The Priestly Portion

The Lord commanded Moses, Joshua and Eleazar to distribute the land inheritance among the tribes throughout the region of the Promised Land.

In and we have read about a significant difference in what would be given to the tribe of Levi. Their inheritance would be of a different sort than the rest of the tribes’ inheritance.

Joshua 13:14 ESV

14 To the tribe of Levi alone Moses gave no inheritance. The offerings by fire to the Lord God of Israel are their inheritance, as he said to him.

Joshua 13:33 ESV

33 But to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance; the Lord God of Israel is their inheritance, just as he said to them.

Joshua 14:4 ESV

4 For the people of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. And no portion was given to the Levites in the land, but only cities to dwell in, with their pasturelands for their livestock and their substance.

So we see in these three verses, three different aspects of the Priestly Portion.

Offerings by Fire to the Lord

The Lord God of Israel

Cities to dwell in (, )

Distributed by lot (just like the rest of the land)

The Priesthood of the Lord

“I AM” your portion ( Numbers 18:20)

The tithe of the people (Numbers 18:24)

The LORD ()

The LORD ()

“I AM” there inheritance & possession ()

A portion of the Grain Offering ()

Purpose of the Priestly Portion

Exempt them from the labor and cares of business

Allow them to be devoted to His service/worship

Create a bond of mutual love and attachment between the people & Levites

designate a close geographic proximity of the priest among all the other tribes

Exemplary vs Exclusive

Was this intended to be an exemplary portion or an exclusive portion. Was God trying to show the Levites were members of an “upper class”? Were they alone able to claim God as their portion? Were they alone able to trust God for their daily bread and provision?

Was He setting them apart because they were something special?

No!

He designated Himself as their portion, which was supposed to serve as a model or example of the best portion (God Himself, which was not dependent upon any geographic location or inherent personal ability) The priests were not perfect, they were not exceptional in their own rite.

God was showing the tribes the need for worship and keeping their focus and trust on Him

His purpose was to draw the people’s attention to His glory and goodness.

We can and should

How can I say this?

Lamentations 3:24 ESV

24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”

Leviticus 3:2–4 ESV

2 And he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering and kill it at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall throw the blood against the sides of the altar. 3 And from the sacrifice of the peace offering, as a food offering to the Lord, he shall offer the fat covering the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails, 4 and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys.

Psalm 16:5 ESV

5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.

Psalm 73:26 ESV

26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Leviticus 3:24

Ps

Psalm 119:57 ESV

57 The Lord is my portion; I promise to keep your words.

Psalm 142:5 ESV

5 I cry to you, O Lord; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”

Ps 142

The word “portion” in this passage is the same word that is used to describe the land that has been withheld from the Levites as described in Numbers, Deuteronomy and Joshua.

This is a designation of the exemplary inheritance that is desired for all of God’s people.

He desires to be our inheritance and we are His intended portion.

Deuteronomy 32:9 ESV

9 But the Lord’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted heritage.

The Priestly Portion of the New Covenant

Heb 4:

Heb

Hebrews 4:14–16 ESV

14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Christ is our high priest

Who are we told are the priests in the New Testament? We are!

1 Peter 2:5 ESV

5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

1 Pet 2:5,9

1 Peter 2:9–10 ESV

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

1Pet 2:

We are now as a church/ the church and body of Christ a royal priesthood. We are all priests. He is our portion and we are His portion, so that we can proclaim the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness into MARVELOUS LIGHT.

By His grace and mercy we are able to have direct access to Him- He is our inheritance, just as He was the inheritance for the tribe of Levi.

So we can teach people of the goodness of God

So we can proclaim Him among the nations, scattered throughout His glorious land.

How did this take place, that we are now priests of God?

Hebrews 4:14–16 ESV

14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

:14-16

Ephesians 2:14–16 ESV

14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

Romans 5:1–5 ESV

1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

So what does this mean for us today. We have obtained access & we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

Revelation 1:4–6 ESV

4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Rev 1:

Revelation 20:6 ESV

6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

1 Peter 4:1–10 ESV

1 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. 3 For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. 4 With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; 5 but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does. 7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:

Praise the Lord that He is our portion!