Numbers 8:14-19 (ESV)
“Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the people of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine. And after that the Levites shall go in to serve at the tent of meeting, when you have cleansed them and offered them as a wave offering. For they are wholly given to me from among the people of Israel. Instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the people of Israel, I have taken them for myself. For all the firstborn among the people of Israel are mine, both of man and of beast. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I consecrated them for myself, and I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel. And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the people of Israel, to do the service for the people of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement for the people of Israel, that there may be no plague among the people of Israel when the people of Israel come near the sanctuary.”
When God redeemed the nation of Israel from Egypt, He set claim to the first born of all the families. The meaning of such is that the families would be required to give their first born (son) to God for service. God allowed them to substitute the tribe of Levi for the first born requirement. The thought to take into our learning here is that God can claim what He wants, who He wants and how he wants them. The non-believer probably would struggle with this thought process. Mankind does not like the thought that someone has “claim” on their lives. We believe we are complete Independant and autonomous in life. Our mantra is, “Look at me, I can do as I please.” But, that is just not true in God’s plan or purpose and procedures for life. God has claim on us, all mankind. In Genesis 3 we read about God’s claim on “mankind” as a whole. In that chapter God tells them what they can and can’t do; what to do after they disobey; outlines their penalty (that fell on all mankind); and protects them from themselves. God has claim on us. He does not muddy the waters on that claim and shows us that He is in charge of us. The last part of the above text stress why we must agree, follow and obey this thought. God wanted to keep all plagues from the nation. If they did, God would protect them. If they did not, God would discipline them by removing His divine protection. The irony here? We want God to use His power to protect us from a crisis (like at plague). But, we don’t Him to have claim on us. Power of a plague, yes! Power over us, no!
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