Hi anonymity,
I liked the verse you quoted, and not sure what was shared in the talk you heard, but want to make sure you didn't miss this bit of history: Deu 10:8, Num 3:12
It is interesting that the initial call on the Levites was to protect the Tabernacle from incursions by strangers by encamping around it, taking care of it in every way, and, mainly, to minister to Aaron and thereby to God Himself.
This speaks of the heart being protected by the body, and the body being the temple of the Holy Spirit.
One of the things which strikes me about the Old and New Testaments, is how often there is a shift from Israel my son, the nation, to Christ and our relationship to God through Him.
Therefore, that Levi was chosen instead of [u]all[/u] the firstborn in Israel, and, that there were fewer Levites than all the firstborn in Israel, (thus metaphorically concentrating the importance of the firstborn in Levi), very much speaks of Christ the firstborn, and us 'the firstborn ones' in Heb 12:23.
Within this, there is the whole matter of the double portion which the firstborn inherited, and, in Eph 1:18, 'the riches of the glory of [u]his [God's] inheritance in [us] the saints[/u].
I love all that!
Sort of related, my all time favourite scripture is in Hebrews, key words attributed to Christ, which I believe helps Christians to understand something about how our bodies are to be sacrificed for the world. It is the entire justification for Paul's Rom 12:1, 2, 3.
5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, [b]but a body hast thou prepared me[/b]: 6 In burnt offerings and [i]sacrifices[/i] for sin thou hast had no pleasure. 7 [b]Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.[/b] Hebrews 10
Recently, I began to understand 'led away with divers lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (2 Tim 3:6 (end) 2 Tim 3:7) This is a commentary on the philosophy of the world in which we are encouraged to try everything - regardless of our doubts, our better judgement, our training in righteousness and so on - in order to 'learn' what it feels like, tastes like, smells like, hurts like, (and so on), as if having these sensory experiences is the sole purpose of our existence. 'Ever learning' is, in other words, the diabolical opposite of eating of the tree of eternal life, the eating of which allows the spiritual mortality which entered the world through sin, to be side-stepped through the death of Christ.
I do hope that made sense to someone! Thanks for the opportunity to share it, anyway.
