As the Lord God addressed
the priests of Israel through the prophet Malachi, He pointed out
their lack of hearing Him and laying what He had to say to heart.
Because of their actions, the Lord promised that He would take
drastic measures against them such as corrupting their seed and
putting dung in their faces so they would be taken out of the
sanctuary positions. He also told them His covenant was with the
Levites, and they would know His commandments because of this
agreement. In chapter two and verse five of Malachi, the Lord
continues to share more details of His covenant with Levi where we
read:
My
covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for
the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name.
The
verse begins, “My covenant was with him of life and
peace;” As the Lord continued,
we discover some of the particulars of His agreement with Levi.
First, this “covenant”
or “alliance or pledge” with Levi was one “of life”
which means “living, alive, active and reviving”. Secondly, the
“covenant” was one
of “peace” which
means “completeness, soundness, welfare and tranquility”.
So far, this sounds like a wonderful life for the Levites to enjoy.
The
verse goes on to say, “and I gave them to him for
the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name.” In
order for all of the nation of Israel to “fear”
or “reverence” the Lord, God granted to Levi a special measure of
reverence by which he would be an example. The tribe of Levi “feared”
which means “revered, stood in awe, honored and respected”
the Lord, and they were “afraid” which means “to
be shattered, dismayed, broken, or abolished” before Him. These
traits were given to them by the Lord as an example to the people of
Israel, and because they had them, they were also granted “life
and peace”.
The promise given to the Levites was one which not only the
Israelites were to enjoy, but also everyone who puts their faith and
trust in Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I have come to give you
life, and life more abundantly” (John 10:10b). He said in the
gospel of John in chapter fourteen and verse twenty-seven, “Peace
I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world gives,
give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be
afraid.” The idea is that
Jesus is the source of true life, and He extends “peace”
to all who will believe in Him. Though there are many things in this
world that can make us afraid, the Lord is greater than them all.
When we revere and honor Him, we are given the promises of “life
and peace”, and when we
consider these great benefits we may wonder why anyone would reject
His offer to be their Savior. May the Lord bring us to a greater
understanding of the blessings He desires to give to anyone who trust
in Him.
Next
time we see God speaking about the benefit of His law and truth,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ;
www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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