Tag: Inheritance

The Sons of His Inheritance

On By TimIn Deuteronomy 32, Nephilim, Sons of God3 Comments

Can you show someone Jesus from this?

When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of man, He set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel.
For the Lord’s portion is His people; Jacob is the allotment of His inheritance.

Deuteronomy 32:8–9

This is Moses instructing the Israelis on their history. The history of the Jewish people includes them being chosen and set aside for the Lord by the Lord.

What many do not quite track in this passage… The “children of Israel” did not yet exist when the nations were formed. It helps to understand the background of this text. With that understanding, we gain some surprising insights into what an ancient Israeli might have known.

Now the whole earth had one language and the same words As the people journeyed from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.

Genesis 11:1–2

Yes, it’s the Tower of Babel event. It is at the time of the first world leader.

They said to each other, “Let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone and tar for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top will reach to heaven, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

Genesis 11:3–4

Babel means the gate of the gods. (See page 170 here.) Many were not taught the real significance of this particular event. The popular teaching is that the people were trying to reach up to God. But that is not the purpose of the tower.

To understand the tower’s purpose, we need a bit more background. And that comes a few chapters back in Genesis.

When men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were fair and took as wives any they chose. The Lord said, “My Spirit will not always strive with man, for he is flesh; yet his days will be a hundred and twenty years.” The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

Genesis 6:1–4

Before the flood, angels came down to men. They took women in exchange for technology. That idea we pick up from the account of Cain’s progeny in the latter part of Genesis 4. It is my thinking that it was the progeny of Cain that commiserated with the fallen angels. That’s another discussion. For the idea at hand, it suffices that Angels came down to men and had progeny called Nephilim.

It didn’t work out well for those angels who did that. Those angels that came down and took women were then locked away.

Likewise, the angels who did not keep to their first domain, but forsook their own dwelling, He has kept in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day.

Jude 6

It would seem to follow that the severity of punishment for coming down to take women and create progeny would serve as a deterrent.

Our text in Genesis 6 says this occurred before the flood… And would occur after. I would assert that things also changed after the flood, and it wasn’t so easy for angels to just come down to men as if they were instigating the exchange. The idea wouldn’t be attractive.

Then this tower, or gate of the gods, would be humans asking for the exchange. Humans would be the ones granting permission of rights. Hence the idea of building the gateway.

Concurrent with the incident here, we are introduced to another character important to Babel.

Cush was the father of Nimrod. He became a mighty one on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Therefore it is said, “Even like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord.” The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Uruk, Akkad, and Kalneh in the land of Shinar. From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, the city Rehoboth Ir, and Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (that is the principal city).

Genesis 10:8–12

Nimrod, the first world leader… Became a mighty one. The underlying Hebrew text seems to indicate that he became like those Nephilim of old. The Hebrew also indicates that he wasn’t a mighty hunter of game, but one that assailed other humans.

I would say that the construction of the tower was to provide a place to perform rituals. These rituals would extend rights and permissions from humans to angels.

The tower was also believed to have a bed chamber in it. Almost always, these types of rituals are sexual in nature. It would seem to be the case here, and given the mighty hunter of men, I would also offer that is necessary (meaning a particularly sanguine fluid in human bodies.)

I know it’s macabre. I know it’s dark. But there is a real Hero, a real Man to defeat all of this.

The end purpose of the tower was to call the gods down to commiserate with men. What happened next?

But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the sons of men built.

Genesis 11:5

Well, the gods don’t come. But the Most High God over all the other gods (see Psalm 82) comes down. It’s like an unexpected plot twist.

The Lord said, “The people are one and they have one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do; now nothing that they propose to do will be impossible for them.

Genesis 11:6

This text needs no explanation. The ingenuity of humanity is explained. It is a powerful force because humans work together with one language and can do extraordinary things. With one language, what can be imagined can be accomplished.

So what does God do?

Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.”
So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they stopped building the city. Therefore the name of it was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. From there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

Genesis 11:7–9

This is the establishment of the nations as explained by Moses in Deuteronomy 32 above. God gave 70 nations, established their lands, and assigned that as an inheritance. An inheritance to who?

Deuteronomy 32:8 says the children (or sons) of Israel. But Abraham wasn’t even born yet. How can that seeming conundrum be resolved?

