But to the tribe of Levi he gave no inheritance, since the food offerings presented to the Lord, the God of Israel, are their inheritance, as he promised them.
Joshua 13:14

---

READ: Joshua 13

Inheritances can be a beautiful—and sometimes unusual—way for people to leave a legacy. Check out these inheritance stories that stretch beyond the norm:

• Real-estate mogul Leona Helmsley, left $12M to Trouble, her Maltese terrier. A trustee was paid $100k per year to care for Trouble until the dog’s death. Trouble was then laid to rest next to Leona in her mausoleum.
• Pioneer Solomon Warner left some money and an old cedar chest to his descendant, Jock Taylor. Inside the chest, Jock discovered a pair of never-before-worn Levi’s® jeans, dated 1893. Jock sold the Levi’s® in 2018 for $100,000. Fancy pants!
• Comedian Jack Benny, who died in 1974, arranged for his beloved wife, now a widow, to receive a single red rose every day. She lived another 8½ years—that’s 3,100+ roses!

As unique as some of these stories are, in reality inheritances are often tricky. If someone’s estate is bequeathed unequally, accusations of favoritism may cause squabbles among heirs. Israel was no stranger to such struggles. Patriarch Jacob had 12 sons, but he treated his son, Joseph, with clear favoritism (Genesis 37). Joseph’s ten older brothers resented this, and secretly sold Joseph into slavery, telling their dad he’d been killed by wild animals. God used this awful family dynamic for good in the end (Genesis 50:15–21), but the story illustrates the harm that can come from a parent playing favorites.

Hundreds of years later, Joshua faced the task of distributing the Promised Land among the 12 tribes of Israel—and he took no chances on being accused of playing favorites (more about his strategy for impartiality in Joshua 18). He began by affirming the inheritances already laid out by Moses—the division of land east of the Jordan—and the role of the Levites as priests.

Eleven tribes would receive large portions of Canaan as their inheritance, but the Levites’ inheritance was unique: they inherited jobs. As Israel’s priests, they held the highest spiritual roles among the people. Was this viewed as favoritism? There’s no record of that, perhaps because the Levites received far less land than the other tribes. Rather, the other tribes recognized that Levi’s unusual inheritance was an affirmation of God’s call on the Levites— a call that would serve the other 11 tribes of Israel well.

A STORY OF THEN & NOW

Give it Away | Pat M. | Willow South Barrington

I came to Willow in 1976, during a difficult season in my life. My wife had been attending, and eventually, I joined her. I had grown up in church, but Willow was different. It wasn’t just religion—it was real. It was relational, and it was personal.

After attending for a few years, I was asked to join Willow’s board of directors. I didn’t feel particularly spiritual—but I had business experience, which they needed. So I said yes. We were building something that mattered, and I wanted to be a part of it. At one point, the church needed people to guarantee loans for the new building. I wasn’t wealthy, but I felt called to help. I told my wife, “Some people only make it from Sunday to Sunday because this place exists.” She agreed. We signed on for an amount equal to my yearly salary. It didn’t make financial sense, but it made sense in faith.

A few years ago, after losing my wife of 62 years, I joined Rebuild, Willow’s grief group. I noticed a man who wasn’t opening up, and God nudged me to invite him to talk. That one conversation turned into a group of four widowers who’ve now met every other Wednesday for two and a half years.

God keeps calling—quiet, unusual, persistent. And what I’ve learned is this: once you get it— really get what it means to be loved by God—you can’t keep it to yourself. And the blessing only multiplies when you give it away. That’s the legacy I hope to create. That’s the inheritance I want to leave behind.

DID YOU KNOW?

Scholars estimate that Joshua was between 90 and 100 years old at this point in Israel’s history, and Moses lived to be 120. Yet despite their advanced ages, God used them mightily— and in ways we’re still reading about today! No matter our age, God can do significant and meaningful work through us, so those who follow will inherit the legacy we leave behind.

A PRAYER

God, just as You gave the Levites a specific role in Your kingdom, You have roles for me to fulfill. May I lean into those roles as part of Your plan to bless others through me. Amen.

FOR REFLECTION

Have you ever inherited an unusual item, job, or assignment from someone else? How has it affected your life? How has God used it to bless others?

Do you ever feel it’s too late for God to do something significant through you? Joshua and Moses accomplished significant things for God in their later years. How do their stories affect your thinking on your current season of life?