1st Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
12 Therefore let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
Even though some, or many Christians might not be aware of this, real estate forms a cornerstone of the plan of salvation, for redemption not only has to do with transforming hearts and minds, it also includes territories and real estate where those hearts, and minds reside.
Thus, much of the bickering and infighting that you read about in the Bible, much of satan’s agenda has been about real estate, and as we near the last days of earth’s history, real estate is to play a major role in the doing and undoing of many nations.
In fact, when Christ says that He will make us kings, and priests to God know for certain that you cannot be a king without real estate. When God gave us the Sabbath commandment, He made certain to include His real estate as part of the reason why He has the authority to give us such laws.
The seal of the president of the United States has in it the territories, and real estate that the president has jurisdiction over, and thus real estate is included in the fourth commandment, not by a mere chance, but by deliberate intention.
In fact, the other nine commandments do not make any mention of real estate, only the fourth one does and with it comes the logical reasons why God could exert His authority over those territories which are His very own. Let’s read:
Exodus 20: 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and He rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
That being said, it seems as if all the evils committed in ages past would be coming to a head in these last days of earth’s history, for sin is scheduled to reach its zenith on all fronts as the sinful nature of persons becomes more and more depraved.
The root of all evil is covetousness, and because it has become endemic in societies, the Bible predicts that it would be manifested in different ways which will culminate in the mark of the beast, where man, driven by satan would covet the worship, the praise, the time, and the real estate which belongs to God alone.
But covetousness, as it relates to acquiring of real estate has existed from time immemorial, for after sin entered our world, peoples and nations in many instances have sought to obtain real estate by fraud, by dissembling or by the use of brute force, and if in our day you see the same tendency occurring again, it is because there is nothing new under the sun.
Let no one be fooled concerning this fact, that most of the wars that are fought, and those which have been fought in times past, have mostly been about real estate. The war between Russia, and Ukraine is about real estate, the tensions and many squabbles between China and Taiwan are about real estate.
The wars in Somalia and Rwanda are also about real estate, the wars between the Palestinians and Jews are all about real estate, and the tensions that flare up, ever so often, between North, and South Korea are about real estate.
The current efforts underway to colonize the moon and other planets, is about real estate. Again, when you see Hedge funds buying up large swaths of land and homes, so that would-be homebuyers get the short end of the stick, by being priced out and being forced to rent, the bottom line is about real estate.
Again, the very first verse in the Bible where it says that God created the earth, is about real estate. The back and forth between Abraham’s herdsmen, and Lot’s shepherds was about real estate, and if that issue had not then been diffused by the kindness of Abraham, the story would have had a very different ending.
Lot’s wife became a pillar of salt, because of her real estate. Back in the days when the Philistines and the Amalekites invaded Israel, they would capture those territories that belonged to them and in some cases, they would make them tributary to those kings who had subjugated them. It was most often about real estate.
The promised land was about real estate. When the 12 spies were sent to spy out the land of Canaan, they brought back samples of the natural resources and products of the land to confirm their need to go and conquer it because God had promised them the real estate of Canaan.
Again, when satan tempted Christ in the wilderness he offered Him real estate in exchange for worship, and therefore, it is a no brainer that real estate has, and will play a major role in the final conflict of the ages, especially as we near the close of probation as men and nations become more covetous, and more desperate to own real estate.
It is worthy of note that the words “Get thee behind Me satan” were uttered by Christ just after the issue of real estate in exchange for worship was raised by the devil, for Jesus had to put him in his place, since it touched on God’s sole ownership of this world, as well as all real estate anywhere and everywhere. Let’s read:
Matthew 4: 8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showed him all of the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9 And saith unto him, all these things will I give You, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
10 Then saith Jesus unto him, get thee hence Satan: for it is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
In fact, the theory of evolution includes the issue of real estate, because it seeks to overthrow The God of heaven as the rightful owner of this world, as well as all other worlds. So, from time to time you would read in the Bible where Christ has to remind nations and individuals, by saying all the earth is Mine.
Then, after all the dust has settled, after sin and evil has been forever purged from the universe, God will divide up the real estate of earth between persons who gave their lives to Christ, and thus, the meek shall inherit the earth. That’s because real estate is a core component of the plan of salvation. Let’s read:
John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father's house there are many mansions: if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Isaiah 65: 21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.
