Good Morning “Someday Retirees”. Today we are in Numbers 8.
This is an interesting chapter with a likely controversial tidbit - at least for our adults following along. Although most students likely aren’t planning for retirement just yet, I’m guessing pretty much anyone 30 and over has thought about it. If you’re in your 40s then it’s even more likely, 50s… 60s… you get the picture.
On the surface one might look at today’s chapter and think… man, Pastor Jason is 53 he should be out the door already. Check it out…
““This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years old or more shall come to take part in the work at the tent of meeting, but at the age of fifty, they must retire from their regular service and work no longer.” Numbers 8:24-25 NIV
Yeeehaaaa! I’m out. May this Devo serve as my official resignation.
Retirement! The American dream! Many work their whole lives to amass enough savings and assets to quit work… live off of their savings… leasure… Finally a piece of Scripture that actually says it! In fact according to this piece of Scripture, if I twist and apply it to me… I’m 3 years past.
Oh but wait… read on… “They may assist their brothers in performing their duties at the tent of meeting, but they themselves must not do the work. This, then, is how you are to assign the responsibilities of the Levites.”” Numbers 8:26 NIV
Wait… what’s happening? What truly is the application for us? Let me go on ahead and burst that hopeful bubble we all have. Once a Levite always a Levite. Once a “Living Sacrifice” (Rom 12:1) always… God is not telling the Levites to retire to Florida at 50. Frankly that kind of idea finds NO basis in Scripture. In fact over time we’ve actually changed the meaning - just slightly.
The world’s definition of Retirement according to the Oxford: “the action or fact of leaving one's job and ceasing to work”
NKJV Bible Dictionary: “Stepping down or leaving one’s station.” Get that? “Station”, position.
Why does he want them to step aside from the actual work (their station) and “assist” their brothers? For one thing the work in the Tabernacle was very labor intensive… but that’s not the biggest reason. The point for the Levites and the application for us isn’t that we trade our service to Him for a life of leasure. It was / is, that we build into the next generation, then at some point, step aside and assist them as they take the reins. Check out Titus 2:1-8. We’re still there, serving, but the station has changed to “advisor”, “mentor”, “elder”, “wise one”!
All believers are part of the “Royal Priesthood”. If we see serving The Lord as a the blessing we should… Why would we ever want retire from it? Our assignment never changes - the address to where we report to work may.
Love you all! Dig in!
This is an interesting chapter with a likely controversial tidbit - at least for our adults following along. Although most students likely aren’t planning for retirement just yet, I’m guessing pretty much anyone 30 and over has thought about it. If you’re in your 40s then it’s even more likely, 50s… 60s… you get the picture.
On the surface one might look at today’s chapter and think… man, Pastor Jason is 53 he should be out the door already. Check it out…
““This applies to the Levites: Men twenty-five years old or more shall come to take part in the work at the tent of meeting, but at the age of fifty, they must retire from their regular service and work no longer.” Numbers 8:24-25 NIV
Yeeehaaaa! I’m out. May this Devo serve as my official resignation.
Retirement! The American dream! Many work their whole lives to amass enough savings and assets to quit work… live off of their savings… leasure… Finally a piece of Scripture that actually says it! In fact according to this piece of Scripture, if I twist and apply it to me… I’m 3 years past.
Oh but wait… read on… “They may assist their brothers in performing their duties at the tent of meeting, but they themselves must not do the work. This, then, is how you are to assign the responsibilities of the Levites.”” Numbers 8:26 NIV
Wait… what’s happening? What truly is the application for us? Let me go on ahead and burst that hopeful bubble we all have. Once a Levite always a Levite. Once a “Living Sacrifice” (Rom 12:1) always… God is not telling the Levites to retire to Florida at 50. Frankly that kind of idea finds NO basis in Scripture. In fact over time we’ve actually changed the meaning - just slightly.
The world’s definition of Retirement according to the Oxford: “the action or fact of leaving one's job and ceasing to work”
NKJV Bible Dictionary: “Stepping down or leaving one’s station.” Get that? “Station”, position.
Why does he want them to step aside from the actual work (their station) and “assist” their brothers? For one thing the work in the Tabernacle was very labor intensive… but that’s not the biggest reason. The point for the Levites and the application for us isn’t that we trade our service to Him for a life of leasure. It was / is, that we build into the next generation, then at some point, step aside and assist them as they take the reins. Check out Titus 2:1-8. We’re still there, serving, but the station has changed to “advisor”, “mentor”, “elder”, “wise one”!
All believers are part of the “Royal Priesthood”. If we see serving The Lord as a the blessing we should… Why would we ever want retire from it? Our assignment never changes - the address to where we report to work may.
Love you all! Dig in!
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