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Milk and honey symbolize the richness and plenty of the promised land, as well as the goodness of God’s promises. Several times in Exodus, God describes the land of the Canaanites—which is where he’s leading the Israelites, as he first promised their ancestors—as “a land flowing with milk and honey.” This abundance contrasts sharply with the Israelites’ oppression and slavery in Egypt. But in the promised land, life will be far sweeter and more nourishing: the Israelites will enjoy a fruitful life under God’s provision, in accordance with the covenant.
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Milk and Honey Symbol Timeline in Exodus
The timeline below shows where the symbol Milk and Honey appears in Exodus. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 3
...come down to deliver them and to bring them to a new land—one flowing with milk and honey —which currently belongs to the Canaanites and other peoples. God will send Moses to Pharaoh...
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Chapter 13
...the land of the Canaanites, the land he promised to their ancestors, one flowing with milk and honey . The Israelites should tell their children that they do this because of what the...
(full context)
Chapter 33
...go to the land God promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the land flowing with milk and honey . However, God will not accompany them, because they are “a stiff-necked people.” The people...
(full context)
