God's Private Possession
R. E. LOASBY Professor of Biblical Languages, S.D.A. Theological Seminary
As a people Seventh-day Adventists sometimes comment on their relationships with others and seem to take pride in being different. This is no doubt commendable in many respects. Rut we are apt to go a step further and emphasize that we are a "peculiar" people. We apparently use this word at times in an unfortunate way. The dictionary tells us that "peculiar" means "having a character exclusively its own, . . . unlike others, singular, uncommon, unusual, out-of-the-way." See the Oxford Dictionary. We can, I believe, take pride in meeting these definitions. But the dictionary goes on to tell us that "peculiar" has also the connotation of being "strange, odd, queer." This is the way we apparently describe ourselves fairly often, and unfortunately so, I believe.
Quite recently I was in an audience listening to one of our ministers, an educated man, speaking of his experiences with government officials. He seemed to brush off certain misunderstandings with these men with the remark, "We are a peculiar people anyhow." It sounded as if that remark designated a cloak under which might be hidden a multitude of things that are queer, odd, strange. What basis .do we have for such an attitude?
In the Hebrew Old Testament we have the verb sagal, "to acquire property." It is cognate with the Arabic root of the same meaning. The Hebrew noun of that root (sagullah) is found in the following texts, given here with their English translations in the King James Version: Exodus 19:5-a peculiar treasure Deuteronomy 7:6--a special (people) Deuteronomy 14:2-a peculiar (people) Deuteronomy 26: IS-peculiar (people) 1 Chronicles 29:3--own proper good (of gold and silver) Psalms !35:4--for his peculiar treasure Ecclesiastes 2:8-the peculiar treasure (of kings) Malachi 3:17-my jewels Page 22 The basic meaning of this Hebrew word is "private property, valued possession," and it should be so understood by us. So the people are God's private property, His valued possession, and there is absolutely no idea to be countenanced of being odd, strange, or queer.
In the New Testament we have two texts: Titus 2:14, a peculiar (people), and I Peter 2:9, a peculiar (people). Here also the two words in the original have the meaning of "private possession, one's own acquisition, acquired and preserved for oneself." Furthermore, these two Greek words are the ones used in the LXX, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, as the translation of the Hebrew word in the Old Testament texts listed above. One may say, "Why then do we have the term 'peculiar' in the King James Bible when the words used by the inspired writers mean 'private property'?" The answer is: "Because that was the proper word to use at the time the King James Bible was translated." In the Oxford Dictionary we find that in the sixteenth century the word "peculiar" had the meaning: "related to private property, . . . that which is one's own. Peculiar to always denotes belonging exclusively to." Many examples of this usage are given, of which the following are typical:
"The Duke of Gloucester had not so much advanced ... the commonwealth and publique utilits, as his awne private things and peculiar estate." Again: "How necessary it is that the king's great possession, and peculiear life for his own suirte." These quotations tell us that the Duke of Gloucester took care to build up his own private ("peculiar") estate, and that a king should have private ("peculiar") means to disburse as he needs. So let us take pride in being God's private possession, acquired by Him for His very own, and not take refuge in being odd, strange, queer.
"The Earnest of the Spirit"
This truth of God's people being His precious possession is strengthened in many ways. 2 Corinthians 1:22 is one illustration: "Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts."
God has sealed us for Himself, as His own private possession. This is literally what Paul says: "He who sealed us for Himself," using a form of the verb that represents God as acting for Himself, in His own personal interests. The divine mark, or seal, is placed upon the believer. It indicates that he belongs to God, it shows proprietorship: God claims the child of faith as His heir; the child of faith claims God as his Father. The man of faith is no longer his own, he is the private possession of God. This is an assurance of holy fellowship and activity in the Lord.
The firm assurance of the authenticity of the believer's personal relation to God is thus established. The seal on goods attests to their genuineness, it is an attestation to their validity, the truth of what they claim to be, of the house to which they belong. The seal is also a pledge of preservation. The Christian is a purchase of God (Isa. 43:1), with the promise of preservation through water and fire (verse 2). He is precious to the Lord and greatly beloved (verse 4). He is the medium through whom God is pleased to manifest His glory (verse 7). In every way the child of God is a living monument of the heavenly family.
