One For All and All For God
Scripture: Numbers 3:6-7, 21-22, 26-27, 32-33, 37
“6Call forward the tribe of Levi, and present them to Aaron the priest to serve as his assistants. 7 They will serve Aaron and the whole community, performing their sacred duties in and around the Tabernacle...21 The descendants of Gershon...[family] clans were responsible to care for the Tabernacle, including the sacred tent with its layers of coverings, the curtain at its entrance, 26 the curtains of the courtyard that surrounded the Tabernacle and altar, the curtain at the courtyard entrance, the ropes, and all the equipment related to their use...The descendants of Kohath [family]...clans were responsible for the care of the Ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the various articles used in the sanctuary, the inner curtain, and all the equipment related to their use. 32 Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, was the chief administrator over all the Levites, with special responsibility for the oversight of the sanctuary...The descendants of Merari [family]...clans were responsible for the care of the frames supporting the Tabernacle, the crossbars, the pillars, the bases, and all the equipment related to their use. 37 They were also responsible for the posts of the courtyard and all their bases, pegs, and ropes and all the equipment related to their use."
Observations:
As Moses instructed the Israelites how to maintain the Tent of God's presence and facilitate the worship of God, God specifically called the descendent of Levi and set them apart specially to fulfill the role. Because the Levites were the only tribe permitted to handle the sacred things pertaining to the worship of God, they were also given all of the "trivial" responsiblities that went along with all the "spiritual" ones: like all the basic house keeping (cleaning, waste disposal, assembly and tear down, keeping track of all the individual pieces so that they didn't lose any in the middle of the desert, and most importantly making sure that any non-Levites stayed clear of the Tabernacle so God didn't kill them!). What's interesting is that in all of the delegating of responsiblies pertaining to the worship of God and the basic maintanence of God's house, His tone never changes. In other words He doesn't really make much distiction as to which is more important to Him.
Application:
What's important to remember in this setting is that God never does anything without a purpose in mind and everything He says and commands is significant. We like to think that there are some roles in the house of God that are less "spiritual" than others but I don't think God shares that perspective. In fact, Scripture seems to indicate that the opposite is true (Matthew 19:30). Today each of us "are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God"(1 Peter 2:5). As God's "chosen people" we have all been called to take a vested interest in the service of God's house for the advancement of His Kingdom (1 Peter 4:10). Regardless of how "unspiritual" our role may seem, as those who have been charged with the responsibility of participating in the "sacrifices" of God , we are all individually and collectively responsible for ensuring that the "meanial" tasks associated with the worship of God do not go undone or get overlooked. The reality is, somebody has to mop the floor, take out the trash, assist in the nursery, teach the class, clean the bathrooms, cook the food, do the dishes, etc. The great thing is that each of us will one day be rewarded according to what we have done in our service to Christ and His Kingdom and no one's service has gone unnoticed by God. True greatness in God's Kingdom is not measured in terms of how spiritual our role was but in the fact that we did what was in our power to serve in God's house, the Church.
Prayer:
Father, thank You for the high calling of serving in Your Kingdom. Help us to never take for granted the oppotunities we have to invest in service to Your Kingdom. Help us take on the attitude of Jesus and be humble enough to serve in ways that are "beneath" us so that Your name will continue to be honored and Your house maintained. Amen.
“6Call forward the tribe of Levi, and present them to Aaron the priest to serve as his assistants. 7 They will serve Aaron and the whole community, performing their sacred duties in and around the Tabernacle...21 The descendants of Gershon...[family] clans were responsible to care for the Tabernacle, including the sacred tent with its layers of coverings, the curtain at its entrance, 26 the curtains of the courtyard that surrounded the Tabernacle and altar, the curtain at the courtyard entrance, the ropes, and all the equipment related to their use...The descendants of Kohath [family]...clans were responsible for the care of the Ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the various articles used in the sanctuary, the inner curtain, and all the equipment related to their use. 32 Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, was the chief administrator over all the Levites, with special responsibility for the oversight of the sanctuary...The descendants of Merari [family]...clans were responsible for the care of the frames supporting the Tabernacle, the crossbars, the pillars, the bases, and all the equipment related to their use. 37 They were also responsible for the posts of the courtyard and all their bases, pegs, and ropes and all the equipment related to their use."
Observations:
As Moses instructed the Israelites how to maintain the Tent of God's presence and facilitate the worship of God, God specifically called the descendent of Levi and set them apart specially to fulfill the role. Because the Levites were the only tribe permitted to handle the sacred things pertaining to the worship of God, they were also given all of the "trivial" responsiblities that went along with all the "spiritual" ones: like all the basic house keeping (cleaning, waste disposal, assembly and tear down, keeping track of all the individual pieces so that they didn't lose any in the middle of the desert, and most importantly making sure that any non-Levites stayed clear of the Tabernacle so God didn't kill them!). What's interesting is that in all of the delegating of responsiblies pertaining to the worship of God and the basic maintanence of God's house, His tone never changes. In other words He doesn't really make much distiction as to which is more important to Him.
Application:
What's important to remember in this setting is that God never does anything without a purpose in mind and everything He says and commands is significant. We like to think that there are some roles in the house of God that are less "spiritual" than others but I don't think God shares that perspective. In fact, Scripture seems to indicate that the opposite is true (Matthew 19:30). Today each of us "are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God"(1 Peter 2:5). As God's "chosen people" we have all been called to take a vested interest in the service of God's house for the advancement of His Kingdom (1 Peter 4:10). Regardless of how "unspiritual" our role may seem, as those who have been charged with the responsibility of participating in the "sacrifices" of God , we are all individually and collectively responsible for ensuring that the "meanial" tasks associated with the worship of God do not go undone or get overlooked. The reality is, somebody has to mop the floor, take out the trash, assist in the nursery, teach the class, clean the bathrooms, cook the food, do the dishes, etc. The great thing is that each of us will one day be rewarded according to what we have done in our service to Christ and His Kingdom and no one's service has gone unnoticed by God. True greatness in God's Kingdom is not measured in terms of how spiritual our role was but in the fact that we did what was in our power to serve in God's house, the Church.
Prayer:
Father, thank You for the high calling of serving in Your Kingdom. Help us to never take for granted the oppotunities we have to invest in service to Your Kingdom. Help us take on the attitude of Jesus and be humble enough to serve in ways that are "beneath" us so that Your name will continue to be honored and Your house maintained. Amen.
Comments
Post a Comment