The Dedication of the Priests

No one can be of the firstfruits unless he is completely separated. “And you shall stand the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and then offer them like a wave offering to the Lord. Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be Mine. After that the Levites shall go in to service the tabernacle of meeting. So you shall cleanse them and offer them like a wave offering. For they are wholly given to Me from among the children of Israel; I have taken them for Myself instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the children of Israel. For all the firstborn among the children of Israel are Mine, both man and beast; on the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them to Myself.” Num. 8:13-17.

God was exact concerning this matter of separation. They had to be a wave offering before the Lord, set free from everything; they had to be totally surrendered to the Lord. There are only a few who are willing to be completely separated. “But we have to be among people,” others say. They want to go to sports events and to the theater, to say nothing of parties with friends and relatives so they can win them. But instead of winning them, they themselves become filled with the spirit of the world and high-mindedness. God cannot use them. They will never be among the firstfruits.

“‘Whoever is on the Lord’s side—come to me!’ And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. And he said to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: “Let every man put his sword on his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.”’ So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day. Then Moses said, ‘Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord, that He may bestow on you a blessing this day, for every man has opposed his son and his brother.’” Ex. 32:26-29.

This is an illustration of what Jesus said: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:26.

In that hate (and here we have to be radical) lies death to family ties, friends, and even one’s own life—death to everything human. Nothing less will do. We cannot stand in the presence of the Lord if we are not totally separated. God consecrated all the firstborn in Israel on the day that He slew all the firstborn in Egypt. In order to be among the firstfruits, we must personally have experienced death to self. When we are completely separated, we are dead to the world but alive to God. You will not regret this separation on the day when one is taken and the other left behind. The separation does not begin on that day—it takes place before. Those who are taken will already have been separated. If they have not been separated, they will not be taken.

We need to have faith to go out, just like Abraham, not knowing where we are going. “Therefore, to you who believe, belongs the honor.” People did not understand Jesus, and they do not understand us. If you wait to do God’s will until your father, mother, brother, and sister understand it, and so avoid the reproach and unpleasantness, you will never be a priest. Jesus says that He came to bring conflict. From now on, two will be against three in one house. The sword must be used; nothing less will do. If you are afraid of the conflict, stay home. Your lot will be among the unbelieving, the abominable, murderers, adulterers, sorcerers, and idolaters, as well as all the liars. Their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death. Rev. 21:8.

All the firstfruits belong to the Lord. Israel had to bring the first of their produce to the Lord. This teaches us that in everything we must seek God’s kingdom and His glory first. If you do this, you yourself will be a firstfruits for God and the Lamb. You will be to the praise of His glory.