Numbers 8:22
The Levites as a tribe were dedicated solely to the service of the Lord in worship at the tabernacle. They were uniquely, publically dedicated to this service. Any male Levite, from the age of 25 until mandatory retirement at 50, was trained to serve in the work of the sacrifices and worship of Yahweh. It was a life vocation.
Moses, Aaron, and the people of Israel heard God on this request. The Levites obeyed God’s call. A special tribe and class of people was then called and pressed into service before God. And the nation obeyed, rejoiced in God, and was blessed by this obedience.
There is just a surface thought that grabs my attention as I read this chapter. It has to do with obedience to God. Obeying God above and beyond my own whims is an important practice. It is a living and practical outcome of faith. Israel did not analyze these instructions. There was no debate or counter-offer back to God. They followed what God asked. Period. No discussion. It involved sacrifice and change, particularly for all the families in the tribe of Levi, but they did it willingly. That attitude of willing obedience is still important for believers today.
My present circumstances demand simple and complete obedience. Honestly, there are times when my flesh does not want to obey. Ministry is demanding and it takes a toll on what my fleshly self wants out of life for ME. But that simple obedience is more valuable than many other things I might give to God. I know He wants to satisfy me when I sacrifice. I will be satisfied in God when I do so. I value this above anything else I want, because, frankly, it is all I know in life.
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