Boundary Lines In Pleasant Places In Middlesex
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The Bible book of Proverbs says, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life” (Proverbs ). A guard is a boundary, a definitive line or limit that we put up to keep out sin, distraction, and unnecessary brokenness.
In this verse, David reflects on the goodness of his inheritance, expressing profound joy in what God has provided him. The imagery of "measuring lines" is significant, suggesting that David perceives his lot in life as blessed and favorable.
In Psalm , he exults in what this means for him. Because God holds his lot, “The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.” The “lines” here are probably borderlines — the borders or boundaries God has appointed for him. They may be figurative, or literal, or maybe both.
“The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places” would then be: “Your sovereign goodness has fenced me in to God himself. The borders of my life are boundaries around where God is.” And when he adds, “I have a beautiful inheritance,” the ultimate meaning would be: God. God is my inheritance, and he is beautiful.
He also set boundaries for us. He told us what we had rule over (Genesis ) and what to eat and what not to eat (Genesis -17). Later in scripture, God governs His people and shows us how boundaries are meant to protect us and invite us into healthy relationships with Him and with one another.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Here, Paul is reminding us there is a distinction, a boundary, between what good is, and what bad is. Good, and God, is like the light, and bad, or night, is like the darkness of our sin. God is very clear with us in scripture that boundaries are appropriate as they differentiate what is Godly, and what is evil.
Bits of biblical property law appear throughout the Old Testament, as in Deuteronomy : "You shall not remove your neighbor's landmark, which the men of old have set, in your inheritance which you will inherit in the land. . . ." Simply put, each individual or family owned specific plots of land whose boundaries ...
Having been rescued from death at the hands of his enemies, David plans to testify to God's goodness and praise Him in the assembly of Israel. This verse is quoted in Hebrews and applied to Jesus.
