Why is the Land important?

I have been reading the Old Testament and repeatedly, I've come across references to the LAND. I have been asking the Lord, what does this mean? He even says in Isaiah that He will be married to the land! So..what is the meaning of this?

I felt that He answered me some time ago, saying that the LAND is a picture of your LIFE. So..in other words we were brought out of "Egypt", the land of bondage (to sin and death) to the Promised Land, the land of surrender. (the Exodus is where this happened in the natural)

Let's go back to the beginning, to Genesis, where Adam and Eve walked with God in the Garden of Eden, unashamed, untouched by sin. They had fellowship with the Lord and both they and the Lord enjoyed their companionship together. This is what He desired for our relationship with Him to be..unashamed and free to walk with Him and He with us. Of course, the Fall took us into the bondage of sin and death.

The promised LAND is our life in surrender to the Lord, made possible by the sacrifice of the Cross by our Lord. It is where we dwell in fellowship with God and other people who have also entered the LAND. There are boundaries on the outside of the LAND..blessings for obeying Him (inside the boundaries) and curses for disobeying Him (outside the boundaries) just like the Promised Land in the Old Testament.   

This is where we dwell in UNITY with our brothers and sisters in Christ. And where we dwell TOGETHER with our Lord. In the Spirit, we are in the Promised Land here, no matter where we physically dwell. The word DWELL in Psalms 133 means inhabited, MARRIED to, is the opposite of DESOLATE or FORSAKEN, which means uninhabited and a reproach.

So what is the GARDEN and how does it differ from the LAND?  It isn't separate from the LAND, it is a part of it! The GARDEN is the secret place where we have intimate relationship with our Lord, just me and Him alone. We each have a GARDEN within the LAND. This GARDEN excludes anyone else besides the two of us. And as in the Song of Solomon, we must each tend our GARDEN to make our Lord welcome. To drive out anything or anyone who would intrude upon this most intimate place. 

The Lord wants to be married to our Promised Land, which He gave to us for a place to dwell. Isaiah 62:4 It will no longer be said to you, "Forsaken," Nor to your land will it any longer be said,"Desolate"; But you will be called, "My Delight is in Her," And your land, "Married"; For the Lord delights in you, And to Him your land will be married.

So do you see why our lives (land) must be undefiled? How can the Holy God marry a defiled life (land)? He isn't just married to us as a single person apart from the life we live, but he will marry our whole life in unity with our brethren. This is why our land (life) must be constantly attended to. We MUST not build fences around areas of our lives where we don't invite Him in. Where He never told us to go. We MUST cultivate unity with our brethren in Him so we can live in the land as He intends. And THIS is where the Church as His Bride is called to dwell. 

He is calling us to root Babylon out of us. Babylon mixes devotion with another in the harlotry of idolatry. He cannot marry our land when we give our devotion to another. We are to dwell in that secret place of the Garden, which is in the Promised Land where we dwell in unity in Him with our brethren.

The biggest most horrifying sin for our land is idolatry, which is pictured over and over by prostitution and harlotry. It is giving the precious intimacy of our Garden to another that is not the Lord. It is the thing that is called in the Old Testament an ABOMINATION to the Lord. It is what leaves the land DESOLATE and uninhabited.  It leaves our LIFE without the presence of our Lord. 

And while I have been looking into these things, I have also come to see that REST is part of the promised land. It means to STOP working. To REST, waiting for His direction is very hard, but the only way. If the land (our life) doesn't receive its sabbath rest, it will be worn out and unfruitful. We must not proceed until the land (our life) has rested and waited upon the Lord. Stop, Rest and listen for His voice this day. Meditate upon His Word and Wisdom today. Rest in the Garden within the Promised Land and learn of His heart..know Him deeply and dearly. Then come out and dwell in the Promised Land in unity with the others He has called.