Getting to Give

02.25.14

Numbers 18.7 7 But only you and your sons may serve as priests. Only you may serve at the altar or go behind the curtain. I am giving you this gift of serving as a priest, and anyone else who comes near the Holy Place will be put to death.” (NCV)

I read the Bible every day. If I miss a day because of schedule or circumstances, or lack of discipline, I go back and make up the day. It’s just how weird I am. Weird or no, however, I do what I do. I don’t tell you this so that you should do it; it’s what I do.

This year I’ve decided to read a different translation of the Scripture each month. I decided, several years ago as a custom, to read a different version of Scripture each year; but this year, I decided to read a different version each month. This month I’m in the New Century Version. I like the way it says things. The NCV is not scholarly or sophisticated and that appeals to me.

Today I read what God told Aaron the priest: But only you and your sons may serve as priests. Only you may serve at the altar or go behind the curtain. I am giving you this gift of serving as a priest, and anyone else who comes near the Holy Place will be put to death. I don’t think I’ve ever picked up on this before: a gift from God may look like serving. Wow! That puts a new perspective on ministry and working in and around the Church.

Typically we usually think of God’s gifts in the form of God’s blessings, which we translate to mean, more of something: like family, a wife, a promotion, an inheritance healing or something like that.  And for sure, every good and perfect gift comes from the Father above (James 1). But there are gifts that don’t look like gifts and today in Numbers 18 we read of such a gift: the priesthood, serving the people, and the Levites who served the priests.

Serving is a gift. Jesus said, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10.45 NIV) Jesus came as a Gift from God to give us the Gift of Himself. God gave His only Son… (John 3.16). Giving gifts is a Biblical theme. And today through a not-so-scholarly source, it is said that God gave the Priesthood the gift of serving.

I serve in my church, but I’ve never, before today, seen my service as a gift from God. That makes me think differently about what I do, why I do it, and to whom. It also makes me think differently about serving the Body of Christ both in my local fellowship, and in the Church at large. Serving others is a gift, and it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20.35).

I’m not sure of his theology, but the singer Zac Brown produced an album entitled: You Get what You Give. I think there’s a measure of truth there. We get from God what we’re to give to others. That may be why God gave the priestly ministry to Aaron and his family; that’s why the Levites gave their assistance to Aaron and the priests. And that’s why we serve – it’s a gift to be given away and in doing so to be multiplied and uncountable like the sand of the seashore.

Father God, thank You for Your good and perfect gifts given to me and the rest of Your kids that may be given to others that they may receive and give away as well. You are Good! Amen.