30 January | Youth
«Do not remove the ancient landmark.» Proverbs 22:28
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to visit tourist attractions that demarcate important lines on our planet: the Equator, which crosses thirteen countries and divides the northern and southern hemispheres, and the Greenwich Meridian, which separates the world into two hemispheres – western and eastern.
When I was in Quito, Ecuador, some tour guides tried to convince me that an egg stands still on the line that separates the hemispheres. I confess that I tried to do this, but I could not!
Furthermore, they stated that, in each hemisphere, water flows to a different side. Many scientists, however, consider these things to be just myths.
In addition to these imaginary lines that mark the sides of the world, there are other important landmarks. They are related to principles, rules and truths that cannot be changed. The Ten Commandments, for example, are landmarks established by God that define right and wrong.
In today's text, Solomon advises us not to touch the “ancient landmark.” Since ancient times, limits were considered inviolable. Lands were marked by small piles of stones or larger columns. There was a certain curse for those who moved them surreptitiously, with the purpose of increasing their property and leaving their neighbor with less. Moses wrote: “Cursed is the one who moves his neighbor’s landmark” (Deut 27:17).
What old landmarks are still in place? Allow me to mention just one, quoted by Jesus: “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?” (Matt 19:4-5). The expression “the two shall become one flesh” refers to the sexual act between a man and a woman, within the context of marriage.
Let me be frank with you. Marriage is a blessing, as long as it is done within the “old landmarks.” It is a union worthy of honor (Heb 13:4), monogamous, heterosexual and for a lifetime, as Jesus mentioned. What goes beyond this does not come from Heaven. Staying within this and other lines established by God is always the best thing to do.