Day 34, or February 3. Support those in ministry. Our thoughts today are rooted in Leviticus
chapter 7, verse 35. This was the portion of the food offerings presented to the Lord
that was allotted to Aaron and his sons on the day they were presented to serve the Lord
as priests.
Now the big picture surrounding this verse. Details were given to God's people of how
the priests were to offer the five sacrifices that are described in the early chapters of
Leviticus. In a society where offering sacrifices to gods was a regular event, it was vital
that offerings to the living God must be distinctive and done correctly and with reverence. As
the priests were fully employed, with their tasks at the tabernacle, they were allowed
to consume part of each sacrifice that was offered. In this way they were able to concentrate
on their primary call from God, and didn't need to raise money to meet their daily living
expenses. This revealed a God who thinks of everything. To make sure that the priests
were supported, God built it into the whole structure of sacrificing.
And finally our action step for today. I remember gently correcting a lady who thought that
church ministers stayed behind every Sunday evening to share out the collections from
the services. She thought it was on the basis of a pound for you and a pound for me when
more than one minister was involved, otherwise a lone minister would get it all. It's staggering
what some people think, and she was a local businesswoman, so it surprised me that she
didn't know better. We're reminded here that it was everyone's responsibility to
financially support the priests, who were duly given a percentage of the offering. Sadly,
there are still folk who believe that, in quotes, full-time Christian workers should
be paid a pittance to confirm their call. I know a church that determined its members'
incomes by secret ballot and then paid its ministers the average. Does this reflect poorly
with the way you pay yours? Is it time to think about change?