Morning By Morning #320

For the LORD’s portion is his people.

Deuteronomy 32:9

From the pen of Charles Spurgeon:

How did “his people” become His? We are His by God’s own sovereign choice. He chose us and “set his affection on [us]” (Deut. 7:7) completely apart from any goodness in us at the time or any future goodness He saw in us. He said, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy” (Ex. 33:19) and ordained a chosen group for eternal life. Therefore, we are the Lord’s by His purposeful election.

We are not only His by choice but also by purchase. He has bought and paid for us to the utmost farthing; thus, there can be no dispute about His ownership. [Editor’s note: A farthing is a former coin of England worth one quarter of a penny.] “It was not with perishable things such as silver or gold…but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18 – 19) that “the LORD’s portion” has been fully redeemed. There is no mortgage on His estate and no one can place a lien against it, for the price was paid in open court and the church is the Lord’s, free and clear forever. Those who are His are marked by His blood, which is invisible to the human eye but seen by Christ, for “the Lord knows those who are his” (2 Tim. 2:19). He will never forget those He has “purchased from among men” (Rev. 14:4). He counts the sheep for whom He “laid down His life” (1 John 3:16), and He has total remembrance of the church for which He gave Himself.

We are also His by conquest. What a battle He faced in us before we would be won by Him! Oh, how long He laid siege to our hearts! How often He sent us terms of surrender only to see us bar the gates and reinforce our walls against Him! Don’t we remember the glorious hour when He ultimately won our hearts by storm, when He placed His cross against the wall and scaled our ramparts, and when He finally raised the bloodred flag of His omnipotent mercy from our stronghold? We are indeed the conquered captives of His omnipotent love.

Thus, in summary, we are chosen, purchased, and subdued by Him, and His rights as our divine possessor are absolute. We rejoice we never can be our own, and we desire to do His will and exhibit His glory day by day.

From the pen of Jim Reimann:

The word portion conveys the idea of inheritance, and in that sense, “the LORD’s portion is his people.” As we will see in tomorrow’s reading as well, thankfully the converse is also true, for the Psalms say: “God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Ps. 73:26); “You are my portion, O LORD; I have promised to obey your words” (Ps. 119:57); and “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living” (Ps. 142:5). Thus, we are His—but He is ours as well!

The Old Testament declares that “the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi…to minister…That is why the Levites have no share or inheritance among their brothers; the LORD is their inheritance” (Deut. 10:8 – 9). Yet the priestly tribe of Levi is not the only priesthood, for long ago God said His people “will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex. 19:6). And Peter, showing the fulfillment of this prophecy, said the Lord’s church is “being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood” (1 Peter 2:5).

O Lord, “your chosen ones…join your inheritance in giving praise” (Ps. 106:5). “We pray…joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified [us] to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light” (Col. 1:10 – 12).