Honey From The Rock

Scripture

“I would feed Israel the best wheat, and would satisfy your appetite with honey from the rocky cliffs.”

~Psalms 81:16, NET

Quote

A soft life filled of ease and comfort rarely produces anything of lasting value.

~Ya’akov

God promised Israel that He would satisfy their appetite with honey from the Rock. The reference to honey in the rock is found twice in scripture: first Deuteronomy 32:13, He let them ride over the highlands and feast on the crops of the fields. He nourished them with honey from the rock and olive oil from the stony ground. The second time is in Psalm 81:16, “But I would feed you with the finest wheat.
I would satisfy you with wild 
honey from the Rock.” The first question is: how do you extract honey from a rock? The same way you get water from a rock and both happened in Israel’s wilderness experience.

If you have been to Israel, you know they are blessed with rocks. Practically everything there is made from rocks: houses, roads, fences, walls, cisterns, etc. There are very few trees in the South {Judah} for bees to hive in so there were times when the bees built their hives in the cliff of the rocks. So what is the significance? What is God’s message to us from this verse? Wheat represents the essential nourishment for life but honey is symbolic of desert, the extra with sweetness that brings pleasure. I do love honey. Matter of fact, I love sweets. I think I could live on deserts. There are basic disciplines to the Christian life but with these disciplines, there comes a pleasure that is sweeter than honey. As the hymn writer put it, “Every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before. Every day with Jesus, I love Him more and more.” I can bear witness that this is very true.

There might be another lesson. God can bring something good from an unlikely source. He can even bring sweetness from sorrow. If you don’t believe me, check with Job. We don’t look for honey to come from a rock nor do we expect to find joy amidst sacrifice and suffering but do not discount God’s incredible ability to bring sweet things from hard places. Golgatha is a rocky crag and the old rugged cross was hard and unforgiving: so were the nails and the crown of thorns. Yet our glorious God brought honey from this ROCK, enough to satisfy everyone on the planet. Its amazing grace, is it not!

I took my second covid shot last night and woke up early this morning with a bad headache. I do not know if they are related but it has slowed me down. I need a steroid shot if you know what I mean; my energy level is very low. All our young’n are home except for JD and Lori. Josie tells me they get home tomorrow. Big L got home night before last.

You do realize this is the 6th month and the year is almost half gone. I am on my 4th year of semi-retirement. Wow, time really flies.

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