It's no wonder Moses lost patience with the children of Israel. They were always complaining or rebelling. They wanted to be the ones in charge. They wanted to be in leadership, they wanted to be in charge of the priesthood. 'We're all as holy as you' they told Moses. They all wanted to share in the profits of ministry until God decreed that the Levites were not to own any property. They were to live solely off of the tithes they received but were not to receive any material inheritance. They had nothing to pass down to their descendants but the tradition of service to God in the temple.
How many people would go into ministry today if the requirement was still the same, that those who minister before the Lord are not to own any property? If God gave ministers today the same command that he gave to Aaron: “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them; I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelites. - Num. 18:20 NIV
How many would be willing to serve God if he was their only inheritance? Of course, the priest in Israel's day only had to be responsible for a tent and a few pieces of furniture. Their requirements were simple, they didn't need to own land. A few sheep and oxen plus the first fruits of the harvest were enough to sustain them. They didn't have multi-million dollar sanctuaries and vast organizations that they were responsible for. They just had to represent the people before God. That was all.
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