Eze 46:17-18 | KingComments | STEP | After the LORD has spoken of the offerings to be brought by the prince, He speaks of the prince’s possession. He gives clear instructions on how the prince is to handle his possessions ( ). If he gives one of his sons any of his possessions as a gift, from that moment on it is his son’s possession. His son is then the hereditary possessor of it. If we see in the prince a picture of the Lord Jesus, we see in the sons a picture of New Testament believers. They are “the children whom God has given” Him ( ). This does not mean that believers are ‘children of the Lord Jesus’. They are not called that anywhere in Scripture. They are children of God and as such given by God to His Son (cf. ). Together with the Son they may possess the inheritance. He gives each of them his own inheritance, to which the Father has qualified them ( ). The prince is also free to give something from his inheritance as a gift to one of his servants ( ). That gift remains his inheritance. The servant may enjoy it “until the year of liberty”, reminiscent of the year of jubilee (cf. ). Then he must return the property to the prince. Everything that belongs to the prince as inheritance remains in his family. The inheritance is all meant for his sons. We, believers of the church, are not only sons of God but also servants of the Lord Jesus. As servants, the Lord Jesus has also given us earthly possessions. With these we may work for Him ( ). We may enjoy them as we use them for Him ( ). But what He gives us to use for Him remains His. When the year of jubilee, the realm of peace, comes, we will return to Him what He has entrusted to us and He will reward what we have earned with His goods ( ; ). However, the emphasis is on what we have received as sons. We have received all spiritual blessings as sons ( ). These are our property and remain our property forever. The LORD also destines that the prince must not expand his property by thrusting peoples out of their possessions ( ; cf. ). Past princes often shamelessly looted property from their subjects, as Ahab looted Naboth’s inheritance ( ). This will not be allowed to happen in the new Israel. Here we see that despite the perfect reign of the Lord Jesus, the heart of man has not changed. The desire for more remains. The LORD warns the prince to respect the rights of others and not to abuse his position of power. Incidentally, this verse shows once again that the prince is not the Messiah, the Lord Jesus. It is impossible that God should say anything like that to Him. The prince has his own inheritance and from that possession he may give his sons inheritance whatever he wishes. If he adheres to this and does not infringe on the property of others, the people whom the LORD calls “My people” will remain in the enjoyment of their own property. Just as the prince may not reduce his own property by giving part of it to servants, so he may not forcibly remove someone from his property to give it to his sons, for example. He may only give his sons an inheritance of his own property. When he displaces the people from their own property to take possession of it, he drives them away from it and scatters them. Such a course of action is completely contrary to what God has realized in the realm of peace: each will live in safety, every man under his vine and his fig tree ( ).

‏ Ezekiel 46:17-18

Inheritance of the Prince

After the LORD has spoken of the offerings to be brought by the prince, He speaks of the prince’s possession. He gives clear instructions on how the prince is to handle his possessions (Eze 46:16). If he gives one of his sons any of his possessions as a gift, from that moment on it is his son’s possession. His son is then the hereditary possessor of it.

If we see in the prince a picture of the Lord Jesus, we see in the sons a picture of New Testament believers. They are “the children whom God has given” Him (Heb 2:13). This does not mean that believers are ‘children of the Lord Jesus’. They are not called that anywhere in Scripture. They are children of God and as such given by God to His Son (cf. Jn 17:6). Together with the Son they may possess the inheritance. He gives each of them his own inheritance, to which the Father has qualified them (Col 1:12).

The prince is also free to give something from his inheritance as a gift to one of his servants (Eze 46:17). That gift remains his inheritance. The servant may enjoy it “until the year of liberty”, reminiscent of the year of jubilee (cf. Lev 27:24 ; Lev 25:10-13). Then he must return the property to the prince. Everything that belongs to the prince as inheritance remains in his family. The inheritance is all meant for his sons.

We, believers of the church, are not only sons of God but also servants of the Lord Jesus. As servants, the Lord Jesus has also given us earthly possessions. With these we may work for Him (Lk 16:8-12). We may enjoy them as we use them for Him (1Tim 6:17-19). But what He gives us to use for Him remains His. When the year of jubilee, the realm of peace, comes, we will return to Him what He has entrusted to us and He will reward what we have earned with His goods (Mt 25:20-23; 2Cor 5:10). However, the emphasis is on what we have received as sons. We have received all spiritual blessings as sons (Eph 1:3-5). These are our property and remain our property forever.

The LORD also destines that the prince must not expand his property by thrusting peoples out of their possessions (Eze 46:18; cf. Eze 45:8). Past princes often shamelessly looted property from their subjects, as Ahab looted Naboth’s inheritance (1Kgs 21:1-3 ; 11-16). This will not be allowed to happen in the new Israel. Here we see that despite the perfect reign of the Lord Jesus, the heart of man has not changed. The desire for more remains. The LORD warns the prince to respect the rights of others and not to abuse his position of power. Incidentally, this verse shows once again that the prince is not the Messiah, the Lord Jesus. It is impossible that God should say anything like that to Him.

The prince has his own inheritance and from that possession he may give his sons inheritance whatever he wishes. If he adheres to this and does not infringe on the property of others, the people whom the LORD calls “My people” will remain in the enjoyment of their own property.

Just as the prince may not reduce his own property by giving part of it to servants, so he may not forcibly remove someone from his property to give it to his sons, for example. He may only give his sons an inheritance of his own property. When he displaces the people from their own property to take possession of it, he drives them away from it and scatters them. Such a course of action is completely contrary to what God has realized in the realm of peace: each will live in safety, every man under his vine and his fig tree (1Kgs 4:25).