The People Set Apart

       Being set apart sounds so simple like there is one group here and one group there, but it isn't that simple.  There are levels.  All the Israelites were set apart as God's people, but then the Levites were set apart from them as servants to God and His home.  They were not to be laborers or warriors.  

    The same goes for us today.  Christians are set apart from the world as His.  However, Jewish Christians are set apart on another level.  That is now.  We are going back to be beginning where it may make sense.

    To perform the census it needed to be uniformed, so they separated the tribes.  Each tribe had it's designated area around God's house.  When they traveled the tribes traveled together in a certain order.  It was all organized and clearly laid out.  Each tribe had their own banner even though they were unified as one nation of 603,550 warriors.  

    Aaron and his sons were the head priest.  They were set apart from the other Levites as the leaders.  God already used two of Aaron's sons to show what He would do with leaders that abused their power and risked leading His people away from Him.  Aaron and his sons were over 22,000 Levites.

    After the census, God required a redemption for the firstborns.  God had made the firstborns pay in Egypt, this was the ransom for their lives.  All the firstborns had to pay because they were set apart.  It was all logged and totaled 1,365 shekels in silver.  It displayed obedience.

    It may be nice to be set apart, but it also comes with a lot of responsibility.  You don't get the luxury to live like everyone else.  We may want to feel special, but before we ask God to set us apart or stand out in a special way, we need to look as what it means to be set apart.  What is looks like to be a leader.  You could find yourself in a very lonely place.  

Numbers 2 & 3