Part of the mysteries of the Distributions and Allocations of the lands of the Canaan Lands has been my point of concern. The 12 tribes of Israel had departed the land of Egypt and they had all walked through the wilderness and had all experienced the same wonders and disciplines of the Lord in the wilderness. The tribes had all got to the Jordan River and had crossed over to Canaan Land. They all witnessed the first battle in the Canaan Land at the Walls of Jericho. They had fallen together and risen up together.
So, after all the battles and defeats of many Kingdoms, nations and cities, it was time for distribution and allocations of the lands to each tribe, then the Lord said, one of the tribes shall not be given portions of lands. They were pulled away from the rest. While the rest tribes were been given lands according to the number of their families, one of the tribes were given no lands.
These were the allotments of some of the Tribes of Israel:
Benjamin got 26 cities;
Simeon got 17 cities;
Issachar got 16 cities;
Zebulun got 12 cities;
Asher got 22 cities;
Naphtali got 19 cities;
and Dan got 18 cities.
The Tribes of Reuben, Gad and Half tribe of Manasseh got theirs at the Wilderness side of Jordan River.
From the list, you would not see the tribe of Levi, the Priests of the Lord. The men who carried the Ark of the Lord upon their shoulders and stood at the Tabernacle of Meeting and clean the house of God. They were excluded from the sharing of the land of Canaan. God specifically instructed that they should not be given any lands to possess. WHY? When it was time to share the land, the Lord had spoken to Joshua thus:
Joshua 13:7-8,14 KJV
[7] Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance unto the nine tribes, and the half tribe of Manasseh,
[8] With whom the Reubenites and the Gadites have received their inheritance, which Moses gave them, beyond Jordan eastward, even as Moses the servant of the Lord gave them;
[14] Only unto the tribe of Levi he gave none inheritance;….
Joshua 13:33 KJV
[33] But unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not any inheritance:..
Why should some servants of the Lord have some privilege that others are not permitted to have. Why should those who man the temple, clean the temple, carried the Ark, attended to the altar, stood all day to make sure that the fire at the altar kept burning and were vested the responsibilities of attending to the various burning of sacrifices of Israel, not be fit also for a portion of the land they had all fought to possess. And why should some army of the Lord be permitted to enjoy some privilege and some are not?
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The Lord God had clearly spoken to MOSES in the wilderness:
Deuteronomy 18:1-2 KJV
[1] The priests the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and his inheritance.
[2] Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren: the Lord is their inheritance, as he hath said unto them.
In Drama Ministry I have been troubled so much and so many times with this Levites’ Syndrome. I have questioned God on many occasions. I have been troubled and seriously worried on why am I not permitted to enjoy some certain privileges that others in ministry are enjoying? Each time I had revolted in my spirit and had wanted to deviate from the Instruction of the Captain-General, I had been seriously disciplined. We thank the Lord for a lot Drama Ministries and drama ministers who are being plagued by God with this Levites’ Syndrome. THE OTHER TRIBES OF ISRAEL WERE PERMITTED TO HAVE PORTIONS OF LANDS, BUT THE LEVITES WERE NOT.
Just as many of us have not been permitted to do what many gospel ministers may have been permitted to do. Right from the beginning of Mount Zion, we have not been permitted by God to charge anyone for inviting us for drama presentations. Many of us in drama ministry have not been permitted by the Holy Spirit to place charges on those who are inviting us for film locations. In fact, the principle we have largely followed in Drama Ministry has been that: We can not charge to act in movies and drama, like the Levites of the Bible;
Joshua 13:14
…..the sacrifices of the Lord God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as he said unto them.
In our drama ministry, Mount Zion, we have not been able to successfully hold programs by Gate-Fees and ticketing, except on few occasions in the past when the Lord permitted us to do this and when He told us to stop and we did not listen, we were seriously embarrassed and shamed. Many of us in Drama Ministry have made movies only to distribute copies of them to many people because the Lord had not permitted us to base the movies only on marketing. It is the Levites’ Syndrome. We do sell our movies, but the Lord God has taught many of us Drama Ministers, never to base our blessings on the proceeds of the movies we are selling. We have been taught to rely on Him completely. SO WE GET TROUBLED WHEN WE SEE HOW SOME OTHER MINISTERS OF GOD ARE LIVING BY THE SALES OF THEIR BOOKS AND DVDS. Many of us wanted to live on selling our movies also, but we discovered it has not worked for us.
