Jonah Albrecht…August 31^st, 2025…Joshua 13:33…The LORD God is Your Inheritance

To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to God and His Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever, Amen.

³³ But to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance; the LORD God of Israel is their inheritance, just as he said to them.

INJ, the Teacher who teaches us the words of eternal life, DFR:

The footsteps sounded like thunder and trumpets were blaring their tune. All day, all along, like a steady clock. Until finally, there came a shout that could startle wildlife for miles. It wasn’t a great army, it wasn’t a terrible storm, it was a new people. They were a small group and not well armed, but yet fear and terror went before them for the nations knew the LORD the LORD went before this people. The God against whom no one could prevail – not even the legendary walls of Jericho. Thus began the conquest of the Promised Land for the Children of Israel.

It was a growing experience for the people, finding out quickly what worked and what didn’t, namely whether they followed God’s plan or their own plan. But with the Lord’s hand going with them, they found the success they needed to secure the land long promised since the days of Abraham. The fighting wasn’t done, they yet had peoples to remove, but they had reached a level of success to where the people could receive their inheritance and dwell in safety.

For some of you, the days of parochial schooling is in the past while for some others, it is just getting started. But each of us has experienced the transition into something new – a new portion of our lives. And that can happen multiple times throughout our lives as the LORD calls us into new vocations. Each new step in life comes with the expectation of what will I receive from it? What will be my inheritance as I go from what used to be, to what I will be in the future? That question is answered by our theme this morning and it applies to each one of you no matter what stage you are at in your life: The LORD God is your inheritance.

It is easy to put yourself into the shoes of the Israelites at this moment – as they gather excitedly around the leaders to find out what inheritance they would receive. The same feeling of excitement that settles in on Christmas morning as you wonder what wonders could possibly be hidden under that wrapping paper. One by one the swaths of land are handed out – each tribe given according to their size and importance to the overall well-being of the nation.  Can you imagine then, when the turn came for the tribe of Levi to receive their inheritance and Joshua declares what God had told Aaron many years ago, “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them.”  This had been set and they had nothing. They went into the land emptyhanded.

Might the Levites have been upset by this? Might they have resented God for making them lower than the other tribes? Surely, they deserved to have some wealth and to be taken care of – what had they done to deserve this? Their patriarch Levi did murder a whole city to avenge his sister, but so did Simeon and Simeon received a “full” inheritance. the LORD God of Israel is their inheritance. In that moment, Levi showed the weakness of his human nature – a weakness that had continued into the hearts of the tribe of Levi. But God took this tribe and He showed how He can mold it to His will as a potter does a vessel of clay. Remember how Moses came down from Mt Sinai to see the abomination of the golden calf, he cried out a challenge, “Who is on the LORD’s side? Come to me.” And who but the tribe of Levi came and stood by Moses. They stood as a symbol of what God could make of mortal man. God made them His very own. That was their inheritance.

For those of you who have gone through the schooling process, the graduations and sought employment, do you remember what you expected to come your way? Did you expect a great inheritance in the manner of the world? You who have yet to embark on that journey, what is it you expect as your inheritance? While the LORD has certainly blessed all of us in many ways, we can say for certain that our inheritance – realized or not – is nowhere close to that of worldly man. Afterall, how many of us have accumulated the success and wealth of Jeff Bezos; or such high office as that of Governor Ferguson? It isn’t something we should expect or desire for the inheritance that God has given each of you is far greater.

You too are a beacon of what God can make out of a sinful, weak, and foolish human by giving you a wisdom that comes from on high. No, it isn’t the great wealth or fame of this world, but it is so much greater because God has led you to Himself. He has established you into His family and has made you an ambassador for the Gospel.

The nation of Israel had finally been called out of the wilderness after 40 years of wandering. They could finally look forward to a period of rest and, at least partially, a time of peace and contentment. But not for Levi. Levi’s inheritance drew the tribe back into the wilderness – the wilderness of sin. They were engaged in the work and worship of the LORD. On a daily basis they dealt with the problems and sin of the people. Deeper and deeper into this wilderness they would be drawn and it would be a great, continuous battle. There was no end to this wilderness of sin.

It is in this work that you spend your days. Sorry to say, but the taking of tests does not end when you finish school. But even when you suppose to be nearing the end – finally overcoming one test, another one comes to take its place. Your faith is constantly being tested. Your life as a child of God is always under strain for the wilderness of sin that you and I dwell in is thick and deep – always looking to swallow you whole. None of this should surprise you. The life of a Christian is a hard one and one that is not understood by the world around you. “Why not indulge in the drink that will put you over the top?” “Why not let the passions of your heart take over?” So, they might say.

My reply is the test. Will I answer in the weakness of my flesh, or in the wisdom of God? One seeks after the inheritance, or approval of the world and it gives in to the wilderness of sin; the other looks to the cross of my Savior Jesus where the wisdom of God shows me clearly the love with which my Savior loved me to die in my place, for my sins. He gave up His life so that I could glorify God in mine, that I could be His ambassador even when it seems to be the road far more troubling.

That’s not always something to look forward to, is it? It is easy to say the right things here in church where are focus is on the Word of God and what is right vs. what is wrong. But when you are in the thick of temptation, always taking the harder road does not seem like a life worth living. What kind of future do we have if our inheritance is always an uphill battle?

If that is how it feels for us, then it must have been worse tenfold for the Levites. They didn’t just have to deal with the spiritual warfare of their inheritance, but also the physical struggles. They didn’t have the land or a home, but were granted crushing burdens and endless hardships. And yet, The LORD God was still the greatest inheritance. Their inheritance came with a power that cannot be measured by the largest nuclear bomb created. The power of the Levites’ inheritance far surpasses the energy output of the sin – because their inheritance was the power of God unto salvation.

Yes, their inheritance came with the promise that God would not forsake their physical needs, but would provide them with His grace, mercy, and forgiveness. God would give them exactly what they needed to carry out the work He had planned for them.

Without God as your inheritance, the work He has given you to do would be impossible. It would be too much for you. And yet, your inheritance does not leave you – His Word and His strength will never forsake you despite the matters you face in the wilderness of sin. Temptations all around, needs pile up, discontentment seeping in, your power is still the greatest. Use it well and often and you will see how God’s power continues to win you the victory. No, never! Never, let it be the excuse for laziness, saying that if God wants it done it will be done. That attitude destroys. But trust the wisdom of the power of God, You will doubt it in weakness, but trust in it anyway.

The LORD understood the monumental task He had given to the Levites. He made sure to provide a period of rest where they would rotate out of the work in the temple. So they would have a place to go, the LORD also gave them certain cities among the tribes to make their homes and find reprieve. And though this was to serve as a rest from their labors in the official worship of the LORD, it became yet another opportunity to exercise their inheritance.

In the temple, they carried the LORD God as their inheritance, and their role was the bring the people to God to receive His forgiveness. Now, being amongst the people in their every-day lives, they continued to carry the LORD God as their inheritance, and could bring God to His people, sharing the joy and peace that they have in His name.

Friends in Christ, wherever you go, you carry your inheritance. The LORD God goes with you and so does His power. This is why Christian education is so important and why it never comes to an end in your life. God is always teaching you, leading you to grow in the grace and knowledge of your Lord Jesus Christ so that you may be complete, equipped for every good work; a messenger of reconciliation; and finally, that you may see your inheritance face to face in glory. May God help us to be diligent students of His Word and gladly use our inheritance to His glory. Amen.