The Levites were set apart by God to be used in His service when the first born males of Israel were redeemed in Numbers chapter 3. When the camp of the Israelites was arranged around the Tabernacle the Levites were set between the people of Israel and God’s anger. The Levites then take up positions to defend the seven year old Joash from harm in 2 Chronicles.How is Jesus Christ foreshadowed in these stories? Jesus Christ redeemed me from my sinfulness and blessed me with a renewed life. Jesus Christ is my advocate with God the Father in heaven. Jesus Christ has won the battle over sin and death when He died on the cross for my sins. The hope for tomorrow is found in Jesus Christ alone as we cling to His provision and promise.

What happened to the Levites when the nation of Israel split into the kingdoms of Israel and Judah? In 2 Chronicles 11:13-17 the Levites leave the land that they were given among all the cites of Israel and head to Jerusalem. The whole structure of the nation of Israel was upturned then the division occurred. When the Levites left the kingdom of Israel to go to Judah what was left behind? What was the spiritual condition of the people in the kingdom? Would it be like having all pastors and teachers within our churches rise up and leave the country? The Levites were set apart for service to God and they were removed from the cites within the kingdom of Israel. Did this promote the downfall of the northern kingdom? Throughout the Old Testament when people were not actively reminded to cling to God with all of their heart, mind, soul, and strength they easily sought out the god of their choice from among the idolatry of the land. Does this happens today when christians seek live apart from the body of Christ to live out their faith on their own? It is absolutely necessary that our faith is developed in communion with fellow believers because when one person falls away other are there to help them along the way.

The Levites who where set aside for service to God are transitioned from service in the Tabernacle to service in the Temple in 1 Chronicles 23 and 24. What was it like for the men who served within the Tabernacle to enter the Temple of the Lord for the first time? What would they have felt as they entered into service in God’s new dwelling place among the people of Israel? It becomes easy to casually read through scripture and elude the emotions that are involved in the events that are portrayed. Think about it: God was dwelling in a magnificence Temple in the City of David! When awe and wonder of God is lost in the midst of the daily grind of life we are losing a key component to our existence which will lead to hopelessness.

How often do we limit our relationship with God? We let the mundane nuances of life saturate our lives to the point where we lose the awesome wonder of Jesus Christ’s beautiful gift of grace and mercy expressed through the cross. As I read through 1 Chronicles 23 and 24 I initially read it like I would read a dictionary or doctoral thesis but as the emotions involved for all these descendants of Levi the scenery with the two chapters came to life. Looking at the Bible so callously and casually is like trying to take a picture of a garden on a cloudy night; you will not appreciate the true beauty before you. Taking time to look at the emotion and beauty that God expresses throughout all Scripture will be the sunrise on the picture of that garden when the light erupts into the scene adding definition and beauty to everything. Take time to dwell in the illuminating light that is found in Jesus Christ as you reflect on Him throughout Scripture.

Ruben’s sinfulness by sleeping with one of Israel’s concubines happened in Genesis and see how that act of sinfulness had effects a many generations after Ruben. What acts do we choose to commit today that will have lasting effects for good or bad for generations? We are deceiving ourselves if we believe that our actions today have no bearing on the lives of the generations that follow in our footsteps. When the sons of Levi are listed it is interesting how they are first  listed by birth and then their function within the Tabernacle in service to God is listed.

How did these lines of descendants remain pure for so many generations? When I think about the cultural melting pot that has been created within the United States in the last 300 years it is remarkable that the Israelites kept such clean lines in their genealogy. Does the purity of the genealogy throughout their history reflect their dependance and relationship with God? Is there a parallel between the genealogy of Israel and the development of a person’s faith in Jesus Christ? Since we are children of God through Jesus Christ do we enter into a genealogy?

It is a challenge to look at the book of 1 Chronicles objectively without any preconceived ideas to seek out the truth of scripture. I am thankful to be reminded of the great story that is seen throughout the Old Testament and to realize that I am a part of that same story today. The story of 1 Chronicles chapter 5 and 6 may seem to have less of an impact than the books of Joshua, Ruth, or Genesis but it is not devoid of having value if take time to reflect upon it in light of the story of scripture.

In my post on Joshua 17 and 18 I wondered about the future of leadership of the Israelites. It was easy for me to imagine that once the people of Israel separated after entering the promised land they were on their own, but as I read chapter 21 it became apparent that God was placing leadership all throughout the promised land. When the Israelites laid out the camp in the wilderness the Levites camped “around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that there will be no wrath on the congregation of the sons of Israel.” Numbers 2:17  They stood between the Israelites and God’s wrath just as Jesus Christ is our mediator between God and the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. The Levites were given cities to dwell in and land to farm from among the inheritance the tribes of Israel. How was God using the Levites by placing them in all the cities throughout the promised land? Does this symbolize something similar to Numbers 2? The Levites also lived in the Cities of Refuge so they were used to protect the people who sought refuge and also hear the accusation. I love the verses at the end of Joshua 21 because they give a feel of what things were like.

So the Lord gave Israel all the land which He has sworn to their fathers, and they possessed it and lived in it. And the Lord gave them rest on every side, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers, and no one of all their enemies stood before them; the Lord gave all their enemies into their hand. Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.

Joshua 21:43-45

Do you ever jump to conclusions or have your mind made up before you even hear about an event? All too often it is easy to build up preconceived notions, ideas, and prejudices about people and situations. The time of departure for the tribes who claimed their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan to comes in chapter 22. Joshua exhorts the men to “be very careful to observe the commandments and the lay which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Joshua 22:5 As the sons of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh were heading home, near the Jordan river, they built a larger altar. The other sons of Israel thought that these men were already turning away from God. They were preparing to go to war because of the altar that was built. After Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, confronted the sons of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh it was found out that the altar was not built for sacrifice but as a marker, memory, and witness to the tribes set apart from the rest of Israel across the Jordan that they are a to be in service to God. These men were concerned about how to instill a faith in God throughout the generations to come. It is all too easy to believe that we are able to build up our legacy for the future apart from God but in the end we need signs that point to God and our need for Him. This is exactly what the sons of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh did on the shore of the Jordan. Lord please grant me the ability to build up markers that witness to your faithfulness to the generations that proceed after me.

