In the Wilderness: Anticipating Our Inheritance

Text: Numbers 27:1-11: 36:5-9; 1 Peter 1:3-6

Theme: God’s people are to anticipate our promised inheritance from the Lord, and live in eager expectation, know it’s our because God has promised it.

Date: 05/03/2020 Title: InTheWilderness-12.wpd No:

One of the great classics of English literature opens with these words, “ ... As I slept, I dreamed a dream. I dreamed, and behold, I saw a man clothed with rags, ... a book in his hand, and a great burden upon his back. I looked, and saw him open the book, and read therein; and, as he read, he wept, and trembled ... [and he] broke out with a lamentable cry. saying ‘What shall I do?’ “ This is how John Bunyan introduces us to the central character of his book Pilgrim’s Progress. His name is Christian. According to the book he has been reading (which is the Bible), he discovers his burden condemns him, that he is under judgment, and when he dies he shall experience wrath, and damnation. He meets a man called Evangelist who warns him to flee from the wrath to come. Evangelist tells Christian he must flee to the light, which Christian does. As he does, however, his neighbors notice, and attempt to interfere. Bunyan writes:

“The Neighbors also came out to see him run; and as he ran, some mocked, others threatened, and some cried after him to return; and among those that did so, there were two that resolved to fetch him back by force. The name of the one was Obstinate, and the name of the other Pliable. Now, by this time, the man was got a good distance from them; but, however, they were resolved to pursue him, which they did, and in a little time they overtook him. Then said Christian, Neighbors, wherefore are you come? They said, To persuade you to go back with us. But he said, That can by no means be; you dwell, said he, in the City of Destruction, the place also where I was born. I see it to be so; and, dying there, sooner or later, you will sink lower than the grave, into the place that burns with fire and brimstone: be content, good neighbors, and go along with me.”

“What!” said Obstinate, “and leave our friends and comforts behind us?”

“Yes,” said Christian (for that was his name), “because that all which you shall forsake is not worthy to be compared with a little of that that I am seeking to enjoy; and if you will go along with me, and hold it, you shall fare as myself; for there, where I go, is enough to spare. Come away, and prove my words.”

“What are the things you seek,” said Obstinate “since you leave all the World to find them?”

Christian said, “I seek an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away; and it is laid up in heaven, and safe there, to be bestowed, at the time appointed, on them that diligently seek it. Read it so, if you will, in my Book.”

I want to preach this morning on inheritance, particularly our inheritance in Christ. We’ve been making our way through the Book of Numbers. It’s an important book that illustrates the three great themes of the Christian life. As we watch Israel go from slavery in Egypt to possessing the Promised Land of Canaan, we see these great themes:

Journeying

Warring

Inheriting

There is this long journey through the wilderness that comes to a conclusion in the Book of Numbers that started all the way back in the Book of Exodus. This theme of journeying gets picked up in the New Testament Book of Hebrews. Christians are on a journey from slavery to sin to freedom in Christ, from the poverty of earthly treasure, to the riches of heavenly treasure. Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress wonderfully pictures that journey.

Then there is the picture of warfare. The Book of Numbers tells us of those who would oppose God’s people, and the battles they must fight to reach the Promised Land. Christians also experience spiritual warfare. To be a Christian, says the Apostle Paul, is to be a good soldier of Jesus Christ. And every day we must put on the full armor of God, if we are to withstand the onslaught of the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Finally, there is the promise of our inheritance. Here, at the end of the Book of Numbers, Israel is on the verge of going into the Land of Promise. The land is their inheritance that was promised to them by God as descendants of father Abraham 450 years earlier. That’s a long time to wait for an inheritance! Inheritance for the tribes of Israel was a primary reason for the second census that Moses takes, and that inheritance is especially important for the five daughters of Zelophehad.

I. THE STORY OF ZELOPHEHAD’S DAUGHTERS

1. their names are Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah, and Tirzah

a. their father has died, and there is the question of inheritance of land as Israel is on the doorstep of Canaan

2. Israelite inheritance law had been established so that only the sons would inherit land and possessions of their fathers

a. daughters were given significant dowries at the time of their marriage, but it was their husband’s land that they lived on, farmed and received the benefits of

b. when a man died, his 1st-born son inherited two-thirds of the father’s land, livestock and material possessions

1) any remaining sons would equally split what was left

c. unfortunately, daughters received only dowries ... that was considered their inheritance

