What does EGW write about...
Ellen Gould White über: "The Return to Canaan"
Answer
The Return to Canaan describes decisive moments of biblical history, including Jacob's obedient, yet conscience‑tormented, return after twenty years in exile. For the people of Israel, the return after the wilderness wanderings was a God‑guided event, however delayed by unbelief and rebellion until they finally crossed the Jordan and entered the promised land. Ultimately, the entry into Canaan serves as a symbol of the final deliverance of God's people into a land cleansed from sin.
Jacob's Return under God's Guidance
»Although Jacob had left Padan‑Aram in obedience to the divine command, he did not embark on the path he had taken twenty years earlier as a refugee without great hesitation. His sin in deceiving his father was constantly before his eyes. He knew that his long exile was the direct result of that sin... When the hills of his homeland appeared in the distance before him, the patriarch's heart was deeply moved.«
Delay due to Unbelief
»The Lord commanded the Hebrews to turn back and go through the way by the Red Sea into the desert. They were very close to the good land, but through their godless rebellion they nullified God's protection. Had they accepted the report of Caleb and Joshua and gone up immediately, God would have given them the land of Canaan. But they were unbelieving... so they brought upon themselves the judgment of never entering the promised land.«
The End of the Wilderness Wanderings
»‘On the fourteenth day of the month in the evening’ the Passover feast was celebrated on the plains of Jericho... And the manna ceased the next day after they had eaten the old grain of the land; also the children of Israel had no more manna; instead they ate the fruit of the land of Canaan. The long years of their wilderness wanderings were at an end. Israel's feet finally stepped into the promised land.«
A More Glorious Deliverance
»Yet another scene unfolds before his eyes – the earth freed from the curse, more beautiful than the beautiful promised land that has just spread before him. There is no sin, and death cannot occur. There the rescued nations find their eternal home. With unspeakable joy Moses looks upon the scene – the fulfillment of a more glorious deliverance than his boldest hopes ever imagined.«
- Israel's Wilderness Wanderings
- Entry into the Promised Land
- Jacob's Flight and Return
Original Sources (English)
