March 28

As each of the tribes of Israel were receiving their portion of land, the one phrase we read over and over is, “the Levites will not receive any land. Their role as priests of the Lord is their inheritance” (Joshua 18:7). “But Moses gave no land to the tribe of Levi, for the Lord, the God of Israel, had promised to be their inheritance” (13:33,14; Deuteronomy 10:8&9;).
What did that mean? Since the tribe of Levi was dedicated to serving God, they needed more time to do so, than a landowner would have. Owning land would require time to take care of the land, plant and harvest crops, etc. The Levites would need that time to devote themselves to serving the Lord, rather than tending to their own personal and business affairs. Consequently, the Lord made sure their needs were provided for by the offerings given by God’s people (Deuteronomy 18:1-8; Numbers 18; Leviticus 6:16,26).
We see the same principle in the New Testament. When Jesus sent out the seventy-two to perform acts of service in his name, he told them not to worry about where they would stay or what they would eat. “When you enter a town, don’t move around from home to home. Stay in one place, eating and drinking what they provide you. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve their pay” (Luke 10:7; see also Matthew 10:10). Citing the Mosaic Law, the apostle Paul also advocates for the one being served to provide for the needs of the one doing the serving. “Just as farm workers who plow fields and thresh the grain expect a share of the harvest, Christian workers should be paid by those they serve. We have planted good spiritual seed among you. Is it too much to ask, in return, for mere food and clothing?..... ....Don’t you know that those who work in the Temple get their meals from the food brought to the Temple as offerings? And those who serve at the altar get a share of the sacrificial offerings. In the same way, the Lord gave orders that those who preach the Good News should be support-ed by those who benefit from it” (I Corinthians 9:6-14). “Those who are taught the Word of God should help their teachers by paying them” (Galatians 6:6; I Timothy 5:17&18). Consequently, the tithes and offerings given by God’s people to the Lord today, help support those serving the Lord in the same way they did in the Old Testament. Interestingly enough, the Levites would also be responsible for tithing from the proceeds they had been given because, “no one should appear before the Lord empty-handed” (Exodus 34:20; 23:15; Deuteronomy 16:16).