which your fathers have set. (Proverbs 22:28)
There could be a lot "going on" with this simple command. For one thing the ownership and location of tribal lands in ancient Israel was very, very important. In a sense the location of landmarks, setting off lands for grazing and watering herds and flocks, set the terms for a tribe's wealth. A rich land would support more animal husbandry than a poor land. After the tribal lands had been distributed, their boundaries set by landmarks, conflict was the inevitable outcome whenever landmarks were moved or disputed.
Not all landmarks had to do with territorial boundaries in ancient Israel, however. Some landmarks had more to do with the history of the people, especially the history of their interactions with God. The story of the 12 stones near the Jordan River comes to mind (See Joshua 4). When the Israeli children asked their elders, "What do these stones mean to you?" the elders had a specific story of God's deliverance to tell. If that landmark had been moved, then the children would never be prompted to ask the question, and it would become less likely that the elders' story would be told.
Reader, about which "immovable landmarks" have your elders spoken to you? How did you feel as they shared their stories? What was your "take away," the moral to their tales?
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