Monday: The Land as a Gift
Daily Lesson for Monday 24th of November 2025
Read Exodus 3:8; Leviticus 20:22; Leviticus 25:23; Numbers 13:27; Deuteronomy 4:1,25-26; Deuteronomy 6:3; and Psalms 24:1. What was the special relationship between God, Israel, and the Promised Land?
At a very basic level, land offers physical identity to a nation. By locating the nation, it also determines the occupation and lifestyle of the nation. Slaves were rootless and belonged nowhere; someone else enjoyed the results of their work. Having land meant freedom. The identity of the chosen people was linked strongly to their dwelling in the land.
Image © Review & Herald Publishing at Goodsalt.com
There was a special relationship among God, Israel, and the land. Israel received the land from God as a gift, not as an inalienable right. The chosen people could own the land as long as they were in a covenantal relationship with Yahweh and respected the precepts of the covenant. In other words, they could not have the land and its blessings without the blessing of God.
At the same time, it is true that the land provided a lens through which the Israelites could better understand God. Living in the land would always remind them of a faithful, promise-keeping, and trustworthy God. Neither the land nor Israel would have existed without the initiative of God, who was the Source and foundation of their existence. While the Israelites were in Egypt, the Nile and the irrigation system, coupled with hard work, provided the crops that they needed for subsistence. Canaan was different. They depended on rain for the abundance of their harvests, and it was only God who could control the weather. Thus, the land reminded the people of their constant dependence on God.
Even if Israel received the land as a gift from Yahweh, in the ultimate sense, God Himself remained the owner. As the true owner of the whole earth (Psalms 24:1), Yahweh has the right to assign the land to Israel or to take it away. If God is the owner of the land, the Israelites and, by extension, all humans are strangers and sojourners, or in modern terminology, we are all God’s long-term guests on His land/earth.
|
In the light of 1 Peter 2:11 and Hebrews 11:9-13, what does it mean to you personally to live as a stranger and sojourner looking forward to the city whose designer and builder is God Himself? |
(11)
I suspect that the lesson today is based on the idea that even though we may hold legal title of the land, either as an individual or as a nation, the land does not really belong to us. It is only ours in the sense that we have some sort of control over it for a relatively short piece of time. As Christians, we like to think of the land as belonging to God, and that he has asked us to look after it.
We had an interesting debate in a secular class on environmental ethics about why it is important to look after the land. Among the ideas discussed was the notion that the Christian idea was to use up the lands resources now because God was ultimately going to destroy the lot! I objected to that one although I know that Christian nationalists often have that view. Interestingly the most prevalent view among the class was that we should look after the land because it essentially sustains life. I guess that is about as close as atheist can get to acknowledging something beyond themselves.
One issue that springs to mind in our modern world is where is the line between good management and exploitation. I will give you an example. In Australia we do not have a lot of old growth forest. We have a patchwork of forest on the east coast where most of us live, and the rest of the island continent isred sand and spinifex. The forest is essentially our lungs as photosynthesis removes the carbon dioxide and returns oxygen to us. Yet we are clearing trees at an unprecedented rate, to provide more agricultural land, space for wind generators, providing space for the real estate people to build more houses and so on.
My challenge is this: Does the spiritual compass of Christian activity include being seriously concerned about individual and national land management? Or, are we supposed to think about salvation and righteousness by faith and all the other Christian concepts that we love to talk about in our lesson study, and leave environmental issues to their own fate?
While you think about the challenge of a Christian view of land and environmental management, I am going out to photograph a few birds in our rapidly dwindling avian environment. Why? Because when I am in the bush photographing birds, I feel very close to the Creator.
Caring for creation is part of honoring God, protecting life, and living out faith practically.
Caring for land, wildlife, and natural resources is a faithful response to God’s gift and an expression of worship.
Caring for the environment reflects love for God and love for neighbor
I have the same challenge !
I do believe that we are to care for the environment and be at least interested in solving growing housing crisis, but in a sustainable way that preserves the land and offers smart solutions. There are enough visionaries who have incredible solutions !
