Redeeming Bloodlines

If your path has been anything like mine, there may have been generational curses and patterns of behavior that needed to be broken when you came into the kingdom. For me it was witchcraft, poverty, abuse, so on and so forth. But what a blessing it is to know that the actions of those who came before me do not get to dictate who I am. Our Father, the ultimate redeemer, tells me who I am. All He requires for that difference to be made is a willingness to serve Him. 

1 Peter 1:18-19 | New International Version

18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

Let’s turn to the Old Testament for one of the best redemption arches: The tribe of Levi.

Jacob, later named Israel (Genesis 32:22-32), had 12 sons. One of these sons was named Levi who became known for his violence. In Genesis 34, we are told an unfortunate sequence of events where Levi’s sister is sexually assaulted. Out of anger, Levi and his brother Simeon took justice into their own hands without consulting the Lord. Not only did they slaughter the man that assaulted their sister but also every man that lived in the city that belonged to their sister’s aggressors. Such actions caused Levi and Simeon to fall short of receiving a blessing from their father. And so it was. 

Genesis 49:5-7 | New International Version

5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers—
    their swords[a] are weapons of violence. 

6 Let me not enter their council,
    let me not join their assembly,
for they have killed men in their anger
    and hamstrung oxen as they pleased.
7 Cursed be their anger, so fierce,
    and their fury, so cruel!
I will scatter them in Jacob
    and disperse them in Israel.

Now let’s take a pause to look at a critical piece of information. In Exodus 11, the plague of the first born is told. This was the final plague that transpired in Egypt which was the catalyst for Pharaoh releasing God’s people from enslavement. This was a big deal and it was to be commemorated by the consecration (dedicating to the Lord) of every first born male (Exodus 13). 

Exodus 13:13 | New International Version

13 Redeem with a lamb every firstborn donkey, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem every firstborn among your sons.

Now let's continue on with the tribe of Levi. In the book of Exodus, Moses was on Mount Sinai for 40 days, being poured into by the Lord. The people of Israel got impatient waiting for Moses so they decided to take matters into their own hands. They told Aaron to make them a golden calf for them to worship (Exodus 32). Notice how we fall short every time we do not allow our actions to be led of the Lord? Moses returned from Mt. Sinai and saw the fiasco that had taken place. This is where the story turns around for the tribe of Levi. 

Exodus 32:25-29 | New International Version

25 Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies. 26 So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me.” And all the Levites rallied to him. 27 Then he said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.’” 28 The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. 29 Then Moses said, “You have been set apart to the Lord today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day.”

In a time where everyone had turned their back on the Lord, the Levites stood firm with a heart willing to serve the Lord. They chose to obey him and seek Him above the status quo. As a result, they were majorly blessed and received immense favor. 

In the book of Numbers, this favor is expounded upon. The Levites are set apart and have an important calling placed on their lives. 

Numbers 3:11-13 | New International Version

11 The Lord also said to Moses, 12 “I have taken the Levites from among the Israelites in place of the first male offspring of every Israelite woman. The Levites are mine, 13 for all the firstborn are mine.When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal. They are to be mine. I am the Lord.”

Remember the scripture we read above in Exodus 13:13? The Lord had made the Levites like first born sons: Redeemed. They were called to assist the priests and were responsible for doing the work of the tabernacle. Their lives were dedicated to complete surrender and service. 

Numbers 8:13-14 | New International Version 

13 Have the Levites stand in front of Aaron and his sons and then present them as a wave offering to the Lord. 14 In this way you are to set the Levites apart from the other Israelites, and the Levites will be mine.

In the book of Exodus, we learn that a wave offering is a portion of a sacrifice presented to God, then released by God for the use of those involved in the sacrifice (Exodus 29-19-28). The Levites were being offered as a wave offering, giving up themselves as a sacrifice onto the Lord to be used by Him for the people. This ceremonial process and selflessness reflects the way Paul tells believers is what it looks like to pursue God’s righteousness by faith. 

Romans 12:1 | New International Version

A Living Sacrifice

12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

This is where you stand up and shout. The Lord took a story of sorrow and heartache and turned into a story of redemption. He took a tribe known for violence and made them into a tribe known for their service to the Lord. What you might have done before or what those who came before you did, does not have to end there. There is redemption offered in a life with Christ. Repent today and invite Him. Ask Him to transform you and release you of all that burdens you. 

Go in peace. 

Song: Redeemed