“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them” (Numbers 8:5,6).
TEXT — Numbers 8:5-19
Message
Robert Murray McCheyne, the Scottish preacher, once affirmed, “In great measure, according to the purity and perfections of the instrument, will be the success. It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.”
The work of God requires so much seriousness and carefulness that it takes true holiness and consecration to offer acceptable and fruitful service in His vineyard. The importance of purity before service is thus illustrated vividly in the cleansing ceremony that preceded the ordination into tabernacle service for the Levites. The ceremony commenced with the levites being sprayed with water of purification. Then, they shaved their entire body and washed their clothes before offering the prescribed sacrifices to God. The high point of the Levites’ consecration is when the Israeli congregation laid their hands on them, signifying their release and sacrifice to the Lord. The instructive metaphor here conveys a message of absolute surrender, a total break from past sinful lifestyle, and a commitment to a life of purity. Cleansing comes before service. It is, therefore, inconsistent with God’s demands to claim to serve Him while still indulging in sin.
Additionally, the position of the levites speaks of a people who accept to be living sacrifices to God. The spectacle of the congregation laying hands on them is evidence of their devotedness and self-effacement. They were willing to serve, though they knew they would be assistants perpetually to Aaron and his sons to do the work of the tabernacle. No matter how well or how long they served, they would never be elevated to the priesthood. Then, they must not pursue any secular ambitions and were not allotted any inheritance of land in Israel. They were consecrated to God, dead to selfish ambition, and contented to serve in their God appointed roles in the tabernacle.
God expects the kind of attitude demonstrated by the levites from every one of us as we engage in His service. We are called to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is our reasonable service. This will demand that we “cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1)
Thought for the day
Acceptable service is fuelled by the fire of consecration and purity.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
