When the Children of Israel entered the Promised Land under Joshua’s leadership each of the twelve tribes of Israel inherited a portion of the land of Canaan except for the tribe of Levi — the priestly tribe. They were given cities throughout the land and it was stated that God himself was their inheritance.

The New Testament makes it plain that the poor in spirit will inherit the kingdom of heaven, and the pure in heart will see God (Matthew 5:3, 8). According to Peter it “is an imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” inheritance being kept for us by God himself (1 Peter 1:3–4).

In 1964 when my father died, I and my six sisters inherited the farm in Lakeside, Connecticut where I grew up. It consisted of 65 acres of meadow land, pasture land and wood land. It was a good inheritance and I look back with fondness to life there on the farm even though it was not “undefiled.” There were lots of rocks and lots of thorny bayberry bushes especially in the pasture land. Those bushes may have made nice landscaping hedges but they were a curse to farmers because the birds ate the berries and then spread their seeds everywhere, which made more bushes and if not kept under control would takeover pasture land very quickly. 

Between removing rocks from the meadow land and pulling out those thorny bushes, we knew we were struggling under the curse that God placed on the earth because of Adam’s sin. 

But praise the Lord, when God fulfills his promise and establishes the new heaven and new earth and receives us into it, we will forever be with the Lord himself in our beautiful inheritance. Indeed, we long for the fulfilment of Revelation 22:3 (NIV) “No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city and his servants will serve him.” 

Lord, come quickly and bring us to our beautiful inheritance.

Rev. Bill Monroe

Extended Scripture: Psalms 15-17 (NIV)