Permanent Inheritance

“But if he give a gift of his inheritance to one of his servants, then it shall be his to the year of liberty; after it shall return to the prince: but his inheritance shall be his sons’ for them. Moreover the prince shall not take of the people’s inheritance by oppression, to thrust them out of their possession; but he shall give his sons inheritance out of his own possession: that my people be not scattered every man from his possession.” (Eze 46:17-18 AV)

There were very few circumstances where upon a family of a tribe might loose their inheritance.  The laws for inheritance were extremely strict and binding.  Outside of a sin which would cut one off, e.g. sexual perversion or blasphemy, the land stayed in the tribe and family.  The inheritance never went out of the tribe.  Ever!  If a daughter inherited the land because there was no male heir, she had to marry within her tribe so the land did not go to another tribe.  In our passage above, the hypothetical is the land was passed on to a servant rather than a male heir.  The reason for which is not named, nor is it important.  If the son had not committed a transgression worthy of being cut off from the promises of Israel, the land is to remain in the family.  The servant may work that land up to the year of jubilee.  Then the land was to revert back to the son’s control.  There was nothing the son could do to permanently disqualify himself from the possession of his inheritance.  Particularly a decision that may be the result of mere displeasure on the father’s part. 

What a picture of the eternally secure saint!  Let’s face it.  We disappoint the LORD all the time.  We go to him daily seeking forgiveness for our failures.  He forgives those failures.  He may punish us for our actions.  But one thing He never will do.  He will never severe our inheritance of heaven.  That is secure.  That has been bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ.  There is not turning back.  We have been born into the family of God and just like the Old Testament son, once born, twice secure.  The inheritance is based upon his existence as a son.  He was born into it.  On the day we accepted Christ, we were born again into the family of God.

Over time, we have lost the meaning of permanent inheritance.  My time in the south opened my eyes to the old ways of doing things.  It was not uncommon to see extended families living with a few short yards from one another on the same plat of land that was handed down to them.  Every once in a while, one could find a cornerstone or waymark with the family name chiseled into its aged face with the date wherein the family took possession.  What is even more common is for a piece of land to be referred to by the name of the original family who owned it.  I hunted one such farm.  Even the newest owners still referred to it by the original name.  No matter how many times it changed hands, it was still known by that name.  What is even more significant is that even if there was a falling out, the name still stood.  Such was the case of another farm.  The original family owner and the newest owner had a falling out.  But both still referred to the farm by the name of the original family who owned it.

Some things are permanent and can never be lost.  Such is the case of our eternal home in heaven.  Even in the midst of times of disobedience, God does not change our permanent address.  It will always be the same.  There is a waymark there.  A cornerstone bearing our new name.  One that was etched in eternity past by the foreknowledge of God and made perfect by our surrender to His grace.  This will never change.  This can never be lost.  And, the LORD will never take it back.