What Can Be Sweeter? A Study Of All The Scripture References To Honey – Part 1 Series

WHAT CAN BE SWEETER? A STUDY OF ALL THE SCRIPTURE REFERENCES TO HONEY – PART 1

HONEY IS GOD’S PROVISION - THE APPLICATION OF HONEY IN THE SCRIPTURES

[1]. Genesis 43:11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: take some of the best products of the land in your bags, and carry down to the man as a present, a little balm and a little HONEY, aromatic gum and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds.”

Honey was included as a present fit for a king or ruler. Jacob was in an awful position because of the action and deception of his sons, but it was up to Jacob to plan through it all so he would not lose a second son. The best that Jacob could offer was taken down to Egypt. Honey is always seen as the best in the scriptures for provision. That we shall see in this message. Remember this was in the time of the 7 year drought and we note the gifts were all from trees that survive longer in a drought. It might have been “a little honey” from the reduced production in drought.

If Jacob could offer to this ruler (Joseph – none of them were aware of) “the best products of the land,” then surely we must offer to our dear Ruler the best products of our lives – intellect, gifts, time, talents and provisions. This world is in a deep spiritual drought but God provides for us the honey from His rich resources.

[2]. Exodus 3:8 “So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and HONEY, . . . .”

“Milk and honey” - This is the expression God chose to represent the best. Milk = God’s sustenance. Honey = all God’s expressed sweetness. When God moved Israel into the land of Canaan, He provided the best for them, not anything inferior. God always does that, and has done it for us now and will do so in the life to come. The term “milk and honey” means abundance and productivity. God keeps providing milk and honey for the abundant growth in the Christian life so Christians can bring their own milk and honey gifts to the Lord.

[3]. Exodus 16:31 “And the house of Israel named it manna, and it was like coriander seed, white; and its taste was like wafers with HONEY.”

The hard-to-describe provision of God. We know it’s there. We know it’s ours, but it’s difficult often for our human natures to really fathom the substance of it. The manna was God’s provision for the wilderness journey. It was the earthly food for the earthly people. We can say it was the best and most sustaining.

It was as if wafers were sweetened with honey. The sweetness of honey was in the provision and should have been a reminder to the people of the Lord’s goodness, but they wanted not the heavenly provision, but the world’s food; the leeks and garlic of Egypt, not the goodness and kindness of the eternal God. Woe to any Christian who seeks the world’s provision before that of the Lord’s. Woe to those who seek the false honeyed wafers of the world.

Christians too have manna for their earthly journey. What is our manna – it is the Lord Himself, the true Bread of Life; it is the Holy Spirit who remains with us all through the journey; it is the food of the word of God; it is all the delightful sweetness of salvation and fellowship. Can you understand that the Lord has given us all good things, but He will force none on them on to us, but desires His children to receive them gratefully, not rejecting His manna as the Israelites did?

[4]. Leviticus 2:11 “No grain offering, which you bring to the LORD, shall be made with leaven, for you shall not offer up in smoke any leaven or any HONEY as an offering by fire to the LORD.”

We have here adulteration of offerings. Leaven is the type of sin without exception and must not be named among any godly thing or offering to God. Neither shall honey be offered in fire. Burnt honey is a corruption, the destruction of sweetness, a horrible burnt smell, acrid and extremely displeasing. Be very careful, all of us, that we do not offer to God those things that are corrupted and burnt. It is corruption. Offer to God the sweetness that meets His approval, not honey in the fire.

Another way to consider this. I think the grain offering represents Christ’s sacrifice through the fire of the cross. No leaven, because He was without sin (though made sin for us). No honey because that represents sweetness and Christ’s sacrifice was a bitter trial for our sin. He was the Man of sorrows and the despised One. They crucified the Lord of glory.