Shalom!
 
We have spent several weeks now reading about how YHWH has chosen a people whom He could shower with His love. Since He took them out of Egypt, He has protected and shielded His Israelites with the Light of His Presence and the Cloud of His Glory. When they became thirsty, He provided water for them. When they were hungry, perfect bread fell from Heaven. Neither their clothes nor their sandals ever wore out. When there was war, YHWH showed them how to gain the victory. They were given a "way" through the Torah that would keep them immersed in blessings. The nations were afraid of them and the Promise of an inheritance was to be their future. All these things were part of about the last year and a half for them. Never had a people been shown so much amazing love and offered such a Utopian future. It was truly a way back to the Garden.
 
The Psalmist gives us a summary of what happened in this week's Torah reading:
 
Psalm 106:21 They forgot El their Savior, Who had done great things in Egypt, 22 Wondrous works in the land of Ham, Awesome things by the Red Sea. 23 Therefore He said that He would destroy them, Had not Moshe His chosen one stood before Him in the breach, To turn away His wrath, lest He destroy them. 24 Then they despised the pleasant land; They did not believe His word, 25 But complained in their tents, And did not heed the voice of YHWH. 26 Therefore He raised up His hand in an oath against them, To overthrow them in the wilderness, 27 To overthrow their descendants among the nations, And to scatter them in the lands.
 
Notice that verse 26 tells the story of the first generation being condemned to die in the wilderness, but verse 27 continues with the ominous prophecy that there would be exile for the descendants that would "scatter them all throughout the nations." Thus Parashat Shelach describes the turning point for the children of Israel. From here on out, absolutely everything changes. The perfect scenario that the Father has painted up to now for His precious ones will be rejected. The way back to the Garden will be much longer. What in the world happened?
 
First of all, YHWH said to send one prominent man from each tribe to spy out the Land:​
 
Bemidbar/Numbers 13:1 And YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying, 2 "Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader among them."
 
This would be a test for those in leadership positions:
 
Luke 12:48 ...For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
 
These men who were sent out were trusted within their tribes. The words of the report they brought back would be believed and accepted as the way by the people they represented. Their witness began with truth:
 
Bemidbar/Numbers 13:27 Then they told him, and said: "We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.
 
The description of "milk and honey" is the promise initially given to Moshe at the burning bush:
 
Shemot/Exodus 3:8 "So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites.
 
 
And repeated to the people shortly after they were delivered from Egypt:
 
Shemot/Exodus 13:5 "And it shall be, when YHWH brings you into the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keep this service in this month.
 
 
Repeated so often, it seems to be the best description of the Land:
 
Vayikra/Leviticus 20:24 'But I have said to you, "You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey." I am YHWH your Elohim, who has separated you from the peoples.
 
 
 
In fact, this description of the Land is used at least 15 times in the Torah, and 5 other times in the Tanakh:
 
Ezekiel 20:6 "On that day I raised My hand in an oath to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, 'flowing with milk and honey,' the glory of all lands.
 
So what does it mean? Is it only somehow about the fertility of the Land? Is it literally about "milk and honey"? (Although Israel's cows are the most productive in the world and Israel also produces tons of honey.) Well, it might surprise you that the "Word of YHWH" is often compared to "honey," something that is both sweet and nutritious:
 
Psalm 119:103 How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
 
Psalm 19:9 The fear of YHWH is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of YHWH are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
 
Psalm 81:13 "Oh, that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways! 14 I would soon subdue their enemies, And turn My hand against their adversaries. 15 The haters of YHWH would pretend submission to Him, But their fate would endure forever. 16 He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat; And with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you."
 
Ezekiel 3:3 And He said to me, "Son of man, feed your belly, and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you." So I ate, and it was in my mouth like honey in sweetness.
 
Revelation 10:9 So I went to the angel and said to him, "Give me the little book." And he said to me, "Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth." 10 Then I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter.
 
And remember the "Manna," a reference to Yeshua, the Word made flesh, also had a taste like honey:
 
Shemot/Exodus 16:31 And the house of Israel called its name Manna. And it was like white coriander seed, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.
 
