The Promised Land Without the Promiser (Proverbs 15:16)
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Proverbs 15:16
Better is a little with the fear of the Lord
than great treasure and trouble with it.
In my own time with the Lord, I’ve been going through Exodus, and in that book of the Bible you’re reading of the Lord’s rescuing of the Israelites out of Egypt and leading them to the promised land.
During that journey, the Israelites constantly rebel and complain to the Lord. And there’s a point where the Israelites craft and worship a golden calf, and God is indignant. His righteous wrath burns against them, and He chooses not to blot them out because of Moses’ pleading and prayer.
And in His mercy, though He spares them, He tells the Israelites He will still send them into the Promised Land – but He Himself will not go with them, lest His holiness consume them, because they were ‘stiff-necked.’ And in that chapter, Exodus 33, the Israelites respond to this Word by mourning. Why? They were still getting the promise, so what was the big issue? The presence. The presence of God.
To receive the promise of God without the presence of God is a thing worth mourning because God Himself is the greatest gift.
Think about that:
What is a land flowing with milk and honey if the Shepherd is missing from the fields? What is the Promised Land if the Promiser does not walk its hills?
It’s not a gift – it’s a mansion with no Master, a feast with no Friend – it’s a grave with pretty flowers on top. The Israelites grieved not because of what they lacked, but because of who they would lose.
I mean, Heaven itself would be a hollow shell if Christ were not there.
And we see that here in Proverbs 15:16. Solomon is saying it is far better to have very little in possession, status, wealth, but to have the presence of the Lord with you, to live in fear of Him and relationship with Him, than to have great treasure – be it possession, status, or wealth – and have it without God. To have it and the turmoil that so often comes with it.
This verse puts things in proper perspective and priority, because it shows us that our relationship with the Lord is the thing to be treasured and valued above all.
And maybe you know that, but it’s worth reflecting on whether your life preaches that truth too. Because we far too easily slip into habits and actions that the Israelites did in the Old Testament – having seen God do amazing things in our life, the Red Sea parting moments of protection, the manna from the sky moments of provision – and yet we still seek the treasure of the earth. We’re so nearsighted sometimes. We trade eternal glory for glitter that won’t last till morning.
So let me ask you today:
Where might you be seeking the gifts of God while neglecting the Giver?
In what areas of my life am I living like the promise is better than the presence?
And what would it look like to live life treasuring the Lord’s presence, seeking to live out the fear of Him?
Let’s pray in reflection on this.
