The Land

 •  3 min. read  •  grade level: 8
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“So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath. And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs. The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence. And they returned from searching of the land after forty days. And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land. And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it” (Numbers 13:21-2721So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath. 22And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) 23And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs. 24The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence. 25And they returned from searching of the land after forty days. 26And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. 27And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. (Numbers 13:21‑27)).
What a wonderful land it was! It was all God had declared it to be and more. Furthermore, it was all theirs if they would take possession of it. And so it is with us! We have so much in Christ, and yet how little we really enjoy it and make it our own. Later on when they were about to finally cross the Jordan River and enter the land, the Lord told them, “Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses” (Joshua 1:33Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. (Joshua 1:3)). It was all theirs, and yet what a small portion they actually took possession of, even after they did eventually get there. At the end of Joshua’s life we read, “there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed” (Joshua 13:11Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the Lord said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed. (Joshua 13:1)).
It was all theirs, but the enjoyment of the fruit of it depended on their faith and obedience. All the blessings are ours, in Christ, but how much do we really take hold of it in our souls, and walk in the practical good of? Most of us have to confess, very little.
To this day Israel has never taken full possession of all that God has mapped out for them, and they never will until the Lord intervenes on their behalf, puts down their enemies, takes His kingdom, and establishes them in the good of what He intended them to inhabit and enjoy. Because of their unbelief, sin, failure to exterminate their enemies, and lack of energy, not only have they never taken full possession of their inheritance, but they have never had true, full, and lasting peace. Ultimately they rejected the Prince of Peace, and the King of Righteousness, and every day the news reports abound with the sad consequences. However, by grace, there is a wonderful promise at the end of the Old Testament, which will be fulfilled in a soon coming day. “Unto you that fear My name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in His wings” (Malachi 4:22But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. (Malachi 4:2)).