Recently, the lottery in our area grew to over one billion American dollars.
That’s a great deal of money. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who dreamt about what I would do with all that money. As many Christians did, I thought about all the ways I could give to ministries and churches, but of course, I would also get a big house and a few cars and … well, you get the idea.
The idea of abundance is inspiring to humans, but it is also a temptation in its own way. Abundance speaks of having no lack, where all our needs are met, and we enjoy the pleasures of good things.
God does want to give us abundance, but he also wants to make sure our hearts are right. Our hearts are the most important part of the whole process, and we see these realities clearly in God’s promise of a land of milk and honey in Exodus 3:8.
What Is the Context of Exodus 3:8?
In Exodus chapter 3, Moses is a shepherd and around 80 years old. We were introduced to Moses at the beginning of Exodus as his mother and sister saved him from the oppressive Pharoah’s policy of killing the male babies of God’s people, Israel.
Pharoah’s daughter ends up raising Moses, and when he first attempts to fight the oppression of Egypt, he commits murder and flees Egypt as a criminal.
Moses becomes a shepherd in Midian, and after 40 years, he is surprised when he sees a bush on fire but not consumed by the flames.
The famous burning bush passage is when God calls Moses to confront Pharoah and Egypt. The Israelites were enslaved by Egypt, and God was planning to free them through Moses.
First, God explains that he was well aware of the cries of his people, the Israelites, and the time had come to ease their suffering. Their release from Egypt was only the first step.
They would then be led to the Promised Land, which harkens back to Abraham and the Patriarchs. Here God describes this land as a fertile and abundant land of milk and honey.
The land of milk and honey served as a powerful metaphor for the abundance, fertility, and prosperity of the land God had promised and was about to fulfill. This represented a place of great blessing, more than enough for the Israelites to flourish.
Milk represented the abundance of livestock, providing sustenance through dairy products. The Israelites were known as shepherds, from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob, people who were master herdspeople. That had been part of the conflict with Egypt, mostly farmers.
Farming was also promised in this new land, as honey symbolized the sweetness and goodness of the produce of the Promised Land, indicating the presence of fruitful fields and abundant crops.
For the Israelites, who had been slaves for generations, the land of milk and honey would have been connected to their history, their present, and future. It symbolized great hope.
What Was the Meaning of the ‘Land of Milk and Honey’ to the Israelites?
The phrase, land of milk and honey, was used frequently in the Old Testament and carried specific meaning to the Israelites.
The “land of milk and honey” represented a fertile and prosperous land flowing with abundant resources. It signified a place where the Israelites would find sustenance, provision, and economic prosperity.
It conveyed the promise of fertile fields, fruitful vineyards, flourishing crops, and ample livestock, indicating a land of plenty and abundance.
These blessings were a divine gift from God. It emphasized God’s faithfulness to his covenant with Abraham and the people of Israel. The land of milk and honey revealed his desire to bless and provide for his chosen people. God was their sustainer and provider.
These Israelites had endured slavery and oppression in Egypt, even murderous policies. They had labored extensively and seen no profit from it.
In this Promised Land of milk and honey, they would have a place to enjoy the fruits of their labor and live in freedom from the chains of bondage. It represented a fresh start and a new beginning for the Israelite community.
Along with this freedom came a promised inheritance, a fulfillment of the land God had pledged to give Abraham and his descendants, affirming their identity as God’s chosen people. In those ancient days, a people group was associated with a certain land with borders.
The promise to Abraham of an actual land and the fulfillment with the children of Israel solidified their identity as the people of God. And since God is the only God, he provides amazing blessings.
However, the blessing of a land of milk and honey had to be fought for, and this was an important part of the promise. Giants and powerful nations already lived in the land, so the Israelites had to trust God through hard times and battles before they could possess the promise.
These battles and hard times produced the correct character necessary to live in a land of milk and honey without turning away from God.
The first attempt to fight for this promise met with disaster, as the whole nation decided against fighting giants and didn’t trust God to fight for them. That generation wandered in the wilderness for 40 years until another generation that wouldn’t retreat had been raised up.
Joshua and that generation entered the land and participated in the battles God had before them. God was more interested in their heart and character as God’s people than the physical land.
For the Israelites, the land of milk and honey represented the fulfillment of a covenant promise from Abraham fulfilled in their lifetime. Their part of the covenant included trusting God implicitly as their sole provider in order to enjoy the abundance of his provision.
What Is the Meaning for Christians Today of the ‘Land of Milk and Honey’?
