The phrase “ministering to the Lord” appears in Deuteronomy 10:8 which states “At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord to stand before the Lord to minister to him and to bless in his name, to this day.” Understanding the historical and cultural context of this verse is key to properly interpreting what it means to “minister to the Lord.”
In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses is recounting the history of Israel after their Exodus from Egypt. God had chosen the tribe of Levi to be set apart and consecrated for special service to Him. The Levites had a unique role and function among the twelve tribes of Israel.
The primary job of the Levites was to carry the Ark of the Covenant and to care for the Tabernacle during Israel’s wanderings in the wilderness. The Ark contained the stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments, which represented God’s covenant with Israel. The Tabernacle was the portable temple that housed the Ark and served as the meeting place between God and His people. As keepers of the Ark and ministers of the Tabernacle, the Levites held a sacred position of service to God Himself.
Beyond transporting the Ark, the Levites were appointed to “stand before the Lord to minister to him.” This suggests constant service, availability, and dedication to fulfilling their duties. The Levites attended to the Tabernacle by setting up, taking down, and carrying it from place to place. They took care of the furnishings, utensils, and maintenance of the sanctuary. They assisted the priests with various rituals and ceremonies. So ministering to the Lord meant actively serving Him in His dwelling place among the Israelites.
The Levites were also called to “bless in his name.” Blessing in the name of the Lord usually involved pronouncing benedictions over the people, such as the Aaronic blessing of Numbers 6:24-26. So part of their ministry was leading worship and offering praise to God. Their songs, prayers, and proclamations invoked God’s presence and blessing.
Beyond logistical service and ceremonial duties, ministering to the Lord required living a consecrated life. The Levites belonged to God in a special way. They were to live holy lives, set apart from common or profane things. As they carried the Ark of God’s presence, they had to ritually purify themselves. Their lives were wholly dedicated to the work of the Tabernacle and the worship of God.
So in summary, ministering to the Lord encompassed:
- Physically carrying the Ark of the Covenant
- Caring for the Tabernacle and sacred furnishings
- Assisting the priests in religious ceremonies and rituals
- Leading public worship and offerings of praise
- Setting an example of holiness and righteousness
- Devoting themselves fully to God’s service
This was a great privilege but also a huge responsibility. The Levites’ lives revolved around ministering directly to the presence of God in the midst of His people. They enjoyed unique access to God’s dwelling place. But that required maintaining purity, following God’s instructions for worship, and treating their duties with great care and reverence.
While modern readers are not Israelite Levites ministering in a physical Tabernacle, some key applications can be drawn about ministering to the Lord today:
- We represent God to others and lead people into His presence through worship.
- We serve God in the body of Christ, His temple of living stones.
- We live set apart lives as believers devoted to serving the Lord.
- We care for God’s dwelling place, the church, where His Spirit resides.
- We have direct access to minister to God through Jesus Christ.
- We bless and pray to the Lord on behalf of His people.
Just as the Levites were wholly dedicated to God’s work and worship, believers today are called to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, as our spiritual act of worship (Romans 12:1). We now have the privilege of direct access to God’s presence through Christ our great High Priest. So we can boldly approach His throne of grace to minister to Him in prayer, praise, and devoted service (Hebrews 4:16).
In summary, ministering to the Lord involves reverent service to God’s presence, worshipful devotion to Christ, and living a consecrated life unto the Lord. As His special possession and royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9), believers now fulfill the spirit of the Levitical order by ministering to the Lord with our whole lives.
Other key verses about ministering to the Lord include:
- Exodus 28:1 – Consecrating Aaron and his sons as priests to minister to the Lord
- 1 Samuel 2:11 – Samuel ministered to the Lord under Eli the priest
- 2 Chronicles 29:11 – Consecrating the Levites to minister to the Lord
- Jeremiah 33:21 – God’s covenant with the Levites to minister to Him
- Ezekiel 44:16 – The sons of Zadok ministering to the Lord in the temple
- Luke 1:23 – Zechariah finishes his time of priestly service ministering to the Lord
- Acts 13:2 – Barnabas and Saul were ministering to the Lord at Antioch
- Romans 15:16 – Paul ministering the gospel as a priest of Jesus Christ
- Hebrews 1:14 – Angels as ministering spirits sent to serve believers
These verses illuminate how ministering to God involves sacred service, priestly duties, worship, prayer, praise, and faithful obedience. While the specifics differ between Old Testament temple service and New Testament spiritual service, the call to devote ourselves fully to the work and worship of the Lord remains.
As Peter declares, “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). All believers now share this privilege of ministering to God in holiness and righteousness.
So in short, ministering to the Lord encompasses reverent service to God’s presence, worshipful devotion to Christ, and living a consecrated life focused on God’s kingdom and glory. Just like the Levites, we are now “set apart” and commissioned to minister heartily to the Lord by proclaiming His excellencies, caring for His church, assisting fellow believers, following His commands, and pursuing intimate fellowship with Christ through prayer, praise, and worship.
Our priestly ministry flows out of pure devotion to Jesus as our great High Priest and King. We minister to the Lord by ministering to those created in His image. By serving others in Christ’s name, we are ultimately serving God Himself (Colossians 3:23-24). So ministering to the Lord involves both intimate communion with Christ as well as practical service to His body.
As 1 Peter 4:10-11 reminds us, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms… so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.” This is what ministering to the Lord looks like in our lives today.
Ultimately, everything we do is to be rendered as service “to the Lord and not to man” (Colossians 3:23). For we know that we will one day give an account before the judgment seat of Christ for how we lived our lives and used our gifts (2 Corinthians 5:10). Therefore, all our work, worship, and service should flow from reverent devotion to Christ – our motivation for ministering wholeheartedly to the Lord in all things.
Other verses to incorporate:
- Numbers 8:25-26 – Retirement age for Levites ministering to the Lord
- 1 Chronicles 6:32 – Levites ministering with music in the tabernacle
- 1 Chronicles 16:4, 37 – Appointing Levites to minister to the Lord
- 2 Chronicles 31:2 – Hezekiah appoints priests and Levites to minister to the Lord
- Ezra 7:24 – No taxes for priests and Levites ministering to the Lord
- Ezekiel 40:46 – Description of Levites ministering at temple altar
- Joel 1:9,13 – Priests ministering to the Lord mourned over drought
- Luke 1:8-9 – Zechariah was chosen by lot for duty ministering to the Lord
In conclusion, ministering to the Lord encompasses full-time priestly service to God’s presence and worship, set apart to follow His commands closely. As Israel’s example shows, this involves great privilege but also great responsibility before the Lord. New Testament believers have the joy of ministering directly to Christ as part of His royal priesthood. Therefore, we devote our lives to serving the Lord in reverence, obedience, and intimacy through worship, prayer, praise, and service empowered by the Spirit. Our priestly ministry now flows from pure love for Jesus our great High Priest and King.