Psalm 136:21-22

Psalm 136:21-22

The land of Israel is an inheritance

Remember those Scriptures that we have quoted on several occasions? God first promised the ancient land of Canaan to Abraham, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.” Genesis 15:7. Jacob heard a similar pronouncement from heaven when he dreamed of a stairway with angels ascending and descending, the Lord spoke to him with these words, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying.” Genesis 28:13. Moses had similar instructions when God told him, at the burning bush, that he intended to bring the Israelites out of Egypt “into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey – the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.” Exodus 3:8

But note also the words of the Lord as He announces that the land ultimately is His. In the biblical book of Deuteronomy, the phrase "the land is mine" appears in relation to the concept of land ownership and inheritance for the Israelites. It emphasizes that while God has given the land to the Israelites, they are only stewards of it, and God retains ultimate ownership. This phrase is found in Leviticus 25:23 and is also referenced in Deuteronomy 25:23-25. Joshua was of course, the one who received the final instructions for the Israelites to occupy that land and with the Lord’s help, he was able to lead the people during the conquest of Canaan. 

The reason that the Israelites have lost and gained that land over the centuries is because it does NOT belong to them, it is God’s land! That is also the major reason why it is fought over, to this very day. The Jews have lost it and occupied it solely because of the Lord’s anger at their disobedience or His compassion when they have cried out to Him in repentance. An inheritance can only be taken through entitlement and at the bequest of the testator, it is a gift, and the Lord God reserves the right to give or to take away! At this moment in history, He has chosen to restore the land to the Jews which is why we have to be so careful, as believers, to take sides with any other occupiers. That land does not belong to the Jews or to the Palestinians or to any other nation. Its sovereignty is not even within the remit of the United Nations! It is owned by God! That is why it has been the focus of so much dissension over the centuries. Ultimately there is one over-riding principle that has always been in play and remains so for all time, it surpasses all other considerations, inheritance, land and property may changer in occupation BUT "His love endures forever!"

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