our allotment

Numbers 18:20 And the Lord said to Aaron, "You priests will receive no allotment of land or share of property among the people of Israel. I am your share and your allotment."

1 Peter 2:5 And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What's more, you are his holy priests.Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.

As the people of Israel prepared to move into the promised land, as recorded in the book of Numbers, God laid out allotments of land to all the tribes to be their eternal property, except for the tribe of Levi...the tribe of priests.  The priests were all wrapped up in the service and duties that centered on the Tabernacle.  They had no time for tending flocks or raising crops.  Their sole focus was to be the Lord and issues of God and man that were dealt with at the Tabernacle.  These included the sacrifices for sin and offerings for peace and thanksgiving.  The priests made judgments that dealt with the physical and spiritual health of the people and decided who was "clean" and who was "unclean".  So the Lord made very clear in Numbers 18:20 that their allotment would not be one of land or property.  Their allotment would be the Lord, Himself.

There are many things that we aspire to in this life and often they have to do with things like land and property.  And the Lord certainly provides those things.  But, as we learn from 1 Peter, chapter 2, we who have placed our faith in Jesus for our salvation are the holy priests of God.  We offer sacrifices as the priests did in the Old Testament...but not animal sacrifices...we offer spiritual sacrifices that include our very lives and our time and our talents and our material goods.  I think it is reasonable to say that we can make a direct connection with the priests of the Tabernacle when we say that God is also "our share and allotment".  What more could we want?

blessings,

Rob Smith