Historically and even in modern times, some of the major human conflicts have been sparked primarily by land disputes. For instance, Israel–Palestine Conflict, Kashmir Conflict (India–Pakistan), Russia–Ukraine Conflict, China–Taiwan Dispute, South China Sea Disputes, Sudan–South Sudan Conflict, Ethiopia–Eritrea Conflict, Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict (Armenia–Azerbaijan), Northern Ireland Conflict ("The Troubles"), Tibet–China Conflict, Western Sahara Conflict, Balkans Conflict (1990s), and many more. Why is land so emotive? Land provides national identity, survival, natural resources, religion (holy sites), and national sovereignty.
Praise be to God, who has now promised us a better land where there shall be no territorial disputes. ” Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth”.Salvation is not linked to any geographical location, but to the kingdom of God. We believers should consider ourselves as pilgrims and strangers on this earth (1 Peter 2:11). In fact, Abraham was looking forward to this country (Hebrews 11:10,16). Our blessed hope is the future inheritance in Christ, the New Heaven and New Earth. We shall be co-heirs with Jesus Christ. God can gift us all the blessings on this planet earth, but if we fail to receive the gift of eternal life, all will amount to nothing. More than anything else, may we desire the gift of eternal life.
“And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” (1 John 5:11, ESV)
In my country land boundaries are a big deal and any dispute on land can be deadly. I have had heard an seen land cases taking long to determine with numerous appeals and thus land cases are more difficult to arbitrate than even cases on tax! Land disputes are emotive as it about identity, provision, inheritance abd survival making it a dangerous and NO go zone to disposes anybody. I don't know about the same in Canaan but God dipossed the original owners the Canaanites and handed over 'their'land as a gift to the children of israel in line to God promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob with the catchline being He is the owner of all things by creation Psalms 24:1
The bible principle on messing with boundaries is and was so cardinal in mantaining order and justice in line with Proverbs 22:28, “Do not move an ancient boundary stone set up by your ancestors.” the concept was so important that when the Israelites crossed the Jordan and entered the promised land, it become one of the most important teachings in Leviticus 19:13-15....yet God who taught against it dipossed Canaanites move boundaries and established the children of Israel. Land is usually associated with people's livelihood but for the children of Israel, it was divine gift from God who established property lines at the time and marked the new boundaries though Caleb and Joshua- Joshua 14-19. The truth is that God din't diposses the Canaanites but he took what was rithfuly His and gave it to the ones He pleased as a blessing. God being the owner acted within His rights and allocated His land to israelites yet He wanted them to know it was temporal for they were sorjourners looking forward to a permanent land in the new city Hebrews 11:10-He wanted the children of Israel to look foward to the new city whose artichect and builder is God Hebrews 11:10-13
The story begins with God’s covenant with Abraham:
“I will give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.” (Genesis 17:8)
From that moment, the land of Israel became more than a piece of earth it became a promise. It was the visible sign of God’s faithfulness. Every time the Jewish people looked upon their land, they could remember: God keeps His word.
Even when scattered among the nations, their hope of return never died. The modern rebirth of Israel in 1948 is a remarkable testimony to that enduring promise.
When God said through Jeremiah 3:19, “I wanted nothing more than to give you this beautiful land,” He was revealing His Father’s heart. He longed for His people to enjoy the best He had to offer not just physically, but spiritually.
Israel remains a powerful reminder that God delights to bless His children, and that His covenant promises never fail.
The land of Israel is special to God because it reflects His love, His faithfulness, and His eternal plan to dwell with His people forever.
Hillary, your comment: „Even when scattered among the nations, their hope of return never died. The modern rebirth of Israel in 1948 is a remarkable testimony to that enduring promise.“
The fact is that the establishment of the Jewish Nation was not a divine plan but a political plan coordinated by the Zionist Federation together with Arthur Balfour & Lord Rothschild.
We need not discuss political issues in this blog, yet if the plan were indeed divine, there would not be continual ruthless killing and massacring of innocent human beings on both sides of the population but PEACE.
Thank you so much Inge, your commentary on the distinction between the biblical Israel and the modern state is a crucial one. It's clear that the promises made to Abraham are being fulfilled in a spiritual sense through Christ, and that the modern state of Israel is a complex entity with its own history and struggles.
