The owner of a restaurant, in Wisconsin Rapids, told me that his family has been living on the same land for over 800 years, back in Albania. To any American, that should be astounding since our country is only 235 years old. His wife and children live in Albania while he lives and works in America. In their culture; the family is everything and a close second is the land. Some day he will return to Albania to retire.
A friend of our family was an elderly woman named Grandma K. She was old enough to be everyone’s grandmother; well practically. She was in her nineties in the 1970s. Her family was among the original settlers of Algonquin and they were dairy farmers. The land had an equal value to them as is does to my Albanian friend. It literally broke her heart when one of her grandsons sold the land (his inheritance; his portion) to get the money out of it in order to live elsewhere.
The average American moves many times in their life. Leaving the farm life many generations before our birth; most of us will never understand the true value of, or fully appreciate the value of the land. We don’t hold to the land and to family as our ancestors once did.
God values the land and He instituted many guidelines for how to use and take care of the land! It was no small request when the LORD told Abraham to leave his land and go to where the LORD would show him; a new land; the Promised Land. Before the inheritance was realized by the children of Israel, the LORD divided up the land among the twelve tribes of Israel. The LORD established every seventh year to be a land Sabbath or rest for the land. Every 50th year was a year of Jubilee and all property reverted back to the rightful heirs.
LAND SABBATH
Leviticus 25:2-4 KJV Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the LORD. (3) Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof; (4) But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.
Leviticus 25:8-10 KJV And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years. (9) Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. (10) And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.
Inheritances are very important to God. Everyone in Israel was given an inheritance of land in the Promised Land. Even if some one was thoughtless enough to sell their land, or lose it in a poke game; the property would be restored to the family in time on the 50th year of Jubilee!
These laws; given to Israel were designed by God to preserve two main blessings:
1. Family (farming together to stay together)
2. Worship (tithing and offerings)
Through the land; Israel would remain strong if they obeyed the LORD. God wanted them to have the kind of abundance that comes with the blessing of farming. Read the story of Jacob in Genesis chapter 30.
Christians; God’s New Testament or New Covenant people are also promised an inheritance. Through baptism, we accept Jesus Christ and become a member of the family of God. All Christians are blood relatives through the blood of Jesus Christ which is symbolized in the baptismal pool.
Galatians 3:29 KJV And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
The promise is for both man and women equally. God will reward each of us individually; without prejudice to race, nationality or sex. All who are baptized into Jesus Christ are all equal heir together!
1 Peter 3:7 KJV Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
A young teenager’s mother had lost their home due to financial mismanagement. It was the home that her father gave her mother in a divorce settlement for the purpose of providing for them both a home that was paid in full and had no mortgage or lien against it. When the father; expressed his disappointment that his ex-wife lost the daughter’s inheritance; the land and house; the daughter said; “Its O.K. Daddy; its no big deal!” That is the way Israel felt about their inheritance; “It was no big deal;” but it was! Israel went into captivity; never to return to the land as the united people they were when God gave it to them.
We have an inheritance in Christ and it is A BIG DEAL! A HUGE BLESSING! Let us all take; with seriousness and responsibility; our calling in Christ!
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