Joshua 13

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Joshua 13:14, 32-33, But to the tribe of Levi he gave no inheritance, since the food offerings presented to the Lord, the God of Israel, are their inheritance, as he promised them…This is the inheritance Moses had given when he was in the plains of Moab across the Jordan east of Jericho. But to the tribe of Levi, Moses had given no inheritance; the Lord, the God of Israel, is their inheritance, as he promised them.

In Joshua’s later years, God appeared to him again and told him how to distribute the remainder of the land among the tribes. This was land that was theirs, given to them by God, but they had not yet conquered it and taken possession of it.  But there was one tribe to which no land was given, that is the tribe of Levi.

For the Levites, their inheritance was God himself.  They were the priestly tribe, set apart from the others.  They were to oversee the worship of the whole nation of Israel, to carry out the sacrifices, and oversee the tabernacle and its duties.  Think about it, they are the ones who carry the ark and the presence and holiness of God was with them.  They were provided for through their service, through the tithes of the people.

Interestingly, while they were not given land, they were given specific cities in which to live, forty-eight of them scattered throughout the nation.  When the Levites were not ministering in the tabernacle, they were to go and live in these places, again surviving on the tithes provided by the people.  While there, the Levites were to be a blessing to the people, teaching them and representing the presence of God in their midst.

Let's pray...Thank you, God, for reminders of your presence in our lives.  We see you at work in so many things.  Help us pay attention to all the ways you show up in our lives and point that out to those around us.  In Your Name, Amen.