“Then the LORD said to Aaron: ‘You shall have no inheritance in their land, nor shall you have any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel. ‘Behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work which they perform, the work of the tabernacle of meeting” (Num. 18:20-21). In these two verses, the Levites were addressed specifically in regard to their inheritance. Later, during the conquest of the promised land, Israel knew by casting lots what God’s determination was for their portion (Josh. 14:2). Instead of owning a certain territory in the land God would give Israel, God Himself would be the Levites’ portion. The goods that were dedicated to God, accrued through tithing, would be given to these Levites, whose work was the continuance of the nation’s religious communion with God. Instead of land, the LORD would sustain them; thus, He is, time and again, described as their portion and inheritance (Deut. 10:9; 18:1).

With this material background, some of the psalms describe the spiritual truth of having the LORD as our portion. The wealthy king David, by inspiration, wrote: “O LORD, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot” (Psa. 16:5). The language of land distribution—portion and lot—is used here to say God is the one who determines the path of life and provides sustenance through it all. While death results in leaving earthly goods, including the land we own, to someone else (Ecc. 2:18), having God as our portion is an inheritance that lasts into eternity. Psalm 16:9-11 describes the hope, joy, and eternal sustenance of having the Lord as one’s portion; it is quoted in Acts 2:25-32 to describe the resurrection of Jesus, the descendant of David, who gives us a living hope of an incorruptible, undefiled, and unfading inheritance (1 Pet. 1:3, 4).

The heading of Psalm 73 attributes authorship to Asaph, a musician from the tribe of Levi, appointed for work in worship by the commission of David (1 Chron. 6:31, 39). By inspiration, this psalmist says to God, “You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psa. 73:24-26). With God as his portion forever, the hope of eternal life is expressed in these words: “afterward receive me to glory.” Wealthy men, honored in this world, will perish like beasts—with no eternal prosperity—if they do not seek God, but the righteous who have the Lord as their portion will see glory after death (Psa. 49:10-20; Prov. 11:4). When Israel lost all material possessions and their land, their only hope that remained was in the LORD who was their soul’s portion (Lam. 3:22-24).

Today under the New Testament, all Christians are priests (1 Pet. 2:9). With the background of the Levitical priests whose continual work was to offer worship, our bodies and lives are to be poured out as a living sacrifice in service to God (Rom. 12:1). Instead of having your mind set on earthly matters, remember your citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:19, 20). Do not merely labor for the food that perishes (Jn. 6:27), but hunger and thirst for righteousness (Mt. 5:6), being fed and sustained by God’s word (Mt. 4:4). Do not lay up treasures on earth, but rather in heaven (Mt. 6:19, 20). Seek the Lord first (Mt. 6:33), and He will be your everlasting portion.

Jesus describes the Judgment in Matthew 25:31-46. The criteria for separating the saved from the lost in this description is particularly striking­—feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, taking in the stranger, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick and imprisoned. Some people lack food, clothing, shelter, and companionship. Other passages in the New Testament teach faith, repentance, confession, and baptism as necessary to salvation. A faithful life of service to the Lord, including proper worship and abstaining from sin,  is necessary too. However, in Matthew 25:31-46 the emphasis is how you treat the vulnerable who come to you in need; this determines one’s eternal destiny. That the righteous did these things for marginal characters in their society without expecting a reward from Jesus is evidenced by His description of their apparent surprise and questions on that day, “Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?” (vv. 37-39). Jesus tells us He will reply to these individuals thus, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me” (v. 40).

John asks this question, “But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (1 John 3:17). Our actions do show what is in our hearts. The love of God does not abide in one’s heart if one possesses enough of this world’s goods to share and sees his brother in need of it, yet refuses to give to him. Some run away from the teaching of Matthew 25:31-46 thinking that it teaches works salvation. Certainly no one can merit salvation by good works (Eph. 2:8-9), but God’s intentions for the saved is for them to do good works (Eph. 2:10). In a discussion relating to this subject of faith and works, James asks, “If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?” (James 2:15-16).

The apostles had a commitment to remember the poor, and Paul was eager to accomplish this (Gal. 2:10). He and Barnabas delivered funds to the elders for famine relief in Judea (Acts 11:27-30). Paul coordinated a collection effort among multiple congregations to bear a gift to Jerusalem (1 Cor. 16:1-4). This financial help resulted in much thanksgiving (2 Cor. 8-9). That the church takes care of its own is seen early in its history (Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-36; 6:1-5). Paul wrote, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10). Congregations in the first century helped supply the needs of the saints and shared with all men (2 Cor. 9:12-13). Pure religion includes helping those in trouble, such as widows and orphans, who need the essentials of food, clothing, shelter and companionship (Jas. 1:27). Are you practicing pure religion?

With joy the apostle Paul thought of the Christians in Thessalonica. These converts had such good hearts that Paul looked forward to Christ’s return, knowing that they would enter on to their reward together: “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory and joy” (1 Thess. 2:19-20). Paul is like an Olympic medalist whose king is not present at the event where he wins the gold for his country, so he returns to his home country and gladly presents his trophy to his king. Thus, Paul eagerly awaited the coming of Christ and calls those in Thessalonica his glory and joy. The account of his mission work in this important seaport city in northern Greece is found in Acts 17:1-9. Because of persecution, Paul and his company were sent out of the city, but continued to correspond by letter to the church there; we have the inspired books of 1 and 2 Thessalonians in the Bible as a result. What was it about the hearts of these Christians that caused Paul to have such joy at the thought of them?

Backing up to 1 Thessalonians 2:13 reveals that Paul was thankful for how they received the message he preached, as he wrote, “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.” Paul’s preaching was not according to man (Gal. 1:11). He preached the commandments of the Lord (1 Cor. 14:37). Many dismiss the words of gospel preachers today as mere opinions. While many in pulpits may give the fashionable opinions of men, faithful gospel preachers proclaim God’s words, words with all authority behind them (Titus 2:15). Scripture is inspired—breathed out from the mouth of God (2 Tim. 3:16). These good-hearted Christians in Thessalonica heard God’s word and it effectively worked in them because they believed. Scripture should not be downplayed as irrelevant to the specific situations we find ourselves in today. The Thessalonians received the word the way they should have and let it transform their hearts and lives. Do we?

Their willingness to endure suffering for the way of truth was also a commendable characteristic for which Paul was thankful, as he wrote:

 “For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God and are contrary to all men, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.” (1 Thess. 2:14-16).

In this way, the Thessalonians identified with the Lord Jesus, the prophets of old, fellow Christians in Judea, and even Paul himself. We must not allow pressure from others to cause us to give in, but instead let us stand firm on God’s truth and endure suffering for it (2 Tim. 3:12-14).

            What about you? Do you have these characteristics that would make your spiritual leaders think of you with joy instead of grief (Heb. 13:17)?