Evangelist Joel Osteen used the story of Levi and his descendants from the Bible to prove that people can live beyond their heritage and not suffer from past misdeeds.
Levi was one of Jacob's sons who, together with his brother Simeon almost started a war among families after his sister was attacked and abused by one of the men from a different area. Their father Jacob wanted to handle things more diplomatically, but Levi and Simeon were so angry with how their sister was treated, they decided to take things into their own hands.
"Levi went to see Shechem, son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of that area and tricked the people. He told them that he had come in peace and wanted to overlook the matter, but in order for him to do that, the people would have to make a covenant with Jehovah," Osteen wrote in his blog. "That meant all the men would have to be circumcised."
The men agreed, but while they were recovering from their circumcision, Levi and Simeon attacked them in surprise and wiped out the whole town. As a result, they earned the ire of their father. Jacob was so infuriated that even on his deathbed, he cursed Levi and told him: "I'm not going to bless you. You are stubborn, hot-headed, angry and violent, and you tricked those people. You're just a deceiver."
But several years later, after Moses came down from Mount Sinai holding up the Ten Commandments, he witnessed the Jews having a big party, celebrating and dancing. Moses was so disappointed in their actions that he cried, "Who is on the Lord's side?" According to the Bible, the sons of Levi - the least likely of them all - raised their hands.
"Their grandfather had cursed their future. They had all this baggage. All this dysfunction. Yet, they rose up and said in effect, "This is a new day. We're getting this yoke off of our neck. We're breaking this curse. We are on the Lord's side," said Osteen.
Because of that decision, God was pleased with them. And after that time, Levi's descendants had a different heritage. All of the priests came from the tribe of Levi, and they became the most blessed and honoured people.
"What am I saying?" asked Osteen. "What's been passed down to you doesn't have to keep you from your destiny. Your relatives may have made poor choices, but when you rise up like the sons of Levi, you can live a blessed life beyond anything passed down to you!"
