The Levitical priests—indeed, the whole tribe of Levi—are to have no allotment or inheritance with Israel. They shall live on the food offerings presented to the Lord, for that is their inheritance. They shall have no inheritance among their fellow Israelites; the Lord is their inheritance, as he promised them.
This is the share due the priests from the people who sacrifice a bull or a sheep: the shoulder, the internal organs and the meat from the head. You are to give them the firstfruits of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the first wool from the shearing of your sheep, for the Lord your God has chosen them and their descendants out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the Lord’s name always.
If a Levite moves from one of your towns anywhere in Israel where he is living, and comes in all earnestness to the place the Lord will choose, he may minister in the name of the Lord his God like all his fellow Levites who serve there in the presence of the Lord. He is to share equally in their benefits, even though he has received money from the sale of family possessions. (Deuteronomy 18:1-8 NIV)
We found a surprise as we were walking around the block this past week. A family was having a sale. Not a typical garage sale. A whole house sale. Everything from inside was for sale outside. A sign said, “Whole house missionary sale.” We asked what was going on, and they told us they feel called by God to sell everything they own, buy an RV, and travel around as missionaries. They plan to start in Texas and make their way all the way up the East Coast. What a plan! Would you do that? Would you sell everything to go around trying to tell people about Jesus?
I started asking questions. “Do you belong to a denomination?” “No,” they said. “Denominations get in the way. We’re just going to preach.” “Are you pastors?” “No,” they said, “but we know God wants us to preach to all the people who need it.” “How are you going to support yourselves?” “That’s the hard part,” they said. “We don’t know. We’re having this sale to get an RV, and then we’ll go from there.” Finally, I said, “It must be exciting to just get rid of everything.” “Actually,” they said, “we’re kind of scared. But this is what we feel called to do.”
I was amazed at their willingness to just drop everything and go. But I couldn’t help thinking, “That’s not really how it’s supposed to go.” Sure, sometimes in the Bible we hear about prophets who preached God’s Word alone. But that’s not how it usually worked. Instead, we hear about a partnership in preaching the gospel. Even the apostle Paul didn’t spread the gospel alone. He said, “I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now” (Philippians 1:4-5). When it comes to doing God’s work, ministry is better together.
We see that clearly in the Old Testament. God gave these instructions: “The Levitical priests—indeed, the whole tribe of Levi—are to have no allotment or inheritance with Israel. They shall live on the food offerings presented to the LORD, for that is their inheritance.” In ancient Israel, one tribe was designated by God to carry out the ministry. Which tribe? The Levites. Within that tribe of Levi, the descendants of Aaron were to be the priests. So all priests were Levites, but not all Levites were priests, understand? And God said this, “They shall have no inheritance among their fellow Israelites.” The Levites—priests or not—were not to have any land of their own.
That was a big deal. In the ancient world, what was just about everyone’s occupation? Farming! If you don’t have any land, do you know what it’s hard to do? Farm! How would the Levites survive without any land? God had it all planned out: Offerings. “This is the share due the priests from the people who sacrifice a bull or a sheep: the shoulder, the internal organs and the meat from the head. You are to give them the firstfruits of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the first wool from the shearing of your sheep.” The Levites were to live off the people’s offerings. When people brought offerings to God—animals, grain, wine, oil—they supported the Levites.
“For the LORD your God has chosen them and their descendants out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the LORD’s name always.” Can you see how God set things up? The priests and Levites were “…to stand and minister in the LORD’s name always.” God wanted there to be full-time ministers of the gospel. They had a lot to do: Offering sacrifices, leading prayers, writing songs, planning festivals, teaching God’s Word. How well do you think they could farm and do all that at the same time? Not well! So God said, “They shall live on the food offerings presented to the LORD, for that is their inheritance.” The Levites depended on people’s offerings to live.
Of course, that meant that not everyone could be a Levite. Do you know how many tribes of Israel there were? There were twelve tribes, not counting the Levites. That meant 12 out of every 13 people weren’t priests or Levites. They were farmers or soldiers or builders. That was good! They weren’t somehow “less” than the Levites. They were all working together. Some people served God by preaching and sacrificing and praying. Most people served God by farming. As they farmed, they knew their offerings supported the Levites who preached and sacrificed on their behalf. It was a good system. Everyone needed to work together to serve the LORD.
God was clear what their offerings were to be: “You are to give them the firstfruits of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the first wool from the shearing of your sheep.” What word was repeated twice? First. The people were to bring to God their firstfruits: The first crops and first wool and firstborn animals. I talked with someone about offerings this past week. Together, we admitted that it’s easy to think of our offerings to God like this, “I’ll give whatever I have left…” Except, what do we usually have left? Nothing. God says, “Give to me first, and trust me!”
