“Do not remove the ancient landmark, nor enter the fields of the fatherless; for their Redeemer is mighty; He will plead their cause against you” (Proverbs 23:10-11).
When God has set a moral, spiritual, or religious boundary, let no man transgress it, move it, or remove it. This is the timeless truth to be gleaned from the ancient landmarks used in Israel to plot off each family’s divinely given inheritance (see 8-3’s blog). Profound respect for God and His authority is an all-sufficient reason for the appropriate treatment of these property lines. But sadly, the wicked have not fear of God before their eyes; they flatter themselves in their own eyes (Ps. 37:1-2).
This proverb adds a second, equally sufficient reason for not transgressing, moving, or removing Jehovah’s landmarks: God’s omniscience and judgment. Though no human eyes may see your transgression when you move an ancient property line or transgress into your neighbor’s field to defraud him, God does. Unlike the irreverent transgressor whose heart is calloused toward the weak and vulnerable, their Redeemer/Avenger (ga-al) is compassionate and just; therefore, it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble their neighbor.
A lack of respect for Jehovah and His unchanging moral, spiritual, and religious authority over humanity is the source of all ungodliness and unrighteousness in the human race.
