Compare Numbers 18:20 with Matthew 6:33. How do they relate? Setting the Scene • Numbers 18 records the duties and privileges of the priests and Levites. • Matthew 6 is part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, addressing everyday anxieties and priorities. • Both passages center on the question, “Who (or what) is my true provision and security?” God as Portion for the Priests — Numbers 18:20 “Then the LORD said to Aaron, ‘You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the Israelites.’” • The other tribes received real estate; the priests received God Himself. • Their daily needs were met through tithes and offerings (vv. 21-24). • By withholding land, God prevented the priests from resting their confidence in material assets. • Key idea: when God is your portion, He assumes responsibility for your provision. God’s Promise to Seekers — Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.” • “These things” (vv. 25-32) = food, drink, clothing—basic necessities. • Jesus shifts believers’ focus from self-preservation to single-minded pursuit of God’s reign and moral will. • Assurance: the Father “knows that you need them” and pledges supply when His kingdom comes first. Connecting the Dots Both verses present the same spiritual principle, applied in different eras: 1. Priority → Provision • Priests prioritized worship; disciples prioritize kingdom. • In both cases God provides for material needs. 2. Portion → Contentment • Levites: “I am your portion.” • Believers: God’s kingdom and righteousness are the treasure (Matthew 6:19-21). 3. Faith → Freedom from Anxiety • Priests lived by faith, not farmland. • Jesus frees His followers from “worry about tomorrow” (Matthew 6:34). 4. Covenant → Inheritance • Old Covenant priests illustrate dependence. • New Covenant believers are “a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9) with “an inheritance that is imperishable” (1 Peter 1:4). Supporting Echoes in Scripture • Psalm 16:5 – “The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup.” • Psalm 73:26 – “God is…my portion forever.” • Lamentations 3:24 – “The LORD is my portion…therefore I will hope in Him.” • Philippians 4:19 – “My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” • Hebrews 13:5 – “Be content with what you have, for He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” Living It Out • Evaluate priorities: land, status, savings, or the Lord? • Cultivate a mindset of priestly dependence—work diligently yet trust God for the increase. • Replace anxiety with worship and obedience; needs are met on God’s timetable. • Celebrate the greater inheritance: “the hope of His calling…the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:18). When God is our portion and His kingdom our pursuit, He faithfully adds “all these things”—exactly what Numbers 18:20 foreshadowed and Matthew 6:33 confirmed. |
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