Land

Outline the theme of "land" from Genesis to 2 Kings.

The theme of God's people dwelling in a land provided by him begins in Genesis, where God places man in the Garden of Eden (Gn. 2:15)¹. It is clear from the account of creation that the Garden of Eden is “very good” (Gn. 1:31), a land provided by God (Gn. 2:16) where they live in close relationship with him under his rule (Gn. 3:8). Goldsworthy describes this ideal situation as “God's people in God's place under God's rule”². Thus, Genesis begins with the creation of a perfect land where man is able to enjoy a relationship with God in perfect obedience to him.

However in Genesis 3, sin enters the world when man willingly disobeys God (Gn. 3:6) and as a result, is banished from the perfect Garden (Gn. 3:23). God also curses the ground (Gn. 3:17) and man is made to work the ground for his food, where previously God had provided all that man needed (Gn. 2:16; 3:17; 3:23). Genesis continues with an account of Cain's sin (Gn. 4:8), resulting in a punishment from God that involves Cain becoming a restless wanderer on the earth and no longer being able to successfully grow crops (Gn. 4:12).

So far, it appears that there is a distinct correlation between obedience and land. Specifically, obedience means being in the land but disobedience means being removed from it. Also, it appears that when man is living in an obedient relationship with God, food is effortlessly provided by God in the land (Gn. 2:9) but sin leads to hardship in attaining food.

Genesis continues this pattern of land and obedience in a dramatic way. Man becomes more wicked and sinful (Gn. 6:5) leading to God destroying both mankind and the earth in a great flood (Gn. 7:21) until there is no longer any land to speak of. But by God's grace, Noah and his family are saved in an ark provided by God (7:23) and Noah's descendants spread out over the earth after the flood (Gn. 10:32).

At this point, due to man's continuing sinfulness it appears that there is no going back to “God's people in God's place under God's rule”. However, God chooses Abraham with whom he makes a covenant in which he promises to give the land of Canaan to Abraham's offspring (Gn. 12:7; 13:14-15; 15:18-21; 22:17). God also adds to the promise “and I will be their God” (Gn. 17:8) signifying that this promised land will be a place where God's people will again live in obedience to him.

In Abraham's lifetime it is clear that despite these promises, God does not give land directly to him and Abraham remains a foreigner in the land of Canaan. This is evident when Abimelech, the king of Gerar, allows Abraham to live wherever he likes, but still pronounces the land as his own (Gn. 20:15). In addition, when Abraham's wife Sarah dies, he needs to buy a burial plot for her in the land of the Hittites (Gn. 23:16), where eventually both he and Sarah are buried (Gn. 23:19; Gn. 25:10). Due to Abraham's obedience to God, the promise of land is passed down from Abraham through to his son Isaac (Gn. 26:3,5) and then again to Isaac's son, Jacob (Gn. 28:13). But the land is not yet available to either Isaac or Jacob and at the end of Jacob's life, his family move to Egypt away from the land of Canaan (Gn. 47:27).

While in Egypt, Jacob's descendants the Israelites grow in number and are oppressed into slave labour for the Egyptians (Ex. 1:9-11). It appears that the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are far from receiving the promise of a land of their own. However, God remembers the promise he made to their forefathers and uses Moses (Ex. 3:10) to assure the Israelites that he will rescue them out of Egypt and lead them to the land of Canaan, where it flows with milk and honey (Ex. 3:8; 3:17; 6:8). God promises that this will be done so they may know that he is Yahweh, and so that they will be his people and he will be their God (Ex. 6:7; 29:45-46). This points to a time when God's people will again live in a land under his sovereign rule, where he will richly provide for them all they need (Num. 15:41).

In a mighty exodus, God rescues the Israelites from out of Egypt (Ex. 12:51) and leads them towards the promised land. He reaffirms his covenant with them, by promising to bring them into the land of Canaan, where he will wipe out those that are currently living there (Ex. 23:20, 23). It is evident that receiving the land is dependent on God's good and generous provision. However, he makes clear to the Israelites that in order to remain in this land they must also be obedient to him in light of their rescue from Egypt (Lev. 18:4; 18:28) and love him wholeheartedly (Deut. 11:9). If the Israelites are obedient to God, he will grant them peace in the land and provide them with all they require (Lev. 26:3-10). But if they are disobedient, they will be uprooted from the land and scattered among the nations (Lev. 26:33; Deut. 6:15; 28:63-64). Specifically, the Israelites are repeatedly commanded to not worship other gods and are warned to completely drive out those living in the land, lest they turn away from God and worship foreign gods (Ex. 34:12-14; Num. 33:50; Deut, 6:14; 7:2-4; 8:19).

