From childhood onwards, we were told about the Promised Land. We learned that everything in this world has some reason of existing, and there was and shall always be the purpose of God, that whatever man would try to do to hinder it, shall always come to fulfilment.
We also came to learn that even when there were people in history, who tried to destroy all the people of God, the Elohim Hashem Jehovah took care they would survive those horrible times and many of them would come to see the Promised Land.
Growing up, coming to see pictures of Medinat Yisraʾel, we did get to see a picture of a less attractive country where the rugged dry nature does not really appeal to us.
For me too it looks like a small country, though it might have a relatively diverse topography, consisting of a lengthy coastal plain, highlands in the north and central regions, there is that big Negev desert in the south, which leaves its mark on the country.
We are part of torn families, the majority of which perished in concentration camps, while our parents came to grow up in no Hebrew-speaking families and no Jewish traditions-knowing families. As a result, their children and grandchildren had no chance from the parental family to learn the language and minhagim or religious customs fully. Nevertheless, they tried to pass on the teachings of the Torah and teach us the necessary norms and customs.
In Europe our communities got so divided that there came lots of differences in the following up of customs. Even concerning the liturgical minhag by the several communities could be found and still can be found different religious rites that have developed in a particular locality.
But we were assured that we would all come back to unity and realise the possibility of being allowed to be partakers of the Holy Land and of the Kingdom of God.
Furthermore, we learnt that the Kingdom we may look up to is a land of milk and honey, where everyone will be able to live together in peace with plants and animals. Who would not be happy to look forward to such a paradise we got envisioned by our sacred writings?
I must say we did not have and still do not have such a nice picture of that in the bible presented special land. The land of Israel was nothing more than a malaria filled swampland. The historical picture of what people had to endure in those plains, desolate mountains and deserts was not so rosy, It has been a land that had to endure a lot. It suffered years of destruction and desolation.
But as our grandparents and parents taught us that the Elohim would keep His Word, promising to bring His people back home, we are of the generation which can witness that. .But it is still not pious. Today, we can still see the violence in those regions. Several Jews have already moved there to live, but others cannot decide to take steps to become a resident there, because of the violence taking place there.
From our parents and from Scripture we also learned that humans were created as an extension of God’s reign on earth (Genesis 1:26-28) and were to work the land that God gave them to manage (Genesis 2:5).
“ Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness! Let them rule over the fish of the sea, over the flying creatures of the sky, over the livestock, over the whole earth, and over every crawling creature that crawls on the land.”
God created humankind in His image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them.
God blessed them and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the land, and conquer it. Rule over the fish of the sea, the flying creatures of the sky, and over every animal that crawls on the land.””
(Genesis 1:26–28 TLV)“.Now no shrub of the field was in the land yet, and no green plants of the field had sprouted yet. For ADONAI Elohim had not caused it to rain upon the land, and there was no one to work the ground.”
(Genesis 2:4–5 TLV)
The sovereign Bo’re (Creator God) of the first chapter of the Pentateuch is also the covenant-making Jehovah, God above all gods. Thus Israel would know that He not only had created everything, and that He had formed mankind by special design, but from the later books came to learn how this Most.El ʿElyon (God Most High) guided His chosen people and taught them how to behave in order to enter the Promised Land.
When God called Abraham, one of the things promised was land (Gen. 12.1–2).
“ Then ADONAI said to Abram, “Get going out from your land, and from your relatives, and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you.
My heart’s desire is to make you into a great nation, to bless you, to make your name great so that you may be a blessing.”
(Genesis 12:1–2 TLV)
Though the passage perhaps dates from the tenth century BCE, the promised territory specified in Genesis 15.18 is the land of Canaan from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates River (cf. Deut. 11.24); other boundaries given for the land are more modest.
“ On that day ADONAI cut a covenant with Abram, saying, “I give this land to your seed, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates River:
the Kenite, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites,
the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Raphaites,
the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.””
(Genesis 15:18–21 TLV)
Genesis also records that the promise was subsequently reaffirmed to Abraham’s descendants: Isaac (Gen. 26.3), Jacob (Gen. 28.4, 13; 35.11–12), Joseph (Gen. 48.4), and Jacob’s other sons (Gen. 50.24).
For me, it is clear that there is still a long way to go before we will get to that “Land of honey and milk”. There is still far too much fighting going on between believers and unbelievers, as well as between people who wrongfully appropriate other people’s things, contrary to God’s laws.
Lots of people do forget that it is in God’s time and in His way that the Holy Land shall receive full construction. As such, it was not in the hands of an American president like Donald Trump to decide that Jerusalem was going to be the capital of Israel at that time.
In the past, a whole generation was denied entrance into the land because of rebellion, disobedience, and unbelief or not trusting God.
“So we see that they were not able to enter in because of lack of trust.”
(Hebrews 3:19 TLV)
This could still be for today, lots of people not yet worthy to become partakers of such land which belongs to God, though we should know that all land belongs to Him. The admonition, then, is not to be apostate like them, but also to dare to trust that in the time that God Will decide that the Land of Honey and Milk shall open its gates to all lovers of God.
Hebrews also suggests that Joshua did not really give the people rest (Heb. 4.8–9); rather, God offers rest to those who are obedient and faithful. Which means that even when we in our present time not yet feel ready to go up to Israel or do not yet feel it is safe grounds over there, we can still try to build our safe haven at the place we are deciding, because it shall be the whole earth that has to be restored. All over the whole earth shall be the paradise of God. That shall mean that even when we live in a certain country, that country shall one day also be part of that Great Kingdom.
The author of the Book to the Hebrews encourages his audience to enter that rest, which refers not to conquering land and enjoying the ensuing peace, as it did earlier (Josh. 11.23), but rather to trusting in God’s works and ceasing from one’s own (Heb. 4.9–10).
“So there remains a Shabbat rest for the people of God.
For the one who has entered God’s rest has also ceased from his own work, just as God did from His.”
(Hebrews 4:9–10 TLV)
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Preceding
Creator’s star connection between heaven and earth
A celebration of harvest, and of thanksgiving for the provision God has given
Weekend of Milk and Honey – Symbolic breastfeeding
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Additional reading
- Divine Plan and an Imperfect creation
- Kingdom of God what will it be like
- The Exodus Story: History or Myth?
- “Let My People Go, that they may serve me!”: The Passover & The Exodus.
- 12 Verses: Where Is the Promised Land? and 4 Other Questions
- Uncovering the Foundations of Faith
- Like grasshoppers
- In a world which knows no peace sharing blessed hope
- Today’s thought “The Land promised and fear of man” (April 18)
- Today’s thought “A blessing and a curse” (April 25)
- Today’s thought “For if you will be careful to do …” (April 25)
- Today’s thought “Being made prosperous and numerous on conditions” (May 13)
- The Lost Ten Tribes
- AJC Global Forum 2022: World at crossroads Democracy versus Tyranny
- The Land Flowing with Wine and Honey?
- Paradise restored
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Further related
- Land of Bees and Honey
- Promised Land
- Being Fully Submitted to God’s Direction
- Do Not be Afraid
- Sunday: Inheritance of Abraham
- Not running from Egypt but running to the Promised Land..
- The Touch of God Exodus 2-3
- May 17th – Ezekiel 36:8
Immanuel Verbondskind - עמנואל קאָווענאַנט קינד 
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