Deuteronomy 11:10-12

These verses afford a delightful view, even considered as an history of the promised land. It is beautiful to remark the several characters here drawn by the pencil of Moses, under the direction of the HOLY GHOST. Canaan was not as Egypt, even beheld as to its situation by nature. Egypt owed its fruitfulness to great labour and art: but Canaan was watered by the rain of heaven. The river Nile did not overflow its banks to water Egypt but once in the year, and all the rest of the year the country of Egypt became a dry soil. The Prophet gives an account of this, that Egypt had no rain, Zechariah 14:18. No doubt, as Israel had been long in bondage, the Fathers well recollected their labour and toil in the gardens of their masters, and how they had been compelled to sow the seed, and water it with their feet; meaning, perhaps, to fetch water from the Nile. Sweetly therefore the man of GOD draws the contrast to this servitude, in the spontaneous fruitfulness of Canaan, which had the eye of the LORD their GOD upon it from one end of the year to the other. Canaan had no river excepting the sacred stream of Jordan, in which, in after ages, the SON of GOD was baptized. So that, as the Prophet elegantly described it, there was no navigable channel for a galley with oars, or gallant ship, to pass by. No enemy could approach by water. But, saith the Prophet, there the glorious LORD will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams. His presence made up all deficiencies. See Isaiah 33:20. But we lose still greater beauties in this passage if we stop here. Canaan, considered as a type of heaven, is yet more delightful to contemplate. Of the heavenly Canaan it may be truly said, it is not like the earthly Egypt of our fallen state. The land which the believer is going to possess hath not only the eye, but the presence of the LORD GOD upon it forever. JESUS is there, His person, his love, his redemption, his relations, offices, character; all are the same, yesterday, today, and forever. And if the Reader will pursue this train of reasoning through all the various parts in which it is capable of being traced, he will discover a most pleasing subject opening to his meditation. 2 Corinthians 3:18.