Deuteronomy 18:1-5: a reflection

1The priests and the Levites—all the tribe of Levi—shall have no portion nor inheritance with Israel. They shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire and his portion. 2They shall have no inheritance among their brothers. The LORD is their inheritance, as he has spoken to them. 3This shall be the priests’ due from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep, that they shall give to the priest: the shoulder, the two cheeks, and the inner parts. 4You shall give him the first fruits of your grain, of your new wine, and of your oil, and the first of the fleece of your sheep. 5For the LORD your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand to minister in the LORD’s name, him and his sons forever.

The tribe of Levi, set apart to serve God at the sanctuary, received no allotment of land like the other tribes. While their brothers inherited fields and territories, the Levites got no portion of the promised land. But God gives the reason in a beautiful phrase: the Lord is their inheritance. They were provided for through the offerings brought to God, and, more deeply, God himself was their portion. What they gave up in earthly inheritance, they gained in having God as their own.

This is a striking arrangement. The Levites might have seemed, by worldly measures, to have drawn the short lot, no land, no property of their own, dependent on the offerings of others. But God calls their portion the greatest of all: the Lord himself. Those who gave themselves wholly to God's service found their inheritance not in things but in God. And in a sense, they had the better portion, for land can be lost, but the Lord is an inheritance that cannot fail.

There is a truth here that reaches far beyond the Levites. To have God himself as your portion is worth more than any earthly inheritance. The world measures wealth in possessions, land, and security, but the deepest treasure is God himself, and those who have him have everything. When you are tempted to envy others' earthly portions, or to feel you have given up too much for God, remember the Levites' inheritance. The Lord is your portion, and he is a treasure that no one can take away and that will never fail.

Lord, the Levites had no land, yet you called yourself their inheritance, the greatest portion of all. Teach me to see that having you is worth more than any earthly treasure. When I am tempted to envy others' portions or feel I have given up too much for you, remind me that you yourself are my inheritance, a treasure that cannot be lost and will never fail. You are my portion; in you I have everything. Amen.