Bless Your Inheritance

 deliver your own people and bless Your inheritance, shepherd them and carry them even to eternity.*

Here the Hebrew word for inheritance is also translated as possession. Bless your inheritance, bless your possession, the sheep of your pasture, shepherd them and carry them forever, even to eternity. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep of his pasture. David writes of the good shepherd who makes the sheep lie down in green pastures, restoring souls, leading beside still waters and into the paths of righteousness, for his name's sake (Psalm 23). Also, David gives us the picture of the Good Shepherd delivering, saving, carrying his sheep, he carries them on his shoulders, even to eternity. Let this truth bless your soul, as it did mine this morning, it is a promise of God to bless his own and carry them, even to eternal life.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I also give them eternal life, and no not one perishes, and not one will be taken away from my hand. (John 10:27-28)

Who are the sheep of His pasture? they are his own, of the promised inheritance. There is a mighty promise here; to deliver his own people and bless his inheritance, to shepherd them and carry them even to eternity. Paul writes when we heard the word of truth, the gospel of our salvation, believing, we were marked or sealed with the Holy Spirit, as His own possession. It is a metaphor, we are not like sheep to God, nor like slaves or servants, but like as children, adopted as His own. In Christ, we receive the promise of inheritance, unlike a servant, a son has an inheritance and abides in the house forever.

"... the one blessing us in all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies, even as He chose us [as His own] in him [Christ] before creating the world... predestining us for adoption as His own... in Christ we have obtained an inheritance predestined according to the purpose of Him who accomplishes all according to the counsel of His will... existing the praise of His glory that you also in Him... marked with the promised Holy Spirit, who exists the guarantee of our inheritance, to the extent, redemption of His own, to the praise of his glory" (Ephesians 1:3-4, 11-14). 

The Greek word for possession seems to have the same meaning as the Hebrew word and is also translated as an inheritance. "And he called you to this salvation through our gospel, to the extent possession of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thessalonians 2:14). We can share in the sufferings of Christ because we know we have a superior and lasting possession (Hebrews 10:34). Peter writes we are a people of His own possession (1 Peter 2:9). His possession is his people, the flock, the household of God. We are to do good to all people but especially to his own, the household of faith (Galatians 6:10). What we do to the least of these "his brethren," of the household of God, we do unto Christ (Matthew 25:40). We are of his own, his possession, of the family, household of God, of the commonwealth of Israel, of the promised inheritance (Ephesians 2:19, Ephesians 2:12, Galatians 3:29). 

"Now, I press on to also take possession of, to the extent like as also Christ has made me His own. Brothers, I do not consider to have taken possession myself, but this one thing, I forget that behind now reaching towards that which lies ahead." (Philippians 3:12-13, my translation)  

There is much ahead to take possession of, a great encouragement to press on, not taking possession myself it is Christ who has taken possession of me. Truly, we have a good shepherd who leads us and even carries us when we are sick or wounded. But can we not say our Good Shepherd has taken possession of his own and carries them unto eternal life? I believe this is the concept Paul writes of like David writes in this wonderful verse, Psalm 28:9. Bless Your inheritance, save and shepherd them, carrying them even to eternity.