A Goodly Heritage

I Have A Goodly Heritage

Psalms 16:6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.

Intro:

A. David’s Recognition

David is referring to his spiritual inheritance and heritage.

· 5 The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.

David recognized the significance of “the lines.”

THE LINES - a cord, rope, territory, band, company, a rope, cord, a measuring-cord or line, a measured portion, lot, part, region

HERITAGE – possession, property, inheritance, share, portion

A. The Lines refer to a Place

B. The Lines refer to a People

C. The Lines refer to a Part; a Portion

B. David’s Reception -“…fallen UNTO ME…”

FALLEN UNTO ME – to be offered, to fall into the hands of, to make the lot fall, assign by lot, apportion by lot

There was a personal receptiveness to this inheritance.

It bothers me to see how many second-generation Christians are rejecting their spiritual inheritance.

Somebody did them wrong, and they are throwing the baby out with the bathwater!

David had already experienced more hurt from his leaders and his brethren than most people ever had.

He had been hurt by his father, who didn’t think enough of him to consider him worthy for the throne.

He had been hurt by his brethren, who misjudged his heart and his intentions.

He had been hurt by his king, who told him he was not able to fight the giant.

He’d by hurt even more by having javelins thrown at him by Saul who was trying to kill him.

His wife left him for another man after she rebuked him for worshipping God.

He was forbidden from ever seeing his best friend again because Saul was so jealous of David.

He’d been hunted all over the countryside like a dog and had to hide in caves just to survive.

But David didn’t throw it away and refuse his inheritance!

He didn’t turn his nose up at what God have provided for him.

He had a grateful heart and a receptive heart – “The lines are fallen unto me…”

C. David’s Realization – “pleasant places.”

IN PLEASANT PLACES - pleasant, delightful, sweet, lovely, agreeable, delightful, beautiful

Cannot improve on it! He’s not looking for another god. (vs.4)

The devil has nothing to offer me!

I am not jealous of what the devil and the false gods of this world has to offer their children!

I’m not looking over the fence, coveting the inheritance of the wicked.

I’m not lying in my bed at night longing for the heritage of the heathen!

I’m grateful for what God has given me as a blood-bought child of God.

D. David’s Reiteration

He didn’t just say it once; he said it twice.

· Psalms 16:6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.

GOODLY: to be pleasing, be beautiful, be fair, be comely, be bright, glisten; to be beautiful

I’d like to say it again this morning – I have a goodly heritage!!

Just like Hannah’s husband loved her and gave her a “worthy portion”, God has given me a goodly portion!

You ask me – what is it about the lines that have fallen to you that makes it so pleasant; so goodly??

I. The Proximity to Egypt

David is referring to the inheritance that God had given the nation of Israel in the land of Canaan.

In other words, what David was saying was this: “I have walked around it and surveyed the boundaries, the property lines, the existence of the landmarks, and God has been good to give me a goodly heritage.

PROXIMITY refers to the state or quality of being near or close in space, time, or relationship. It signifies the physical or conceptual closeness between two or more entities.

One of the things I love about my goodly heritage is how far it is away from Egypt.

If you’ll remember, Pharoah didn’t want them to go far to worship. He wanted them to stay close.

Exodus 8

When God delivered the nation of Israel, he took them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, across the wilderness and over the Jordan River.

Egypt was obliterated; Pharaoh and his army were drowned in the Red Sea; there was nothing to go back to!

When Jesus saved me, and he saved you, we were no longer in Egypt.

His plan is to move us as far from Egypt as possible!!

· John 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

· John 17:14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

· John 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

I like the fact that the lines that have fallen to me are far away from the land of bondage.

I’m grateful that the lines that have fallen to me are out of sight from the slavery and pain of Egypt.

It is a pleasant place because when I look out the window of my new inheritance, I don’t have to see the pyramids and the palaces of the wicked.

I don’t want to see it. I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to smell it.

I want nothing to do with Egypt!!

· I’m not looking to re-survey my heritage.

· I’m not looking to move the ancient landmarks.

· I’m not looking to redraw the perimeter.

· I’m not putting up a “For Sale” sign and moving somewhere else.

· I’m not looking for a new heritage or a better plot of land.

No – I have to say with David. “The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.”

I have looked it over from one end to the other, and I LIKE IT!!

I have a goodly heritage!!

II. The Protection from the Enemy

Notice how David started the chapter.

· 1 Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.

As long as I stay where God put me, and as long as I enjoy the lines that have fallen to me, the enemy can’t touch me!

· Exodus 23:31 And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee.

Deuteronomy 7

· 2 And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:

· 23 But the LORD thy God shall deliver them unto thee, and shall destroy them with a mighty destruction, until they be destroyed.

· 24 And he shall deliver their kings into thine hand, and thou shalt destroy their name from under heaven: there shall no man be able to stand before thee, until thou have destroyed them.

Forty years after the Egyptians were destroyed in the Red Sea, Rahab and all her house living in Jericho were still terrified of God’s power.

Joshua 2

· 9 And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.

· 10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.

· 11 And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.

I’m not going to take the commandments to Israel pertaining the inhabitants to the land and make them 100% applicable to the New Testament church, but I would like to make an application that is very biblical.

God has given the church – the people of God, divine protection.

In case you need a New Testament reference, here are just a couple:

Matthew 28

· 18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

· 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

· 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

· 1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

1 John 5

· 4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

· 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

III. The Pleasures that are Enjoyed

God described Canaan as a “land flowing with milk and honey” in Exodus 3:8

And sure enough – He kept His word!

· Deuteronomy 26:9 And he hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey.

It’s interesting to me that milk and honey both are used to describe several things.

These things are what makes the heritage so goodly and pleasant!

A. The Precepts of God – vs. 7,8

· 7 I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.

· 8 I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

For the child of God, the Word of God is our milk and honey.

· Psalms 119:103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

· 1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

How blessed we are to have access to the heart and mind of God that is revealed to us through His word!

I choose to trust Him and believe His Word.

I’m grateful for the exposure I’ve had to the milk and honey of God’s inspired, infallible, inerrant Word!!!

B. The Provision of God

· Deuteronomy 32:12 So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him. He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock; Butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat; and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape.

C. The Path of God – see verse 11

Psalms 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life

The Bible is clear – the path of the wicked is difficult.

Proverbs 13:15 …the way of transgressors is hard.

Living within the lines of my goodly heritage will be very rewarding.

The godly wisdom of walking in His ways will bring life-long blessing and prosperity.

Notice what Solomon told his son about living a life in the wisdom of God. He compared it to honey.

· Proverbs 24:13 My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste: So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.

Notice – “…thy expectation will not be cut off.”

The dividends of living God’s way is the ultimate life.

D. The Presence of God

· : in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

There is no more pleasant place than to be in the presence of God.

The world has no idea what they are missing out on.

Conclusion: So why do I say today that I have a goodly heritage?

Why am I satisfied to live within the lines that have fallen to me?

So why is it pleasant and goodly?

Because of:

1. The Proximity to Egypt – I don’t want to ever go back there!

2. The Protection from the Enemy – I need God to help me fight those battles!

3. The Pleasures that are Enjoyed – they make it pleasant and goodly to me.

I don’t want to live without His Precepts, His Provision, His Presence and His Path