Numbers 18.
1884 177 The principle of giving and receiving is opened up in this chapter. Man gives to man, hoping to receive again; or, at least, not for the glory of God. Man receives from man, and sees no source beyond. From all this the Lord delivers His people.
There are, in this chapter, the children of Israel, to whom the Lord gave the fruitful land, and they are put forward as givers, but givers unto the Lord. They gave Him the tithes of what they possessed, and thus owned that it was He who freely gave them all they had. In these tithes they owned the Lord to be the source of their blessings, and not themselves, or any around them; the principle of departure from this is to be seen; when God is disowned, and some false power brought in.
We have the Levites presented in a different aspect from the children of Israel. They had no inheritance among the children of Israel; the Lord was their inheritance, and His provision for them was in another way: "The tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as an heave-offering unto the Lord, I have given to the Levites to inherit" (Num. 18:24).
If one asked the children of Israel, To whom do you give the tithes? the answer of the godly would be, We give them unto the Lord. And if one asked the faithful Levites, From whom do you receive the tithes? their answer would be, We receive them from the Lord.
The Levites also had their acknowledgment in thanksgiving to make that these tithes were given unto them of the Lord. For his command was: "Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave-offering of it to the Lord, even a tenth part of the tithe" (Num. 18:26).
As soon as we receive, the first thing to be seen is, the Lord has given. The next thing to be done is, that the Lord is to be owned in that which He has given.
And so it was that, when the people offered willingly to build the house, David in his thanksgiving owned how meet and right it was, "For all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee" (1 Chron. 29:14). Here is the lesson taught in the tithes, but going beyond the mere precept there, in willing devotedness.
It is very precious in all this to see, how they that have little in common stand before God in their offerings with those that have much. The Levites had a less offering for the Lord than the children of Israel. The one had the tithes of the fulness of the land; the other had only the tithe of the tithe for their offering; but of it the Lord said, "And this your heave-offering shall be reckoned unto you, as though it were the corn of the threshing-floor, and as the fulness of the wine-press" (27); because it was according to that they had, and not according to that they had not, that the Lord accepted of them. And so, when the poor widow cast in her two mites unto the offering of God, although many that were rich cast in much, yet the estimate formed by Christ of her two mites, in comparison with the much that the many rich cast in, was that she cast in more than they all (Mark 12:41-44).
But awful, very awful it is, to see the mighty power that Satan gets over him who in his act appears and assumes to give unto the Lord, while virtually giving only to men! It was thus that Satan filled the heart of Ananias and Sapphira his wife, to agree together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord, and to lie to the Holy Ghost. They acted not before God who tries the heart, but before men who could not see so deep; but God searched them, and revealed the result to His apostle Peter, and judged them in the presence of those from whom they expected glory. "How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour which cometh from God only?" (John 5:44).
And here we see the godly care of the apostle Paul for the saints at Corinth, that their ministry to the need of poor saints should not be the occasion of their own sin. Money he sought not of them, unless God were glorified in them through it; and so his direction was: "Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come" (1 Cor. 16:2).
Nothing here like looking for a few good contributions from some rich men, but "Let every one of you." He who had very little more than met food and raiment, because he was therewith content, could own this to be prosperity, and lay by him his little store in thankful acknowledgment of the providing hand of God, and to meet the necessities of the poor saints in another place.
The contribution was thus made in individual devotedness, according to the conscientious review, by each, of his circumstances through the past week. The apostle put away all influence that his own presence might have in this; it was, "that there be no gatherings when I come."
But there are godly thoughts, with regard to the receivers of this bounty, put before those who themselves, in giving, gave unto the Lord. What would be the comfort of those who gave as to those who received? It would be this, that they should receive from the Lord. Well, says the apostle, "The administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God" (2 Cor. 9:12). Many would be found among the poor saints, whose wants were thus supplied, all putting up their thanksgivings unto God for thus supplying them. And when they think on the saints who contributed to their need, what do they do? "They glorify God for their professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for their liberal distribution unto them and unto all men; they also pray for them, longing after them for the exceeding grace of God in them" (2 Cor. 9:13-14).
How very precious is all this! how different, inexpressibly different, from the false alluring kindness of a corrupt and deceitful world, to draw the heart away from God, and fix it on itself!
The ambassadors from Babylon had nothing of the Lord in their kindness to Hezekiah, and it drew nothing for the Lord from him. The devil demands to be worshipped for all he gives: and so, in the service of the Lord, when godly men went forth for His name's sake, it was, "taking nothing of the Gentiles" (3 John).
The ground on which the labourers received was not the same as that on which the poor saints at Jerusalem received, though they were connected, as we shall see: the former were devoted to the service of God in the burden of the gospel and truth; the other suffered from poverty, which broke in on their circumstances.
The Levites, as thus devoted, stand in very holy connection. Their service was in things that were outside, but always connected with that which is within; and this connection never should be let go, or outside service becomes dead and barren.
The service of the sanctuary and priesthood belonged to Aaron and his sons; but the Levites were joined unto him for the service of the tabernacle (Num. 18:4); and they were given to Aaron as a gift for the Lord, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation (v. 6). The Levites waited on the priests, and their service flowed from the service of the priests.
As having boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, we are priests unto God; this is our high and exalted place of blessing and service there; but we also, in subjection to this service, serve outside in the world too.
There were distinct provisions made for the sustenance of the Priests and the Levites: they who served in the holy place were sustained with what belonged to it; they who served outside had natural sustenance ministered unto them. The priests fed on that which was offered in sacrifice (Num. 18:9); the Levites fed on the tithes of all the fulness of the land.
As priests we feed upon Christ, having access where He is; as serving in the world, we are supported there according to the care of God our Father. May we be sustained in these services according to the power of God!
There is an important connection in which the Lord classed the Levites, whose inheritance He Himself was. He classed them with those who were the pitiful objects of His care in a poor groaning creation — not amongst those who are highly esteemed among men, but amongst those who are mercifully dealt with by Him. "The Levite (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee), and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest" (Deut. 14:29).
In the first epistle of Paul to Timothy, the elders that rule well, as labourers worthy of their hire, are set in this connection with poor helpless desolate widows. The direction first is, "Honour widows that are widows indeed" (1 Tim. 5:3); and then, "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn; and, The labourer is worthy of his reward" (verses 17, 18). A humble spiritual labourer could enjoy this holy association with those trusting in God and continuing in supplication and prayers night and day — godly objects for the church's care, even as the labourers in word and doctrine.
May we in all things be kept from the proud and haughty ways of men, humbling ourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt us in due time! T. T.