Landmarks!

Landmarks! What are they and what function do they serve? Landmarks are noted as being PROMINENT IDENTIFIERS of a location. Such could be a large building, a mountain, a boundary marker of some sort, or some other structure or geographic feature either marking a location or guiding toward it. Whatever they are would be something ESTABLISHED by which locations or boundaries can be recognized. What about a moving landmark? Would such work? Would a moving landmark be helpful in finding a location or would it not rather cause one to loose their sense of direction?

As God prepared regulations to be observed before Israel went into the promised land, He commanded…

“YOU SHALL NOT MOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR’S LANDMARK, WHICH THE MEN OF OLD HAVE SET, in the inheritance that you will hold in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.” ( Deuteronomy 19:14 ESV)

Some translations refer to the “landmark” as a “boundary stone.” Those landmarks were to mark the boundary of the inheritance each family would hand down to subsequent generations; boundaries that were to be consider permanently ESTABLISHED. Anyone who did move one was cursed. ( Deuteronomy 27:17) Solomon also addressed this prohibition. ( Proverbs 22:28; 23:10) Then during the time of Hosea we read a charge against the leaders of Judah as being “like those who move the landmark.” ( Hosea 5:10 ESV)

If it was that important with regard to property, how much more with regard to God’s boundaries ESTABLISHED by His commands for living. We have no right to move them to either become more restrictive (a Pharisaic approach of adding rules and regulations and other doctrines of man as Jesus noted in Matthew 15:7-9) or provide more room for what self desires (perhaps the idea of continuing to sin that grace may abound as Paul mentioned in Romans 6:1-2).

One day this past week, an individual who has apparently observed my regular walking around our community said, “You are a landmark; a moving landmark in this town.” This comment was made as I was passing a landmark in our community; our historic county courthouse (completed in 1892). To be easily IDENTIFIED may be a good thing, but a “moving landmark” is not necessarily a good description for a life. An ESTABLISHED one, yes! A moving one, no! A constantly shifting life does not provide any more direction for others than a landmark that is constantly moving. Perhaps the description of such individuals would be those Paul noted as being “tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine.” ( Ephesians 4:14 ESV)

How can we be the best landmark by which people can be aided in finding their way? In Paul’s letter to the church at Colossae, he exhorted the Christians there to “continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel.” ( Colossians 1:23 ESV) Then a little further in this letter he urged…

“(6) Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, (7) ROOTED and BUILT UP IN HIM and ESTABLISHED IN THE FAITH, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” ( Colossians 2:6-7 ESV)

Let us each seek for our life to be so ESTABLISHED that it serves as an immoveable landmark for those seeking the Way of God. May the wisdom of His Will be seen in the consistency of where we stand in life.

Have a great day STANDING TALL ON LIFE’S LANDSCAPE FOR CHRIST!
Carl

See other teEn-MAIL on Boundaries