Out of all the human nations in history, God chose Israel to be a people in a special covenant relationship with Him.
Out of the twelve tribes of Israel, God selected the Levites to serve Him in a special role of devotion.
Out of the tribe of Levi, God ordained Aaron and his descendants as the ones to function as priests.
Serving as a priest was a two-edged sword. It was a privilege and honor to work among the holy things of God and to be responsible for representing the people to God and God to the people. It also came with its own set of dangers, as we will see in upcoming readings.
As a subset of the tribe of Levi, the priests were not given an allotment of land for themselves. You can search the maps in your Bible for a territory designated for the Levites, but you will not find it. That's because the Lord was their portion. They were supported in their work for the Lord from the other tribes.
When it came to the sacrificial offerings, this was also a means of provision for the priests that the Lord set up. They were given a portion of the sacrificed animal and grains, thus being assured of sufficient food (vs. 6, 10, 34-36). This was one of the blessings that came with being a priest.
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