Many of us drama ministers and film production ministries have made movies and God had instructed us to make them available on TV, but the secular movie producers do not do that. They make money out of all things they do. And if we intend to do this, on many occasions, the Lord had stepped in and obstructed us, BECAUSE WE ARE TREATED AS THE LEVITES.
I AM NOT SPEAKING FOR ALL DRAMA MINISTERS…
I AM SPEAKING FOR THE LEVITES AMONG US….
Joshua 13:14 KJV
[14] Only unto the tribe of Levi he gave none inheritance; the sacrifices of the Lord God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as he said unto them.
Some years ago, I wrote and produced books every three months, because I agreed with God to be giving out some of the copies at the Drama Ministers Power Night. Then, I began to question the Lord. I began to revolt in my spirit why I should not be selling all the books, after all, a lot of ministers live solely on selling their books. Why should my own be different? Why must I give out things all the time anyway? the revolt went on for sometime in my heart till I could no longer publish any book again since then. The last book I published was the last book I gave free to the people at the Drama Ministers Power Night. And I have been begging God since then to forgive me and bring me back into publishing. My wife and I had told Him, we would do as He said. We are still waiting. YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN BY THE LEVITES’ SYNDROME?
We will go to the cinema whenever the Lord release us to go. We have been there before. People have queued long lines to watch Mount Zion movies at cinema halls before, when the Lord told us to go. And when He told us to stop and we still went, we were shamed and disgraced. Many of the movies many drama ministers have made are far better than the movies the secular movie makers carry to the cinemas. But as LEVITES in Drama ministry, we are not empowered to enjoy some of the privileges others are enjoying.
Oh! I wish I could be like the Kendrick Brothers who took “FireProof”, “The Courageous” and just recently “War Room” to the Cinemas all over the US cities.
But I am not Permitted.
Rather, Mount Zion movies are found in the hands of Missionaries who are thanking the Lord for given then weapons they can work with on their various mission fields.
Many Drama Ministers are coming up with great and fantastic movies of recent, all things being equal, which can do well in the Cinema, if the Lord could permit and empower it.
I have been to many Film Festivals before and Mount Zion Films have won many awards both here and in the USA before. But I knew the day the Lord Stopped me from going to Film Festival Awards. I am not saying it is a sin. No. But, when you are a Levites in your area of calling and ministry, you are not permitted to do what others may be permitted to do.
NOW LET’S GO BACK TO THE LEVITES’ INHERITANCE. Is God unfaithful to treat the Levites like this? No. Is God unmindful of their labour? No! the Lord had said to Moses not to give the Levites Lands of Possession. And MOSES had obeyed. So, when others were getting the allocations, their name was not mentioned.
AH!….THEN, THE LORD TURNED TO THE LEVITES AND SAID, HE WOULD NOT GIVE THEM LANDS BUT CITIES.
When I saw the wisdom of God in rewarding the Levites, I shuddered. Brethren, God rewarded the Levites. They ended up having cities all over the land of Canaan. The Lord made each tribe to donate cities for the families of the Levites, so that their presence could be every where in Israel. So that every tribe could have cities of Priests.
AH!…SO, WHEN THE BIBLE COUNTED THE CITIES DONATED TO THE TRIBE OF LEVITES ALONE…..IT WAS 48 CITIES….!
LEVITES = 48 CITIES.
More than the cities of Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, Asher, Naphtali, Dan, Rueben, Gad and Manasseh. It was only the Tribe of Judah who had more cities than the Tribe of Levi.
Joshua 21:41
[41] All the cities of the Levites within the possession of the children of Israel were forty and eight cities with their suburbs.
Today, I saw that the Lord God has been faithful to our Ministry in Mount Zion. And Many of the Levites I know in Drama Ministry can testify of the Blessing of the Lord. Of recent, a drama Minister called me on phone and informed me that they were planning to move to their new house. Ah! A full time drama minister! Many of us Levites in Drama Ministry are achieving great things many of those who are sweating it out in businesses have not been able to achieve. Even if you have not seen much of your portions yet,…wait for it…your cities will still be allocated to you. Your possessions are coming.
THEREFORE, IF YOU SEE THE LORD GIVING OTHER MINISTERS LIKE YOU LANDS OF POSSESSION, AND YOU OBSERVE, YOU HAVE BEEN EXCLUDED FOR REASONS YOU DON’T KNOW….THEN, UNDERSTAND YOU MAY BE ONE OF THOSE LEVITES HE WANTS TO GIVE CITIES.
The understanding have encouraged me a lot.
Are you one of the Levites? Be encouraged too.
– MIKE BAMILOYE.
#mikebamiloyedevotionals
mikegloria.blogspot.com