Back before Jesus came, the common language was early Greek. Most Israelis at the time would know Greek but not Aramaic or Hebrew. At the behest of Ptolemy II, the Hebrew scriptures were translated into Greek by 72 Hebrew translators. There were six chosen from each tribe of Israel. That translation is commonly called the Septuagint.

I was always taught that the Septuagint was a post-Jesus forgery. A bit of pursuit in truth revealed that probably is not the case. Many of the quotations of the Hebrew Scriptures in the New Testament were from the Septuagint. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls also exposes the folly of what I was taught. Besides, the very line a virgin shall conceive comes to us from the Septuagint Greek and not the Tanakh’s original Hebrew.

How does the Septuagint help our conundrum?

With the understanding of the Hebrew translators and the ideas they held from the Tanakh, it came in the translation. Our passage in Deuteronomy 32 is no different.

When the Most High distributed nations as he scattered the descendants of Adam, he set up boundaries for the nations according to the number of the angels of God.

Deuteronomy 32:8, Lexham English Septuagint

Angels of God does also mean sons of God. In other words, God put angels in charge of physical property and humans to populate that property. They were to be stewards… But it is easy to infer that didn’t happen. It is probably the impetus for the plethora of religions. Again, that’s another idea for another time.

The nations were given as inheritance to the sons of God. That is the important thing. It follows that sons inherit their father’s things. In this case, the sons of God inherited the nations from the Father.

For the Lord’s portion is His people; Jacob is the allotment of His inheritance.

Deuteronomy 32:9

There is the 71st nation, Israel. It is allotted as an inheritance to the Lord given by the Most High.

Fathers do not inherit. Sons do. Moses is pointing directly to Jesus.

So, when someone tells you that Jesus never claimed to be God. They are wholly incorrect and do not grasp the weight of Scriptural evidence that undergirds what Jesus says to the Pharisees

Jesus answered them, “Though I bear witness of Myself, My testimony is true. For I know where I came from and where I am going. But you do not know where I came from or where I am going. You judge according to the flesh. I judge no one. Yet if I do judge, My judgment is true. For I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. Even in your law it is written that the testimony of two men is true. I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father that sent Me bears witness of Me.”

John 8:14–18

The Pharisees then pose another question to Jesus. They believe what they know.

Then they said to Him, “Where is Your Father?”
Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father. If you knew Me, you would know My Father also.” Jesus spoke these words in the treasury, as He taught in the temple. No one arrested Him, for His hour had not yet come.

John 8:19–20

John adds the commentary that nobody attempted to arrest Jesus. In this exchange, the Pharisees reveal that knew the identity of Jesus. This is evidenced by the addition of the personal pronoun your… “Where is Your Father?”

They knew Who He is, the Son of Inheritance. Tragically, they didn’t know Him or His Father.

Guard your Minds

On By TimIn 1 Peter 01, Encouragement, Fruitfulness, Jesus, Last Days, Redemption, Salvation, SanctificationLeave a comment

Therefore guard your minds, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children do not conduct yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance. But as He who has called you is holy, so be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

1 Peter 1:13–16 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

In the text leading to this, Peter talks about salvation and how it came to us. It was foretold by prophets who saw it dimly, not quite understanding. They wanted to know it better. We also know that angels want to look into it. The conclusion Peter arrives at is to be warily sober as we live. Knowing that redemption is ours now, even though it will be complete at Jesus’ coming.

Think about it. The prophets of old did as God obstructed. They knew God and feared Him. Not that they were afraid, it is a very real reverence. In that, they were careful to do the things He instructed.

Reading the Old Testament, these prophets did say and do some rather memorable things at the instruction of God. They, too, were sober and circumspect to do things orderly as He directed.

Some of the things these prophets are asked to do include cooking food over fires made with dung and marrying a harlot who would return to her harlotry only to take her back again. These ideas seem outlandish.

They were for our instruction.

As Peter said, it was revealed to these prophets that they weren’t serving themselves, but us. Peter is exhorting us to know that we are serving others presently and in the future. Someone is paying attention to how we live out our Christianity. In fact, I am going to say that someone’s salvation may hinge on it. Not because we saved them, but right conduct in daily living pointed them to Jesus.

Conduct ourselves righty.

This naturally follows guarding our minds. We live new lives and not in the former old way. Peter uses the word lusts. It doesn’t necessarily connote a sexual idea. It is better understood as seeking first to the satisfaction of our own needs before we do so for others.

