Skip to main content

Stones (part 2)

 Still thinking about stones. I remembered Proverbs 22:28 and the fifth saying of the wise sage, 【Saying 5】Do not move an ancient boundary stone set up by your ancestors.

Why this verse came to mind I can only imagine that God brought it there. But why? The concept of not moving those stones is found in five other Old Testament texts, they are:  Deuteronomy 19:14; 27:17; Job 24:2; Proverbs 23:10 and Hosea 5:10.


Let’s compare all five.

Deuteronomy 19:14 (You) Do not move your neighbor's boundary stone set up by your predecessors in the inheritance you receive in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess.

Deuteronomy 27:17 "Cursed is anyone who moves their neighbor's boundary stone." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!" 

Job 24:2 There are those who move boundary stones; they pasture flocks they have stolen.

Proverbs 22:28 Saying 5】(You) Do not move an ancient boundary stone set up by your ancestors.

Proverbs 23:10 【Saying 11】

(You) Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless,

Hosea 5:10 Judah's leaders are like those who move boundary stones. I will pour out my wrath on them like a flood of water.


It was a problem in Job's day, before the Law. It was accompanied with a curse as the Children of Israel entered the Promised land. They stood on opposite mountains, or hills, and pronounced blessings and curses and after each they echoed, AMEN! One of those curses came on the person or family who moved boundary stones. In Proverbs it is brought to our attention twice. The bottom line in this rocky picture is that it is stealing to move the stones that were set to distinguish property boundaries. Stealing, whether blatantly robbing a bank at noon or kicking over a landmark stone is all the same in God's eyes. So, don't do it.


Wait, you don't have boundary stones? Hum. Stealing of any type is stealing. Whether you punch the time clock early or you leave your card for someone else to punch out, you are stealing. How about your use of time? Or fudging on your giving to God's work? Do you tithe? Is it on the gross or the net? Sounds like I'm triffeling but it is this type of thing that the "Boundary Stone" kicking, refers to. God sees our actions and he keeps track of our stealing. Beware.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

If this is the kingdom of God, do I really want it?

If this is Kingdom Living, Do I Want it? Matthew 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. In a study of the Sermon on the Mount to this point we might be tempted to say, “I don’t want to be that happy!” If this is Kingdom living then I want to go to Disney World. This place is depressing.  What Jesus describes here seems to highlight all of the ...

What? How?

 27 “But to you who are listening, I say:  Love your enemies,  do good to those who hate you, 28  bless those who curse you,  pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek,  turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat,  do not withhold your shirt from them.  30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.  31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.  32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.  33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.  34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.  35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.  Then your reward will be gr...

Don't take him back there!

Abraham has his son Isaac, who was the promised one. He was to be Abraham's heir and the one through whom the blessing would come. Having been a miracle child himself, he had a slight problem. He was now in his early forties and still single. If he didn't find a wife the Abrahamic covenant would never be fulfilled and Jesus would not be born.  It was a crucial moment when Abraham called his servant to swear that he would find a woman for his boy. The oath was binding only if and when the discovered bride came back to Abraham's tent. If she didn't, the deal was off.  We know that she did come back and ended up having twins, Esau and Jacob. However, there is a couple of verses that drew my attention to an important principle for us to think about. Look at 24:6 and 8,  Genesis 24:6 "Make sure that you do not take my son back there," Abraham said. 8 If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath of mine. Only do not take ...