Our Portion

We're going to be in Psalm 119 again this morning, verses 57 through 64. We started in this last time around, and a couple of things that we saw as introduction to this. that we read this, we're gonna read this one more time, but before we do, that we saw this as verses that set forth and make the thoughts and desires of what God's people have in heart and at heart, that the desires of God's people in relationship to his word and to those things that we have record of that he has given to us, Uh, and that, uh, we caught, we titled this or, uh, named this particular lesson, the signs of life.

And when God opens a person's eyes and then gives him the new birth, there's some signs of life. And we mentioned the fruit of the spirit, that those things are part and parcel with our redemption, with the new birth, with that new life that is given from above, that being born from above. And that those desires are there, As we looked at the portion that Paul says, according to our abilities, we're pretty weak in the flesh. We're very weak in the flesh, but in the spirit we worship God and we desire things as the scriptures show forth.

And we saw also that that there's only one that can say these things or could ever say these things and that this reflects on who he is and that would be the Lord himself. And one of the commentators that I used a couple of thoughts from said that if we see that the key to this passage is the Lord himself. We have the key at the door. We know what the rest of that passage is going to be about, and about the one that could fulfill these things. And that's the desire of God's people. And this morning, I'd like to read those eight verses one more time, starting with verse 57. And it says, thou art my portion, O Lord.

I have said that I would keep thy words. I entreated thy favor with my whole heart. Be merciful unto me according to thy word. I thought on my ways and turned my feet into thy testimonies. I made haste and delayed not to keep thy commandments. The bands of the wicked have robbed me, but I have not forgotten thy law. At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments. I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of all them that keep thy precepts. The earth, O Lord, is full of thy mercy. Teach me thy statutes.

And we were talking about this a bit this morning beforehand, and that thou art my portion, O Lord, and I have said that I would keep thy words. And it goes on in the second, verse of that, verse 58, it says, I have entreated thy favor with my whole heart, be merciful unto me according to thy word. And we were saying, and we've said this before, we set our heart and our mind to do this, as it says here, I have said I would keep thy words. We know how long a time span that that generally can be very short. And how we keep his word in the flesh is not much bragging going on about that part of it. But we're gonna look at this morning at some thoughts on the first verse of that, thou art my portion, oh Lord. And I'm gonna call this today as we look at this, our portion. The word portion, it has several meanings.

We generally consider if you get a portion of something, when I was getting broccoli or something when I was a youngster, the portion I was hoping for was a small portion. Brussels sprouts. Small portion, please. Others you wanted a bigger helping of, you know.

But that's kind of how we view those things. But the portion here that's speaking about has to do with and has to deal with heritage or inheritance or that part of a heritage that falls to his people. And we're going to look at that. But in that portion, as it's used in this part here, And the portion, the Lord is our portion. It's not chopped up, there's not pieces of it, that's the whole. And the portion that is to God's people is all. And in our redemption, in our salvation, it required all. And we, as we see in the scripture, we'll see, we have all. He is all to his people. He is supplied all to his people. He is every bit of it.

And we're gonna look at a few passages that speak to this thought this morning. Let's see, where do I wanna start? In John chapter six. John chapter six. Before this, it fed the 5,000. There was quite a feat, quite a miracle there. It fed the 5,000. And in this chapter, he speaks about himself being the bread of life.

But I'd like to go down about verse 60, And I'd like to start with verse 60 of chapter six of John. It says, many therefore of his disciples, when they heard this said, it's a hard saying, who can hear it? He's speaking of him being the bread of life and whoever eats of that bread shall live forever. Verse 61, when Jesus knew it in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, does this offend you? What and if you shall see the son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth. The flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not.

For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that would not and who should betray him. And he said, therefore said I unto you that no man can come unto me except it be given unto him of my father. From that time, many of his disciples went back and walked with him no more. Then said Jesus unto the 12, will you also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go?

Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus answered them, have not I chosen you 12 and one of you is a devil? He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he that should betray him, being one of the 12. And here, where it says, We also go away. Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.

And we believe and are sure that Christ, the son of the living God, and they knew who the Messiah was. They had the record of who the Messiah was and what the purpose was. They knew what the scripture said about that. And as he says here, We believe and are sure that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And he's above that where he said, to whom shall we go?

Thou hast the words of eternal life. That's the realization that we have. that when God works with his people, he puts in his people, opens the eyes, opens the ears to not only what the word says, but to himself and puts that in his people that he is their portion.

He is who they look to. There's nothing else. It's not the Lord Jesus Christ and any other thing. In him, we're going to see, we have all in him. He is all to us. And not only physically sum that, he does take care of that, but spiritually he is everything to his people. He is the sum total of our inheritance is him. And then, let's see.

In Romans chapter 8, go to the book of Romans for just a reading here a little bit, chapter 8. Chapter 8 starts off, there is therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. What can you say to a verse like that? There's no condemnation, because we have record of what the condemnation stands, where we stand in by nature, by our nature, and there is no condemnation, it says, in him. But let's go down to verse 17. Verse 16, it says, the spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.

And if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the suffering of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope. because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption to wit, the redemption of the body.

And here, speaking of here, Verse 16, and we saw in 1 John, it speaks along the same line about God calling his children, sons of God. Verse 16, again in Romans 8, the spirit beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified together. And heirs of, it said children, And if we're children, we're heirs, and heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ.

He is our portion. He is all to us. We have, as it says, a heritage, heirs or a heritage to that, that treasure that who he is, but he is our portion. He is all to his people in that. And we are joined with him. We are with him as heirs. We are joint heirs, it says, with Christ. And then, let's see, Hebrews chapter nine, several verses that speak about us joined together and being who he is to us as being that portion to his people. In Romans chapter nine, and this speaks here to the true sacrifice, the true lamb of God, sacrifice for his people.

Hebrews 9, starting with verse 13, it says, for if the blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctified to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

And for this cause, he is the mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the First Testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead, otherwise It is of no strength at all while the tessitore liveth, whether upon neither the First Testament was dictated without blood. But here, where it says here, verse 14 and 15, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God. For this cause he is a mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, the redemption of the transgressions that were under the First Testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." And that goes back again to him being the portion, him being our portion, as it says there in Psalm 119 of that.

And also, as it says here, that it said, purge our conscience, it says, from dead works to serve the living God. from dead works. There are things that we are to do and to be about as believers because of that life, but from dead works. And the dead works are those that would seek to provide a righteousness or a covering. There's none that we can do or participate in that can accomplish that.

There are those in religion of various sort that feel by doing this, even reading down through Psalm 119 and looking at that as a means to accomplish something that's gonna put them on the plus side. It's gonna add to the good works part of it. There's nothing in that Psalm 119 that goes down through that are bad things, but if they're sought after to gain something, gain a position, that's a dead work, that's not gonna, That's not going to accomplish anything. That's not going to accomplish what's desired. That's not going to do any righteousness provided that way, in that means. Works that are not dead works are those that are brought about because of life that was that's been granted to God's people.

We desire to, as Paul said, and we read that passage, and we read that passage many times over the years, of what his desires were to be. His desires to do this, to be in God's word, to never fail what the commandments, the testimonies, or statutes say. But as we mentioned earlier, we can't go very far down that road in the flesh and get there. We're just not going to be able to do that. If we seek to do that in that vein, in that thought, that's That's work seeking to be righteous, and that's not the way it's gonna go.

If there's life, we saw before that, and we mentioned that those are a sign of life. If there's life given from above, the desire's gonna be these things. Paul says, I can't figure out how to do it, but I, with the mind, serve God, and I, in the spirit, desire these things, and that's the key to any of the portions of Psalm where we read down and it says, I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do that, and there's eight verses here that we just looked at that if you look at, there's a lot of I in there. And that is, from our standpoint, we desire those things, but we know the only one that could say that and be true of is the Lord Himself that could do that. We desire to do those things, but in Him, we have done those things. He has done those, and we stand in that. In Psalm 73, I'm gonna look at a couple of psalms, a couple of different verses in the book of Psalms, that Psalm 73, And this here, there's some eyes in this down through here too.