Formerly, we did that because we knew no other way. Now, having been enlightened, we are called to live circumspectly. He reminds us of the words of our Master, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

And if you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your sojourning.

1 Peter 1:17 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

If we are conducting ourselves in reverence to God, we live out holiness.

We must be careful to not do the works that have nothing lasting, that is caring primarily for just our own needs. These things will be confined under judgment. We must have an outward focus, directed toward others’ needs and meeting them. These are the things that will survive judgment.

For you know that you were not redeemed from your vain way of life inherited from your fathers with perishable things, like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

1 Peter 1:18–19 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Vanity is the old life of ignorance.

Before Jesus, the way to survive was to look out for numero uno. We did what was needed to survive and try to accumulate stuff. For some of us, that accumulation was enhanced by inheriting our parents’ things at their death. Either way, the practice was inherited for not knowing any better.

Our corruptible bodies would eventually expire. We all have an appointment with death. But what if we’ve worked hard to accumulate… If we couldn’t consume it all, it would be passed on to our progeny.

Without Jesus, most live this way, to accumulate and consume possessions. That is vanity.

All that energy is expended for things that perish and have no value in the next life. None of it redeems us. It cannot. It will perish. As would we without Jesus. Rich or poor, it’s the same way.

Without blemish or without spot.

He could only be perfect. He had to be God. It was only the blood of Christ that did redeem.

Remember that God took on this humanity. In that glorious union of the Divine with human, was a man with blood. Precious blood came from a perfect life. God is imperishable, and the blood price He paid is imperishable.

That is the better way. It is the better inheritance to share with our progeny, and everyone else.

Heir of All Things

On By TimIn Hebrews 01, Jesus, Last Days1 Comment

God, who at various times and in diverse ways spoke long ago to the fathers through the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the world.

Hebrews 1:1–2 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

I love the book of Hebrews. There is so much content that is embedded in the simple words given.

In this brief introduction, we can find some things that are worth undivided attention. Our first is God.

When we open the Bible, the first words in Genesis we encounter are “In the beginning God.” In just those four words, simple truth is taught. That is, God is before the beginning. The beginning introduces the concept of time. Think of that as an expanse for our existence. It is also as necessary to our existence in the universe as matter and space. We all occupy space because the matter we are made of has volume and that volume doesn’t always occupy the same space. Time is that ‘expanse’ for space and matter to move.

So too, the writer of Hebrews introduces God simply as He is.

We are then told that God spoke in diverse ways through the prophets. This is saying that He used the unique way He made each prophet to communicate truth to Israelis in the past. Much of what the prophets prophesied is recorded for us. I also think that the diverse ways hint to the fact that much can still be learned from them that applies to modern-day Israel, and by our grafting in… Us, too. The writer will use some of those writings to do just that.

Our focus is then drawn to Jesus. Jesus is the One by Who God spoke to Israel. This was probably personally witnessed by some of those who would read this epistle.

Jesus is Heir to all things. That this appointment comes from God Himself. We can assume that God has wants. He wants an heir. In fact, we believers are called joint-heirs with Jesus.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. For you have not received the spirit of slavery again to fear. But you have received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirits that we are the children of God, and if children, then heirs: heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified with Him.

Romans 8:14–17 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

By that little word heir, as it is connected to His Son, we see a familial relationship. When we examine that relationship, connecting the idea to other truths… We know that God wants human heirs.

Yet as we were excluded from inheritance by the first man’s sin, we can be adopted back into the family of God through Jesus Christ. Remember, He has been made heir of all things. In our adoption, we become heirs also.

This is something that is astounding. Not that we are adopted or even made heirs. But that we are joint-heirs. We get to share the inheritance!

When I say share the inheritance, it’s not like what happens here on Earth, where some of it goes to this person and another portion to that person.

Think about it… What did Jesus inherit?

If you are a believer… What will you inherit with Him?

Humans inherit all things. Just as it is supposed to be.

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Genesis 1:26 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

The apostle Paul asked a series of questions to the saints in Corinth. In his first epistle to them, he touched on this idea

Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more the things that pertain to this life?

1 Corinthians 6:2–3 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

These ideas need to be kept in mind when reading this epistle. As we delve deeper into it, much will point to Jesus and the unique future bestowed upon humanity in Him, which involves an intimacy with God that few of us have even considered.