Nothing is sweeter or more nourishing than Jesus Christ, the fulfilled promise of God for us.
Our text for this Sunday focuses on God’s gracious provision and deliverance for His people. These material provisions point from a lesser reality (but no less gracious) to a greater reality in the Gospel. Really, the whole sermon turns on a phrase in verse 9 of our text. “Milk and honey” were not a descriptor of all the value of the land they were receiving from God. It was shorthand, synecdoche, a part of a whole picture of what God was doing for them. In other words, they certainly received more than “milk and honey.” The list of all God had given them would be too much to catalog here. Even with all their complaining, God was completely gracious and giving. Perhaps that has application for us as well. What blessings have we received from God that show us His lavish and extravagant grace? Here in America the list of physical blessings abounds. What about our spiritual blessings as well? What have we received by grace through faith on account of Christ?
It is interesting to note how the Bible keeps this theme of “milk and honey” when talking about the blessings of grace we receive from God. From Isaiah (55:1) to the Psalms (119:103) and Peter (1 Peter 2:2) to John (Revelation 10:10) we have a theme in scripture of imagining all we receive from God which is good as “milk and honey.” Of course, nothing is sweeter or more nourishing than Jesus Christ, the fulfilled promise of God for us. If our text shows the “milk and honey” as a word of promise fulfilled, and the rest of scripture connects “milk and honey” to the Word sustaining and nourishing us, then Jesus Himself as the incarnate Word is the promise kept true for us. In this case, Hebrews 7:7 rings true: “It is beyond dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior.”
Since we are using a phrase which is synecdoche, a Proverbial Structure might work best for this week:
“This sermon structure works with the prevalence of proverbs in contemporary discourse (like advertising slogans and sound bites) and seeks to use that experience for the purpose of proclaiming the divine wisdom tradition. In this structure, the sermon develops a single proverb for the hearers by using it as a refrain throughout the sermon (for our purposes in Deuteronomy 26, milk and honey). Often this proverb arises out of the text itself. The sermon consists of offering the hearers various life situations in which this proverb is reflected upon. In each case, the hearer needs wisdom to discern the application of the proverb, and the sermon offers that contemplative wisdom which discerns how the proverb applies. At one point in the sermon, the proverb is related to the proclamation of the Gospel. By moving from biblical stories to contemporary situations and punctuating each situation with a statement of and reflection upon the proverb, the preacher forms hearers who enter the world remembering the proverb and seeing situations wherein it guides their daily life with godly wisdom.”[1]
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Additional Resources:
Craft of Preaching-Check out out 1517’s resources on Deuteronomy 26:1–11.
Concordia Theology-Various helps from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO to assist you in preaching Deuteronomy 26:1–11.
Text Week-A treasury of resources from various traditions to help you preach Deuteronomy 26:1–11.
Lectionary Kick-Start-Check out this fantastic podcast from Craft of Preaching authors Peter Nafzger and David Schmitt as they dig into the texts for this Sunday!
The Pastor’s Workshop-Check out all the great preaeching resources from our friends at the Pastor’s Workshop!
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[1] https://concordiatheology.org/sermon-structs/dynamic/proverbial/