The Israelites that are brought out of Egypt are quick to grumble against God (Num. 14:2-3) and as a result are prevented to enter the land (Num. 14:22-23). Instead, their children enter into Canaan under Joshua's leadership (Josh. 1:6) and immediately begin to eat the produce of the land (Josh. 5:11), signifying God's provision for them. God also begins to give the Israelites victory over many cities in order for them to possess the land (Josh. 6:20; 8:22; 10:10,40; 11:8, 16-17). God's promise of land spoken to Abraham appears to be fulfilled at this point (Josh. 21:43-45).

Unfortunately, the Israelites fail to heed God's commands to completely drive out the inhabitants of Canaan (Judg. 1:27-35). The warnings that the Israelites may possibly turn away from God as a result prove to be true when they begin to worship other gods (Judg. 2:12, 19; 3:6). This begins a continuing cycle of God handing the Israelites over to their enemies because of their disobedience and God raising up a judge to save them when they cry out to him (Judg. 2:11-19). Again, the pattern of land and obedience is seen when the Israelites disobey God and he punishes them by no longer driving out any of the nations before them (Judg. 2:21) and thus dispossessing them of their land. The Israelites must again work hard for their food, clearly seen when the Midianites ruin their crops and take away their livestock (Judg. 6:4).

Under the prophet Samuel's guidance, the Israelites rid themselves of foreign gods to serve God only which leads to the defeat of the Philistines and thus the returning of Israel's land (1 Sam. 7:3, 13-14). God remains faithful to his covenant with Abraham in spite of the past rebellion of the Israelites. The Israelites demand a king (1 Sam. 8:5) and Saul is the first king appointed in a long line of kings in Israel's history (1 Sam. 10:1). Samuel again reminds Israel of the need for both the nation and the king to be obedient to God otherwise God's hand will be against them (1 Sam. 12:15, 24-25). Saul leads the Israelites back into the hands of the Philistines through his disobedience (1 Sam. 28:18-19) and it is not until Israel is under the rule of an obedient David that the Israelites can again enjoy a victory over the Philistines and various cities in Canaan (2 Sam. 8:14).

Israel also enjoys rest under the rule of Solomon, David's son, when all could eat, drink and be happy (1 Kings 4:20). During that time, the Israelites “lived in safety, each man under his own vine and fig tree” (1 Kings 4:25) demonstrating that God was again able to provide graciously and lovingly for a people who lived in obedience to him (1 Kings 5:4).

Sadly, after the reign of Solomon despite a number of warnings, most of the kings of Israel fail to follow God and instead worship other gods, leading the people of Israel to do the same (1 Kings 12:28; 15:3; 16:19, 25; 22:52; 2 Kings 17:15). By this time, the kingdom of Israel had split into Samaria and Judah (1 Kings 11:31-32) and as a result of their continuing disobedience and evil, God removes them from the land. The nation of Israel is exiled out of the land with Samaria being invaded and taken to Assyria (2 Kings 17:5-6) and Judah exiled to Babylon shortly after (2 Kings 25:21).

As God promised to their forefathers (Lev.26:33; Deut. 6:15; 28:63-64) and spoke through the prophet Ahijah (1 Kings 14:14-16) , by the end of the book of 2 Kings the Israelites are scattered and uprooted from the good land. However, there is hope for Israel in the loving words of God, that when the Israelites return to God he will have compassion on them and will gather them from all the nations he has scattered them. He will circumcise their hearts so they might love him with all their hearts and souls (Deut. 30:2-6).

1This reference from Genesis 2:15 comes from the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible. All subsequent bible quotes and references in this report will also be from the NIV.

2Graeme Goldsworthy, Gospel and Kingdom (Cumbria: Paternoster, 1981) 60.

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