3. this story changes that law

A. THEIR STORY IS A STORY OF TRUST IN GOD

“ ... They came forward 2 and stood before “ the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders and the whole assembly, and said, 3 “Our father died in the desert. He was not among Korah’s followers, who banded together against the LORD, but he died for his own sin and left no sons. 4 Why should our father’s name disappear from his clan because he had no son? Give us property among our father’s relatives.”” (Numbers 27:2–4, NIV84)

1. the five daughters of Zelophehad believe Israel’s current inheritance laws are unfair

a. why should their father’s name be blotted out of Israel’s genealogical records because of something over which he had no control?

b. why should his family be denied inheritance of land because he had no son?

c. so they seek an audience before Israel’s great deliberative body

2. their claim is an exercise faith in two ways ...

a. 1st, they are persuaded that God will keep His promise to Israel, and they will indeed pass into and possess the land

1) later generations of Jewish rabbis, commenting on this story, say Zelophehad’s daughters represent the Jewish woman’s love for the land of Israel, and that when the men were afraid to enter the land the women were eager to enter the land and even demand a share in it

a) their plea is simple ... give us property among our father’s relatives

2) do you see their faith?

a) as far as they are concerned, the land is their’s even though Israel has not taken physical possession of it

b. 2nd, they are persuaded that Yahweh is a fair and just God who will hear their petition and bless them

1) think of the faith, and the courage, that it took for these five women to “buck the system” in place at that time

2) Moses hear’s their petition, and essentially says, “Oooo, hadn’t thought about that before” and he immediately turns to the Lord for wisdom

3) God’s reply is, “Yep, this needs to be changed!”

“and the LORD said to him, 7 “What Zelophehad’s daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance among their father’s relatives and turn their father’s inheritance over to them. 8 “Say to the Israelites, ‘If a man dies and leaves no son, turn his inheritance over to his daughter. 9 If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. 11 If his father had no brothers, give his inheritance to the nearest relative in his clan, that he may possess it. This is to be a legal requirement for the Israelites, as the LORD commanded Moses.’ ”” (Numbers 27:6–11, NIV84)

c. the only stipulation would be that Israelite women who inherited land from their father were required to marry men who belonged to their own tribe

1) this allowed the daughters to marry but would at the same time keep family property in the original tribe

3. so why is this story important to us? ... why should we care about ancient Hebrew inheritance laws?

a. because it is a reminder that, as God’s New Testament people, we also are anticipating an inheritance from the Lord that ultimately includes all the earth

II. OUR EARTHLY INHERITANCE IS TEMPORARY AND TRANSITORY

1. Jesus, himself, reminded us of this in his Sermon on the Mount

a. Jesus told his disciples that all those things we think are so important are here today and gone tomorrow

b. he concludes ...

“ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:31–33, NIV84)

2. most people probably look forward to receiving some kind of inheritance

a. many of us secretly long to find out that we have been named as a beneficiary in the will of some long-lost uncle we never knew we had

ILLUS. Consider the story of two brothers in Hungary. In 2009, Zsolt and Geza Peladi were homeless, living in a cave outside Budapest, and scavenging junk for a living. They were both in their forty’s. One day charity workers showed up at their cave. The brothers assumed they were there simply to check up on the their welfare. Instead, the charity workers told them that their maternal grandmother in Germany had died, and left them some money. They gave the brothers the name of the attorneys who were handling the estate back in Germany. Once contacted, the once-penniless brothers discovered that they had inherited $7 billion dollars.

b. if that ever happens to you, I hope you’ll remember to tithe on it!

2. throughout history, many parents have work feverishly to provide their children with some kind of future security and financial legacy

a. in Biblical times this was even expected

A. KEEP YOUR EARTHLY TREASURES AND INHERITANCE IN PERSPECTIVE

1. what is the right perspective?

2. 1st, earthly inheritance is our blessing and not our right

a. Israel did not deserve a land flowing with milk and honey

1) over the last forty years they had often been cantankerous, obstinate, faithless and disobedient

b. out of His sovereign grace, which accomplishes His divine will, God gave them the land

c. so too, all that you have—all that you may ever inherit—comes by the grace of God who has allowed you to manage (not own) a portion of what He has created

3. 2nd, earthly inheritance is temporary and transitory

a. that means it won't last

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18, NIV84)

b. Jesus told his disciples in his Sermon on the Mount that we are not to store up those treasures which are easily consumed

“ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19–21, NIV84)

c. you and I are to store up a different kind of treasure

4. earthly inheritance is but a fleeting blessing

III. OUR HEAVENLY INHERITANCE IS SPIRITUAL AND ETERNAL

1. there are many passages in the New Testament about what Jesus’ followers inherited when he died, and what his followers will inherit when they die

a. this is the special thing about our inheritance in Christ—we experience at least a portion of that inheritance during our earthly lives

b. the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit in every confessing believer is the guarantee of our inheritance in Christ