But here in Psalm 73, starting with verse 26, it says, my flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For lo, they that are far from thee shall perish. Thou hast destroyed all then that go a-whoring from thee, but it is good for me to draw near to God. I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works." And up here where it says here, my flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Again, as Paul says, who can save us from this body of death, of this death? And he said, the Lord himself. And as it says here, he is our strength. He is our life. And it says here, my portion forever. And he is the one that we look to, and he is the one that indeed is our inheritance in our heritage.

In Psalm 16, Psalm 16. Start with Psalm 16, verse 5, and read down a couple of verses. It says, the Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup, thou maintainest my lot. The lions are fallen unto me in pleasant places. Yea, I have a goodly heritage. I will bless the Lord who hath given me counsel. My reigns also instruct me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me, because he is at my right hand.

I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth. My flesh shall also rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption. Thou wilt show me the path of life. In thy presence is fullness of joy. At thy right hand are pleasures forevermore.

And here, speaking of what David is saying and what he a spirit and mind and thought of here of what he's that, but this is also speaking of the Lord himself down through here in parts of this. But as it says up here, the lines are fallen to me, verse six, in pleasant places, yea, I have a goodly heritage. And that's Him, the Lord Himself, who is our portion, who is our heritage, and what we have.

And then, one more time in the book of Psalms, Psalm 142. Psalm 142. It says, Psalm 142, starting verse five, I cried unto thee, O Lord, I said, thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living. Attend unto my cry, for I am brought very low. Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name. The righteous shall come past me about, for thou shalt deal bountifully with me." Bountifully with me. with no other refuge, the Lord himself is a refuge. And we see that in many places, but here where it says here in verse five uses that same word. I cried to thee, O Lord, thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.

And again, that portion or inheritance or part of heritage that we have in the eternal covenant. And then turn to the book of John for a couple of places again. Our portion, John chapter 6, and I'd like to read several excerpts from this chapter, and you'll see where we're going or how we proceed through here. Starting with John 6, verse 35. Here again, it speaks about the bread of life. He's speaking about the Lord speaking about himself, the bread of life. Starting with verse 35, it says, And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger. He that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you that ye also have seen me and believe not.

All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me will I in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which has sent me, that all of which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have eternal life. I will raise him up at the last day." And the Jews then murmured at him because he said, I'm the bread of life which come down from heaven. But here speaking about, in these five verses, six verses, about those that the Father has given to the Son in the covenant will, no wise cast out, and they will all come to Him. But here it says, verse 40, this is the will of Him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son and believeth on Him may have everlasting life, and will raise Him up at that last day. And this part here where it says, everyone which seeth the sun.

Now there were how many thousands saw him physically, thousands upon thousands saw him. And sometimes in a cast of thousands, one person saw him that the Lord revealed himself to. Here when not seeing in the flesh, but seeing that God opens the eyes to who he is and that makes him our portion, Everything has to revolve around Him and is made up in Him and consists by Him and is supported by Him.

That's to do with our not only physical life and being, but our spiritual. And it says, them that seeth the Son and believe on Him may have eternal life. I will raise Him up at the last day. And that seeing the Son, have to see Him as that portion, as that, not just something like an inheritance we gain when we maybe divide up a bank account amongst siblings or something, but he is the sum in total of what we not only need, but what we have that he has provided and he is to us. He indeed is our portion as it speaks in here.

