CHURCH AND GOVERNMENT; SEPARATE BUT TOGETHER
The book of Numbers is interesting in many respects; but especially in light of the definition of the separation of church and government.
We can see in Numbers Chapter 18, that God set up a governing body headed by Moses and a religious and priestly body headed by Aaron and his sons.
Though both bodies of the camp were different; they both worked together under God’s guidance. They were separate; but at the same time they worked together and depended upon one another for order.
ESTABLISHMENT OF TRUE JUSTICE
Of course, eventually there existed within the camps of Israel the same problems that we have today; some men operated in their flesh instead of following God’s ways, and these two groups working together under God had to deal with these events according to God’s laws.
As we discussed previously God set up the proper leadership in all of these areas of the nation, and in today’s scripture passage found in Number 18:6-31; He is instructing the priestly body on how to handle the finances of the people.
Ironically, this is a lot like the IRS is supposed to be today; with a certain group of people in charge of handling the taxes of the people in order to provide for the welfare of the nation. There is one huge difference though; the money isn’t collected by the government; it is collected by the religious operations of the nation; and the implementing is strictly voluntary. An individual may decide whether or not he will choose to volunteer any portion of his wealth to the cause; and that decision is strictly between that individual and God.
OFFERINGS WERE COLLECTED BY A HOLY PRIESTHOOD
The people voluntarily brought into the Sanctuary Courtyards a portion of whatever God had blessed them with; and the distribution of what God didn’t completely consume in the flames of the altar was redistributed out to the priesthood and their families.
I would quickly point out that this can’t possibly be compared to the redistribution of wealth used in the a socialistic society of today because of the nature of the wealth; it is all given on a VOLUNTARY basis and the amount is between the individual giving and GOD; not a government with established amounts that MUST be contributed.
In turn; the priesthood and the Levites took care of all the maintenance and care of the Sanctuary and the ministry of the Tabernacle.
The Levites were helpful to the priests in carrying out these functions; but they did not administer inside the Sanctuary where God dwelled.
The preist were the only ones allowed inside the holy places of the Sanctuary of God.
A GIFT FROM GOD TO HIS HOLY PRIESTHOOD
The gifts were brought to God by the people in due season in the form of sacrifices and offerings.
The use of all that God did not consume immediately was given as a gift from God to the Priest and Levites who would not inherit land ownership when they arrived in The Promised Land. These people would never have the opportunity (due to their holy set-aside service) to grow their own food and provide for their own families; so God justly provides for them through this system.
THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE OFFERINGS
The meat sacrifices that were not consumed by God all went to Aaron and his sons.
These sacrificial offerings left unburned were to be consumed only by the priesthood within the sacred shelter of the Tabernacle. Basically, it was a priestly meal eaten in God’s presence as a special gift from God specifically to His holy priesthood.
But the priesthood and the Levites also received the firstfruits offerings.
These were the heave and the wave offerings that came forth from the people from the first and the best of their blessings provided by God. These things were to be shared with the priest’s families and households, which also included the Levites living around the priestly areas; who were all relatives of Aaron.
This is how the faithful gifts of God’s people to God was returned by God to be used and distributed among God’s servants.
THE OFFERINGS FOLLOWED THE ANNUAL SEASONS OF HARVEST
This was a continuous cycle of offerings which followed each of the annual seasons of the various harvests.
God blessed the people, the people brought portions to God as a way of honoring the provisions with thanksgiving, God in turn gave back to the people through providing for the priesthood who ministered at His altars; and when this process was faithfully followed everyone was happy and provided for.
No one suffered and no one went without.
God fed the people through divine providence, they returned the favor by sacrifices and offereings; God consumed what was necessary and left the rest to those servants who had no inheritance. Everyone had what they needed. The whole camp had plenty and no one suffered from lack.
THE WORSHIP BROUGHT THE BLESSINGS AND THE BLESSINGS BROUGHT THE OFFERINGS
I find it interesting that God allowed for the distribution of the wealth from the worship of the people and not the governing body which He had put under the charge of Moses.
The governing body enforced God’s laws; but the priesthood distributed the wealth that provided for the camp under God’s direction and guidance.
Those who were doing the distribution (the priesthood and the Levites) were provided for by God.
The heave offerings and the wave offerings could be eaten outside of the Sanctuary area (inside the homes) by all of the member of the priesthood’s household, including women and children, and only excluded those who were ceremonially unclean, and/or “hired” servants, sojourners and strangers.
THE LAWS REGARDING KIN BY MARRIAGE
Any priest who had a married daughter would send that daughter to eat and live with her husband’s family/tribe.
Son-in-laws to married daughters of the priests were not considered members of the priestly household and therefore did not qualify to come to the tables where these offerings were provided as food and nourishment.
This was because the son-in-laws of the priest’s married daughters would eventually own inherited land from the wealth of their own families and therefore be able to provide for their family on their own.
However, if the priest’s daughter married a priest, she would be allowed at the table along with him as a wife of an officiating priest; and not as a daughter of her father.
HOW GOD CARES FOR HIS PEOPLE
This all worked very well.
Everyone had a way for provision and everyone was cared for.
Also; everyone had their own part to play in the whole picture of provision for the camp.
The offering of firstfruits offerings from the people played a vital and important role in the health of the nation. This was only because of their generous and merciful God who gave back more than He ever received.
The cycle of blessing that stemmed from thankfulness is truly amazing when you consider how effective it is.
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A GENEROUS AND GODLY PEOPLE
What if every religious organization today gave back to God through His provision to their leaders?
What if the governing body and the religious sector of our nation today worked together under God’s laws to provide such abundance to the country; just as the nation of Israel operated back in the days of the wilderness tabernacle?
Actually, if you go way back in history and look up the original intents of our founding fathers you will find that this was their first and true pattern for our government when it was first established.
The principles we read about in Numbers 18 were actually a pattern the founders of America considered and laid out in establishing the American government.
True justice always begins with God’s ways. When the people neglect the ways of God; great governments topple and fall.