Proverbs 22:28 Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.
In ancient Israel, landmarks were stones or boundary markers placed to define the limits of a family’s land inheritance. These boundaries were treated as sacred because the land had been allotted according to God’s law and passed down through generations. To move a boundary stone in secret was to steal property dishonestly from a neighbour while pretending innocence.
Because of this, the Law strongly condemned the removal of landmarks. Deuteronomy 19:14 warned, “Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour’s landmark,” and Deuteronomy 27:17 pronounced a curse upon anyone who did so. Moving a boundary marker was not merely a property dispute – it was an act of greed, deception, injustice, and disrespect toward both one’s neighbour and God.
The “ancient landmark” represented more than just physical territory. It symbolised order, inheritance, justice, and respect for established truth. God desired His people to deal honestly and fairly with one another, never taking advantage of another person’s weakness, ignorance, or absence for personal gain. To enlarge one’s own field by secretly shifting a boundary was a hidden form of theft motivated by covetousness.
To be continued…
Living the Word 