will find it in past issues of The Berean Expositor 1955 -6, or in the book

Perfection or Perdition.

For the structure of Hebrews 12, see the article entitled Jerusalem8.

Heirs and Fellow-Heirs.  It is written, categorically, `If children, then

heirs; heirs of God' (Rom. 8:17), as though an inheritance attaches to

Redemption as a matter of course, but the statement that follows, `and joint

heirs with Christ', may be conditional; it may be associated, not with initial

redemption, but with `if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also

glorified together'.  Let us first of all acquaint ourselves with the words

used.  Heir is the translation of the Hebrew yarash, `to possess and succeed',

and the Greek kleronomos, `one who receives a lot or portion'.  When Israel

entered into the Promised Land, it was divided among the tribes by lot, and it

is this element that is retained in the Greek word.  Kleros is a small object,

such as a pebble, a turf, a ring, cast into an urn or a bag, and although

having all the appearances of settling

a matter by chance, was nevertheless under the superintendence of the Lord:

`The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the

Lord' (Prov. 16:33).

This custom causes the Psalmist to use the grateful language of Psalm 16:5,6:

`The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: Thou

maintainest my lot.  The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places;

yea, I have a goodly heritage'.

This passage becomes richer in meaning, when we know the circumstances

that made such language possible.  The imagery is borrowed from the communal

life of a Palestine village.  The arable land surrounding the village was cut

up into sizeable portions, but would naturally vary in quality.  One portion

would be like the land of the parable that was thorny, another would have no

deepness of earth, another would yield a good crop.  Every year this land was

drawn by lot.  A little child usually was the instrument, dipping his hand into

a bag and drawing out the allotted portion for each individual.  The word

`maintain' even in English retains the word `hand' (main), and in the Hebrew

the word tamak means to lay hold on by the hand (Isa. 41:10; Gen. 48:17; Exod.

17:12). The `line' refers to the measuring line, which indicated the boundary

of each allotment.  What David said in Psalm 16 may be paraphrased thus:

`Thy hand goes down into the bag, and selects the lot that shall fall to

my share, and when I see what has been allotted to me, I exclaim, The

lines are fallen unto me in a pleasant place, yea, I have a goodly

We still retain the words `allotment', `allotted portion' and `lot', even

though the decision by the casting of lots is out of date.  In the New

Testament the `lot' (kleros) is used

(1).  Of the lots cast on the Saviour's vesture (Matt. 27:35; Mark 15:24;

Luke 23:34; John 19:24).

(2).  Of the appointment of Matthias (Acts 1:17,25,26).

(3).  Of the denunciation of Simon the sorcerer `neither part nor lot'

(Acts 8:21).

(4).  Of the heritage of the redeemed (Acts 26:18; Col. 1:12).