The spies also collected figs and pomegranates. Just think… rebellious Israel refused to go in! God had been faithful in delivering Israel from centuries of Egyptian slavery.
The presence of milk-producing animals implied grasses and other vegetation. Honey indicated pollinating creatures such as bees. The spies showed Israel the large grape cluster, the pomegranates, and the figs they had collected in Canaan Numbers The 12 spies confirmed that God had indeed given them a very great land, but 10 spies feared military defeat by the Gentiles dwelling therein, so Israel refused to enter Numbers — Thus, God, in His righteous anger, punished them via the year wilderness wandering Deuteronomy ff.
We, as Christians, grafted into the family of God, also have a Promised Land to look forward to. Like the Israelites and Abraham, we are sojourners for the time being.
But we know that we will not wander forever. And that we have a wonderful Promised Land to look forward to. Hope Bolinger is an editor at Salem, a multi-published novelist, and a graduate of Taylor University's professional writing program. More than 1, of her works have been featured in various publications ranging from Writer's Digest to Keys for Kids.
She has worked for various publishing companies, magazines, newspapers, and literary agencies and has edited the work of authors such as Jerry B. Jenkins and Michelle Medlock Adams. Her modern-day Daniel trilogy is out with IlluminateYA. And her inspirational adult romance Picture Imperfect releases in November of Find out more about her at her website. Plus Toggle navigation. Password Assistance. Email address. Hope Bolinger. Share Tweet Save. Clarence L. Haynes Jr. Britt Mooney.
Jason Soroski. Mike Leake. The Egyptians hated shepherds because of the damage their animals cause their fields, so it followed that the historically herd-owning Israelites would be allotted a place like Goshen - a distant piece of land, away from the fields, that would have plenty of natural vegetation for the animals; a land flowing with milk and honey.
The phrase "A Land Flowing with Milk and Honey" describes areas that are untended by man and covered in wild vegetation. So long as the Israelites made their living off of animal husbandry, it signified the promise of a rich, comfortable life. But once the forests were cleared and the people settled and started working the land, it became a dire warning. Your email address will not be published. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. And then there's Isaiah.
When he talks about an abundance of milk and honey, in his prophecy about the Assyrian attack on the Holy Land, it's clear that he's referencing this famous idiom, but the context is completely backwards: "In that day shall the Lord shave with a razor that is hired in the parts beyond the River, even with the king of Assyria, the head and the hair of the feet; and it shall also sweep away the beard.
What kind of milk? What kind of honey? Back then, honey was considered a treat you might stumble upon, a kind of "finders keepers": "Hast thou found honey?
Bee vs. Date There is an interesting question here, regarding the source of the honey. Forest vs. Civilization If we go with bee honey, this makes more sense: Isaiah is talking about the destruction of civilizations as a result of the Assyrian invasion, and the subsequent takeover of wild vegetation. Other prophets have used this image as well: " How does that settle with the magnificent descriptions of the Promised Land?
But along with that came great fear: "The land, through which we have passed to spy it out, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature. Following the destruction, the Assyrians brought over foreigners, to settle the deserted Israelite cities: "And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Avva, and from Hamath and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof.
A Note on Egypt Another strange use of "a land flowing with milk and honey" appears during the long years in the desert, when the people complain to Moses: " The answer lies in the instructions Josef gave his brothers, when they came down from the famine-stricken Canaan to seek refuge in Egypt: " Final Thoughts The phrase "A Land Flowing with Milk and Honey" describes areas that are untended by man and covered in wild vegetation.
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