Then the Lord said to Aaron: “You shall have no inheritance in their land, nor shall you have any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel.”
— Numbers 18:20
In Numbers 18, the Lord instructs the Levites in their priestly duties. As a tribe set apart for the Lord, the Levites were unlike the other tribes of Israel. They did not receive an allotment of land within Canaan, instead, they were to rely solely on the Lord for provision and protection.
In 1 Peter 2:9, Peter refers to both Jewish and Gentile believers as “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession….” Like Old Testament priests, our inheritance is the Lord Himself. As David said, drawing upon this imagery, “The LORD is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot” (Psalm 16:5).
