Page 25 - Christ in You - The Hope of Glory

A tremendous revelation comes forth as one looks carefully at this event that God has
recorded for the benefit of Christians today. What was it that Levi did to obtain the right of
the firstborn?

Exodus 32:27-29
"Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘Every man of you put his sword upon his
thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate in the camp, and kill every man his
brother, and every man his friend, and every man his neighbor.'" So the sons of Levi
did as Moses instructed, and about three thousand men of the people fell that day.
Then Moses said, "Dedicate yourselves today to Yahweh - for every man has been
against his son and against his brother - in order that He may bestow a blessing upon
you today."

God gave to Levi the right of the firstborn because they chose allegiance to God, and
obedience to His command, over every natural bond and affection. The Levites were
commanded to kill their brothers, sons, friends and neighbors. They were to show pity to
none, but to fully carry out the will of God.
What God required the Levites to do was an act their own souls despised. These men
did not want to kill their brothers, sons, friends and neighbors. I am confident that it was
with a heavy heart, and tears, that the Levites obeyed Yahweh that day. It was an
exceedingly costly obedience. Nevertheless, the Levites chose God that day over every
natural relationship.
In the New Testament we see a direct, and profound, parallel to this event. Christ also
gave an invitation to men and women to count the cost. He told them that to be His disciple,
and to be qualified to be numbered among the firstborn, they too must hate the ones who
are closest and most dear to them.

Luke 14:25-26
Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them, "If
anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and
children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My
disciple.”

Fifteen hundred years before Christ spoke these words, Moses stood at the foot of
Mount Sinai and spoke to another large crowd. The invitation both Moses and Christ gave
to those they spoke to was essentially the same. “Who is willing to pay the cost of taking the
Lord’s side over and above the side of man? Who is willing to obey God even when His will
causes you to do that which is hateful to those natural relations which are the closest and
dearest to you? Will you stand with God, rather than men?”
People of God, this is how you and I must qualify ourselves to be numbered among the
firstborn. We must surrender our lives and our wills to the direction of God. Whatever He
requires of us we must do. Even if Yahweh leads us to actions that are hateful to those close
to us, we must choose to obey God rather than men. I can say with confidence, Yahweh will
try every man and woman in this area. It is costly to be numbered among the firstborn.
When Moses numbered the men from the tribe of Levi that day, their number was
precisely 22,000. Numbers are very significant in Scripture. This number has tremendous
importance. Twenty-two is a number that signifies cutting off wickedness. It appears in