The sealing also makes of the one sealed an ambassador of God: "Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord" (verse 1 0). His people possess the weight and protection of accredited ambassadors. They cannot be mistreated with impunity. One can scarcely overstate the dignity of the sealed ones. Divine authority and power are prepared to move in their behalf. In the second part of 2 Corinthians 1:22 Paul tells us how God sealed us for Himself, as he says, literally: "that is, who gave us the pledge of the Holy Spirit in our hearts." The word arrabon, "pledge," is a very ancient one, probably of Phoenician origin, and is found in Genesis 38:17, 18. Through the medium of extensive Phoenician commerce it has passed into many languages, appearing in classical Latin as arrha, in Italian as arra, and in French as arrhes. It is the down payment that attests to the ultimate completion of the transaction. It is always a security, an assurance, an agreement, a promise. "The pledge of the Spirit." The expression "of the Svirit" should not be overlooked. It is one that' means "the pledge that is in the APRIL, 1954 Spirit"-the Holy Spirit Himself is the pledge. He, then, is the One who authenticates us, seals God's proprietorship upon us, preserves us, and stands behind the Christian ambassador in all divine authority and power. "The omnipotent power of the Holy Spirit is the defense of every contrite soul. No one who in penitence and faith has claimed His protection will Christ permit to pass under the enemy's power." -Ministry of Healing, p. 94. "In our hearts" is an expression that really embraces the entire person, the working of the Holy Spirit in the Christian's daily life. See Testimonies to Ministers, page 396.
Exegetical Studies in Ephesians-Part III
Our Inheritance in God and God's Inheritance in-Us!
ADLAI ALBERT ESTEB Editor-"Go," the Journal for Adventist Laymen
We are led by Paul in our journey through this wonderful book of Ephesians from the eternity of the past to the eternity of the future; led from rags to riches, led through growing grace to glowing glory. "You [who] were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you moved ... [now] form a habitation for God" (Eph. 2: I, 22, Moffatt's translation *).
As I look through the keyhole into this vast treasure house of spiritual riches, there are such wonders that human lips are altogether unable to describe these beauties. However, with all our finite limitations, let us consider the topic "Our Inheritance in God and God's Inheritance in Us." We are so accustomed to talking about what Christ did for us on the cross, and what God did to save us, for "God so loved the world, that he gave" all heaven in His gift, that we have almost built up a tradition of getting-:getting all we can out of God: peace and blessings and heaven and daily bread-we are quite concerned about all these material things. We forget about God's inheritance in us. Let us read Paul's prayer carefully, "That ye may know what is ... the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints" (Eph. 1: 18). We find he is praying that we might understand what His inheritance in the saints really is, or, to be accurate, "what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints."
I dare say that nine out of ten think more about their inheritance in God than they do about God's inheritance in them. It is true that Ephesians I: II, in our King James Version, reads, "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance" --but in the Revised Version we find this text reads: "In whom also we were made a heritage." I am not discrediting the fact that we have an inheritance. That is true. It is established. We have already received an "earnest," a pledge, an installment of our divine possessions. Only an installment, however. That is in the 14th verse, and in Moffatt's * translation we read of "the pledge and installment of our common heritage, that we may obtain our divine possession." But why? Why do we receive our divine possession? Notice the next significant words: "and so redound to the praise of his glory" (Eph. 1:14, Moffatt).
Can we grasp those two thoughts-our inheritance in God and God's inheritance in us? What is our inheritance? In what do we glory? Houses, lands, automobiles, money, education, or what? "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Gal. 6: 14). "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col. I :27). We receive our inheritance in God so that He can receive His inheritance in us. We know something about our inheritance-grace, glory, God-at least we have a twilight perception; we have had a glimpse of it-a pledge, an earnest, an installment of it. "Of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace" (John I: 16). But what is involved in all that? The very power we were speaking of a little while ago is involved; His riches, unsearchable riches of Christ-the very theme of this book-they are all there. What Christ has done for us-we could never exhaust that theme! However, for every hundred sermons on that, there may be one on the second phase--His inheritance in us-and that is also one of the great themes of this book. It is one of the things for which Paul prays in his mighty prayer of intercession! Our inheritance is "in the heavenlies," but His inheritance in us is on the earth here and now, and then, later, through eternal ages in heaven. For us-in us Christ's inheritance in us, "the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints" (Eph. I: 18). Where Is His Inheritance? N
ow where is His inheritance? It is "in the saints." It is in us. Someone has said, "God was not satisfied in possessing suns and stars; *The Bible: A New Translation. by James Moffatt. copyright 1922, 1935, 1950-52, by Harper and Brothers. Used by permission. He wanted sons and saints." You notice He glories in His inheritance. "Jacob is the lot of his inheritance." God does not glory in the stars. He does not tell us the names of them, although they all have names (Isa. 40:26-31 ). It is a wonderful universe, but He does not glory in it. Our sun, so powerful, is yet just one little baby among them all. But think of the power of that one little sun. We have mentioned earlier that it is able to melt 287,200,000 cubic miles of ice every second. And it is a little sun. Oh, the unsearchable power, unsearchable wisdom, and unsearchable glory of God! The wealth of His glory, the wealth of His wisdom, the wealth of His power! Our inheritance in God! What an inheritance! But what about His inheritance in us? He does not glory in all those suns and stars. "Jacob is the lot of his inheritance." He glories in His children. "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (I Cor. 10:31). For His glory. "The riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints." We must live to His glory, and be "rich in good works." "For to me to live is Christ" (Phil. 1:21). Yes, God glories in us. We are to live for this one purpose, to glorify God. "Ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (l Cor. 6:20). Yes, "let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 5: 16).