For us today, the concept of the land of milk and honey holds symbolic meaning and offers valuable insights into our faith and future hope.
While the physical land of milk and honey referred to the specific land of Canaan for the Israelites, its significance transcends time and carries spiritual lessons for believers today.
With the woman at the well, Jesus promises a water he can provide people where they can never thirst. Even more so, the spiritual water he gives becomes a well of water within us giving life to others.
For us, the land of milk and honey symbolizes the abundance and blessings that God desires to bestow upon his people, beginning with grace, salvation, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
We enter God’s promise where we can experience the richness of God’s love, joy, peace, and spiritual growth.
We’ve been made free in Christ by the Truth of the Word of God, Jesus himself, and the corresponding witness of the Spirit through the Bible.
We were once in bondage of sin and selfishness, but now we have complete freedom through Christ. That complete freedom is both a free and holy nature from God and the ability to follow God as he calls us.
In the New Covenant, we have privileges and responsibilities that come with a saving relationship with Christ. We are encouraged to walk faithfully in obedience to Christ, following the teachings of Jesus, and therefore experience the blessings of the New Covenant.
However, we can’t follow in our own strength. This was the failing of the Old Covenant. In the New, we’ve been given the Holy Spirit, and we’ve been made partakers of the divine nature, all in order to be reconciled to God and live in his ways.
We also have an inheritance in Christ, the very Kingdom of Heaven. Just as the Israelites were promised a land of milk and honey, we’ve been given the inheritance of the Kingdom of God in Heaven forever, the Kingdom where all things will be set right and there will be no brokenness, no crying, or tears.
We will be married to God and have rooms in the house of the Father. This inheritance surpasses any temporal blessings because the Kingdom is eternal. This is our hope and destination as we follow God.
What Can We Learn about Hope Through the ‘Land of Milk and Honey’?
When we read about the land of milk and honey in Exodus 3:8, we can carry several important lessons as followers of Jesus in the New Covenant.
1. God’s faithfulness in fulfilling promises. Despite the challenges and delays the Israelites faced in reaching the Promised Land, God remained true to His word.
This reminds us that God is faithful to fulfill His promises to us as well. As Christians, we can place our hope in the assurance that God's promises are reliable and that He will bring them to fruition in His perfect timing.
2. Hope in the midst of wilderness. In this context, the land of milk and honey represented hope in the midst of their difficult and arduous journey.
Likewise, as Christians, we often find ourselves in seasons of wilderness — times of trials, uncertainty, or waiting.
The concept of the "land of milk and honey" encourages us to hold onto hope during these wilderness experiences, trusting that God will lead us to a place of abundance and fulfillment.
3. Future promises and rewards. The land of milk and honey serves as a reminder that our present struggles and hardships are temporary, and there is a future full of blessings and abundance that God has prepared for us.
This instills hope in our hearts, enabling us to endure challenges with the understanding that there is something greater ahead.
4. Hope anchored in God's provision. The land of milk and honey demonstrates that God is a provider and that He desires to bless His people.
As Christians, our hope is not rooted in material possessions or worldly achievements but in God's faithful provision. We can trust that He will meet our needs, both physical and spiritual, and provide for us in ways that exceed our expectations.
5. Anticipation of the promised inheritance. Our inheritance extends beyond the physical land to include the ultimate inheritance of eternal life and communion with God in his Heavenly Kingdom.
As believers, we have hope in the promise of our heavenly inheritance, where we will experience the fullness of God's presence, joy, and blessings for eternity.
6. Hope as a motivator for faith and godly character. The hope associated with the land of milk and honey served as a motivator for the Israelites to have faith and remain obedient to God. It provided them with a vision of the future and inspired them to press on despite challenges.
Similarly, our Christian hope acts as a catalyst for faith and obedience. It encourages us to trust God, follow His commands, and remain steadfast in our journey, knowing that the ultimate fulfillment of our hope is found in Him.
This develops the type of inward character and strength of grace and faith to lovingly wield the power of our inheritance.
The land of milk and honey in Exodus 3:8 reminds us of God’s faithfulness, encourages us in times of wilderness, and gives us godly character, and the Father’s promise anchors our hope in God’s provision and the eternal Kingdom.
With this in mind, let us not shrink back or retreat in fear, but instead, let us press forward in Christ to love others and endure as we keep the Kingdom and our eternal reward in mind.
For further reading:
Why Was Moses Not Allowed to Enter the Promised Land?
What Is the Significance of the Promised Land in the Bible?
What Can We Learn from the Israelites Wandering the Desert for 40 Years?
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/StefaNikolic
