We need to discover everything that belongs to us in Christ, so that we can overcome the devil's false accusations against us regarding what he does not understand (Matthew 16:23). Therefore, we must be ready to fight in prayer, going to the sanctuary of the Most High, where He exercises His power to judge and declare us innocent (Hebrews 4:16). We must never lie before people and, above all, before God. Being the Truth, He cannot bear it when we speak the devil's language (John 8:44).

God declared Himself the owner of Gilead and Manasseh. He will not forget that He is our Lord and Owner. Therefore, if anyone wants to take possession of us or what belongs to us, He will not hesitate to go into battle to defend us from all evil. Having Jesus as our Owner is of great value, for the devil will try to exercise authority over us, but Christ will not allow it.

We are God's private property, as the Holy Spirit declares through Peter: But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2.9) What else do we need? Just take our position in Christ!

Shortly after bringing the Hebrews out of Egypt, Moses gave them the divine message, informing them that they could be God's special possession: Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. (Exodus 19.5) The whole world is God's property (Psalm 24:1), and the Church is the special property of Jesus, who redeemed it (Matthew 16:18). It is worthwhile to belong to Him!

God declares that Ephraim is the strength of His head. When Israel refused to obey God, it lost the original blessing of being the strength of the Lord's head. In the future, however, the Israelites will repent and convert to Christ, then they will mourn for the suffering they went through for not receiving Jesus as the Messiah, and they will be restored (Romans 11). Watch and trust!

The Lord also said that Judah was His lawgiver. You see, Ephraim and Judah (the kingdoms of the North and South) symbolize Israel, unified under the rule of the Messiah. It is worth remembering that Ephraim was the son of Joseph and an Egyptian woman, which may also point to the Church of Christ, made up of Gentiles. It, like Israel, belongs to the Lord.

The statements in Psalm 108 came from David, written a thousand years before Jesus was born. What does God say about us? We are the chosen generation, the royal priesthood, and the people acquired by the blood of Jesus, to be His special people. Beautiful is the glory of the Church of Christ, but greater will be our glory in eternity!

John, the apostle of love, wrote the following message to the Church: Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (1 Jo 3.2). Remain faithful and obedient to God, for you have been set apart for Him!

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares