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Jesus, the Heir

"I will declare the decree: the LORD has said to me, You are my Son; this day have I begotten you. Ask of me, and I shall give you the heathen for your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession.

Psalm 2

"Why do the nations rage and the people devise in vain?" -are questions which hold a profound charge. They are profound because in this two-part question is revealed what mankind hates most, the God who is sovereign over His creation, namely the earth and those who He has anointed. "The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his anointed"[1]
            What is hated about God, primarily, are the bonds (chains, fetters) and the cords, "...Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us."[2] The bonds and the cords are the righteous rule and authority of God over mankind. In essence what the Psalmist reveals is the hatred, the rage, against God's righteous authority.

The vanity of devising began with the first man when he imagined from his deceitful heart that he could be wise like God[3] by ignoring the righteous commandment, "but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat."[4] Adam did eat and redemptive history followed in earnest.

For those who desire to cast away the bonds and the cords, the righteous rule and authority of Yahweh, the answer comes back. "He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision."[5] The idea behind derision is to mock, scoff or taunt, as the different translations of the passage give account. As disturbing as this may be; for some, especially for those on the receiving end, pales in comparison to what follows: "Then He [Yahweh] will speak to them in His anger and terrify them in His fury"[6]

 This is the God of the scriptures, the God who has spoken and has been heard, which mankind together have taken council and in doing so, have set themselves "...against the LORD." It is the LORD God who has promised to terrify in His fury.

In response to the wickedness of those who would tear away and cast off God's authority, the response comes back, "As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill."  These words hold both judgment and hope. Judgment "...because he [God] has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead." [7]

Hope, because God from the beginning had a man; despite the rage of the nations, and the plotting in vain, His,"...my King," which He promised to set on His holy hill, on Zion. Fundamentally, David's second Psalm speaks of the promise of God based upon His desire to create man in His image and likeness for the purpose to subdue and take dominion of the earth. Yahweh's desire will not be hindered because of the vain imaginations of those who plot and refuse to have the one He has chosen to rule over them.[8] It is in hope, (for mankind) that the king responds in the knowledge of Yahweh's decree: "The LORD said to me, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you."[9] Without the decree of the LORD, there would be no hope, there would be no today, which speaks of the resurrection that "...declared [Jesus] to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness."[10]

It was in hope Yahweh spoke to His anointed, "Ask of Me.” With these words the LORD calls out to the legal heir of the earth, "I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession."[11]

The second Psalm of David is foundational in the revealing of the inheritance that God's anointed one, the one He calls "my Son," and "my king" -is to receive.

The concept of inheritance, unlike that of adoption, was profoundly important to those under the Old Covenant in Israel, and before them the Hebrews and the God-fearers in the distant past.[12] In Hebrew society, the cultural significance of the inheritance, viewed throughout their history and in the scriptures, should not be underestimated. Just as important to any and all those who believe in God, wherever they are found, is the hope of the inheritance in the age to come.[13]

In the ages past,[14] the expectation of the faithful[15] was to inherit the promises of God. As this was the hope of the saints of old,[16] it stands to reason that it is the hope of all those who are of faith today. All of God’s people from all the ages are sons and daughters of God, and thus they have the promise to partake and share in the inheritance. In other words, the promise of the inheritance is the same for all the people of God throughout redemptive history.

 

The concept of an earthly hope for those under the Old Covenant, versus a heavenly hope for those under the New Covenant, is foreign to the scriptures.[17] Since the mystery of the Christ has been revealed[18]—the mystery of the body of the Christ (the anointed), which is the Church of God,[19] “in whom the whole building is being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord”[20]—assured is the promise that all the saints of all ages are to partake in the inheritance as joint heirs with Jesus.[21] Whatever Jesus the Christ[22] is to inherit, those of faith—faith being the common denominator of the saints throughout redemptive history[23]—have the promise of inheritance with him.[24]

The concept of the inheritance is revealed full force when seen in light of the one God promised to send as Yahweh’s servant.[25] Of all that the servant was given[26] by the Father, perhaps one of the most significant gifts[27] to the Son was his anointing without measure with the Spirit of God. “For He whom God sent, the sayings of God He speaks; for not by measure does God give the Spirit [to him].”[28]

Since he was man (made[29]) like us in every respect, the importance of the anointing of God’s Spirit upon Jesus,[30] “not by measure,” takes on a significance of its own that is all but completely ignored in what has become a corruption of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because of the dogma of the Trinity, and all it implies, the idea that Jesus was given the spirit (anointed), or that Jesus inherits the throne of his father David and the promised kingdom of God, are not even a consideration. That which was written has fallen upon deaf ears[31], when God spoke to His anointed one, “Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as your inheritance, the very ends of the earth as your possession.”[32]

With such a prophetic statement from Yahweh, it is surely obvious that Jesus had no inheritance until He answered the Fathers request, "Ask of Me". The concept is thus supported with the declaration by God, “I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.”[33]

It was in the exaltation of Jesus of Nazareth, the obedient and willing servant,[34] that he was declared the Son of God through His resurrection from the dead.[35] And just as Jesus’ sonship was declared by the resurrection, and his inheritance obtained,[36] “...we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our    bodies.”[37]

 

 

 

In conclusion regarding this important concept—that Jesus is the heir—it is necessary to understand that the focus of redemptive history centers upon him as the legal heir of all which God grants to man as man's inheritance. Jesus is the answer to the Psalmist's question, “what is man, that You are mindful of him, and the son of man, that You care for him?”[38]

If one is to come under the care of God and partake of the inheritance, then it must be through Jesus, “for there is no other name under heaven given among men by whom we must be saved.”[39]

Jesus is the Beloved of God, and is the legal inheritor of the earth.[40] He is the preeminent one, being the firstborn of the dead.[41] Jesus is the head who has been raised from the grave[42] and his body[43] will follow in the great day of the resurrection to complete the whole man.[44] In that day of the resurrection from the grave, the adoption of God’s people will then be consummated, redemptive history complete, and the expectation “God shall be all in all”[45] fulfilled.