Amina, your point about the political nature of Israel's establishment is well-taken. It's undeniable that the creation or formation of the state was actually influenced by human politics and interests, and that this has led to ongoing conflict and suffering for many people and it's so sad.
There's this question that has been running around my mind quite a number of times Why did Daniel and Joseph chose to participate in governments that were often hostile to their faith. What do you think enabled them to navigate these complex situations and remain faithful to their convictions? Was it a sense of calling, a desire to influence the systems of power, or something else entirely?
And to ask a question that might shift the conversation. What role do you think faith should play in shaping our engagement with politics and governance, especially in contexts where the ruling powers may not share our values or priorities?
Thank you for pointing this out Amina and Inge. God allowed for the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 for a reason. No prophecy of her restoration after that can be found in the Bible. God still loves the Jewish people and through Christ they can receive the same promises that we receive by faith.
Hillary, I agree with much of what you say, except your reference to modern Israel:
The promise was made to Israel as the inheritors of the Abrahamic covenant. Paul makes clear that the promise was not to the physical bloodline of Abraham but to all who would have faith in Christ. (Study Romans 4:9-16)
By contrast, the modern state of Israel is a political entity and not a covenant community committed to the "Seed" that Abrahm expected.
Before His crucifixion, Jesus foresaw that the nation would reject Him as Messiah, and He mourned over the city, saying, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks (E)under her wings, but you were not willing! 38 See! Your house is left to you desolate; 39 for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’" Matt. 23:37-39 NKJV
Yet God gave more grace to the nation until is finally and irrevocably rejected His mercy with the stoning of Stephen. After that, Paul made clear that being a physical descendant of Abraham had become meaningless and that the those who had the faith of Abraham were his real descendants. See Gal. 3:7-9
The bottom line is this: The modern nation of Israel has no claim on the promises made to God's covenant people in the Bible, even though many evangelicals try to apply the biblical promises to the secular state of Israel.
We must learn to be thankful for all that the Lord has given us, even when we think there is a “but” in His gifts.
Since Adam and Eve gave up their gifted stewardship to Satan, who is now termed “the prince of this world” the question arises on what basis God intervened to establish the Israelites in the land of Canaan when Satan would certainly be protesting. The answer must be that it was “the enmity” that God would place between the “seed of the woman” and Satan’s seed. The foundation of the promised land was nothing less than the promise of the blood through the everlasting covenant.
The promised land was crucial to God's promise of salvation because it was the cross roads of that part of the world. This was the best location for Israel to be a light to the world, and, later, for the knowledge of Jesus to spread out. Given that Christianity spread throughout a great portion of the world in just centuries supports this.
The Promised Land was a gift from God, and Israel was given to live in it by trusting and obeying Him.
God is the owner of the whole earth, and Israel were only strangers and sojourners in His land. Their possession of it depended on their faithfulness to the covenant.
We too are strangers and sojourners in this world, fully dependent on God for everything. We are called to live faithfully and obediently, while looking forward to the eternal home whose Builder is God.
It would make sense for one to believe that the garden of eden was the spiritual garden God intended to plant life of His kind because the garden was without sin. However, when sin enters man and becomes aware of his state of mind, God considers man as someone who possesses equal knowledge of His kind, and therefore He banishes man from the garden. Genesis 3: 22, 23.24.
When God placed man on the part of the land He intended for sinners, He allowed them to possess it as well, and He knew that man will continue to live on the land till such time that he may return into it again. Land acquisition was never a subject for God's plan because He knew mankind of all kinds have to allocate lands for themselves. When God planned to dwell Israel on the land He promised to their ancestors, He intended the Israelites to possess the land by right.
Because the pursuit of religious activities requires mankind of all kinds to acquire land in their respective locations to establish churches, Christians must show interest in their individual and national land management. The pursuit of salvation and righteousness by faith are the challenges Christians must expect to encounter in their daily activities whilst dwelling on the land. When a nation manifests itself as a religious nation, God will bless the people and the land, and by that reason, Christians must take interest in their individual and national land management activities seriously.