22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
And it does not stop there, because there are many ongoing family feuds, where relationships are torn asunder because of real estate. Brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, in-laws and outlaws are very often estranged because of it, and even churches at times get caught up in the mix, when issues of real estate arise.
Thus, we are duty bound to consider the Scriptural instructions on acquiring real estate, so that the you and me in the here and now might follow principles that are heaven born, and not merely earthly ways and means of obtaining real estate.
It all started in heaven when lucifer had coveted the place of The Most-High. When he realized that God would not give up His royal rights he decided to take it by force, and that is how there was war in heaven. Thus, every war that has ever been fought on earth has had the sin of covetousness at its roots.
It is worthy of note that satan not only coveted the praise and worship that belonged to God alone, he also coveted the real estate that belongs to God, as the scriptures plainly show. Thus, he planned to try to first dethrone the God of heaven, and then God’s real estate would become his, or so he thought.
If he were to succeed in dethroning God, he would obviously become the de facto leader, and then all of God’s real estate would come under his dominion for whenever the leader of a nation is captured, and dethroned, the territories that were formerly under their jurisdiction usually become the prize of their captor.
This is the reason why in Job chapter 1, we see the devil coming in as the representative of this world, as the meeting with the other heads of other worlds was set to convene. It was because he had captured Adam, the father of the human race, together with his God-given territory, why he could now appear as the de facto leader. Let’s read:
Job 1: 6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.
7 And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, from going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
Isaiah 14: 12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north.
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most-High.
The phrase: “The sides of the North” is not only a reference to the preeminence lucifer sought, it also includes the real estate that comes with the office and titles of God. This can be observed in the next passage where the phrase is again employed. Let’s read:
Psalms 48:2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.
Then after he couldn’t capture the real estate up in heaven, he decided to give it a shot on earth, and by his temptation to our first parents, by which he then succeeded in wresting our earth from the dominion God gave us, he became the de facto leader of this planet.
Satan coveted our planet and ever since that fateful day there have been numerous wars stemming from covetousness, and there have been rumors of wars, by which powerful nations have sought to conquer other nations that possess valuable real estate, and to plunder their territories in the process.
The slave trade, by which many had to endure the grueling journey of the middle passage, and other wars of conquest, could be traced right back to the sin of covetousness. Polygamy, by which men have multiple wives, and mistresses also has its roots in covetousness.
Scammers, fraudsters, and impersonators that are featured on American Greed, also suffer with the same problem, and quite often, the poor covet the rich for their resources while the rich often covet the poor for their labor, and the deadly cycle goes on and on.
In fact, if the sin of covetousness was to be rooted out of human nature, sin would cease to exist. Thus, the servant of the Lord gives counsels and warnings for us to shun it like the plague, for whether it might be real estate or anything that belongs to another, it is always best to be content with what is yours. Let’s read:
Exodus 20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's.
[Patriarchs+ Prophets 309] The 10th commandment strikes at the very root of all sins, prohibiting the selfish desire, from which springs the sinful act.
He, who in obedience to God’s law, refrains from indulging even a sinful desire for that which belongs to another will not be guilty of an act of wrong toward his fellow creatures.
Therefore, as we embark upon today’s topic, we are to study the sacred history that has been written for our instruction, so that we will not repeat the errors of the past. As we study the subject matter, we will deduce the pertinent instructions on acquiring real estate, the right way. Let’s read:
1st Kings 21:1 And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab, the king of Samaria.
2 And Ahab spoke unto Naboth, saying, give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seems good to you I will give you the worth of it in money.
There goes the first Biblical instruction on acquiring real estate:
[1] If it is not posted for sale, do not try to pressure the owner to sell it. In other words, if there is no for sale sign on the property, or if it is not listed on Red Fin or Zillow, or other real estate sites, it most likely is not for sale, and as such, the owner must not be bribed, intimidated, or bullied into selling it.
1st Kings 21:3 And Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee.
4 And Ahab came home, heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth, the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.
It seems as if Ahab was like a spoiled child, who will fret and misbehave when he can’t get cookies from the jar. He refuses to eat, because covetousness had soured his mood, and as he lay upon his bed tossing and turning all night, he kept drooling over the real estate that Naboth explicitly said was not for sale. This leads us to the second scriptural instruction on acquiring real estate.
