Psalm 118:10-12
“All nations surrounded me;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
They surrounded me like bees;
they blazed like a fire of thorns;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!”
Bees and their mention in scripture, are menacing. There is never just one, as symbolized in the Psalm. The enemies of the Psalmist are legion and destructive. Their drive to chase away their prey is used to symbolize Israel’s enemies that too can swarm to destroy them.
Curiously, what they create, honey, that natural sweetener, is used to denote something that is good, in abundance, and a sign of approval or blessing from God. The reference to the land of Israel as that land, ‘flowing with milk and honey,’ is prolific within scripture. A description of a land full of promise, substance, and everlasting blessing. Honey sustained not only individuals but also the Jewish people. For one to find honeycombs and honey in the wilderness, like John the Baptist was also a sign of God’s favor that sustained one in precarious places.
Another reference to honey referred to the truth and pleasure of studying God’s word in scripture, like Psalm 119:103, “How pleasing is Your word to my palate, sweater than honey.” May you too enjoy this buzz through Holy Scripture and the creatures God loves by tasting the sweetness that is God’s Word.
Prayer
We praise you Lord, for you are good, even the threat of enemies that may swarm like bees does not deter us in gently lifting the honeycomb of your teachings to taste it’s sweetness. May, indeed, its blessing be in abundance and its sweetness of joy never fade. In Christ’s precious name we pray, Amen.
