My Inheritance Request

"I will declare the decree: the LORD has said to Me, 'You are My Son, today I have begotten You. ⁸ Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. ⁹ You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.' "

Psalm 2:7-9

The heading in my Bible for Psalm 2 is, "The reign of God's anointed."  The term "anointed" is a reference to the Jewish Messiah, who has been revealed as Jesus the Christ.  He was not only the Messiah to the Jews, but to all who repent and trust in Him.  Previously when I read Psalm 2, I looked at it only in this context.  Jesus is the only begotten of the Father (John 3:16) who died for the sins of the world, rose again, and will someday return to set up His rule upon earth.  There is a prophetic glimpse of Christ returning in power and glory in Revelation 19:11-16.  Revelation 19:15 reads, "Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God."

God chose the children of Israel out of all the nations to be His inheritance.  Deuteronomy 4:20 states, "But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be His people, an inheritance, as you are this day."  How interesting and enlightening that God says through King David to the Messiah, "Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations (or the "heathen") for Your inheritance."  God is not willing that any person or nation should perish, but that all would come to repentance and faith in Him and be saved.  God offers Jew or Gentile, slave or free, the opportunity to be numbered among His children by His grace through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

For the first time in my life, yesterday I saw that the entreaty of verse 8 is not only relevant to the person of Jesus Christ the Messiah, but to all who have been born again into the family of God.  God challenges all Christians to say, "Give me the heathen for my inheritance."  As children of God by faith, we have become Christ's inheritance, and He is ours.  Our relationship with God through faith has granted us access by the blood of Christ, the Holy Spirit, and His grace that even the Priests and Levites under the Mosaic Law did not possess.  I was once estranged from God because of my sin, but I have been brought near to God through Christ.  Ephesians 2:13-18 reads, "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴ For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, ¹⁵ having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. ¹⁷ And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father."

If Christ dwells in me and I in Him, I have not only a right but an obligation to pray thus:  "LORD, you have said in your Word, "Ask of Me, and I will give You the heathen for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession."  It is not gold and silver than I desire, or crowns or mansions, nor honour among men or angels.  I do not deserve to eat the crumbs from your table, but you have adopted and numbered me among your precious children, even making me a co-heir with Jesus Christ!  I ask that you give me the heathen for my inheritance, that many would come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved.  May you receive the reward of your suffering through my testimony.  Grant me saved souls by your grace!  May you anoint me to go forth weeping, continually bearing seed for sowing that I may doubtless come again rejoining, bringing my sheaves with me." (Psalm 126:6)

When you see enemies of the Gospel or those tragically heading to eternal destruction, never see them as your enemies:  they are your inheritance!  Treasure their souls!  Allow yourself to consider their condition and weep for their lack.  Then supply the good seed of God's Word which will not return void.  Sowing to the Spirit brings life everlasting.