Ultimately, that was the goal of all of this: Trust in God! The Levites didn’t have land to support themselves. What did they have to do? Trust in God. The people were to bring their firstfruits as their offerings. What did they have to do? Trust in God. They were better together. I know that’s a cliché, but it’s true for God’s people. The people needed the Levites to offer sacrifices for their sins and teach them the Word of God. The Levites needed the people to provide for them. People needed priests. Priests needed people. This was a good thing! They were better together.
Did you notice that Jesus taught the same thing? When Jesus sent his disciples out two-by-two to preach the gospel, he said, “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts” (Mark 6:8). Can you imagine what they must have been thinking? “Nothing, Jesus? Really? Nothing? What are we going to eat?” What was the answer? God would provide for them through people. In fact, if people didn’t welcome them into their homes, they were to move on. God has planned a partnership: Pastors and people are better together.
That makes sense, but it runs into a problem: Our sinful natures. Our sinful natures hate admitting that we need someone else for anything. Isn’t that true? I bet on your side it can seem like we pastors are pretty dispensable, aren’t we? There are a lot of us. If I don’t say what you want to hear or meet your expectations, you can just go find another one. That happens a lot. Over the past year and a half, I’ve counted up ten different households who have come to our church, studied the Bible with me many times, and then said, “We’re not coming back.” I have to admit, that’s really discouraging. Their message comes loud and clear: “I don’t need you.”
Is that true? Do you need a pastor? Well, you can read God’s Word for yourself. You can grow in your faith in Jesus on your own. But do you know what? That usually doesn’t happen. We need pastors to encourage us in our faith. We need pastors to confront the false thoughts and the sinful opinions of our hearts. We need pastors to point us to Jesus when all the clouds hide him from our sight. Without pastors, God’s Word is not preached. That’s why God commanded his people to support their priests and Levites with their offerings. People need pastors.
Of course, it works the other way too. I don’t like to admit it, but sometimes this thought crosses my mind: “It would be really great to be a pastor, if there were no people.” Could you imagine a pastor thinking that? “If I could be a pastor without dealing with people, that would be the best!” I heard of a pastor like that. I heard of a pastor in another country who ran his own church, published a monthly newsletter, and received a full salary as a world missionary, but do you know who his church was? Just his own family. Eventually, the mission board ended his funding. Why? Without people, God’s Word is not preached. Without people, a pastor isn’t a pastor.
When pastors and people neglect one or the other, the whole body suffers. Because we’re like a body, right? That’s what the Bible calls the Christian Church. We’re like a body, and we all have a part to play. When people disrespect pastors, “We don’t need them! We don’t have to support them,” what suffers? The body. When pastors disrespect people, “I wish I didn’t have to deal with them. They are so below us,” what suffers? The body. The biggest threat to the Christian Church isn’t whatever is happening out there. It’s the selfishness and unfaithfulness that happens in here. I need you. You need me. Do you see how God set this up? We’re better together.
In the middle of all this, there is a beautiful statement: “They shall have no inheritance among their fellow Israelites; the LORD is their inheritance.” Those Levites didn’t have any land. What did they have? The LORD. “The LORD is their inheritance.” That’s not just true for priests in the Old Testament. “In his great mercy God has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3-4). Jesus won for you a better inheritance than any property or sum of money. He died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead to open heaven for us. That’s an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade.
The LORD is your inheritance. God wants us to remind each other what really matters. What we really have. When you provide for me and my family, do you know what you’re saying to me? “Don’t worry about money. That will be taken care of. God is your inheritance. Focus on him!” When I preach God’s Word to you, do you know what I’m saying to you? “Don’t worry about money. That will be taken care of. God is your inheritance. Focus on him!” Do you need that reminder? I do. Your support and offerings encourage me. I hope my service encourages you.
Just like for the past 3,500 years, your offerings allow me to do so much more than I could ever do on my own. Do you know what I got to do this last week? I visited two of our members in the hospital. What do you think I told them? “Your inheritance is in heaven.” I visited two members in the nursing home. What do you think I told them? “Your inheritance is in heaven.” I taught three different groups FaithBuilders classes. I taught two adult Bible studies. I wrote this sermon and memorized it. You realize that doesn’t just happen, right? How much of that could I do if I were working a full-time job, without your support? Not much. Maybe a little. But not much.
Because a pastor and people work better together. I pray those people on my street are blessed. I pray they are able to share God’s Word with lots of people. But I like God’s model better. Not a few people going off by themselves. God’s people working together. Some preaching. Many sharing. All serving. Like Paul said, “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” We’re better together.
(To listen to this sermon on my Upside-Down Savior podcast, please click HERE. To watch this sermon on my Upside-Down Savior YouTube channel, please click on the link below.)
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