“He gave them the lands of the heathen,
and they inherited the labor of the people,
so that they might observe His statutes, and keep His laws.
Praise ye the LORD!”
Psalm 105:44–45
God gave Israel their own land, the land of Canaan, so that they would have a place where they could safely keep His commandments. Moses told Pharaoh that Israel had to leave Egypt to serve God. If the Israelites stayed in Egypt and served God the way He wanted them to, Moses said, the Egyptians would become so angry, they would stone the Israelites (Ex. 8:25–26).
It is no wonder the psalmist said, “Praise ye the LORD!” He and his fellow Israelites had been given a place where they could live and worship the way God wanted them to, without having to worry about provoking the heathen! What a wonderful, safe place the Promised Land was for God’s people! There was no other place like it on earth, where the standard was God’s law, and those who kept the law were not laughed at or attacked for doing so!
God has such a place waiting for those who love His Son. It is an entirely new earth, where we may walk in the Spirit without being criticized or ridiculed for doing so. This present world is filled with wickedness, and we all feel the daily pressure of it. But on that new earth, our Promised Land, God’s righteousness will be the only standard, and the peace will never be disturbed.
Praise ye the LORD!
