Israel and the Land, II

I. The Land

A. The division of the land is found on Joshua chapters 13-19.

Was to be divided at three different levels.

1. Tribe

2. Clan

3. Family.

B. The land never belonged to Israel as you and I understand ownership, this is really the concept behind Leviticus chapter 25.

a. The land and everything on it belonged to God. The people of Israel were just tenants.

"The land moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine, for you are but aliens and sojourners with me." (Lev.25:23).

"I brought you into a fruitful land to eat its fruit and its good things, but you came and defiled My land, and My inheritance you made an abomination." (Jeremiah 2:7).

b. The OT patriarchs knew that Israel never owned the land.

1) Abraham never owned one square foot of ground.

a) And God gave him no inheritance (Acts 5:7)

b) He even had to buy a burial place for Sarah (Genesis 23:1-20). He was a stranger in Canaan, and he lived the life of a nomad in tents (Hebrews 11:9).

c) Abraham didn't want the physical land of Canaan (Hebrews 11:10; 14-16). He wanted heaven. Who would want a piece of inferior ground just to grow old and die? God promised him heaven and eternal life. He looked for a city with real foundations - built by God, not some temporal city of Canaan. He desired a far better country than Canaan: he desired a heavenly country and the heavenly Jerusalem - even Mount Zion, where his Friend God dwelt (Hebrews 12:22-23).

The Land and Property Responsibilities.

A. Leviticus chapter 25 stresses the equality of redeemed brothers. That is, all members are Israel have equal worth in the sight of God.

B. Since the land is YHWH's then no individual can do with the land just as he wants.

C. No other Israelite may lay claim to another's property So then, King Ahab was just another 'fellow tenant' with Naboth and had no right to grab Naboth's land.

II. The Land In the New Testament?

A. The idea behind the OT land was one of holiness. That is, it was the holy place where God dwelt with His people and all of this was in the physical land of Palestine.

B. This OT idea takes on new meaning in the NT since the spiritual presence of the living Christ now sanctifies any land where Christ is present.

C. Christianity then, has substituted the HOLINESS OF THE PLACE for the HOLINESS OF THE PERSON.

III. What happened to the land in the NT?

a. The land for Israel had a function.

1) It was God's gift.

2) It was the fulfillment of Abraham's promise.

3) It was proof of son-ship

4) It was a place where one lived under a covenant relationship with father. (To live in the land was to accept the covenant responsibilities.)

b. "In Christ as in the Land"

1) Acts 15: 12-18, The complete restoration of Israel was to happen when the Gentiles mission was accomplished.

2) In Ephesians 2:11 - 3:6 - Previous position of Gentiles outside of Christ.

3) Therefore, Gentiles were excluded from the covenant relationship (and the land) under the promise (2:12) .

4) BUT NOW - they are "fellow-citizens" and members of God's household (2:19)

5) Paul's summary in 3:6; Gentiles are now

a) joint-heirs - synkleronima

b) joint- body - syssoma

c) joint- sharers - symmetocha

6) Through the cross of Christ then, those who were out are now in and those who were far off are near.

c. Hebrews 10:1, we understand that the Law and its elements were not real and permanent, they were a shadow.

d. However, they were real to Israel and elements of their relationship with God were contingent on this reality.

e. So, in the Book of Hebrews, "the land" is described to its Jewish readers as the "rest."

a) We are told that we can only enter the land (rest) through Christ (Heb. 3:12-4:11).

b). We there have a High Priest (Heb. 4:14- 8:1 - 10:21)

c. We there have an altar (Heb. 13:10)

d. We have hope through the New covenant (Heb. 6:19, 20)

e. We have confident access to the Holy place, (Heb. 10:19)

f. We have come to Mt. Zion (Heb. 12:12)

g. We have a kingdom (Heb. 12:28)

h. We do not have an earthly city (Heb. 14:14).

So, welcome to the land and that is for all who are "In Christ."

by Lane Rogers