The first lot came out for the Kohathites, according to their clans. The Levites who were descendants of Aaron the priest were allotted thirteen towns from the tribes of Judah, Simeon and Benjamin. – Joshua 21:4

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 17, 2019): Joshua 21

Vera Nazarian in “The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration” writes that “neither sugar nor salt tastes particularly good by itself. Each is at its best when used to season other things. Love is the same way. Use it to ‘season’ people.” Personally, my cravings tend toward the salty rather than the sweet. But Nazarian is right, sugar and salt are seasonings; they work best when they are spread out over something else that we are enjoying (and yes, I appreciate a generous application of salt on my French Fries).

There was never any intention that there would be a tribe of Levites, at least not one that was gathered on one territorial space. When Jacob claimed Manasseh and Ephraim, the two sons of Joseph, as his own, he essentially became of the father of thirteen sons and changed the way that the descendants of Levi would be treated. The adoption of Manasseh and Ephraim allowed the Levites to become the possession of God, and the Levites were intended to be the seasoning for the nation of Israel. In this way, God’s presence would be spread among the people, and his love would be shared with all of the people.

The presence of the Levites throughout Israel also argued against the idea that God was only present in his tabernacle, and later only in the Temple of Jerusalem. God was spread throughout all of Israel, symbolized by the presence of his Levites. 

I recently visited a Jewish Synagogue for worship and was impressed, once again, by the ministry of the Levites in the service. The descendants of Levi, more than 3000 years after the taking of the Promised Land, are still symbols of the presence of God among the people. And as Christians, we believe not just that we are the adopted children of God, but that we are the Levites adopted by God. Our purpose is not to be heaped up in one place, but rather to be spread out amidst God’s creation, symbolically reminding all of creation that the presence of God is in their midst, and practically loving all of creation with the love that we reflect from the Creator of the World. 

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Joshua 22