After his instructions regarding the king, Moses turns to another source of authority, the Levitical priests. As priests, they were not to hold any secular job but to depend on the offerings brought before the Lord. The Levites did not have any inheritance, unlike the other tribes. In Hebrew, inheritance is naḥālā. It refers to territory in the Promised Land. So, they had no land to farm or livestock to raise but to eat from the Lord’s offering. A portion of the people’s offerings were given to support them so they could do their religious duties freely. This is why the Lord is their inheritance (Numbers 18:21-24).

In verses 3-5, Moses instructed, “And this shall be the priests' due from the people, from those offering a sacrifice, whether an ox or a sheep: they shall give to the priest the shoulder and the two cheeks and the stomach. The first fruits of your grain, of your wine and of your oil, and the first fleece of your sheep, you shall give him.For the Lord your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the name of the Lord, him and his sons for all time.” The word due in Hebrew is mishpāṭ meaning “judgment” as the offerings were required by the Levitical law to enable the priests to perform their religious functions freely.

The offering could be an ox or a sheep. They were to give to the priest the shoulder and the two cheeks and the stomach. The cheeks refer to the jowls or the jaw of the animal. The stomach refers to the internal organs of the animals. The people would then celebrate by consuming the rest of the sacrifice along with their families and neighbors. But they were to set aside the prescribed parts as provision for the priests, to support their livelihood.

The Israelites were commanded to give the first fruits of their grain, wine, and oil, along with the first fleece as part of the priests’ due. The fleece refers to the wool used for making warm clothes. This was designed to show them the priority of supporting those who serve God and the people. The reason to give these items listed in verses 3-4 was “For the Lord your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the name of the Lord, him and his sons for all time.” The pronoun him is in a collective sense for all the priests.

The priests were chosen by God to minister to the Lord at the place of worship. They ministered before God on behalf of the people while the other tribes were to take care of their needs. So, they could be free to serve God and the people without worrying about their needs. The Levites because of being selected by God and who desired to join the priesthood at the sanctuary can do so and have the right to eat equal portions from the offerings to God.

As the body of Christ, we need to ask whether the servants of God can serve God and His people freely without worrying about their needs. Have we ever considered the reason why the younger generation is not serving in full-time ministry is because they are worried whether they can serve God in full-time ministry in an expensive city like Singapore? If we wish for our younger generation to go into full-time ministry, we should take this reason seriously into consideration. On the other hand, the younger generation needs to learn to trust God more than to trust men if God is calling us into full-time ministry. There is always a balance in everything even serving in full-time ministry!

Reflection and Prayer: Who are you trusting? Why are we not doing enough to encourage the younger generation to go into full-time ministry? Are we offering ourselves to the Lord the younger generation to serve the Lord?