27/12/12

Dwell in the Promised Land forever

Psalms 37:29 - The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.


Before I start with today's message let me clear some points. In the Bible we see Israel was promised a land of milk and honey. Here let me ask a question, does a land give milk or honey? Milk comes from cattle and we see Abraham took the cattle along with him to the land promised to him, in other words he was taking the milk manufacturers with him. Regarding honey, the land promised did not have some exceptional factor that promoted bees to bread in very large numbers. Now if people argue it was just a phrase symbolizing a land rich with natural resources, then note that some tribes refused to cross over the Jordan River unto the Promised Land because they found that land rich in natural resources and Moses nearly pulled them up for this.

From the time of Abraham till date the Israelites have never got hold of the land, does it mean God is incapable to meet His promise even after 4000 years, is His Hand short in driving the 'enemy' or handling 'His people'. We also need to note that the 5 'evil' tribes that occupied the land were descendants of Canaan and included others too, yet the Lord chose to call this land only by the 5 tribes.

The grandest moment of Israel rule was during the time of David, even though Solomon was famous for being rich and wise yet his kingdom faced financial problems and rebellion. If we see scriptures David never had any organized plan to capture the territory defined to Abraham or Moses. Even though His Kingdom expanded beyond in some areas yet he ignores those which were not within his rule and part of the 'promised land' and preferred to have some places a treaty or understanding between the descendants of Canaan. Among all the Israelite rulers David had good knowledge of the Kingdom of God; he also had great Men of God with him to guide him on these factors yet he never pursued a marked territory. The same was the story with Joshua.

So we see the Promised Land itself was symbolic as was the factors milk and honey. We can understand milk from Paul's letters. He puts milk as basic understanding of God's Kingdom. Like a mother feeds her infant similarly God feeds us milk when we are spiritually small.

Honey as we know comes from flowers and one needs to know honey is one edible substance that does not get spoilt by itself. Man has found honey kept in Egyptians tombs for thousands of years and yet edible.

To understand honey scripturally one needs to understand Proverbs 18:21. I have written about this before but will try to put it briefly here.

People think the power of life and death is in the tongue which directly is wrong. The later part of the scripture says 'they that love it will eat the fruit thereof'. If someone comes and curses you, that does not mean what that person said will happen to you, that person is not God. Even what a Man of God says if not from the Lord, that will not happen to you.

The scripture says the power of life and death is not in the tongue itself but the 'fruit thereof'. Understand, words do not affect us but when we pollenate or meditate on words we can receive or be affected by what they say. In other words what we believe in affects us.

Words are like flowers when we pollenate or meditate on them those flowers become fruits.Flowers (words) that come from the Lord bear good fruits when pollenate and flowers (words) which are carnal or evil bear poisonous fruits. It is not the flower so much but the source which it comes from that matter.

Honey is the extract of flowers symbolizing the right, unadulterated understanding of the Word of God.

In today's message the Lord is telling us those who live their lives according to the Lord will only dwell in His understanding both basic and perfect.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, man has been trying to study your Word using his wisdom but even after centuries has failed and therefore confusion reigns between men. The only way to understand your Word is by living it and to live it we cannot do it without your Spirit. Holy Spirit, led us into living a life according to the Lord and led us to know and dwell in your Kingdom...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]
Exodus 3:7-8
7 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

Numbers 14:8 - If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.

Proverbs 18:21 - Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

Judges 3:3 - Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath.

2 Samuel 24:7 - And came to the strong hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, even to Beersheba.

1 Kings 9:20 - And all the people that were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, which were not of the children of Israel,

Joshua 1:10-16
10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,
11 Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you to possess it.
12 And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying,
13 Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, The LORD your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land.
14 Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them;
15 Until the LORD have given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the LORD your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD'S servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sunrising.
16 And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)