Yahweh takes Israel from Egypt to a superior land. In Deuteronomy 11:8-12, He describes eight features of the land, using “land” eight times:
1) A land to be possessed, 11:8
2) Prolong days in the land, 11:9
3) A land of milk and honey, 11:9
4) Land to be possessed, 11:10
5) Not like land of Egypt, which was watered with a foot pump, 11:10
6) Land to be possessed, 11:11
7) Land of hills and valleys, drinking rain from heaven, 11:11
8) Land that Yahweh cares for and watches, 11:12
Eight is the number of new creation in Scripture, marking the first day of a new week after the seven days of a week are over. Israel is to leave behind the old land and enter the new; leave behind the old time, and enter the new week. The critical difference between the two lands is the water source – Egypt was watered from below, Canaan from above.
And, related to that, Egypt is implicitly a flat land, while Canaan is a land of hills and valleys, which means a land of many rivers. A land of hills and valleys is a land that can “drink” rain from heaven, and spread that heavenly water throughout the land.