“In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:11–14, NIV84)

2. let’s consider some of those things we inherit in Christ

A. THE WORLD IS OUR INHERITANCE

“It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.” (Romans 4:13, NIV84)

1. now you need to understand this ... the Apostle Paul is saying that if you share the faith of Abraham, then you are a fellow heir with him, and that inheritance, Paul said, is “the world”

a. if you are an heir of God, then you will inherit what is God’s

1) and God owns the world

“The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;” (Psalm 24:1, NIV84)

2) so if the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, then the heirs of the Lord will inherit the earth and everything in it

b. in Psalm 2:8 God says to his Son, “Ask of me, and I will surely give the nations as your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as your possession.”

1) and if we are fellow heirs with the Son, then we shall inherit the nations

2. Paul puts it this way ...

“So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.” (1 Corinthians 3:21–23, NIV84)

a. what is our inheritance?

1) the world ... the earth and all that is in it ... the nations ... all things

b. it’s actually easier to ask the question, “What is not ours in Christ?”

B. THE LORD GOD HIMSELF IS OUR INHERITANCE

“What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”” (2 Corinthians 6:16, NIV84)

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.” (Revelation 21:3, NIV84)

1. the great high hope of the Christian church is God with us

a. this was the capstone of the hope of the Old Testament saints, even though they also had strong hopes for a land of their own

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:25–26, NIV84)

2. this is our great inheritance: the Lord himself!

a. how we need to cultivate a great taste for Him and his fellowship

b. if He is not precious to you, what a stranger you are to your inheritance!

c. if you love his gifts, think on how wonderful the giver must be

1) and think what an insult it is to take a gift from someone’s hand and delight in it more than you delight in the giver

3. God himself is our portion

ILLUS. The Westminster Shorter Catechism has been perhaps the most-used Protestant Catechism for the last 350 years. It’s very first question is

Q. 1. What is the chief end of man? to which the answer is ...

A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever.

a. we will glorify God and enjoy Him forever because God, Himself is our inheritance

C. THE LORD’S KINGDOM IS OUR INHERITANCE

1. the author of the Book of Hebrews reminds us that while Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joshua and so many others were looking for and longing for a real country of their own, that ultimately they longed for a better country—a heavenly one

“All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. ... they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.” (Hebrews 11:13–16, NIV84)

a. in the Book of Revelation that city is called the New Jerusalem

2. there is a coming Kingdom of God on earth ... it is our inheritance and we shall rule it with God

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.” (Revelation 21:1–7, NIV84)

3. how do we ever begin to imagine what this event will be like?

D. THE FINAL REDEMPTION OF OUR BODIES IS OUR INHERITANCE

1. if we are to enjoy the world and all that is in it, and if all these good things are not to compete with God and become idols, then we must have bodies capable of deeper, higher, fuller joys than we presently have

a. and we must be rid of all the pain and crying and tears of this world

ILLUS. One of the things the COVID-19 Crisis has accomplished is to remind the nation, indeed the world, how fragile, and how temporary life is. For those of us who name the name of Christ, it is also a reminder of the most spectacular event after the resurrection of Jesus Christ ... our own resurrection!

2. of our final redemption, the glorification of our bodies, the Apostle John writes ...

“The sun has one kind of splendor, the moon another and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor. 42 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43 it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; 44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.” (1 Corinthians 15:41–44, NIV84)

“I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”” (1 Corinthians 15:50–54, NIV84)

IV. YOUR ETERNAL INHERITANCE DEPENDS UPON AN EARTHLY DECISION

1. those outside of a relationship with Christ cannot, will not inherit eternal life

“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? ... .” (1 Corinthians 6:9, NIV84)

a. who are the wicked?

1) anyone who has not come to Christ in repentance, faith, and confession

2. but if you will come to Christ, than all these things are yours

“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” (Romans 10:9–10, NIV84)

“for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”” (Romans 10:13, NIV84)

ILLUS. Evangelist told Christian to flee to the light. Let me encourage you to flee to the light that is Jesus Christ ... to flee from the wrath to come.

3. if you do you’ll receive an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away; and it is laid up in heaven, and safe there, to be bestowed, at the time appointed, on them that diligently seek it

a. Read it so, if you will, in my Book.”

If you are a Christian, how do you respond to this message? The Book of 1 Peter tells us ...

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.” (1 Peter 1:3–6, NIV84)