The Land of Milk and Honey – Not All Milk and not all Honey.

and I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey." ' (Exodus 3.8)

God called Moses to go back to Egypt, from where he had fled, and deliver the oppressed Israelites. He would guide them back to the land from whence they had gone out four centuries prior – the land God had promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Of course, after 400 years, the land of promise would have greatly changed. On a positive note, it was a land flowing with milk and honey. This was clearly exhibited later on when some of their spies went in there and “cut down a branch with one cluster of grapes; they carried it between two of them on a pole.” (Numbers 13.23)

Sounds like the kind of place any of us would want to live, doesn’t it?

However, before we get overly excited about the prospect of living in a land flowing with milk and honey, let’s not forget something.

In the same verse, God tells Moses that this place where he would lead Israel was also the land of the six “ites” – the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and the Jebusites.

These six people groups would turn out to be formidable foes. God would tell Israel to drive them out, but it seems they never did so 100%. They would turn out to be a huge thorn in Israel’s side and provide plenty practice for their young men to do battle. They would also be a negative influence on Israel with their immorality and idolatry.

The Christian life is a lot like this.

I wouldn’t trade my life in Christ for anything and I sure wouldn’t want to go back to Egypt (the place where I was apart from the love of Jesus). The walk with Jesus is truly a land flowing with milk and honey. There are abundant blessings every day.

But our life in Jesus is not without its conflicts. We have to deal with the world (1John 2.15-16,) the flesh (Galatians 5.17) and the devil (Ephesians 6.11) continually. There are battles to be won and ground to be taken in this walk with God.

The Promised Land in the Old Testament is not really a picture of heaven, for in heaven there will be no evil lurking around, trying to take away our blessings.

The Land of Promise is more clearly a picture of the abundant Christian life (see John 15). Let us remember that walking with God is fulfilling and joyous but also full of challenges. However, God has equipped us to take on any foe to the faith which might come against us. As you walk with him today, the Lord will help, equip and empower you to overcome any evil that you might encounter. The battle is worth the reward.

…and this is the victory that overcometh the world,
even our faith.
1 John 5.4