There is a small lot across from our house on which my oldest boy wants to build a shed, because he has a couple of cars he and a friend are working on.  I was looking at it this morning.  My neighbor across the street believes it is part of his property, so he parks one of his cars on it, making it difficult to  find the property markers.  I have measured the property from one end to the other, both ways, and still have not discovered the pins.

As I was measuring this piece of land, the scriptures recording God's command to Abram came to mind.  He told Abram in Genesis 13:17,< Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it: for I will give it unto thee.  Now, we cannot tell exactly how much land Abram covered himself as he obeyed that commandment, but we do know that his posterity did possess every part of that which God had promised to him and his seed.  I look at the literal text and wonder what walking Abram did do.  We know that he did not always show forth the faith that he was so well known for, but Paul tells us in Romans 4:21, And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.  He did not hesitate concerning the promise that the Lord had made to him, as is recorded in verse 20. 

There are some that say that Canaan's land is a figure of God's abode, the eternal heaven.  This can't be true, because there has never been any enemies of God or His people in Heaven.  If there ever had been such in eternity, they would still be there in eternity.  There were definitely enemies of God and His people in Canaan's land, which God said He would be with Israel as those enemies were defeated.  There was a condition the Lord gave them: they were to be obedient in their walk and do what He told them, when he told them.  A companion text which places the children of God, Abraham's children, side by side with Abraham concerning the commandment that He gave to Abram.  Psalms 48:12,13  says, Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof.  Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following. 

Zion is the name of a real place.  There was a hill in Jerusalem on which the temple of God was built.  It was known as Mount Zion.  Can we not see the implications of this place?  Can we not learn that God, when He commands us to walk about Zion, that He did not mean for us to spend air fare, time and convenience to go over to the place David tells us of?  God is speaking of a place much larger than a physical hill, city, country, and world.  He is not only speaking of a place, but also of a people.  He is speaking of His kingdom. 

How can we possibly "walk about Zion" unless we are in Zion.  There is no way that I could measure my lot, except I walk inside the area of it.  Zion is an invisible place and people; a spiritual creation of God.  The City of David's (Zion) inhabitants walk about Zion by the Spirit of God.  What is the length of Zion? immeasurable.  The width? indecipherable.  Only the Godhead knows it's dimensions. 

Abraham did not individually walk every inch of Canaan, and each individual child of faith cannot walk every spiritual inch of Zion.  The posterity of Abraham did possess every physical inch of the land God promised to him and to them.  We as the inhabitants of Zion collectively walk every inch of the spiritual Zion God placed us in to walk about.

As God was glorified when Joshua went against Jericho in triumph by walking obediently, according to the commandment of God, even so, is He glorified when we obey His commandments and walk about Zion in love as dear children (Ephesians 5:1,2).

I told my son he would have to get our neighbor to move his car if he was going to build his shed.

In Christ's Love, I hope, Elder Carl Arnold