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LIVING IN A GOOD LAND AND OBEYING THE LORD
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
Deuteronomy 11:1-17

Isaiah 62:1-5

 

“… thy land Beulah:
for the LORD delighteth in thee,

and thy land shall be married.”

 

LIVING IN A GOOD LAND AND OBEYING THE LORD
 
The land of Canaan was different from the land of Egypt in terms of landscape. Canaan was described as a land of hills and valleys that drinks the water of rain from heaven. Egypt, on the other hand, was a plain and was irrigated by the waters of the Nile for agriculture. This was the environment that Israel was used to, but now they were headed to a different land. Moses described the Lord’s care thus: “A land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year” (Deut 11:12). A commentator added, “It was a land which Jehovah inquired after, i.e. for which He cared (as in Prov 31:13; Job 3:4); His eyes were always directed towards it from the beginning of the year to the end; a land, therefore, which was dependent upon God, and in this dependence upon God peculiarly adapted to Israel, which was to live entirely to its God, and upon His grace alone” (Keil and Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament).
 
This is a story that is more than three thousand years old, and the climatic conditions in Israel have changed since then. The agriculture sector now depends on the waters of River Jordan to irrigate the land and produce crops. She is still a land flowing with milk and honey to this day. She is a tiny nation, but is able to feed herself, with extra for export. Moses took into account all the things that the Lord had done to Israel, and he used these as object lessons for them. He was confident that all that the Lord had said to them was sure to be fulfilled.
 
It is important for people to live in a land where there are sufficient resources to sustain human life. When European powers colonised many countries in Africa in the twentieth century, land was a bone of contention as the indigenous people sought independence. In addition to human interest, wild animals also are naturally led to inhabit places where they will find food and protection. Good land is God’s gift.
 
THOUGHT: Godly wisdom turns a barren land into a fruitful Canaan.

PRAYER: Father, I thank Thee for the sufficiency of food in our lands.

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