Becoming a Levite
The other day I was called a Levite. At the time I did not understand what this meant. But as the day continued, this name kept coming to mind. So I began to study the Levites and what it means for me to be a Levite during this season in my life and here is what I found.
While the Levites where numbered among the 12 tribes of Israel, they were set apart for a specific purpose. They were set apart to care for the tabernacle and to serve the priests who came from within their midst. Not every Levite became a priest, only those directly descended from Aaron. The rest of the tribe served the priests and aided them in their leadership position. The Levites made it possible for the people of Israel to worship and fulfill their obligations to and purposes for God.
The Levites as a tribe were set apart as the firstborn for the entirety of the Israelites. So instead of each family sending their firstborn child to the tabernacle to work under and with the priests, the Levites as a tribe filled this position/requirement.
But with this specific calling of being set apart there was also a sacrifice they had to make. They were given no paycheck. There was not a means of financial security as a Levite. They received an allotment out of the tithes of the people. So their finances were completely unpredictable. They were completely dependent on others for their livelihood. Because of this position, they were included in the list with the foreigners, father-less, and widows as those who the children of Israel were supposed to care for.
When the promised land was being divided among the tribes, the Levites were not given an inheritance in the land. Their inheritance was in their service to God, not in material possessions. But since the Levites needed a place to set up life for a time, each of the tribes was to provide a city within their land inheritance for the Levites to occupy. The cities that were given to the Levites were also the cities of refuge for others.
So this is my life. I have been called to not have a permanent home. I have been called to rely on others to provide for my financial needs. I have been called to serve leadership. I have been called to aide in others journey as they grow closer to the High Priest (Jesus). I have been called to support and encourage those around me.
But in order to fulfill this calling I need the “Israelites” to come alongside me and support me. Will you be one of these supporters to allow me to continue to live out the calling that God has placed on my life?
