Boundaries or Borders

Paul said in Acts 17:26: "And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation." God determined the bounds of the habitation of the nations, so He intended boundaries for nations. Scripture makes borders and boundaries of people.

The Hebrew, gebul, border or boundary, is found 241 times in the Hebrew Old Testament. The first use, Genesis 10:19, reads: "And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha." Remove not the ancient landmark means protecting boundaries of property, so someone can't steal some of it by moving the boundary markers.

Today you see and hear "doctors without borders,” “teachers without borders" and more. Some today like this idea of "without borders." They also often like the thought: every man doing that which is right in his own eyes. Without borders, there is no controlling legal authority and an excuse for doing almost anything. Boundaries or borders are biblical. God wants them. He separated people at the tower of Babel, because they needed it.

Even though the church should bring people together into the church, the Lord Jesus breaking down the middle wall of partition, the church only is where the wall is broken down. People from all nations will be in His kingdom. Yet, Jesus, the door, brings sheep into a sheepfold, which implies walls of protection for His sheep.