Enjoying the Lord s Blessing March 29, 2015
Introduction: No matter what has happened or is happening in your life, you can enjoy the Lord s blessing.
I. Left out of the land lottery
Numbers 33:54 - And you shall divide the land by lot as an inheritance among your families; to the larger you shall give a larger inheritance, and to the smaller you shall give a smaller inheritance; there everyone's inheritance shall be whatever falls to him by lot. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers.
Joshua 13:6 - All the inhabitants of the mountains from Lebanon as far as the Brook Misrephoth, and all the Sidonians them I will drive out from before the children of Israel; only divide it by lot to Israel as an inheritance, as I have commanded you.
Proverbs 18:18 - The lot puts an end to contentions, and decides between the mighty.
Proverbs 16:33 - The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.
Joshua 13:33 - But to the tribe of Levi, Moses did not give an inheritance...
Genesis 49:5-7 - "Simeon and Levi are brothers; Their swords are implements of violence. 6 "Let my soul not enter into their council; Let not my glory be united with their assembly; Because in their anger they slew men, And in their self-will they lamed oxen. 7 "Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel. I will disperse them in Jacob, And scatter them in Israel.
II. Sold out for the Lord
Deuteronomy 9:12-13 - Then the Lord said to me, 'Arise, go down from here quickly, for your people whom you brought out of Egypt have acted corruptly. They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them; they have made a molten image for themselves.' "The Lord spoke further to me, saying, 'I have seen this people, and indeed, it is a stubborn people.
Exodus 32:25-29 - Now when Moses saw that the people were out of control for Aaron had let them get out of control to be a derision among their enemies then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, "Whoever is for the Lord, come to me!" And all the sons of Levi gathered together to him. And he said to them, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, 'Every man of you put his sword upon his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate in the camp, and kill every man his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his neighbor.'" So the sons of Levi did as Moses instructed, and about three thousand men of the people fell that day. Then Moses said, "Dedicate yourselves today to the Lord for every man has been against his son and against his brother in order that He may bestow a blessing upon you today."
III. Roll out the blessings
Deuteronomy 10:8-9 - At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to serve Him and to bless in His name until this day. Therefore, Levi does not have a portion or inheritance with his brothers...
Never does our God allow past history, however unpleasant or however sinful, to prevent Him from allotting to us a unique place in His service. -- Alan Redpath
Joshua 13:33 - But to the tribe of Levi Moses had given no inheritance; the Lord God of Israel was their inheritance, as He had said to them.
Numbers 18:20 - Then the Lord said to Aaron, You shall have no inheritance in their land, nor own any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the sons of Israel.
Numbers 3:11-13 - Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Now, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of every firstborn... They shall be Mine; I am the Lord."
Numbers 35:1-3 - Now the Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho, saying, "Command the sons of Israel that they give to the Levites from the inheritance of their possession, cities to live in; and you shall give to the Levites pasture lands around the cities. And the cities shall be theirs to live in; and their pasture lands shall be for their cattle and for their herds and for all their beasts.
Numbers 35:7 - All the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall be forty-eight cities, together with their pasture lands.
Numbers 18:8 - Then the Lord spoke to Aaron, "Now behold, I Myself have given you charge of My offerings, even all the holy gifts of the sons of Israel, I have given them to you as a portion, and to your sons as a perpetual allotment.
Numbers 18:12-13 - All the best of the fresh oil and all the best of the fresh wine and of the grain, the first fruits of those which they give to the Lord, I give them to you. The first ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to the Lord, shall be yours; everyone of your household who is clean may eat it.
Numbers 18:18,21 - And their meat shall be yours... And to the sons of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they perform, the service of the tent of meeting.
A. A life of worship
Deuteronomy 33:8 - And of Levi he said...
Deuteronomy 33:10-11 - "They shall teach Thine ordinances to Jacob, and Thy law to Israel. They shall put incense before Thee, and whole burnt offerings on Thine altar. "O Lord, bless his substance, and accept the work of his hands;
Numbers 3:5-10 - Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Bring the tribe of Levi near and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him. And they shall perform the duties for him and for the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle. "They shall also keep all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, along with the duties of the sons of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. You shall thus give the Levites to Aaron and to his sons; they are wholly given to him from among the sons of Israel. So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons that they may keep their priesthood, but the layman who comes near shall be put to death."
B. A life of work
Numbers 18:19-20 - All the offerings of the holy gifts, which the sons of Israel offer to the Lord, I have given to you and your sons and your daughters with you, as a perpetual allotment. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the Lord to you and your descendants with you." Then the Lord said to Aaron, "You shall have no inheritance in their land, nor own any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the sons of Israel.
Numbers 18:21 - And to the sons of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they perform, the service of the tent of meeting.
Additional services performed by Levites: 1. Many became architects and builders. II Chronicles 24:8-13 2. They were professional musicians. I Chronicles 25:1-31, II Chronicles 5:12, 34:12 3. As scribes, they managed the production of books and tending of libraries. II Chronicles 34:13 4. Many of the judges in the land were Levites. Deuteronomy 17:8-9, 21:5; I Chronicles 23:4; Ezekiel 44:15, 24
Additional services performed by Levites: 5. Levites performed most medical services in the land. Leviticus 13:2, 14:2; Luke 17:14 6. They were the teachers for the nation. Deuteronomy 24:8, 33:10; II Chronicles 35:3; Nehemiah 8:7 7. Levites were, in a sense, law enforcement officers. I Chronicles 23:4
C. A life of witness
Deuteronomy 31:24-26 - And it came about, when Moses finished writing the words of this law in a book until they were complete, that Moses commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying, "Take this book of the law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may remain there as a witness...
II Chronicles 24:4-6 - And it came to pass after this, that Joash was minded to repair the house of the Lord. And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that ye hasten the matter. Howbeit the Levites hastened it not. And the king called for Jehoiada the chief (priest), and said unto him, Why hast thou not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the collection, according to the commandment of Moses the servant of the Lord, and of the congregation of Israel, for the tabernacle of witness?
Ephesians 1:11-12 - also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
Ephesians 1:18 - I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.
No matter what has happened or is happening in your life, you can enjoy the Lord s blessing.