Day 10

When you ascended on high, you led captives in your train; you received gifts from men, even from the rebellious—that you, O LORD God, might dwell there.—Ps. 68:18

The Psalmist recounts the occasion at mount Sinai when the Levites were separated from among the children of Israel by the Lord and then given back to Aaron and his sons to help serve at the Tabernacle (Nu. 8:6, 11-19; 18:6; cf. Ex. 32:17-26). Numbers records how, while the rest of Israel held to their rebellion and lasciviousness, the Levites rallied to Moses. That day, the Lord took the Levites and set them apart to serve at the Tabernacle—the meeting place of God and Israel.

From the account in Numbers, we should note that ministers:
1. Must stand with the Lord (even against the crowd).
2. Must be first captured by the Lord (the captives are the gifts).
3. Are given wholly to the Lord.
4. Are then given by God as gifts to serve the people.

When describing the ministries that Christ bestowed on His Body to serve it and bring the members into maturity, Paul looks back at this Psalm and its antecedent in Numbers to describe five types of ministers as gifts. This time Paul refers to Christ’s ascension, which the Sinai account prefigures.

“When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.”

…It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.—Ephesians 4:8, 11-13

The gifts are the ministers. But how do we treat these gifts? Do we leave them unwrapped and unappreciated? Do we just stare at them and admire the paper and bows? Or do we receive the gifts, unwrap them and allow the gifts to bring us joy?

Further, we must not forget, that the whole purpose for bestowing these grace-gifts was that God “might dwell there” (Ps. 68:18)! Just as the Levites supported the work of the ministry at the Tabernacle in the wilderness—the dwelling place of God, so ministers today serve the Body for the purpose of God dwelling among them.

Unfortunately, many performance-oriented churches today focus on the service as the means of attracting and keeping members, resulting in leaders who are good at entertaining, but not at releasing the Spirit. As a result, the Church has lost the art of discipling and building real community which these gift-ministries provide, thus limiting the movement of God’s presence. But when the Church becomes a business, it prostitutes the Bride.

May God’s ministers never forget that they are grace-filled gifts, captured by God’s heart and then given to lead the people of God into His presence—that they may reach “the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

Prayer Topics: Presence of God; Ministers of God; Receiving Ministry; Core Values of the Church; Maturity in Christ.