This post is written by Charity Dera and is published as a companion to Unit 7, Session 1 of The Gospel Project for Adults Vol. 3 (Spring 2022): From Conquest to a Kingdom.
When all that meets the eye appears to be a panorama of desolate land, void of much sustenance, persevering through life could feel exhausting, daunting and somewhat hopeless. Day by day you constantly wander but never find your true home. Certainly, this was the reality for the generation of Israelites who were freed from slavery in Egypt. Though God had provided for them and given them countless reminders of His promise to bring them to the land flowing with milk and honey, a land of rest, they were bombarded with the reality of what they could see. So they resorted to putting on the cloak of defeat instead of one embroidered with faith.
A Disobedience that Leads to Wandering
Paralyzed by fear of their enemies, the Israelites refused to enter the land God had promised. With rebellious hearts, they considered death more worthwhile than obtaining the land God had prepared for them (Numbers 14:1-3). God was deeply angered by Israel’s disobedience and faithlessness. As a result, they would get what they ultimately wished for—death (Numbers 14:32). This generation was destined to die in the wilderness and would forfeit their opportunity to see the fulfillment of God’s bountiful promise.
For the next generation, however, God promised to bring them into the land that their fathers had rejected (Numbers 14:32). Though all they knew was wilderness, as they never witnessed the miracles God performed through Moses in Egypt, they would be forced to hope in what they could only see from a distance. They even were called to wander in the wilderness for forty years as a consequence of their fathers’ rebellion (Numbers 14:33). In the midst of all of their wilderness wandering, all they had to hold onto was God’s faithful promise. Thankfully, God’s promise was all they needed.
During this time of wandering through the wilderness and eventually camping out in Moab, this generation would have witnessed both the death of Moses, their unparalleled leader (Deuteronomy 34:11), and the death of their parents. Surrounded by an arid climate that reeked of despair and grief, these Israelites dwelled in a land they were called to be in that moment, yet yearned for the place they would ultimately call home. They occupied a land that lacked much food and water, yet desired to be in the place that would provide sufficient nourishment (Psalm 107). They were exhausted from dwelling in the wilderness, yet looked forward to inhabiting the land of rest (Deuteronomy 3:18-20). They occupied a temporary residence, yet longed to behold the permanent home God had prepared just for them (Exodus 32:20).
God’s Faithfulness in the Desert
It is in such a climate that God demonstrates His faithfulness among His people. Through Joshua (Moses’ successor), God would appoint His people to take hold of the land He had prepared just for them (Joshua 1). At last, His people would have a place to call home as well as an opportunity to trust God in ways in which their fathers had failed. God had even given Joshua and the Israelites everything they needed for a successful conquest—His presence with them (Joshua 1:5, 1:9), His Word to obey (Joshua 1:6-8), and His promises to be assured by (Joshua 1:3-5). All they needed was courageous faith in their victorious God!
Our Wandering in this World
God’s people in Christ are not much different from the Israelites. We too dwell in a world that is not our home. A world that gives the facade that it will last forever, yet one that we know in our souls to be temporal. Our wilderness is saturated with evil, persuaded by injustice and captivated by rebellion. It is a place in which we thirst for satisfaction but find no real quenching.
Praise be to God that though we are thirsty, He gives provision through the Living Water of His Son who eternally satisfies our souls (John 4:10)! Though we are powerless to live sanctified lives, His divine power provides all that we need for life and godliness as we journey through this wilderness (2 Peter 1:3)! Though we may feel the isolation of being strangers in a foreign land, Jesus goes ahead of us in ultimate hospitality to prepare a permanent home for us (John 14:1-4)! As we look forward to the day in which our mortal bodies are resurrected, we can also look forward to the day in which Christ will make all things new and enable us to dwell in a brand new earth under His Kingship and void of evil (Revelation 21). May we be like the second generation of Israelites who, though they were born in the wilderness, trusted God enough to hope in what they could not see.
Charity Dera is a disciple of Christ, wife to Fenol, and mom to Landon. She attends Living Faith Bible Fellowship in Tampa, Florida, where she serves and worships. Charity is the author of Good Girls Hidden Sins: Shining the Light on the Darkness.
Craig Jones says
I may be missing something and I apologize if I have, but does the additional resources no longer make these type resources available? This is just an example from Fall of 2021.
5. A Family Preserved
Essential Doctrine #29: God’s Plan and Human Action
Article: Run Like the Wind from Sexual Sin by Benjamin Vrbicek
Article: Joseph’s Faith in Death by Kim Riddlebarger
Article: How Does Joseph Foreshadow Jesus? by James Hamilton Jr.
Sermon: Hope in the Dungeon by Clint Pressley
I really enjoyed those and if these type resources are still available, please show me how to find them.
Thanks,
Craig
Y Bonesteele says
If you click on the above link “Resource Library,” then “Additional Resources,” then scroll down to the February 26th post, you will find the post you are looking for. Hope that helps!