Numbers 8:12-19: a reflection

12“The Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the bulls, and you shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering to the LORD, to make atonement for the Levites. 13You shall set the Levites before Aaron and before his sons, and offer them as a wave offering to the LORD. 14Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be mine. 15“After that, the Levites shall go in to do the service of the Tent of Meeting. You shall cleanse them, and offer them as a wave offering. 16For they are wholly given to me from among the children of Israel; instead of all who open the womb, even the firstborn of all the children of Israel, I have taken them to me. 17For all the firstborn among the children of Israel are mine, both man and animal. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified them for myself. 18I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel. 19I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the Tent of Meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel, so that there will be no plague among the children of Israel when the children of Israel come near to the sanctuary.”

God sets apart the Levites for his service, and the language he uses is striking. The Levites are wholly given to me, he says; they shall be mine. God takes them from among the people as his own, in place of the firstborn, to belong entirely to him and to serve in his tabernacle. They were not their own; they were the LORD's, set apart, given wholly to God.

Notice how completely the Levites belonged to God: wholly given to me; they shall be mine. This was not a part-time or partial belonging; they were taken as God's own, set apart from among the people, given entirely to his service. God claimed them as his, and they were to live as those who belonged wholly to him, not to themselves. Their whole life was defined by belonging to God.

That points to a truth about all who belong to God through Christ. The New Testament tells us that we are not our own; we were bought with a price, and belong wholly to God, claimed as his own, set apart for him. Like the Levites, we are the Lord's, given to him entirely, not to live for ourselves but for the one to whom we belong. Do not think of yourself as your own, to live as you please; if you belong to Christ, you have been claimed by God as his own, set apart, wholly his. Live, then, as one who belongs entirely to God, not to yourself, yielding the whole of your life to the one whose you are. You are the Lord's; live as one wholly given to God, as the Levites were given wholly to him.

Lord, you set apart the Levites for your service with striking words: they are wholly given to me; they shall be mine; you claimed them as your own, given entirely to you, not to themselves. Point me to the truth in that about all who belong to you through Christ. Your word tells me that I am not my own; I was bought with a price, and belong wholly to you, claimed as your own, set apart for you. Like the Levites, I am the Lord's, given to you entirely, not to live for myself but for the one to whom I belong. Keep me from thinking of myself as my own, to live as I please; if I belong to Christ, you have claimed me as your own, set apart, wholly yours. Help me live as one who belongs entirely to you, not to myself, yielding the whole of my life to the one whose I am. I am the Lord's; help me live as one wholly given to you, as the Levites were given wholly to you. Take all of me, Lord.