[2] Do not indulge in covetousness of another man’s property but be content with that which is your own because coveting that which belongs to another, can trigger terrible mood swings, and a loss of appetite. Let’s read:
[Prophets + kings pp 204] Naturally of a covetous disposition, Ahab, strengthened and sustained in wrongdoing by Jezebel, had followed the dictates of his evil heart until he was fully controlled by the spirit of selfishness.
He could brook no refusal of his wishes; the things he desired, he felt should by right be his. Naboth valued his vineyard highly because it had belonged to his fathers and he refused to part with it. Naboth’s refusal made the selfish monarch ill.
1st Kings 21:5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, why is your spirit so sad that you eat no bread?
6 And he said unto her, because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite, and I said unto him, give me your vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard.
7 And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry, for I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth.
Here is where things get very dicey, because Ahab’s wife is suggesting that he use the power invested in his office as king, to take away Naboth’s real estate by force. This is a very serious proposal, for if those diabolical plans were to go through, it would set a very dangerous precedent in motion, for acquiring real estate in the future.
In other words, a person’s deed to their property would not be respected, and Ahab would have free reign to totally disregard the rights of others in his quest for real estate.
Therefore, if Jezebel threatens the use of force in acquiring Naboth’s real estate, other estate holders would obviously become nervous, and very ticked off, because it will be just a matter of time, before their real estate would be on the menu.
Actions like this on the part of the king would only produce anger, hatred, and animosity because no one will feel secure in their property. This leads us to the third biblical counsel on acquiring real estate:
[3] If the owners say it is not for sale, do not try to take it by force, especially if they might be afraid of you. In other words, do not use intimidation, fear or bullying to acquire real estate, because it is strictly forbidden in the Bible. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 2:4 And command thou the people, saying, Ye are to pass through the coast of your brethren the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you: take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore.
5 Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, not so much as a foot breadth; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession.
9 And the Lord said unto me, Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle: for I will not give thee of their land for a possession; because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession.
19 And when thou come nigh over against the children of Ammon, distress them not, nor meddle with them: for I will not give thee of the land of the children of Ammon any possession; because I have given it unto the children of Lot for a possession.
In the Bible, God forbids His people to use fear and intimidation tactics to deprive peoples or nations of their real estate except in those instances when God as the rightful owner of all real estate directed them to go and take possession.
It's important for us to see the end of this movie, as Jezebel goes to work using her clandestine ways and means to procure by force, the real estate that does not belong to her. She is willing to kill for real estate, and as she does so, the acolytes and altar boys who are unprincipled yes men, won’t say a single word in remonstrance.
A Yes Man is one of the most dangerous people on our planet, for they will stop at nothing, they would sacrifice scruples, principles, and conscience on the altar of curry favor with persons in authority, or with those whom they seek favors from.
If they are willing to kill for real estate, if they do not remonstrate against her proposals, then they would be just as guilty as her for carrying out her diabolical plan. In fact, God views the perpetrators, and aiders and abettors as being equally guilty where crimes of covetousness, including real estate, are fostered and committed. Let’s read:
1st Kings 21:8 So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth.
9 And she wrote in the letters, saying, proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.
10 And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, you did blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.
11 And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them.
14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead.
15 And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead.
16 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth to take possession of it.
17 And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,
18 Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it.
19 And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus, saith the Lord, have you killed, and have you also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus, saith the Lord, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.
21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisses against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel.
In other words, on account of Jezebel hatching and carrying out her covetous plan to take real estate by force, there is going to be a lot of collateral damage, affecting Ahab’s children, and his grand-children and possibly his offspring to the 3rd and 4th generation.
These will be persons who had nothing to do with the original plan that Jezebel hatched, but because they are related to herself and Ahab, they also will pay a high price for her crimes, because Naboth’s offspring will also have to deal with the collateral damage that occurred because of his sudden, and violent death.
Question: So, what are the Scriptural instructions on acquiring real estate?
[1] If the property is for sale, you can make an offer that is in line with fair market value, but to make an offer to someone on something that is not for sale could be a sign of covetousness, and the Christian should avoid walking in Ahab’s shoes for any reason.
In the following example we will see another king making an offer to another property owner, for real estate that was not listed on Zillow or Red Fin. But this king is of a completely different spirit than Ahab for he is not asking to buy it for any personal reason and furthermore, God is The One who sends him on his mission. Let’s read:
1st Chronicles 21:18 Then the angel of The Lord commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the Lord in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshing floor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.