Yahweh shall not be denied His Sons and Daughters, His anointed ones.[46] For He has promised, understood in the declarative pledge, “they shall be my people.”[47]

Absolutely critical, and of the most profound implications, are the very words, “I will be their God.”[48] These words hold the promise of God and the hope for the people God is creating[49] and adopting for Himself. It is to those people who have been promised the inheritance of eternal life.[50] For in the words “I will be their God” is the truth of the saving of a people by God as inheritance to Himself.[51]It is the creation of the man whom God desired “to be like Him.”[52]

To this end, God has revealed to His anointed ones the concept of the adoption of sons and daughters who are to inherit all things through the Christ (the anointed). For God the Father to have sons and daughters in His image and likeness is nothing less than the goal of redemptive history.

 

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[1] Psalm 2:2

[2] Psalm 2:3

[3] "the tree was to be desired to make one wise" Genesis 3:6

[4] Genesis 2:17

[5] Psalm 2:4

[6] Psalm 2:5

[7] Acts 17:31

[8] The parable of the nobleman Luke 19:12-27

[9] Psalm 2:7

[10] Romans 1:3

[11] Psalm 2:8

[12] Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the twelve sons, i.e. the fathers

[13] Ephesians 2:7

[14] Psalm 37:9, 11, 22, 29, 34 Psalm 47:2-4, 69:35-36 Isaiah 57:13, 60:21, 65:9 Matthew 5:5, 25:34

[15] Hebrews 11 * The saints of old mentioned, in what has been called the hall of faith.

[16] The author of the Hebrew letter reminds us, "that they [the saints of old] should not be made complete (made perfect) apart from us…" (the saints of the new) Hebrews 11:40, *8:8-13

[17] Hebrews 12:22-24, *11:39-40 "that they without us should not be made perfect."

[18] The Mystery of the Christ. Colossians 4:3, 1:26 Ephesians 1:9, 5:32

[19] Paul explains what the Church is, the body that makes up the household of God. Ephesians 2:13-22, The Church, the body, is "the whole family." *3:15 Acts 20:28 1Corinthians 1:2, 10:32, 11:22, 15:9 Galatians 1:13

[20] Ephesians 2:21 The holy temple would include those saints in past ages.

[21] Romans 8:17 Galatians 4:7 Ephesians 3:6 Titus 3:7

[22] Matthew 1:16, 16:20

[23] Hebrews 11The watershed chapter on faith. *Hebrews 11:6

[24] *Romans 8:17 Ephesians 3:6 Titus 3:7 1Corinthians 15:50 Hebrews 6:12 Revelation 21:7

[25] Isaiah 61:1 Luke 4:18

[26] John 3:35, 6:39, *13:3, 17:2 *7 Matthew 28:18

[27] Yahweh calls out to the Son, "Ask of Me" Psalm 2:7, 8 * Luke 1:32 "I will give him the throne of his father David." See also Psalm 16:7 John 6:37, 39, 17:2 *Psalm 119:50

[28] John 3:34 YLT

[29] "Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect" Hebrews 2:17

[30] Luke 4:18, cited from Isaiah 61:1

[31] The word "written" is found over 250 times in the scriptures. The people of God are a book people, the book being the written word of God.

[32] Psalm 2:8

[33] Psalm 89:27

[34] Psalms 40:7-8 John 4:34

[35] "…and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead…" Romans 1:4 ESV See also Acts 13:33 Psalm 16:8-11

[36] Psalms 8:6, cited in 1Corinthians 15:27 Matthew 28:18 Daniel 7:13, 14 Luke 10:22 Ephesians 1:22

[37] Romans 8:23

[38] Psalm 8:4, cited in Hebrews 2:6-8 within the context, "but we see Jesus."

[39] Acts 4:12

[40] Luke 3:22 Colossians 1:13 *Ephesians 1:6

[41] Colossians 1:18 Revelation 3:14

[42] Acts 2:24 Romans 4:24 Ephesians 1:20

[43] 1Corinthians 12:27, Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:30 Colossians 1:18, 24

[44] *Ephesians 4:13 "…the perfect man," is the resurrected man, complete in Christ Jesus.

[45] 1Corinthians 15:28

[46] 2 Corinthians 1:21 1John 2:20, 27

[47] "They shall be my people" The phrase is found eight times in the scriptures, and is in the indicative future tense. Jeremiah 24:7, 31:1, 33, 32:8 Ezekiel 11:20, 37:27 2Corinthains 6:16 Zechariah 8:8

[48] Genesis 17:8 Exodus 29:45 Revelation 21:3

[49] The body is not yet complete, in time and space, for even today there are those being added to Christ. When the body is complete the Lord will return for His (body) –i.e. the Church, the called out assembly.

[50] Matthew 19:29 Luke 10:25, 18:18 Hebrews 1:14, 6:12

[51] What it means to be saved, salvation, means different things to the people who make up the Church. No matter, at the end of the day, whatever one might hold as his or her idea of what salvation means, God will have His way. The Ultimate conclusion, "I will be their God, and they shall be my people". What greater goal and expectation for the believer in the one true God can there be?

[52] Genesis 1:26 Psalm 17:15 1John 3:2 Romans 8:29 Colossians 3:10 Philippians 3:21