In Joshua chapters 13 and 14 the promised land is divided among the tribes of Israel. Lots are cast that determine who would settle in the various areas. As I noted in Joshua 7 and 8, when Achan sinned by taking forbidden blunder for Jericho, casting lots is not random because God controls the simple roll of the die. It is reassuring to see how God is always in control whether it is something we deem big or small.

Among all the dividing of the land amongst the tribes of Israel I was taken by the inheritance of the Levites. I’m envious of Joshua 13:33, “But 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.” Did the other tribes feel envious of the Levites or were they feeling proud because they received land? Through the eyes of the world the Levites were given a poor inheritance but through the eyes of those who call upon God as the true and only God the Levites have been given an inheritance of greater worth than anything this world has to offer. Oh the joy to claim that my inheritance is the Lord! Only because of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross can I lay claim to the claim that my inheritance it the Lord. This is my hope for tomorrow. What do you place your hope in? Will you today place your hope in Jesus Christ?

The story of Caleb son of Nun and his faithfulness when spying out the promised land forty five years earlier is recognized by Joshua and the sons of Judah. He was given the land that God promised to him and his descendants because of his faithfulness to God. Caleb’s words echo his faith and trust in God alone, “Now then, give me this hill country about which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day that Anakim were there, with great fortified cities; perhaps the Lord will be with me, and I will drive them out as the Lord has spoken.” Joshua 14:12  The faith shown by Caleb to trust his future on God’s sovereignty and power is encouraging to me. Will I place my trust and hope in God as Caleb did? I know at this moment in my life my answer is an emphatically yes. Lord please grant me the faith to follow you strong and courageously all the days of my life.

Deuteronomy 17 continues with Moses exhorting the Israelites to be on their guard against anyone who would cause people to stray away from God. The people needed to purge anyone who did what was detestable in God’s sight would be stoned. Does this seem harsh to you? I think it is important to remember that someone who desires to pull someone away from God will have an easier job causing people to stumble than the people will have resisting that person. God told the people to thoroughly investigate any deed that is reported and if there are two or three witnesses to that person doing what is detestable then that man or woman would be stoned. How persistent are we in purging the things that cause us to stumble today? We are not to be going around stoning people today but we need to be just as radical in how we deal with the people who would draw us away from God. I do not know what this should look like today but it makes me think about my faith in greater detail and that is where change will start in my life. I think it is all too easy to become comfortable in my life and not seek to keep purging impurity from my life.

In Deuteronomy 17:18 it talks about learning to fear the Lord. What does it mean to fear the Lord? Is fear learned from failure? It says that you learn to fear God “by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes” in verse 18. I know that there will be lot of talk about “The Fear of the Lord” as I continue to read through the Bible. I wonder what insight I will gain about fearing God.

What was it like to depend upon people’s faithfulness to God for your well-being? The Levites were wholly given to God for service in the Temple so they had to trust that God would provide for them. It seems that people in vocational ministry today are in the same position as the Levites because they depend on God to provide for them. It is amazing how often we forget that we are wholly dependent on God for all things. It is wonderfully humbling to realize that I am truly nothing compared to God and I can find worth only in Him.

Then the story in Numbers gets even more incredible. Moses enters the tent of meeting and God speaks with him from above the mercy seat between the two cherubim upon the Ark of the Testimony. How did Moses feel by now? He had spoken with God frequently and most notably at a burning bush. I don’t know if I could ever take it lightly to come before God’s presence. It makes me look upon my own life and how I approach God. Do I come to God in prayer with awe and wonder? Do I thirst for time in His presence?

Numbers chapter 8 we have all of the Levites cleansed and taken into the service of the Tabernacle. The Levites were presented as a wave offering before the Lord from the Israelites. The Israelites were instructed to place their hands upon the Levites. This must have been an incredibly solemn and personal moment between the Israelites and the Levites. It was no animal that was being offered to God it was the Levites being presented to be worthy of service. It is interesting looking back at the laws laid down in Leviticus about sacrifices. When an offering was made it became holy and the possession of the priests and used by God. The Levites were given as a gift from God to Aaron and his sons to perform service. I do not know if I can convey my amazement about how this truly amazes me. The Levites were an offering! Not and offering like the pagans who offered people as blood sacrifices these Levites were set apart in service to God. Looking forward to the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ, He also served humanity in love by dying on the cross.

I am throughly enjoying taking this time to read through the Bible and blog about it as I read. I pray that you too find this an encouragement and may you be spurred to know God in a more personal way through reading through the Bible.

Towards the end of Numbers chapter 3 God redeems the first-born males of men and animal of the people of Israel. In Exodus God kills the first-born of Egypt. In that act of deliverance God “sanctified to [Himself] all the first-born in Israel.” Numbers 3:13b When God redeems the first-born He takes the Levites and their animals as a substitutes of the first-born of Israel and their animals. This action by God parallels my redemption by Jesus Christ. I was found to be lacking because of my sin and Jesus Christ bore all of the sin upon Himself when He died on the cross. It makes me feel so humbled to think of all the sins Christ bore freely for me. I am very thankful for that. It is such an amazing story to see that the Levitical redemption started with God using the Levites to redeem the first-born of Israel and He finished with Jesus the High Priest redeeming me.