Recently I have been reading through the book of Deuteronomy. It is often difficult to take off my American cultural lenses and view scripture as they were intended. My cultural lense of meteralism got knocked off as I read about the inheritances that were apportioned to the Israelites right as they were about to take the Promised Land. Moses lays out a sweet piece of land for each tribe. After 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, I’m sure they were all excited to finally have a home. I can only imagine what kind of things they had been dreaming of. The promise of the Promised Land allowed them to dream of what neighbors they were going to live next to and invite over, what view they would have, a peaceful farm, and a thriving business. The cute boy or girl they could finally settle down with, a home to have your grandkids play in, a watering hole to fish, and a fully furnished house. Think about that for a moment, they lived with camping furniture for forty years, they would finally get to have a bed, kitchen table, and couch…paradise.

Yet there was one tribe that seemed to have gotten duped. Forty years of wandering and the Levites get bupkis. No land for you. Yes, they get some towns but not the real estate of the other tribes.

“Therefore they shall have no inheritance among their brethren; the Lord is their inheritance” (‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭18‬:‭2‬)

At surface level they seemed to be the kid who didn’t get any gifts for Christmas because their parents said that hanging out with family was present enough for them. I’m sure the Levites had a difficult time with this as all the other tribes looked like they got a sweet deal. All the other tribes get the property spots on Monopoly and the Levites get to keep circling the board. “Thanks?”

David Jumps Teams

The theme continues as David celebrates God being our inheritance.

“O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭16‬:‭5‬)

Wait, David is not a Levite. He was from the tribe of Judah. He must be an outlier. He’s already living in his Promised Land. He’s a king! He can afford to live lavishly. He’s nothing like me. What about the poor Levites who are stuck sweeping the temple and sacrificing barn animals all day long?

Things begin to shift because in the New Testament we see this same language. For those of us who believe in Christ, we have now become priests just like the Levites.

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people (I Peter‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬).

Are we also to receive God as our inheritance? Ephesians 1:11 launches us in the same direction as the Levites.

“In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭11‬

Either my materialistic American lense is right in being sarcastically frustrated, or God is on to something wonderful. Did the Levites get the better deal? Is God as our inheritance way better than a land inheritance? What does receiving God as our inheritance even mean? There must be something to this.

God Is Way Better Than Dirt

Let’s set aside the tongue and cheek skepticism…

Jesus uses an incredible opportunity at the house of Mary and Martha to help us grasp the richness of “having” God. The story goes, Jesus and his disciples went to the town of Bethany and was invited by Martha into her house. Trying to be a good host to Jesus and twelve grown men, Martha began to work her tail off to feed them. Her sister chose to do nothing, except sit at the feet of Jesus. As any good big sister would do, Martha got on to Mary for not doing what was culturally expected of her. Then with a smile on his face Jesus said…

““Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭41‬-‭42‬

This wasn’t just a rebuke to Martha, though I’m sure you could hear a pin drop after Jesus said that. What happened more than a small rebuke was the release of a paradigm shift. Mary had discovered her inheritance right in front of her. She would later be the one who anoints Jesus’ feet with a treasured amount of perfume. The same way that David jumped his tribal inheritance, I think Mary picked up on the value of God being our inheritance. She too was not a Levite, but saw the opportunity to put herself in the path of an inheritance that was God himself.

The Good Part

In my younger years of walking with Jesus I was always down for a good theological discussion. I took every opportunity to devour a theology book that crossed my path. I served in youth ministries, young adult ministries, attended church several times a week, and helped build churches and prayer ministries. Wherever I was offered a place, I signed up. There was a lot of well intentioned activity. I think Martha would have been proud of me.

Somewhere along the way we realize a lot of what we are doing is without the one who offers Himself as our promised land. What Mary captured begins to come alive in our heart. Little by little we begin to choose the “good part” as God walks alongside us and He stays with us.

The Land of the Living

“I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭27‬:‭13‬)

There is so much that fills our heart when we realize that the Living God is engaging our hearts right where we are at. In the mornings right before I go into work I have been parking my car right next to a pond in the middle of the city. With a warm coffee in my hand, I have been finding God through the glass reflection of the water, the frogs splashing, and the elegant turtles floating through their domain. This morning I saw a family of Canadian geese glide their way and make landings on the still water. Here I find God in the pace of his creation. I’m starting to understand why old people love watching birds.

Our church is located right next to an international airport. I make a point to drive on the backroads that line the outer fence of the runways. When timed right it seems as though the commercial jet’s wheels almost touch the roof of my car accompanied by the roar of its engines. No matter what mood I’m in, a boyish smile jumps on my face and I thank God.

I find a piece of my inheritance in the smile and kindness of my wife as we sit on our porch talking about life. I dip into my inheritance when I hear the laughter of my wife and kids and realize that God created that. I find God when my kids and I have a dance off in the living room, when I help my daughter jump the waves in the Atlantic, and when my son gives me a fist bump after his game winning hit. God shows up with a friend at breakfast and a family member having a hard day. God, our inheritance, is everywhere, everyday.

The World Slows Down and My Heart is Happy

With Jesus, this hard life begins to come alive and is worth living. The world slows down and He shows us the beauty of what this world was intended to be. This life is way more than just Promised Land dirt. Our promised land is Immanuel, God with us.

Studying doctrine turns into a way to discover God's heart. Theological discussion with someone turns into an opportunity for prayers to be shared and tears shed. Reading our Bible is no longer a life sucking duty, but an entrance to the poetry of God’s heart. What was once a formulaic rubbing of a genie's bottle, prayer becomes a lingering conversation with Jesus. Prayer becomes a moment to feel the gladness and smile of God. All the nits and dragons of life become an opportunity for our hero to show up.

I feel the word inheritance falls short of what we actually get. We get a father, friend, confidante, hero, leader, sage, and someone to enjoy this life with…and the next. We get to live a life with heart. We get to enjoy His heart.

I’ll take God over a piece of dirt any day.

-Hank Lee

Firelife Church | Transformation Center Pastor