Articles
“The Land Cycle”
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Matthew 5:5
Biblical geography is more than the scenic background of God’s story. Land plays an important role in his eternal purpose. It begins with humans living with God in a divinely gifted land (Gen. 1-2) and ends with redeemed humans living with God in a renewed land (Rev. 21-22). Everything in between is the development of God’s people in—and out—of God’s land. The earth was created by, and thus belongs to, God. Therefore, it is his to give or take away. As a divine gift, there are human responsibilities attached to it; God is our ultimate “land-Lord.” A theme of land can be traced through Scripture with three repeated cycles which lead us to Jesus.
First, humans inherit and forfeit the whole world. In the beginning, humans were created in God’s image and charged with exercising dominion over the entire earth, yet still under God (Gen. 1:26-28). Therefore, humans are the rightful heirs of creation (Psa. 8; 37:11; cf. Mt. 5:5). The first humans walked in fellowship with God on the earth until they rebelled against his authority and were exiled from the paradise of Eden (Gen. 3:22-24), sent away from God’s presence into a warped creation (Gen. 3:17-19). The first cycle shows that dwelling in God’s land is conditional. Obedience to God’s word leads to continued enjoyment of the land whereas disobedience leads to forfeiture and exile.
Second, Israel inherits and forfeits the promised land. Later, after humanity spread over the face of the earth, God chose one man (Abraham) through whom he would work to fulfill his purpose. From Abraham came the nation of Israel and eventually, the Messiah who would bless all nations. Israel inherited the promised land of Canaan, a place where they could rest with God in peace and satisfaction—another Eden-like situation. Though the land was given to Israel unconditionally, keeping the land was conditional. The previous inhabitants, the Canaanites, lost the land due to their wickedness; their lives were so disgusting to God, that the land “vomited” them out! God warned Israel that the same would happen to them if they lived like Canaanites (Lev. 18:24-28; 20:22-26). Sadly, Israel’s sins led to their exile (Deut. 28).
Third, Israel returns home but it still feels like exile. Exiled from their ancestral homeland, many Israelites began to doubt their faith in God. Therefore, God sent the prophets with a surprising message: though the loss of their land was terrible and their own fault, God would bring them back home. There were many other promises attached to Israel’s restoration, such as the gift of new, obedient hearts and the forgiveness of their sins (Ezek. 36:24-26; Jer. 31:31-34). But when Israel returned from captivity, not only did they continue to struggle against God but the pagan regime in charge treated them like exiles in their own land! The Old Testament ends with Israel back in Canaan but suffering under oppressive powers and languishing in their sins. The generations passed in this uneasy state until their long-awaited Messiah arrived.
Finally, God reverses the land/exile cycle in Jesus. Jesus arrived as Israel’s Messiah and the world’s Savior, inaugurating the kingdom of God. As a perfectly faithful Israelite, Jesus was the only one who really deserved to inherit the land and yet he chose to live without a home (Lk. 9:58). He suffered the ultimate “exile” by dying on the cross and then conquered death in his resurrection. Through Jesus, God grants the blessing of the forgiveness of sins to those who turn to him in faith and brings them into one family where they come to inherit an imperishable land: a “heavenly country” (Heb. 11:16) that eclipses even Eden in its glory (Rev. 21-22). Cleansed of their sins through the sacrifice of Christ and given imperishable bodies at his return, the faithful will dwell together with the Lord in this perfect land forever without any fear of exile.
