Hey Fellas,
I've been reading The Word since I've been able to read. I must admit that I've had no divine inspirations on it, just some Spirit led understanding.
This is a very simple, childlike analogy, but that seems to be the kind that Jesus liked to use, so here goes.
IMHO the disagreements in this thread all seem to point back to one word - possession. It can be use as a noun or verb. Used as a noun, as in "...give the land to your seed as an everlasting possession" it has a different connotation than if God had said "...give everlasting possession of the land to your seed". The day that my only son was born, my business partner bought him an old Winchester pump .22 rifle to be his first possession. Despite what the ATF says, it is his possession. Since he just tuned 8 years old, it is not in his possession yet. It is in his possession when we go shooting, but as soon as we get through, it is once again in my possession. In a few years, it will be in his possession - conditionally. If he acts irresponsibly and damages a neighbor's property, it will once again be in my possession. When I feel he has become more responsible it will return to his possession. If he screws up with it again, it will again be in my possession, or if he really needs to be taught a stronger lesson, I may put it in his sister's possession. That will turn him back to my way of seeing things even better. This method of getting his attention/punishing him could conceivably go on until he is 18 or until he is bigger, stronger, and smarter than I am. Here the analogy must end since these time/event constraints rule out "everlasting"
FWIW, my son is more knowledgeable about, and responsible with firearms than many grown men who own them (this not according to a proud daddy, but to several local gun dealers whose inventory he inspects on a regular basis), but I thought that the father/child relationship fit in quite nicely. After all, does anyone know of a Father who deals with His children in a more just fashion than God, our Heavenly Father?
There, I got that out of my system, and have donned my Nomex coveralls, but before any of my Christian brothers flame away, you might be surprised at how closely the rest of our theological beliefs are. (G-man in particular).[o:)]