Scripture Daily

Context No. 1154 of 4322 · Numbers

Context · Reflection

Numbers 31:25-30: in context

25The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 26“Count the plunder that was taken, both of man and of animal, you, and Eleazar the priest, and the heads of the fathers’ households of the congregation; 27and divide the plunder into two parts: between the men skilled in war, who went out to battle, and all the congregation. 28Levy a tribute to the LORD of the men of war who went out to battle: one soul of five hundred; of the persons, of the cattle, of the donkeys, and of the flocks. 29Take it from their half, and give it to Eleazar the priest, for the LORD’s wave offering. 30Of the children of Israel’s half, you shall take one drawn out of every fifty, of the persons, of the cattle, of the donkeys, and of the flocks, of all the livestock, and give them to the Levites, who perform the duty of the LORD’s tabernacle.”

After a battle, God gives Moses instructions for dividing the plunder. It is to be split evenly between the soldiers who fought and the whole congregation who did not. But before anyone keeps their share, a tribute is taken for the LORD, a portion levied from the warriors' half for the priests, and a larger portion from the people's half for the Levites who serve at the tabernacle. God's share comes off the top, before the rest is enjoyed.

The principle in this military accounting reaches well beyond it: God's portion comes first, off the top of whatever is gained. Before the soldiers or the people enjoyed a single sheep or coin of the plunder, a tribute was set aside for the LORD and his ministers, acknowledging that the victory and the spoil were ultimately his gift. It is the same principle behind the firstfruits and the tithe throughout scripture, that we honor God by giving him the first and best of what we receive, not the leftovers after we have taken our fill. The order matters. Giving God his share first is a way of confessing that everything we have is finally from him, and that he has the first claim on it. And notice the fairness in how the rest is divided, an even split between those who fought and the whole congregation, so that those who stayed behind still shared in the victory, but everyone's portion came only after God's. To take the reward and give God the remainder, if anything is left, quietly reverses the truth; to give God his portion first confesses whose the whole thing really is.

When I gain something, does God's portion come first, off the top, as a confession that it is all finally his gift, or do I take my fill and offer him only what happens to be left?

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