This is one of the most important, but too often, one of the most neglected truths in the Bible - "He's got it all." Perhaps this truth is especially downplayed in a capitalistic economy where property ownership is so highly prized. To own your own house is at the very center of the American Dream. It would be almost unpatriotic to admit that we really own nothing at all.

The idea of God's ownership is conveyed in another Psalm: "Every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills." (Psalms 50:10)

The expression "cattle on a thousand hills" really means that He owns the cattle on all the hills. If you notice, the verse is written in the form of a couplet, both parts carrying the same meaning - the "every beast" in the first part is equal to "cattle upon a thousand hills" in the second half of the couplet. Certainly, when the people of Israel first heard these words, they would have thought, "But there aren't a thousand hills in all Israel - it must mean that he owns all of the cattle."

Listen to the entire paragraph:

"I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it." (Psalms 50:9-12)

Fifty years ago songwriter John W. Peterson gave us this little chorus which became quite popular at that time:

He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, the wealth in every mine;
He owns the rivers and the rocks and rills, the sun and stars that shine.
Wonderful riches, more than tongue can tell - He is my Father so they're mine as well;
He owns the cattle on a thousand hills - I know that He will care for me.

We all believe that God loves us, and as a loving Father, He provides for His children. But that truth must be founded on this prior truth, "He's got it all, and because of His great love for us, He will provide for us according to our needs and according to His superior wisdom."

That's why the Psalmist can also say, "Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands. Wealth and riches are in his house." (Psalms 112:1,3) Perhaps this is what Jesus had in mind when He blessed the "poor in spirit." Poverty of spirit has nothing to do with the fact that you do not have two nickels to rub together. It is the attitude of poverty that is commended, the attitude that says, "I have nothing." Or to put it another way, "Nothing I have is mine - it all belongs to God."

Obviously, this is one important reason why we teach the tithing principle, the Biblical idea that we bring the first tenth of our income to present it to the Lord. The person who faithfully brings the tithe into the "store house" is saying, "It all belongs to Him." No wonder the prophet Malachi asks, "Why are you robbing God?" To hold back the tithe is nothing less than claiming ownership of our assets - we think that what we have no longer belongs to God. When we think that way, we're robbing God.

Listen to the stern warning Moses gave to the people of His day:

"You may say to yourself, 'My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.' But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today. If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed." (Deuteronomy 8:17-19)

There's another passage in the Book of Deuteronomy that we want to look at in which a blessing is given to Joseph and his descendants.

"About Joseph [Moses] said: 'May the LORD bless his land with the precious dew from heaven above and with the deep waters that lie below; with the best the sun brings forth and the finest the moon can yield; with the choicest gifts of the ancient mountains and the fruitfulness of the everlasting hills; with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness and the favor of him who dwelt in the burning bush. Let all these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers.'" (Deuteronomy 33:13-16)

What a tremendous promise is given, based on the fact that the God who owns everything blesses His chosen ones with that same fullness. And notice the balance - yes the rich resources of the Lord's earth are provided, but they come along side the "favor of him who dwelt in the burning bush." It's not just about material blessings, but the greatest spiritual blessing of all, knowing God's favor.

Now let's remember that Joseph was a type of Christ:

Like Joseph, Jesus was vilified by his brothers.
Like Joseph, Jesus resisted temptation.
Joseph was assigned to the pit to die, but was rescued - Jesus was assigned to the grave, but came alive on the third day.
Joseph went ahead of his brothers to prepare the way so they would not perish in the coming famine - Jesus has gone ahead of us to prepare a place for us.
Eventually, Joseph was given authority to rule over the entire land of Egypt - Jesus has been given all authority to rule as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Joseph forgave his brothers - Jesus said, "Forgive them for they know not what they do."
In the end, his brothers did bow down to Joseph - in the end, we will all bow down to Jesus.
Joseph provided for the salvation of all of his father's children, and eventual entrance into the Promised Land - so did Jesus; He has provided for all of the children of the Heavenly Father to someday enter into the eternal Promised Land of heaven.

Seeing all these parallels between Joseph and Jesus, it is within reason to expect that the blessing given to the descendants of Joseph could also be applied to the followers of Jesus. To them was promised, "the best gifts of the earth and its fullness and the favor of him who dwelt in the burning bush" - we believe this same promise can be applied to us today. Even as the blessing that was promised to Joseph was passed on to his heirs, so it is that the fullness of the blessing given to Jesus will likewise be passed on to those whom Paul called "heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17).

As believers then, we have access to all the resources that belong to God, but not as owners. Though we may at times be considered "friends of God," we never shed our identity a "servants of God." What kind of servants? Stewards, or managers of what belongs to Him.

The question comes - what then is mine? The answer is, absolutely nothing. I am only the manager; He is the Landlord - He's got it all.

There's another man whose story is told in the Bible; this man was also a prominent, world-class ruler, but one who did not understand the truth we are speaking of today, that God is the owner of all. His name was Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon - let me recount the sad story.

In a dream, and the interpretation given by Daniel, the King was warned that unless he changed his sinful and oppressive ways, his kingdom would be removed from him. Evidently Nebuchadnezzar did not take the warning seriously, and one year later it happened. Daniel relates it his way:

. . . as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, he said, "Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?"

The words were still on his lips when a voice came from heaven, "This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes."

Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.

At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation.

All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: "What have you done?"

At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble." (Daniel 4:29-37)

What a great ironic tragedy. This man refused to acknowledge that God was the owner of everything. Long before Nebuchadnezzar's time the Psalmist had written that God owned all the cattle on all the hills - unfortunately, this formerly great, powerful, and proud ruler became like one of those cows grazing on the hillside until he came to understand where he had gone wrong.

Is that what it will take for us?

1. What is the negative human trait which often prompts one person to say of another "He's got it all"?

2. When talking about the earth, what does the word "fullness" mean?

3. Understanding that everything belongs to God, what impact does that have on religious dietary rules?

4. Often when the Bible language uses the word "thousand" it is not an exact count but simply attempts to convey a huge, innumerable volume. Other than the phrase "cattle upon a thousand hills," can you think of another examples of this kind of use of the word?

5. In Psalms 50, why does God say "I were hungry I would not tell you"?

6. What is the condition to the promise in Psalms 112:3, "Wealth and riches are in his house."

7. Can wealthy people be "poor in spirit," or poor people not be "poor in spirit"?

8. What is lacking when a person takes personal credit for what he or she has accomplished?

9. What are some of the reasons we say that Joseph was a type of Christ?

10. Besides receiving the blessing of "the best gifts of the earth and its fullness," what else was promised to Joseph and his descendants?

11. If we are truly servants of God, what does that say about what we own?

12. Can you retell the story of Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar? What was the reason for his plunge from power and eventual restoration?

13. If the choice is between accepting God as the owner of the cows, or yourself being like one, what would your choice be?