Did Israel ever experience the land flowing with milk and honey? • Deshen Daily

And the king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephelah (2 Chronicles 1:15 ESV)

i wish above all things that you may prosper showing money

When God brought Israel out of Egypt, He promised to give them a land flowing with milk and honey. “Milk and honey” meant abundance, prosperity, wellbeing, etc. Did the Jews ever experience this sort of national wealth and wellbeing? The answer is yes. But we often do not hear about it for a reason. It was very brief.

The Old Testament record of Israel’s history is certainly not that of milk and honey but overwhelming that of tragedy. It is easy for us to miss the reality that God indeed fulfilled His promise to Israel. Solomon was the king par excellence in Israel. In his days, the scripture above says gold and silver were as common in Jerusalem as stones. Think about that for a second. That is national prosperity, not just for the king, but the entire kingdom beyond what any empire or nation has ever experienced.

The astonishing truth is that this is what God wanted for Israel year after year. Israel stumbled at that ancient stone, which remains a threat to all of us today. When we prosper, we become complacent and despise God’s Laws. Solomon, in the height of his prosperity, built an altar to an idol in Jerusalem. This milk and honey prosperity of Israel could not last beyond one kingly generation. It is a warning to all of us. One of the most vulnerable periods of our lives are moments when we are doing very well, prosperous, and enjoying God’s blessings. Remember the Lord, fear Him, and keep His Word at all times.

MEDITATE

Did God want the prosperity of Israel? Why is the OT rather full of one disaster after another?

APPLY THE WORD

The bitter truth is that many of us are not ready for prosperity. There are believers and ministers today that will go off track entirely if God brings them into prosperity. Be rooted and grounded in God. God’s blessings should not be the cause of your downfall because you are not established but can easily be carried away by the things of this life.