1. Joshua 13:33 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

What does it mean for the LORD to be the inheritance of the Levites?

Joshua 13:33 (ESV)

33 But to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance; the LORD God of Israel is their inheritance, just as he said to them.

The Lord being the inheritance of Levi was meant to show that the true inheritance of the Levites, and thus of all God’s people, was found in God himself (see Psalm 142:5; Psalm 73:26). The Levites were meant to set an example to the rest of Israel in terms of their holiness and dedication to God, emphasizing that relationship with God was the primary purpose of the land. Certainly the land was a gift to be treasured (Psalm 37:3, Psalm 37:9, Psalm 37:11, Psalm 37:22, Psalm 37:29, Psalm 37:34) but the Lord, the Giver of the land, he was Israel’s true portion.1