What is this Land Flowing with Milk and Honey?

Last week we were talking about this Land Flowing with Milk and Honey and a question was brought up on what this was. So what is it?

Most of the Scriptures that this is located in are in the Old Testament, so before Jesus died on the cross. The term is actually used a lot in the books of Exodus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. But the great and awesome thing about the Word is this:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 - ALL Scripture is inspired (God Breathed) and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

This is talking about ALL Scripture, so both new and old. 

Matthew 13:52 - And Jesus said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old. 

All Scripture is inspired and God breathed and helps us basically walk and grown to become mature in the Lord. And we can bring things out new (New Testament) and old (Old Testament).

Pretty neat stuff...

First, what is Milk?
Hebrew word for it is chalab (Strongs # 2461) - Milk, cheese, sucking
It comes from a root word of cheleb - to be fat, the richest or choice part, best, fat, finest, grease, marrow. 

So it sounds like the Milk is the best of the land. The finest of the crop or most pure!


This reminds me of a New Testament Scripture, 
1 Peter 2:2 - like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,

So the pure milk of the word.

Isaiah 28:9-12
"To whom would He teach knowledge, And to whom would He interpret the message? Those just weaned from milk. Those just taken from the breast. "For He says, 'Order on order, order on order, Line on line, line on line, A little here, a little there.'" Indeed, He will speak to this people Through stammering lips and a foreign tongue, He who said to them, "Here is rest, give rest to the weary," And, "Here is repose," but they would not listen. 


God says that He is going to teach knowledge and to interpret the message to those just weaned from the milk and taken from the breast. Who does this sound like? BABIES! 


In Matthew 18:3-4 - and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. "Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.


You wonder why there are so many different interpretations of the bible by men. Most likely they have not humbled themselves like a child and are not in the kingdom of God and are not being taught by Jesus. Jesus is going to teach knowledge and interpret the message to those who have and are partaking in the milk of the word. 


What then is the MILK of the word?

Milk & Honey

So last night at Bible Study we were looking into Moses and the exodus of Israel. We found that Jesus was actually the one that had given Moses instructions on where and when to lead the Hebrews out of the land of Egypt. And one thing I found very interesting was that the LORD did not lead them the short route but he lead His people by the sea. 

Why could the Hebrews not serve God in Egypt? Why did they have to leave at least a three days journey away? What is Egypt?

Exodus 6:2-9 - Egypt = Bondage and Burdens
Hebrews 11:25-26 - Egypt = Pleasures of sin

The Hebrews could not serve God when they were still slaves to sin! So the LORD sent Moses to lead them out and show them the route back to God. 

Today, can we serve God while we are yet in sin and do not have the power to overcome it? 

John 8:32-59 - Jesus says that if we sin, we are slaves to sin. How then can we serve God if we are still enslaved to sin? How do we get over this struggle? (Maybe Joe can help explain this one.)

Our whole point in life is to return back to God and worship and serve Him His way, not ours.

Isaiah 55:6-9 - Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts [are] not your thoughts, neither [are] your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 

By following Jesus' ways, we will be free. In John 8 Jesus states that the Son can make us free indeed. But it first takes repentance (which means to change our minds - like in Isaiah) and to have faith on God. After Moses crossed the sea with all the Hebrews, it says they feared the LORD and believed in the LORD and Moses. They believed because they just witnessed the LORDS salvation. How can we believe something that we have not practiced and proven out for yourself?

Many people today try serving Jesus while they are still in bondage and a slave to sin. This is impossible to do. We must first change our mind about our ways and start reading about God's ways. Man will tell you that you are fine as you are - but the first thing Jesus preached was Matthew 14:17 - "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

That doesn't sound like the words, "You are alright as you are and I love you anyway." Thats all I heard in church. But Gods word proves otherwise. You be the judge...

So lets go on to this Land of Milk and Honey...what is it?

Bold and without Fear

Jeremiah 25-27 is where I was reading this morning. In chapter 25 the LORD is speaking to Jeremiah telling him the words to speak to the people. God is not happy with the people at this point in 25:3 it says "From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even to this day, these twenty-three years the word of the LORD has come to me, and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened".
There were other servants and prophets sent repeatedly but again they did not listen nor incline their ear to hear the words of the LORD, in which the LORD wanted the people to turn from their evil ways and evil deeds and to dwell on the land in which He had given them. Because the people would not listen they provoked God to anger; He had enough and was going to be against the people and send other nations against them to "utterly destroy them and make them a horror and a hissing, and an everlasting desolation" (verse 9). In verse 10 the LORD says He is also going to remove from them the voice of joy, the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the lamp. Now throughout the New Testament the bridegroom is referred to as Jesus Christ, the bride is His church, and the Word of the Lord is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. So in 25:10 God is going to take those things away from the people because they would not heed His words. The same thing applies today if we do not obey the commandments of God there will come a time God will remove those from the people because of the hardness of their heart.

If you read Isaiah 55:6-7 "Seek the LORD while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the LORD, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God for He will abundantly pardon." This is exactly what God was wanting from His people and there will come a time when it wont be possible to call upon the LORD anymore. Look back in Jeremiah he was there for twenty-three years waiting for them to turn from their wickedness back to Him. The same goes for today; how long has the Word of God been around and people do not heed what the scriptures say. As Steve brought up before in 2 Timothy 2:3:16-17 "All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of god may be adequate, equipped for every good work." The scripture is God breathed, hot off of God's lips. He gave us all the answers we need in order to gain eternal life through Him. In 2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." God doesn't want to pour His wrath out on nations and people He would much rather them return to Him but unfortunately we as men can be stubborn I would go as far as to say men pour out the wrath upon themselves because they do not want to turn from their ways unto God's ways.

