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no idea of merit or effort enters. There are, however, possessions which must be taken
and possessed. These are indicated by the Hebrew morash and the verb yarash.
"And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go
down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it . . . . . hast thou
killed, and also taken possession?" (I Kings 21: 16, 19).
Gesenius gives as the primary meaning of yarash:
"To take, to take possession of, to occupy, especially by force", and adds: "This, and
not to inherit is shewn to be the primary signification, by the derivatives reshbeth a net,
so called from taking or catching: and tirosh must, new wine, from its affecting (taking
possession of) the head."
This element of seizure, or the putting forth of vigorous effort, can be seen in the
meaning attaching to certain modes of the verb:
"Drive out" (Deut. 4: 38); "dispossess" (Deut. 7: 17); "destroy (margin repossess)"
(Exod. 15: 9); "cast out" (Exod. 34: 24);
all with the sequel, the possession of such possessions for oneself. We believe the
testimony of all Scripture indicates that over the entrance to no inheritance will the
believer find the words written "WITH VACANT POSSESSION", every inheritance will
be found occupied by a usurper, like unto the Canaanites.
Moses enunciates a principle that is closely allied with the idea already expressed,
when he said:
"If . . . . . then will the Lord drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall
possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves. Every place whereon the soles of
your feet shall tread shall be yours" (Deut. 11: 22-24).
Here we observe that there are two sides to this question of inheriting. In the first
place the action is the Lord's. He it is Who drives out the nations and grants to Israel the
land from which these nations have been dispossessed; but in the second place, Israel
had to arise and cross the Jordan and definitely put in an active claim before this
possession became a realization. The promise was made four hundred years before to
Abraham, but that of itself would not have given Israel possession. Even today as we pen
these words, Israel are still without actual possession, even though the title deeds to the
land are as good as ever. There are conditions attached which must be fulfilled. Even
though Abraham did not actually `possess' the land, but was a pilgrim and a stranger in
the land of promise, nevertheless, he too was bid:
"Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and
southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I
give it, and to thy seed for ever . . . . . Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and
in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee" (Gen. 13: 14-17).
It was not sufficient even for Abraham merely to lift up his eyes and look, he must lift
up the sole of his foot and walk in order that his title may be established.