What does it mean that God owns the cattle on a thousand hills?

Was God in need of their bulls and goats? (v.9). In fact, all the beasts of the forest are His, and the cattle (the domesticated animals) on a thousand hills (a great understatement indeed! (v, 10). Birds of the mountains too, and wild beasts of the field (in contrast to the forest) belonged to God (v. 11). Did He need the few animals they might sacrifice?

(vv. 7-13) The verses that follow declare God's testimony to Israel, reproving them for trusting in the outward form of religion. God does not reprove them in relation to their sacrifices, as if they had not brought them. God does not want sacrifice from man, He requires righteousness. God has wearied with religious men continually bringing sacrifices, as if He were claiming cattle from men, or as if He were hungry and needed meat. Every beast of the forest is His, and the cattle on a thousand hills. All the fullness of the earth is at His disposal.

Can we add, indeed, to His infinite riches? Does He whose are the cattle upon a thousand hills demand our sacrifices because He is hungry? the voice that said "Give Me to drink" to the woman of Samaria, was it that of the poor stranger merely that it seemed? Ah, what should make our praises matter of concern to Him with whom all the nations are counted as grasshoppers, and who taketh up the isles as a very little thing?

"Who am I?" What a question! David was nothing, and God was all and in all. If ever he had entertained the thought that he could offer anything to God, he entertained it no longer. It was all the Lord's, and He, in His grace, had allowed them to offer it all. Man can never make God his debtor, though he is ever seeking to do so. The fiftieth psalm, the first of Isaiah, and the seventeenth of Acts, all prove that the unceasing effort of man whether Jew or Gentile, is to give something to God; but it is a vain effort. The reply to man, thus endeavouring to make God his debtor, is, "If I were hungry, I would not tell thee." God must be the giver, man the receiver. "Who," says the apostle, "has first given to Him?"

"Bethphage" means "house of unripe figs," surely significant if we consider the typical meaning of the fig tree, and the cursing of the fig tree, which is recorded in the chapter. From this place He sends forth His two disciples to bring the colt and the ass to Him. This act of the Lord flashes forth once more His Glory and that the King-Messiah is Jehovah. He knew that yonder was an ass tied with a colt as He knew the fish and the piece of silver in the sea, and as He commanded the fish with the stater to go to Peter's hook so here He demands the use of the ass and colt; He has a right to them for He is the Creator and He can say as He has said: "For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are mine" (Ps. 50:10, 11). In Mark's Gospel we read, "And they found the colt bound to the door without at the crossway and they loose him. And some of those standing there said to them, What are you doing loosing the colt? And they said to them as Jesus had commanded them. And they let them do it" (Mark 11:4-7). No doubt the majestic "The Lord has need of them" made such a deep impression upon the hearts of these men who either owned the colt or had charge of it, that they were ready at once to let them go. It was His Word which demanded obedience and which was obeyed.

And yet, have we not in all this a mirror in which to see ourselves reflected? Assuredly we have. How often, in moments of pressure and trial, do our hearts conceive, if our lips do not utter the question, "Carest Thou not?" It may be we are laid on a bed of sickness and pain, and we know that one word from the God of all power and might could chase away the malady and raise us up; and yet the word is withheld. Or perhaps we are in need of temporal supplies, and we know that the silver and gold, and the cattle upon a thousand hills, belong to God — yea, that the treasures of the universe are under His hand — and yet day after day rolls on, and our need is not supplied. In a word, we are passing through deep waters, in some way or another; the storm rages, wave after wave rolls over our tiny vessel, we are brought to our extremity, we are at our wits' end, and our hearts often feel ready to send up the terrible question, "Carest Thou not?" The thought of this is deeply humbling. To think of our grieving the loving heart of Jesus by our unbelief and suspicion should fill us with the deepest contrition.

The love of God was dwelling in them, and it is to dwell in us, as verse 17 shows. If it does it must necessarily find an outlet towards others who are children of God. God has no needs for us to meet. The cattle upon a thousand hills are His, if He needed them. It is the children of God who are afflicted and who have need in this world. The practical way of showing love to God is to care for His children, as we see them have need. If we have this world's substance, and yet we refuse compassion to our brother in need in order to eat our morsel alone, it is very certain that the love of God is not abiding in us.

What then did God really expect from them? Simply thankful and dependent hearts (vv. 14-15). The sacrifice of honest thanksgiving and the honesty of paying their vows were things that God rightly expected. Today, under grace, we are told not even to make vows (Matt. 5:33-34), but when Israel made vows, they were guilty if they did not keep them. Now God makes it clear to them that He does not in any way depend on them, but instructs them to depend on Him, saying, "Call upon Me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me" (v. 15). Thus, God totally takes away from Israel all title to have confidence in what they could do for God, and shows them to be altogether dependent on His pure goodness. In fact, He would Himself send them trouble, so that they would call upon Him, and when He delivered them, they would glorify God — not do something for Him! How important it is that we give God His place of absolute righteousness, absolute truth, absolute authority, absolute goodness! It is really only selfishness that thinks otherwise, for if we desire the least credit for accomplishing anything, even though we may think it is for the glory of God, we are in effect robbing God of that which is totally His own.

The vast riches of the world, yea, the infinite riches of the universe belong to God, even as He said, “For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills” (Ps. 50:10), and “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:8). If anything is required for the service of God there is no need to go to anyone to meet the need, God will supply what is required, and we only need to ask Him for what is needed. He may use a rich man to meet the need, but He can touch the heart of one that is poor, as He did with the poor widow that was commended by the Lord on earth (Mark 12:41–44).

Boaz was not only strong, but he was also a mighty man of valour. He was possibly one of the richest men of that time, but whether that be so or not we know of a surety that our Redeemer is certainly "a mighty man of wealth." Not only can He claim the cattle upon a thousand hills, but "all things were created by Him and for Him" (Col. 1:16). The sun, the moon, the stars, yea, the whole vast universe all belong to that One, Who, blessed be His Name, has made Himself my Saviour; and, what is more, has made me a joint-heir with Himself of all His vast inheritance. But more even than this He is mighty in wealth not only in possessions, but also as to His own blessed Person.