March 31, 2025 - Ezekiel 20:6 - "A Land Flowing with Milk and Honey"

Ezekiel 20:6

"In the day that I lifted mine hand unto them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands:"

This verse is a powerful testimony to God's covenant faithfulness, both historically in Israel’s deliverance from Egypt and spiritually in the greater redemption found in Christ. Historically, it recalls God's sovereign grace in choosing Israel, delivering them from bondage, and leading them to a land of promise. Spiritually, it foreshadows the fulfillment of His covenant of grace through Jesus Christ, Who delivers His people from the slavery of sin and the bondage of the law into their eternal inheritance in His kingdom. This kingdom, which Christ came to establish, was consummated in His resurrection from the dead and His ascension into glory (Acts 2:32-36). Therefore, this inspired Word of God not only recounts the history of Israel’s redemption but also magnifies its greater fulfillment in Jesus Christ, in Whom all the promises of God are "yea, and in him Amen" (2 Corinthians 1:20). It is through Him that believers are led out of darkness and into the glorious kingdom prepared for them before the foundation of the world (Colossians 1:13; Matthew 25:34).

The lifting of God's hand signifies His solemn oath and unchanging purpose. Just as He swore to bring Israel into Canaan, He has also established an everlasting covenant in Christ, securing the inheritance of the saints (Hebrews 6:17-18). The land "flowing with milk and honey" serves as a type of the spiritual blessings found in Christ, Who is Himself the true and living Way into the ultimate promised rest of God (Hebrews 4:9). This was the "city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God" to which Abraham looked by faith (Hebrews 11:10).

Natural-minded readers of the Bible will typically interpret this passage in a literal, earthly sense, for only the Spirit of God can give eyes to see its fulfillment in Christ. Many still look for a physical, earthly kingdom, with natural Jerusalem as its capital, to which all nations will flow in some future millennial reign. Those with natural understanding believe this passage refers to the physical land of Israel, expecting an earthly restoration of that land to a privileged status among the nations before the end of time. But to believe this is to contradict the prophetic Word, which declares that when Christ came the first time, He established His kingdom on earth in His Person. He is now seated in heaven, ruling and reigning over His true Israel—the elect from every tribe, nation, and tongue, both Jew and Gentile—whom He redeemed with His blood (Revelation 1.5.6). The true Promised Land is Christ in glory! The land flowing with milk and honey is the grace of God that flows from Christ, the Savior and King, to His people (1 Peter 2:2). The Psalmist declared, "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (Psalm 119:103). And again, "Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue" (Song of Solomon 4:11). Christ, the living Word of God, is the true nourishment of His people.

Ezekiel 20:6 speaks of God’s promise to bring His people into "a land flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands." This promise finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ, who is the true Promised Land for believers. Just as Canaan was a place of rest, abundance, and divine blessing, so the Lord Jesus is the promised rest for His people (Matthew 11:28), their spiritual nourishment (John 6:35), and the fullness of God’s blessings (Ephesians 1:3). Through Him, we inherit the riches of God’s grace, making Him the true and perfect fulfillment of the land flowing with milk and honey. Christ is the Promised Land, in whom all His chosen race dwells—now and forever—having entered into His rest through His finished work on the cross. "But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city" (Hebrews 11:16). He is the Glory of all lands, the true Bread of Life that feeds His people, and the pure milk that nourishes His lambs.

"For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes" (Revelation 7:17).