Drop of Honey
"He found them in a desert land, in an empty, howling wasteland. He surrounded them and watched over them; he guarded them as he would guard his own eyes."
--Deuteronomy 32:10 (NLT)
The Picture
Have you ever been in a situation where disaster was bearing down on you, you could watch it come, and you could not change it? God encourages us through the barren, lonely, helpless time by giving us desert pictures....
Have you ever been in a situation where disaster was bearing down on you, you could watch it come, and you could not change it? God encourages us through the barren, lonely, helpless time by giving us desert pictures....
According to teacher Ray Vander Laan, an expert in Jewish history with regard to Biblical studies, God describes three types of Land in the Old Testament, both literally and figuratively:
In Hebrew the word for "desert" can mean many things: "desert", "to speak", "Holy of Holies", "Leader/To lead". So the Rabbi's have said:
- Pharaoh's Land/Egypt (Exodus 20:2): Land of slavery, where you are bondage to your own desires and sins.
- Your Land/Land of Milk and Honey (Deut 26:9): Land of fertility and comfort, He will bless you abundantly.
- My Land/The Desert (Hosea 2:14): A wilderness so harsh a person will perish without the aide of the Lord.
In Hebrew the word for "desert" can mean many things: "desert", "to speak", "Holy of Holies", "Leader/To lead". So the Rabbi's have said:
If we go to the desert, we can hear God speak
(like Elijah).
The farther we go into the desert the closer we get to God
(like the Holy of Holies)
After we've been with Him we can lead
(like Moses).
(like Elijah).
The farther we go into the desert the closer we get to God
(like the Holy of Holies)
After we've been with Him we can lead
(like Moses).
God's ultimate goal is for Him to bless us in the Promised Land, as we acknowledge that our lives are just as much sustained by Him in times of plenty as it was in the Desert. When we lose that perspective, we begin to rebuild Pharaoh's Land at which point the Lord comes to rescue us. He saves us from our own ultimate demise by lovingly leading us back to the Desert, back to God's Land.
The desert pictures are sprinkled throughout the Old Testament. In this blog we will explore each of these images: The Acacia tree, the Broom bush, Shepherds, Floods, etc. They are purposely made to be images that we daily experience so that when we are wandering in our personal deserts--either of our own making, or those thrust upon us-- we are constantly encouraged. We are encouraged that through the discomfort we experience the joy of His close presence, and we are being matured for a purpose.
The desert pictures are sprinkled throughout the Old Testament. In this blog we will explore each of these images: The Acacia tree, the Broom bush, Shepherds, Floods, etc. They are purposely made to be images that we daily experience so that when we are wandering in our personal deserts--either of our own making, or those thrust upon us-- we are constantly encouraged. We are encouraged that through the discomfort we experience the joy of His close presence, and we are being matured for a purpose.
References
- Kahn, Rabbi Ari. (2001). Bamidbar (Numbers 1:1-4:20): The Desert. M'oray Ha'Aish. Retrieved from http://www.aish.com/tp/i/moha/48944276.html
- Image: http://www.psxextreme.com/ps3-wallpapers/1206.html
- Vander Laan, R. (2007). The Eastern Window. Address at Twin Falls Reformed Church, Twin Falls, ID.
- Vander Laan, R. (2011). RVL | On [Video file]. Retrieved from http://rvl-on.com/clips/desert-moments/