 
In addition, "honey" is listed as one of the "fruits of the Land":
 
Devarim/Deuteronomy 8:8 "a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey;
 
 
Thus the Land is overflowing with "honey." The Land is filled with the essence of the Word and Yeshua, Himself. Man (Adam) was formed from that very ground and given life through the breath of the Spirit. So...what about "milk"? What does "milk" represent in the Bible? In the Brit Chadasha (New Testament), we also find parallels of "milk" with the "Word" ...but as nutrition for those who are just "babes in the Word":
 
Hebrews 5:12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of Elohim; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
 
1 Corinthians 3:2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?
 
1 Peter 2:2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3 if indeed you have tasted that Adonai is gracious.
 
So could we say the inheritance that YHWH promised His people, this "Land flowing with milk and honey," had everything to do with a Holy Land meant to be "overflowing with the Word"? This is what the Land has to offer. A Land meant to be a testimony to the nations of the Great YHWH who desired to display a people obedient to His ways. A Land that could not and would not tolerate the disobedience of the people chosen to live there. A Land that speaks when the people obey. The only place in the world where the Torah could be completely lived out. Only the "bride" will actually see and speak of the Promised Land as the Land of "honey and milk":
 
Song of Solomon 4:11 Your lips, O My bride, Drip as the honeycomb; Honey and milk are under your tongue; And the fragrance of your garments Is like the fragrance of Lebanon.
 
A chapter later in Song of Solomon, we have reference again to "milk and honey." This time the bridegroom is in His "garden" (consider Eden) where He is drinking not only "milk and honey," but also "wine." He invites "His beloved ones" to partake with Him:
 
Song of Solomon 5:1 I have come in to my garden, my sister, my bride, I have plucked my myrrh with my spice, I have eaten my comb with my honey, I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends, drink, Yea, drink abundantly, O beloved ones!
 
Now we'll change directions a little bit and consider "wine." "Wine" comes from "grapes." Initially, Moshe had told the spies to "go up" (alu), ending with a comment about the "time of season"....
 
Bemidbar/Numbers 13:17 Then Moshe sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, "Go up (alu) this way into the South, and go up to the mountains, 18 "and see what the land is like: whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, few or many; 19 "whether the land they dwell in is good or bad; whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or strongholds; 20 "whether the land is rich or poor; and whether there are forests there or not. Be of good courage. And bring some of the fruit of the land." Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes.
 
 
The command to "go up" is from the verbal root "alah" which also describes those Jewish people who return to live in Israel - those who make "aliyah." The "first ripe grapes" in Hebrew is literally the "firstfruits of grapes." On the calendar, this is the middle of summer, and only the beginning of the harvest season. These "firstfruit grapes" only begin the season and there is still much work to be done working toward the "harvest." The bulk of the "harvest" is around Sukkot (in the fall, the expected time of Yeshua's return) when all the grain, fruits and nuts were gathered.
 
Continuing now with the themes of "firstfruits, harvest, and grapes"....Yeshua was "raised" (aliyah) as a "firstfruits" of those who have died:
 
1 Corinthians 15:20 But now Messiah is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
 
As the "firstfruit," Yeshua has been raised from the dead, making Him the beginning of the "harvest." What "harvest" are we talking about? Yeshua became the "firstfruit" of the barley harvest when He resurrected. There are the "firstfruits" of the wheat harvest raised at Shavuot. There are "firstfruits" presented at the Feast of Ingathering (Sukkot). And we have mentioned in our Torah parasha, the "firstfruits" of grapes. All eventually point to the "harvest" that is at the end of the age! Sorry, I do not have all the answers for these different "firstfruits." But the good news is, there are other "grapes" (those connected to the vine, read John 15) who are part of the "firstfruits" harvest:
 
Revelation 14:4...they kept themselves pure.
These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to Yah and to the Lamb.
 
 
Know that we are still living in the days of the "firstfruits of grapes," the time in between Shavuot and Sukkot. Grapes continue to be harvested until the Sukkot season. We can be part of the early harvest while preparing for the larger harvest that is to come in those very last days before Yeshua returns. We must strengthen ourselves with the "fruit of the Land," including the "flowing milk and honey" of the Word.
 
The ten spies despised the cherished Land of Promise and what it had to offer. For those of us who consider ourselves "keepers/guardians" of the Torah, we must be careful that we also do not get caught in the "sin of the spies." The media leads the charge in bringing about a bad report of the Land.
 
And what about you? In the future, will you be open to the Land and what it has to offer? Do you consider the Land to be an important part of His promises? Are you some of the "firstfruit grapes" of the "branches" that are connected to the "vine"?
 
John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit
 
A
t the end here, it seems appropriate to share a video on the Land of Israel and how it responds to the people of Israel. Today promises are coming to pass as the Jews return to the Land. Land of Promise
 
Shabbat Shalom!
Ardelle