Definition and Context:
Home ownership refers to the possession and stewardship of a dwelling place, which is a significant aspect of human life and society. In biblical times, owning a home was often associated with stability, security, and the fulfillment of God's promises. The concept of home ownership is interwoven with themes of land inheritance, stewardship, and community.

Biblical Foundations:
The Bible presents home ownership as a blessing and a responsibility. In the Old Testament, the Promised Land was a divine gift to the Israelites, symbolizing God's covenant and faithfulness. Each tribe and family received a portion of land, which included the right to build and own homes. This distribution of land was intended to provide security and a sense of belonging.

Key Scriptures:

1. Inheritance and Land Ownership:
· "The land must not be sold permanently, because it is Mine, and you are but foreigners and sojourners with Me." (Leviticus 25:23)
This verse underscores the idea that while humans may possess land and homes, ultimate ownership belongs to God. The Israelites were stewards of the land, reflecting a divine trust.

2. Security and Stability:
· "Each of them will sit under his vine and under his fig tree, with no one to frighten him. For the mouth of the LORD of Hosts has spoken." (Micah 4:4)
This imagery of sitting under one's vine and fig tree conveys peace, security, and the prosperity associated with home ownership.

3. Wisdom in Building a Home:
· "By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with every precious and beautiful treasure." (Proverbs 24:3-4)
The construction and maintenance of a home require wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, emphasizing the importance of thoughtful stewardship.

Stewardship and Responsibility:
Home ownership in the Bible is not merely about possession but also about stewardship. Owners are called to manage their homes and resources wisely, ensuring that they reflect God's principles of justice, hospitality, and care for others. The parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) illustrates the broader principle of stewardship, where individuals are accountable for how they manage what has been entrusted to them.

Hospitality and Community:
Homes in biblical times were centers of hospitality and community life. Believers are encouraged to use their homes to serve others and to practice hospitality.
· "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." (Hebrews 13:2)
This verse highlights the importance of opening one's home to others, reflecting God's love and generosity.

Warnings and Cautions:
While home ownership is a blessing, the Bible also warns against the dangers of materialism and placing too much trust in earthly possessions.
· "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal." (Matthew 6:19)
This admonition serves as a reminder that earthly homes and possessions are temporary, and believers should prioritize spiritual wealth.

Conclusion:
The biblical perspective on home ownership encompasses both the privilege and responsibility of possessing a home. It is a gift from God that requires wise stewardship, a heart for hospitality, and an eternal perspective that values spiritual over material wealth.Joshua 24:14-16
Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve you the LORD.
Topicalbible.org

2 Corinthians 5:1-21
For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Topicalbible.org

1 Peter 4:17
For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
Topicalbible.org

The Home and the Boy
... councils as a partner in the home life, the boy's right to companionship with his
parents, the privilege and responsibility of private ownership, the right a ...
/.../alexander/the boy and the sunday school/i the home and the.htm

The Scar-Marks of Surrender.
... And he would take his servant out to the door of the home, and standing him ... endured
in service Paul tenderly reckons it as a mark of Jesus' ownership""I bear ...
/.../gordon/quiet talks on service/the scar-marks of surrender.htm

The Prodigal and his Father
... 'Not many days after,' of course, for the sense of ownership could not ... being their
own masters, and removed from the safeguards of their earthly father's home. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture e/the prodigal and his father.htm

Conversion
... He gave them the account of the boy who went away from his home, breaking his ... You
pay me a price, and the property is transferred from my ownership to yours. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/chapman/and judas iscariot/conversion.htm

May the Twenty-Eighth the Sons of God
... And I am to be at home with the Lord. ... The Spirit shall lead me over my estate, and
I will survey, with the sense of ownership, "the things which God hath ...
/.../my daily meditation for the circling year/may the twenty-eighth the sons.htm

Sojourners with God
... Undisturbed possession for ever so long does not constitute ownership here. ... are meant
to impel us in one direction, even to the heart of God who is our home. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/sojourners with god.htm

The Three Parables of the Gospel: of the Recovery of the Lost - of ...
... which among us would not, even from the common motives of ownership, leave the ... with
tender care lifted it on his shoulder, and carried it home, gladsome that ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xvii the three parables.htm

Making and Breaking Connections.
... which shall also be an anointing of power and a seal of ownership and an ... The historical
meaning is this: when Jesus returned home all scarred in face and form ...
/.../gordon/quiet talks on power/making and breaking connections.htm

Simeon's Swan-Song
... Dispute His ownership? ... long, weary night, or toiling through all the hot, dusty day,
may extinguish his lantern, or fling down his mattock, and go home to his ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture e/simeons swan-song.htm

There Is, Let us Say, a Certain Filthy Rookery in Hoxton...
... His simple notion of having a home of his own is derided as bourgeois, as sentimental,
or as ... They will deny him the three acres on grounds of State Ownership. ...
/.../chesterton/whats wrong with the world/chapter 9 there is let.htm

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