“The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.” (Lamentations 3:24)
Traditionally, Jeremiah is believed to be the author of Lamentations, but that has been disputed lately. Regardless, let’s look at this Scripture. It was not fame nor acknowledgement that he counted as his inheritance, but the LORD, the eternal, self-existent Jehovah. The author of Lamentations was not the only one who had given himself to the Lord and considered the Lord his inheritance.
The Levi priests were the first to have the Lord as their portion. They were not to inherit any land in the Promise Land. In Numbers the Lord tells Aaron, “...Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.” (Numbers 18:20, Deuteronomy 10:9; 18:2) The tithes and portions of the sacrifices were theirs. (Numbers 18:21) And because the Lord was their portion, they were the only ones who could come near the tabernacle. (Number 18:22,23) David also wrote in Psalms and considered the Lord his portion. “The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: Thou maintainest my lot.” (Psalms 16:5) He also writes in other Psalms about the Lord being his portion. (Psalms 73:26; 142:5; 119:57)
What does it mean to say the Lord is my portion or my inheritance? Originally, as mentioned before, it had to do with the inheritance of the land that the Lord gave every tribe, except for the tribe of Levi because the Lord was their portion. In order to say that the Lord is my portion, one must refuse everything in the world, fame, riches and position as an inheritance. It means that one seeks nothing but the Lord. It’s to say that we need nothing else.
Jeremiah makes a comparison of the nations that follow idols and Israel. They are vain and foolish, set for destruction. But Israel’s portion is the Lord. “The portion of Jacob is not like them: for He is the former of all things; and Israel is the rod of His inheritance: The LORD of hosts is His name.” (Jeremiah 10:16) In the New Testament, Christ is God’s heir. “God, Who at sundry times and in divers 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;” (Hebrews 1:1-2)
Now, those who have received Jesus as Lord and Savior have been made the children of God. “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name:” (John 1:12) And we have become joint-heirs with Jesus. “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.” (Romans 8:17) We can say that the Lord is our portion because He is all sufficient for us and because He has given us invaluable gifts. “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;” (2Corinthians 3:5) We didn’t earn God’s inheritance. It’s His gift and is sufficient for living and for dying (physical). It’s sufficient in all times and everywhere.
The Lord has given us a guarantee of His promises and His inheritance. It’s the Holy Spirit. “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14)
We can say, The Lord is my portion. He is my inheritance, my all sufficiency. It would mean nothing to have fame, riches, the praise and acknowledgement of men if for eternity we perish.
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