Here we see Mr. Ornan acknowledging David in his capacity as king, and in doing so he might want to treat David differently than he would an ordinary buyer, because God had already prepared his heart to meet the request.
But from David’s perspective, he is forbidden to use his office of king as a means whereby he would bully or intimidate Ornan into giving up his real estate.
God is not pleased with such tactics and if they have been practiced by His people in times past through ignorance, the time has come for a radical change in heart and mind, for there is a worldly way of doing things, and then there is the royal way. Let’s read:
1st Chronicles 21:22 Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshing floor, that I may build an altar therein unto the Lord: thou shalt grant it me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the people.
23 And Ornan said unto David, take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes: lo, I give thee the oxen also for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat offering; I give it all.
24 And king David said to Ornan, No; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is yours for the Lord nor offer burnt offering without cost.
[2] If it is a fire sale, or distressed sale, negotiations can be entered into. However, low balling a person, or family that is in distress is contrary to scriptural principles, since it violates the golden rule. In such cases it might be best to leave the property alone, and walk away with a clear conscience. Let’s read:
Nehemiah 5: 3 Some also there were that said, we have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the famine.
4 There were also that said, we have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards.
5 Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are also brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards.
During the financial crisis of 2008 and beyond, there were several subprime, and predatory lenders who used fear, and intimidation tactics to get real estate from vulnerable and distressed home owners. Cash strapped home owners many of whom had lost jobs were bullied into surrendering their homes even as the crisis deepened and widened.
Many became so scared and afraid of collectors that in sheer desperation, some of them took their lives, and there are documented instances where families and individuals were forced into negotiations, which benefitted the lenders, leaving the home owners in property purgatory, with the short end of the stick.
[3] Acquiring real estate by inheritance. Laws that pertain to acquiring real estate by inheritance were written in the Bible for good reasons, because after parents, or owners of real estate pass on, situations could quickly devolve into mud-slinging, and bitter court battles as the heirs duke it out for their share of lands and houses.
God is more practical and down to earth than most people realize, and therefore, He caused instruction to be written in the Bible, so that there could be a smooth transition as the baton is passed down from one generation to the next.
Now, in some instances, parents might swear by the Christianity of their children, and yes, they may look really cute and reverent in church, for now. But, too often, relationships are strained and shattered when it comes time to divide houses and lands to children and family members.
We do not know if Naboth had made a will, because he died suddenly, and therefore, because we do not know what tomorrow may bring, it will be wise and prudent to put pen to paper, in deciding who gets what, or who gets not. But to leave things hanging in the air, hoping the Christian children will do right is not the best plan of action.
Thus, because issues pertaining to real estate could potentially spin out of control God goes to work and sets a basic framework to be followed, even though current provisions and laws in different nations and counties and states may differ somewhat. Basically, what God is saying in the following passages is that you should not leave these matters up to chance. Let’s read:
Numbers 27: 8 And you will speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a man dies, and has no son, then ye will cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter.
9 And if he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance unto his brethren.
10 And if he has no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father's brethren.
11 And if his father has no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it: and it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute of judgment, as the Lord commanded Moses.
In the State of Florida, if you pass away without a will, then the court will look to Florida inheritance law for guidance in distributing your assets in the following order:
1. Spouse,
2. Children, or Grandchildren
3. Parents
4. Siblings
5. Children of Deceased Siblings
In other words, if you die in Florida without a will, and you’re married, your spouse will get all of your estate assets, even if you have children. However, if you have children from a previous relationship, your spouse will only inherit half of your estate, and your children will inherit the other half.
As a last resort, if the Florida courts cannot find any distant or close relatives, your estate will then pass to the State of Florida, which of course the state will have no problem in taking, which then means that the government will get everything. It’s unfortunate, but possible. You could read the entire document here:
The 2025 Florida Statutes
Title XLII
ESTATES AND TRUSTS
Chapter 732
In closing, we must remember that this world is not our home, for we are just pilgrims passing through for a brief moment, heading to a better and eternal world, and as such, if it ever comes to a fight over real estate, it is not worth the hassle, to lose sleep, family relations, and your salvation for that which is perishable.
However, God desires that we exercise wisdom and prudence, mercy and justice in our interactions with our fellowmen and as such God wants us to follow Biblical instructions on acquiring real estate where it is applicable. The ways, and means of the kingdom of darkness are to be strictly avoided at all costs. Let’s read:
Micah 6: 8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
God Bless!