Deuteronomy 31:20
For when I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to give to their fathers, and they have eaten and are full and grown fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them, and despise me and break my covenant.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse reveals that prosperity itself—not hardship—is the true test of Israel's devotion. God foresees that once they are full and thriving in the promised land, they will "despise" Him, a word not found elsewhere in Deuteronomy, highlighting a profound spiritual arrogance born from abundance. This isn't just about forgetting God, but actively looking down on Him when life is easy.
God is speaking to Moses in the Tabernacle, commissioning Joshua as his successor just before Moses' death. God forewarns Moses about Israel's future unfaithfulness, predicting that despite His blessings in the promised land, they will eventually abandon Him for other gods. This prophecy sets the stage for the powerful song Moses is instructed to write as a witness against them.
We often pray for blessings, for comfort and abundance. But what happens when those prayers are answered in full? This verse reveals a surprising danger hiding in the good things God gives.
God promises Israel a land flowing with milk and honey – a picture of incredible abundance, security, and satisfaction. But in His divine foresight, He knows that this very prosperity can become a spiritual trap.
The Cycle of Forgetfulness
God makes a profound promise, sealed with an oath. Yet, He predicts it will be broken. What does it mean for God's covenant to be 'despised'?
The 'covenant' here is God's binding agreement with Israel, establishing His relationship with them and outlining their responsibilities. When they turn to other gods, they don't just break a rule; they actively despise God and His covenant.
More Than a Broken Promise
Understand the original words
eretz zabat chalab u-debash · Hebrew Noun Phrase
A poetic expression representing a land of immense abundance, fertility, and prosperity, serving as a gracious gift from God to fulfill His promises to the patriarchs.
na'ats · Hebrew Verb
To treat with contempt or lack of reverence, reflecting an arrogant heart that rejects God's authority and sufficiency despite having experienced His blessings.
This verse speaks to a recurring theme in Israel's history: the danger of prosperity leading to spiritual complacency and unfaithfulness. The abundance God promised became, for many, a catalyst for forgetting Him and breaking their covenant.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
After generations in slavery, God dramatically delivered the Israelites from Egyptian bondage under the leadership of Moses.
c. 1406 BC
Wandering in the Wilderness
Due to disobedience, the Israelites spent 40 years wandering in the Sinai desert, a period of testing and judgment.
c. 1406 BC— this verse
Moses' Final Instructions
As Moses' death nears, God gives him final instructions and commissions Joshua as the new leader to bring Israel into the Promised Land.
c. 1406 BC
Conquest of Canaan Begins
Under Joshua's leadership, the Israelites began the military conquest of the Promised Land, a process that would take several years.
c. 1375 BC - c. 1045 BC
This passage echoes the theme of a new generation forgetting God's faithfulness and turning to idolatry after a period of prosperity, mirroring the warning in Deuteronomy.
Jeremiah 2:5-7The prophet Jeremiah uses similar language, describing Israel's straying from God after He brought them out of Egypt and into a good land, highlighting the persistent theme of unfaithfulness.
Hosea 2:8-10Hosea powerfully illustrates how the blessings God provided, such as grain and wine, were misused for Baal worship, directly correlating to the 'milk and honey' turning into fuel for idolatry.
Psalm 106:6-7This Psalm recounts Israel's historical unfaithfulness, starting with their rebellion at the Red Sea and continuing into the land, underscoring the pattern of forgetting God's mighty acts.
Matthew 13:22Jesus' parable of the sower describes how the worries of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth can choke the word, reflecting how prosperity and comfort can lead people away from spiritual devotion.
calvinDeuteronomy 31:14-30: "And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thy days approach that thou must die: call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of the congregation, that I may give him a charge. And Moses and Joshua went, and presented themselves in the tabernacle of the congregation."
- And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thy days approach that thou must die: call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of the congregation, that I may give him a charge. And Moses and Josh…
pooleDeuteronomy 31:20: "For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey; and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxen fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break my covenant."
No text from Poole on this verse.
The verse reveals that prosperity itself—not hardship—is the true test of Israel's devotion. God foresees that once they are full and thriving in the promised land, they will "despise" Him, a word not found elsewhere in Deuteronomy, highlighting a profound spiritual arrogance born from abundance. This isn't just about forgetting God, but actively looking down on Him when life is easy.
God is speaking to Moses in the Tabernacle, commissioning Joshua as his successor just before Moses' death. God forewarns Moses about Israel's future unfaithfulness, predicting that despite His blessings in the promised land, they will eventually abandon Him for other gods. This prophecy sets the stage for the powerful song Moses is instructed to write as a witness against them.
God is speaking to Moses in the Tabernacle, commissioning Joshua as his successor just before Moses' death. God forewarns Moses about Israel's future unfaithfulness, predicting that despite His blessings in the promised land, they will eventually abandon Him for other gods. This prophecy sets the stage for the powerful song Moses is instructed to write as a witness against them.
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Period of the Judges
Following the conquest, Israel entered a cycle of faithfulness, apostasy, oppression, and deliverance, marked by frequent turning to foreign gods.
"For when I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to give to their fathers, and they have eaten and are full and grown fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them, and despise me and break my covena…" — The verse reveals that prosperity itself—not hardship—is the true test of Israel's devotion. God foresees that once they are full and thriving in the promised land, they will "despise" Him, a word no…
