Milk and Honey

Exodus 3:8

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.

This passage of scripture contains the call and mission of Moses.

We being by learning that Moses who had been born a Hebrew boy, doomed to death by drowning in the Nile river. Rescued by the inspired thinking and preservation and protection mode of his mother. Was delivered by the Princess the daughter of Pharaoh.

After some years when Moses lived in the palace of Pharaoh, trained under the greatest and brightest that Egypt could afford, he saw one of his Hebrew brethren being mistreated and took matters into his own hands. Slaying the Egyptian and hiding the body.

He was then a wanted fugitive and ran for his life. Exodus three begins by telling us that Moses tended the sheep of Jethro his father-in-law, who was also the priest of Midian.

This tells us that Moses identified more with his people, the Hebrews, than with the Egyptians of his upbringing.

The author of Hebrews 11:24-27 puts it this way, "By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharoah's daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

We see this more visibly when we realize that Moses is now a Shepherd. "This is something that someone who still thought of himself as an Egyptian would never have taken on, so loathsome was shepherding to Egyptians" NAC

If Moses was going to return to Egypt he was going not as an Egyptian the son of Pharaoh's daughter, but as Moses the Israelite.

He was tending his Father-in-laws sheep indicating he was not a man of means. He was just a worker, just a shepherd.

It think that we can see a pattern being set here, "Moses spent 40 years as a shepherd in Midian pulled from the backside of the desert to become the Leader of the Israelites. David was also a shepherd who was taken from the sheepfolds to become king of Israel. God loves to use shepherds! He even refers to Himself as a Shepherd. The announcement of his birth was to lowly shepherds who came running and bowing down at the manger worshipping the Christ child. Jesus himself refers to himself as "The Good Shepherd who lays down his life for His sheep." (Adapted from Exalting Jesus in Exodus)

God uses a fiery bush to attract Moses's attention. And then when Moses came to check out the bush - God calls to him, in verse 4 - "Moses, Moses"

"This is a speech pattern called, "Repetition of Endearment." In ancient Semitic culture, addressing someone by saying his or her name twice was a way of expressing endearment, affection, friendship.

So Moses would have immediately understood that he was being addressed by someone who loved him, was concerned about him. Isn't it amazing how God will often reveal himself to those who do not know him by his love and concern first. Letting them know that he cares about them. (Adapted from NAC)

Verse 7 God summarizes the plight of the Israelites with four terms

Affliction Cry Taskmasters Sorrow

He answers these with three verbs of compassion

I have seen - This one has the Hebrew Infinitive Absolute construction - Simply put it means, "I have carefully watched" or "I have paid very close attention to." This indicates the intensity of God's interest in the misery of his people. I Have Heard I Know

In Verse 8 We see God's plan -

I am come down

to deliver them To bring them up - out of that land

Unto a

Good land Large land Land flowing with milk and honey The place of the ites

I want us to know what that God is still in the process of Seeing, Hearing, and Knowing whatever Plight we are in.

That God is still in the business of Coming Down and Delivering - bringing up and out to a land flowing with milk and honey

Bread and Water are just the bare necessities -

Milk and Honey - A sign of extravagance, wealth, prosperity, abundance, more than enough. To have and to spare.

God is promising the children of Israel not only deliverance from bondage, but a life of abundant growth and hope.

God promises us today this same type of experience. Now I don't mean that your house is going to flood with milk and honey - but Your heart can.

Jesus promised an experience of living water - of never hungering and thirsting again. A life of joy, and peace, and righteousness.

The life of holiness is not a drudgery a way of pain and suffering - although it may at times be painful. It is a life of enjoying Jesus daily, of glorying in Him, of walking in the light, of learning more and more about HIM who died to redeem us. Do you ever rejoice in the fact that you are redeemed?

Do you ever rejoice in the fact that he has made you clean

That you are his child, holy and right in the sight of God.

More than just the bare necessities abundant, the promised land of Milk and Honey overflowing with bounty and delecacies beyond imagine wait for the child of God who wants to explore its beauty and depths.

I trust you will.