiritual progress of the children of God. And when we are through attending to these various relations which bind us to our Lord Jesus Christ, what then ? Oh, what then ?

" No heart can think, no tongue can tell,
What joy 'twill be with Christ to dwell."