What Are We Leaving

“A good [man] leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner [is] laid up for the just.” (Pr 13:22 AV)

To the Jew, and inheritance was far more than material goods.  It was the definition of his existence.  The inheritance was something left for his children upon which they could build their future.  When Joshua led Israel to invade and conquer Canaan, the land was divided up by tribe and family.  This land was their divinely assigned inheritance.  It was required for the land to stay within the family.  The laws were very stringent.  A parcel of land could not be sold or taken by another of an original family.  Even if debt was the issue, at the year of Jubilee, all land was returned to the family to whom it was given at the time of Canaan’s demise.  So, when the Bible tells us that a good man leaves an inheritance to his grandchildren, he is not speaking of wise investments left to his family.  Solomon is speaking of maintaining and governing what God has given well, so that when it is passed from one generation to the next, it can be a source of livelihood.  If material wealth was the intent here, many of us would fail.  In fact, the way that society is structured today, the government will get everything you own and inheritance is something rarely spoken of.  The question we can ask is, how well are we maintaining our spiritual heritage and what will be the product of our lives that our grandchildren can appreciate?

This past spring, I went down to see my son and his wife for a few days.  They live in central Illinois.  The live dead center in the fly over corridor for migrating Canadian Geese.  Duck hunting is a big thing there.  On one of our jaunts, Lisa and I went from one antique place to another.  There were three along the road on the way to my son’s house.  We spent the greater part of a couple of hours looking at old things.  There was one particular place that had an entire floor of antique rocking chairs and cedar chests.  Some of them were well past one hundred years old.  As I looked around, I quickly learned I was approaching elderly status.  Some things I saw as antique, I grew up with.  Walking about, I came across a large section of duck decoys.  They can get really expensive.  There is a collector’s market for those things.  I found one that was in my price range – cheap!  It was a carved work that was brightly painted.  It looked almost new.  A memory of my mother’s father came back to me.  He was a hunter.  Mainly pheasant.  But he did hunt duck as well.  He had several duck decoys on his bookshelf behind his recliner.  So, I bought this decoy for my office.  When I look at it, I am reminded of my grandfather.  He was one to admire!  His disposition was something I aspired to.  A very strong yet gentle man, he was one to follow, but not to fear.  He was patient.  He was understanding.  He was loving and generous.

The inheritance I received from my grandfather was not land.  It was not money.  It was not material wealth.  I own something of his that no one else has.  It was his pride and joy.  But it was the man himself that was my greatest inheritance.  It was his character.  It was his sense of joy.  It was his humility.  In fact, both of my grandfathers were remarkable men.  I will never forget them.  So, the question comes back.  What will we leave our grandchildren, which they will remember for a lifetime?  Will they remember our love for God?  Will they remember our service to God?  Will they remember how we loved grandma?  Will they remember our joy?  Exactly what is it that we will leave?  What aspect of our salvation will they consider being priceless?  I wonder.