The Promise Land in the Bible: How Do We Get There from Here?

“For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished, because they did not obey the voice of the Lord; the Lord swore to them that he would not let them see the land that the Lord had sworn to their fathers to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey” Joshua 5: 6. 

This passage is a recounting of the wilderness journey the Israelites embarked on to get to the land flowing with milk and honey God promised them.

To read the surrounding passage for context, click here.

From Egypt to the Promise Land?

I think sometimes Christians become disillusioned because we think we’re going to go directly from bondage in Egypt (unbeliever, sin) to the promise land. But this is not the way it works. The truth is, after being delivered from bondage, we have to spend time in the wilderness.

In fact, the only path to the promise land in the Bible, is through the wilderness. This is important to remember because if we think we’re going directly from bondage to glory, we will be let disappointed.

In the wilderness, ideally, we have an upright heart. Our desire is to glorify God and we are aiming for maturity. In the promise land we’ve become upright or blameless not just in heart, but in our walk. “No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly” Psalm 84: 11.

How Do We Get There from Here?

We’ve become complete and mature, lacking in nothing. But how do we attain this? James 1: 2-4 gives us some insight:

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing”.

These trials or tests will produce steadfastness or endurance if we pass the test. And this steadfastness ultimately makes us mature and complete.

Once we’ve allowed our trials to accomplish their work, and we’ve become mature, we are ready for the promise land. The reason we have to go through the wilderness first is because we can’t enter without maturity.

And that happens as our faith is tested by trials.

What Does Grace Look Like?

This is why 2 Corinthians 8: 1, 2 talks about an abundance of joy in severe trials, and generosity in extreme poverty as evidence of God’s grace.

“We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part”. 

At first glance you might be tempted to wonder how the ability to endure a severe affliction with a right heart is an expression of God’s grace. Big deal you might think. What do I gain from that?

From Egypt to the Promise Land in the Bible

The ability to endure trials with grace is actually one of the greatest expressions of God’s grace and love He can express to us.

It’s only as we bear up under trials that we gain endurance. And only as we gain endurance that become mature. And only as we become mature that we inherit the promise land.

So, in effect, those severe trials are what’s preparing us for the abundant life. Here’s the progression: Egypt (bondage to sin)> Wilderness (trials) > Steadfastness (endurance) > Promise Land.

God in His grace will provide abundant trials in the wilderness to enable us to become mature. But if we don’t pass the repeated tests, we will eventually die in the wilderness.

So, here’s our options: Embrace the wilderness trials, endure them with grace so we can become mature. Or refuse to accept them, become bitter rather than better and die in the wilderness.

In the final analysis, if we refuse to accept and endure our trials, we have no reason to hope for any good thing or perfect gift.

To read another post related to The Promise Land In the Bible: How Do We Get There From Here?, see Trusting God: He Listens When We Do.