It seems strange to some believers that there are still those who, while affirming that

they believe the Scriptures, nevertheless deny the possibility of a literal restoration of

Israel. Some take this attitude because they have already accepted as a principle of

interpretation, that the promises made to Israel in the O.T. must be spiritualized and apply

now only to the Church. Others reject the idea on moral grounds, "How could God", say

they, "invest such a disobedient and rebellious people with such a title as Kings and

Priests?" in apparent ignorance that this very objection is met in such a passage as

Rom. 11: 28 where it is plainly stated that the very people who are at present `enemies'

concerning the Gospel `for our sakes', are nevertheless "beloved for the father's sakes"

adding as the one grand reason `For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance'.

It is good to know that the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions. The text of our

meditation is found in the prophet Obadiah, and it is utterly beyond the range of

legitimate exposition to read Edom, Esau, Teman and Jacob in such a prophecy and then

to read into it references to a church unknown and unborn. However, we are not turning

to this utterance of Obadiah in order to deal with Israel and their failure, but to use these

prophetic words as a text covering a series of studies relative to ourselves.

The believer in Christ already possesses all things if he has Christ (I Cor. 3: 23), yet

how poor is our experimental acquaintance with this treasure. The church of the Mystery

is blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places, yet who among us can claim to

any present approximation of such an inheritance? It is plainly revealed in the epistle to

the Corinthians and in that to the Hebrews, that the history of Israel, especially from the

Exodus to the crossing of Jordan, sets forth in type the general principles which will be

found in the church. While we must avoid reading into this history teaching that is

foreign to it, members of the One Body will gather much help and guidance as they

ponder Israel's pathway through those `forty years'.

The hindrances that prevented Israel from taking immediate possession of their

inheritance are many and by no means simple. We shall have to examine the record of

Israel's attempts to enter their inheritance, but before doing so, it will be as well for us to

examine the word translated `possess'.

The English word `possess' is derived from the Latin possidre, which in turn is

composed of pot, the word giving us `potent', and sedere `to sit', the original sense being

`to remain master'. By other avenues this word is allied to the Greek `despot' which in

its turn goes back to the Sanscrit and means `the master of the house'.

Possessions can be of two kinds according to the Hebrew Scriptures. There are those

that are such by inheritance, Hebrew nachal (Numb. 34: 13) inherited by lot, in which