THE PRIEST'S PORTION

Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

Understanding important truths from the Bible…. 

THE PRIEST’S PORTION 

Numbers 18:20 NKJV

²⁰ Then the Lord said to Aaron: “You shall have no inheritance in their land, nor shall you have any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel. 

The High-Priest, the first of whom was Aaron, and his descendants had their office as an appointment and a gift from God.  The position was not earned.  It was inherited.  All priests were such by descent.  They were the descendants of Levi out of the particular family of Aaron. 

All Levites, descendants of Levi, were not priests buy they did have a particular relationship to God, to the temple ministry, and to Israel.  They were to guard the Tabernacle, to do whatever service that was required to transport it, and to serve the priests as the requirement might be.  But they were not priests and would never be. 

The priest’s portion in Numbers 18:20 is strictly defined.  God is his portion.  As the Mosaic system is explained this portion was that which was sacrificed or dedicated to God.  The sacrifices, offerings, and Levitical tithes were God’s.  The priest’s portion was to come from these.  He was to have no other vocation.  He could not provide for himself from another jobs.  All his provision must come from the Tabernacle.  

This tells us a number of things.  First his provision for himself and his family was holy.  Strict rules would determine their participation in the holy offering made to God.  As you read through the Old Testament and find the particular responsibility of the priest and his family these must be remembered.

Secondly, the priests were never expected to be more wealthy than the national average.  The High-priest and the priests who served with him were special not in their wealth but in their privilege of proximity to the holy place, the place of God’s presence.  Their vocation was to set them apart not their wealth. 

The question arises for us, “how does this apply today?”  We are “a kingdom of priests” Revelation 1:6.  If we are priests, and this seems to be so, how does the priestly privilege apply to us?  It is evident that it is not in the Levitical sense.  It must have a spiritual application. 

This must at least mean that every believer must take seriously the petition, “give us this day the bread we need.”  God is our portion.  He is the source of all our supply.  We must acknowledge that our daily supply, less or great, is from His hand. 

Secondly, our supply will be in relation to the condition of the land around us.  In a time of prosperity, we will find more likelihood of prosperity.  In a time of famine, Christians will suffer also. 

Thirdly, there is spiritual prosperity that is the true concern for every believer. In 3 John 2 soul prosperity to be the single determining condition necessary for believers. 

Application:

A.     Realize your invitation in the holy presence of God through Christ.  This is the privilege of the High-Priest

B.     As priests you have different requirements than the people around you,

Colossians 3:9-10  ⁹ Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, ¹⁰ and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, “