And then starting with with 42, verse 42, same chapter, it says, and they said, is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then, saith he, I came down from heaven? Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, murmur not among yourselves, no man can come to me except the father which hath sent me draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the Prophets, They shall all be taught of God, every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me. not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat man in the wilderness and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever. And the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

And here, once again, it says, in verse 45, after the father draws him, And it says, in verse 45, it's written in the prophets, and they shall all be taught of God. Every man, therefore, that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me. Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. Again, as everyone that hath seen the Son, here it says, every man, therefore, that hath heard and hath learned. not just sat under the preaching and heard the words of it, but the Lord has opened the ears to hear that and to reveal that to them. And by the preaching of the word, this comes The Spirit opens the eyes to see and ears to hear in the spiritual sense, in the true sense. They're the ones that have a value placed on that portion, that He is indeed their portion, is only those that have heard by the Spirit of God that's brought that about.

Go down a little farther in the same chapter to verse 57. Verse 57 says, as the living father has sent me and I live by the father, so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is the bread which came down from heaven, not as your fathers did eat manna and are dead. He that eateth of this bread shall live forever. And verse 59, these things said he in the synagogue as he taught at Capernaum. And as it says up here, As I live by the Father, so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

And again, that understanding who he is, the bread of life. is the spirit opening the eyes, and as he said, he's that true, as we saw the living water a couple of times lately in messages, as he is that living water, he is so is he that living bread that truly brings life about.

And then, one more stop while we're here. It says, Starting with verse 60. It says, when they heard this thing, they said, it's a hard saying, who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, does this offend you? What and if you shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before?

It is the spirit that quickeneth. It is the flesh profited nothing. The words I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life, but there are some of you that believe not. That as it says here, it's a spirit that quickeneth. It's not the It's not the best teaching in the world physically that does it. It's the gospel set forth and by the spirit that causes, that says quickeneth. And that Paul said the same thing about the flesh, the value of the flesh is in itself is nothing. It's only as God has used that and does that.

In John 16, turn to John 16. We've got time for just a couple more thoughts. But in John 16, starting with verse 13, Verse 12 of John 16 says, I've yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit, when he, the spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth. For he hath not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come.

Let me see where I'm going with this, how far. Okay. Verse 14, he shall glorify me, the spirit, for he shall receive of mine and show it unto you. All things that the father hath are mine. Therefore said I that he shall take of mine and show it unto you.

A little while, and you shall not see me. And again, a little while, and you shall see me, because I go to the father. Then said some of his disciples amongst themselves, what is this that he saith, a little while, and yet see me? And again, a little while, and you shall see me. and because I go to the Father. They said, whereof it is he that saith a little while cannot tell what he saith. Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and he said, do you inquire yourselves of that? I said, a little while, and you should see me. And again, a little while, and you should see me.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice, ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned to joy. And he said, and ye now therefore have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

And in that day, verse 23, in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name. Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. And speaking in his name as we stand in him, that's as it says that he is our portion. Anything you ask in his name, that he hears that according, and as I said, praying according to the Spirit.

And that thought again there of the, with the, remember the good Samaritan, when he had the man in the inn and he said, I'll pay for it. If there's anything else ever, I will pay for it. And in his name, the good Samaritan's name stood for what would ever have to be paid for.

And the same with our Lord in his name. He's our portion. He's our claim to the Father. We stand in him and have that as our heritage and our heirs in him. We're going to stop for today. We're going to stop one more, I've got a minute, in Hebrews chapter one. Turn with me to Hebrews chapter one. Hebrews chapter one and just three verses, first three verses of Hebrews chapter one. introduced to this wonderful book.

It says, God, who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds. who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high."

And this is the one, as it says, he is spoken by him, and when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high. And then we know the book of Hebrews goes through a lot of how that was pictured in the Old Testament and what it is in reality to us. And here, he had purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high. We cannot have him in a better place than he is. and it speaks of him purging our sins, and only those who have had the new birth can comprehend any of what that's speaking to, and what that means, and what he is as our portion. We've got a few more verses to look at next time along this thought, and we'll move on a bit there in Psalm 119, but our portion. And with that, we will Thank you very much.

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