Set Apart

I sometimes think it’s crazy to think of being born into royalty. For example the British Royals didn’t do anything to become the reigning family in England. Their ancestors certainly did something years ago to put their family in leadership. But ever since February 1952 Queen Elizabeth II has been the reigning monarch in England. Her son Charles is the heir and then after him, his son. They did nothing to earn this title or position; they inherited it.

When God was giving structure to the Israelite nation, He begins by counting the people and giving them instructions regarding where their family is to camp. He takes one of the sons of Israel and sets him and his descendants apart to serve the Lord. Moses and Aaron were direct descendants of Levi. So the Lord takes the family of Levi and directs them to be the spiritual leaders of the entire nation. The kids born into Levite family automatically became part of the leadership lineage. Levi had 3 sons and each family was given a spot to camp near the tabernacle. They covered the north, south and west. Moses and Aaron and their family have a special place. Check this out…

38 Moses and Aaron and his sons were to camp to the east of the tabernacle, towards the sunrise, in front of the tent of meeting. They were responsible for the care of the sanctuary on behalf of the Israelites. Anyone else who approached the sanctuary was to be put to death. (Numbers 3:38 NIV)

The Lord uses a leadership structure throughout scripture. In the Old Testament, He uses Moses and Aaron to set up the priesthood. They and their family –the Levites, were in charge of the spiritual leadership of the entire nation. The tabernacle was to be a sacred place of worship – a place where God would dwell among them. The Levite family was responsible for handling the set up and tear down of the tabernacle everywhere they went. Their family was set apart to serve the Lord for generations to come.

Fast-forward to the New Testament and the Lord is still using a leadership structure. Jesus chose 12 men to invest in and train. These men became the formative leaders of the church. It was not a group of men that I would have chosen because they were regular ordinary people. Some were fishermen, there was a tax collector among them and not much is known about the others occupations. Jesus saw something in them and He used them to usher in a different type of leadership – servant leadership. He told them that the secret to greatness is serving. I believe that Christ followers should all be servant leaders. It’s not a position to be held, but a ministry to do. Serving should permeate the heart of Christ followers. Our serving spirit comes from the deep love and devotion we have to the One Who loved us first and taught us to serve by example. I believe that all Christ followers are set-apart to serve other through love and relationship. It’s our calling – our DNA. I’m actually part of a royal calling because of my position in Christ. I didn’t earn this position – He earned it for me and bestowed it on me.

Pressing On!

Dwayne