What does "you are to give him his inheritance" teach about inclusion? Setting the scene “You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the foreigners residing among you and who have fathered sons among you. You are to treat them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. In whatever tribe the foreigner resides, there you are to assign him his inheritance,” declares the Lord GOD. What the command meant on the ground • Real property, not just courtesy: aliens who settled permanently (“fathered sons among you”) received a tangible slice of the land. • No second-class status: “treat them as native-born Israelites” erased social tiers. • Tribal integration: the foreigner’s inheritance came inside the very tribe where he lived; the community absorbed him fully. Old Testament echo chamber • Exodus 12:49 — “The same law shall apply to the native and the foreigner.” • Leviticus 19:34 — “The foreigner living among you must be treated as your native-born. Love him as yourself.” • Numbers 15:15-16 — one statute for both groups regarding worship. These passages show that inclusion was never a New Testament afterthought; it is woven into God’s covenant fabric from the start. God’s heart revealed • Possession signals value. By handing land to outsiders, God communicates, “You belong here. I pledge My future to you.” • Inheritance is permanent, forward-looking. The command therefore guards posterity, not mere present hospitality. • The mandate comes directly from “the Lord GOD,” underscoring divine authority behind social inclusion. Guardrails around inclusion • Covenant allegiance: these foreigners lived among Israel and raised families there, implying commitment to Israel’s God (cf. Exodus 12:48, circumcision required to eat Passover). • Moral and legal conformity: “the same law” applied, so inclusion did not dilute holiness but upheld it. The pattern is gracious yet conditional—a preview of Gospel grace that welcomes all who bow to the Lord while preserving the integrity of faith and obedience. New Testament fulfillment and expansion • Ephesians 2:12-19 — once “strangers and aliens,” now “fellow citizens with the saints.” • Galatians 3:28-29 — “if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise.” • Romans 8:17 — believers are “heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.” Land in Ezekiel foreshadows an eternal inheritance “that can never perish” (1 Peter 1:4). Inclusion now spans every nation, tribe, and tongue—still under Christ’s lordship, still anchored in covenant faith. Take-home truths about inclusion • Inclusion is covenantal, not superficial. It brings people into promise, responsibility, and family. • God delights to grant inheritance—not scraps—so believers must resist any caste mentality. • The church models Ezekiel’s vision when it hands newcomers meaningful participation and future hope, anchored in unwavering fidelity to Scripture. Living it out • Celebrate the “one body” reality at the Lord’s table, remembering that all true believers share the same spiritual inheritance (1 Corinthians 10:16-17). • Guard justice for any “sojourner” in the congregation—immigrant, outsider, or newcomer—by giving access, voice, and real partnership. • Hold firm to biblical truth while extending full welcome; Ezekiel shows these are not opposites but inseparable commands from our covenant-keeping God. |
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