"Enfeebled and defective as it may appear, the church is the one object upon which God bestows in a special sense His supreme regard." He loves you more than-do we dare say it?more than all those unfallen worlds! Didn't Jesus leave the ninety and nine to go and find the one lost sheep? Didn't He leave everything to come and buy the pearl-the pearl of great price? We are accustomed to talking about Jesus as the pearl of great price, and He is, but in Christ's Object Lessons the messenger of God says this parable has a double application. Now He is to us the pearl of great price, but He was the heavenly merchantman who laid aside everything He possessed to come and purchase us. You are the pearl of great price to Him. · "That in the ages to come he might shew ... us" to unfallen worlds. If you will only show Him as the pearl of great price to others now on this earth, then He will show you as His pearl of great price throughout eternity to unfallen worlds. How He will "glory" in you throughout the ages to come! But He wants to glory in you now. He wants the riches of the glory of His inheritance what riches? He wants us to be "rich in faith." "Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom?" (James 2:5). He wants us to be "rich in good works" (l Tim. 6:18). Rut many of us are like the foolish man who was "not rich toward God" (Luke 12:21). Read the story: Luke 12: 15-21. He did not give God the glory. His life was a failure. Look at Herod-a king Read Acts 12:21-23.
Why did the angel of the Lord smite him? "Because he gave not God the glory" (Acts 12:23). Are we giving God the glory? It is His inheritance, here as well as in the hereafter.
A Vital Question
What objects of interest we will be to the people of those unfallen worlds in "the ages to come"[ And when we "sing salvation's story," angels will "fold their wings, for angels never knew the joy that our salvation brings." But right here, now, here on this earth, He has an inheritance in us too. We are so prone to say, "What am I getting out of God?" Friends, in all earnestness I ask, ·what is He getting from us? Are we "rich in faith"? rich in love, rich in service? Are we "rich in good works"? Christ's inheritance in us is in our walk, in our work, and in our warfare. He expects something of you in your walk in the home, in the church, and in the world. ·what does He expect in the church? He expects us (l) to preserve the unity of faith, (2) to practice the diversity of the gifts, and (3) to promote the growth of the body. Look through that keyhole. What do you see? Are you looking for your inheritance, your riches, what you are getting out of God? Please answer this other vital question: What is God getting out of you? We have been so anxious to get all the blessings, all the peace, forgiveness, and power we can get, but what is God getting out of us?
Are we giving Him a chance to obtain His inheritance in the saints? "The riches of the glory of his inheritance." He wants something from you. He does not glory in those unfallen worlds. He glories in His holy people. It humbles me; we are so proud when we should be so humble. How true are the words of Shakespeare: "Man, proud man, drest in a little brief authority, most ignorant of what he's most assured, his glassy essence, like an angry ape, plays such fantastic tricks before high heaven as make the angels weep."
May God help us to be humble. "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, ... to revive the heart of the contrite ones" (Isa. 57:15). May God help us to enter into our possessions, our divine inheritance, yes, but with the purpose that God may enter into His inheritance in us, that we may become a habitation for God to walk in in our homes, our churches, our world. We have a walk, a work, a warfare. We need character for the conduct and the conflicts of life. Abide "in Christ." That is the answer. Your inheritance is in Christ.
"Abide in me, and I in you" (John 15:4). Yes, you in Christ and Christ in you, the only "hope of glory." In this sweet relationship we find our inheritance in God and God finds His inheritance in us. May we "know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints" (Eph. 1:18).