Now Chapter 26 of Jeremiah is what caught my eye. The LORD tells Jeremiah to share all that He has commanded him to speak to the people. Jeremiah now has to tell the people that if they do not repent that they will be destroyed. Imagine the boldness it would take to stand in front of a city and have to tell them that God is not pleased with them and unless they forsake their ways and their thoughts they will be utterly destroyed and made a desolation. If you continue on reading through 26 you can see that the people didn't take well to it and sought to kill Jeremiah for sharing the words that came directly off of Gods lips.
26:12-15 "Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and to all the people, saying, "The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard. Now therefore amend your ways and your deeds and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will change his mind about the misfortune which He has pronounced against you. But as for me, behold, I am in your hands; do with me as is good and right in your sight. Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves, and on this city and on its inhabitants; for truly the LORD has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing."
Twenty-three years of stubbornness and God still gives the people another chance. And Jeremiah knows they want to kill him and he is without fear (of man). There are two other examples that are brought out in Chapter 26, one was Micah who prophesied against the people like Jeremiah did and the same result the people in the end spared his life and repented of their evil ways. However there was one prophet that feared the people. Uriah spoke out and the people sought for his life and he fled back to Egypt and he was caught and brought back to the king and they slew him.
Being bold and not fearing man is what really stood out to me. Mat 10:28 "Do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both the soul and body in hell."
Am I sharing God's word without a fear of man but rather with a fear of the LORD? The result of Jeremiah and Micah who did not fear what man did to them was the repentance of the people, but in the case of Uriah who feared the people, his death and no repentance of the people.

False Prophets

This morning my wife and I were reading in Jeremiah 23 and some interesting points stuck out to us. First and foremost, read the whole chapter for yourself. Read the Bible for yourself. These were just some verses that stuck out to us:

Jeremiah 23:16 - Thus says the LORD of Hosts, Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you. They are leading you into futility. They speak a vision of their own imagination, not from the mouth of the LORD.

Does this happen today? I mean, this was written by God but it was just for Jeremiahs time right? This doesn't apply today. Wrong! This is sill applied today!

2 Timothy 3:16-17 - ALL Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

So that includes Old Testament as well. ALL Scripture!

The LORD said to not listen to these prophets because they spoke from their own imagination and the LORD did not put His words in these prophets mouths.

Things they will say are listed in verse 17 - They keep saying to those who despise Me, The LORD has said, you will have peace. And as for everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart, they say, Calamity will not come upon you.

A false prophet will say things that God did not tell them to say. How are we suppose to know? We just looked at 2 Timothy 3:16 - ALL Scripture is inspired (God breathed)... This means the only way we are going to know if a man tells us something and it is true, is if we can back it up with Scripture. That is why it is so important to read the Bible and not just mans words.

Jeremiah 23:32 - Behold, I am against those who have prophesied false dreams, declares the LORD, and related them and led My people astray by their falsehoods and reckless boasting; yet I did not send them or command them, nor do they furnish this people the slightest benefit, declares the LORD.

I find it interesting that in verse 21 it says they RUN when the LORD has not sent them or commanded them. God is the one who does the choosing.

John 15:16 - You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My Name (Jesus) He may give it to you.

I went to church growing up for a long time thinking that I picked Jesus. That's what the pastor said at least. But Jesus says here that He is the one that chooses. It says many are called but few are chosen. But the important part is that we bear fruit!

Matthew 7:15-23

"Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves."You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. "So then, you will know them by their fruits.

Interesting that it says to beware of false prophets. Jesus says this. And that they will bear a certain fruit that you will be able to know that it is bad. How important is it then to bear good fruit? Maybe we'll look at this some more. Lets finish the context:

(21-23) - "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'

When is the last time you have heard or talked about the Kingdom of Heaven? And what was it that these people didn't do that kept them from entering?

Amos 8:11-12

"Behold, days are coming," declares the Lord GOD, "When I will send a famine on the land, not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, but rather for hearing of the words of the LORD. "People will stagger from sea to sea and from the north even to the east; They will go to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, but they will not find it."

When I read this for the first time about three and a half years ago, I knew this was true and this was happening now. 


What is a famine? 
Dictionary: extreme scarcity of food; a shortage.
Hebrew: ra'ab: famine, hunger, dearth.


Looking through the Scriptures in the Old Testament, there are many cases of famine. And there was an interesting reason that triggered famines in the Old Testament.


Deuteronomy 32:24 - They will be wasted by famine, and consumed by plague and bitter destruction; and the teeth of beasts I will send upon them, with the venom of crawling things of the dust. 

The reason why:


Deuteronomy 32:15-18 - But Jeshurun (Israel) grew fat and kicked - You are grown fat, thick and sleek - Then he forsook God who made him, and scorned the Rock of his salvation. They made Him jealous with strange gods, with abominations they provoked Him to anger. They sacrificed to demon who were not God, to gods whom they have not known, new gods who came lately, whom your fathers did not dread. You neglected the Rock who begot you, and forgot the God who gave you birth.


Action: Forget God and His ways
Reaction: He will cause things to happen to bring people low, one being famine


But in Amos 8 it is not just talking about a famine for bread and thirst for water. Its a famine for hearing the word of the Lord. 


Deuteronomy 8:3 - He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD.


This is the bread that man is suppose to live on, the word of the LORD, not just bread. So what happens when you remove this "true bread" that mankind is suppose to live on?