Week 3 Days 2-3 The Wandering to The Promised Land

I know it's been a while since I posted.  It seems that our group has been wandering around this subject for many, many days.  Hmmm... sound familiar?  Hopefully, we won't be here for 40 years!

Almost as soon as the Israelites leave Egypt, Pharaoh changes his mind and goes after them.  The Israelites are camped on the edge of the wilderness.  God went before them in a pillar of cloud to lead them by day and a fire by night.  Pharaoh and his choice men catch up with them by the sea.  The children say to Moses, "Because there were no graves in Egypt, you've taken us to die in the wilderness. Didn't we say to leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians?"  (Ex 14:10)

Moses said to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, but God said to go forward.  So, the Angel of God moved from going before them to behind them and the pillar of cloud stood between them.  It was a cloud of darkness to the Egyptians and brought light to the other.

The Lord caused a strong wind that made the sea dry ground and the children of Israel crossed over. The Egyptians pursued them and God 'troubled their army' by taking the wheels off their chariots. They realized that God was against them, but it was too late.  They couldn't flee.  The waters returned and covered them- not one Egyptian survived.  The Israelites sang the song of Moses and rejoiced.

The rejoicing was short-lived- three days later they were complaining against Moses for lack of water.  (Ex 15:20) This was just the beginning of a long rollercoaster ride.  Their high moments seemed to be easily forgotten and overtaken by extreme lows where they wished they would have died in Egypt.

After traveling for a month and a half, they complained because they had no meat. (Ex 16) God provided manna that was fresh each day.  They had to get up early to get it or it would melt in the sun. They couldn’t store it up. Everyone gathered enough to meet their need. Those that gathered much-had none left over and those that gathered little had no lack.  God wanted the children of Israel to depend on Him.  He wanted a daily relationship with them. 

He wants the same from us.  His mercy is new each morning (Lam 2:22-23). We shouldn’t store up the blessings but receive a fresh touch daily. We do not have to be fed by others, we should feed ourselves daily in His Word.

As they continued on their journey, they camped where there was no water.  They rose up against Moses and were ready to stone him to death. (Ex 17:4) God told him to take his rod and strike a rock and water would come forth, and it did.

In the third month, they came to Sinai.  God called to Moses and he went up to the mountaintop and God gave him the 10 Commandments and laws to live by as well as the rules for the Tabernacle (which is sometimes called 'The Book of the Covenant').  Moses went to the mountain with Joshua, his assistant, and God wrote the 10 Commandments upon the stone tablets.  They were on the mountain for 40 days and nights.

When the people saw that they were gone for so long, they asked Aaron to make a god for them.  They gave him their gold and he made a golden calf.  God told Moses to go down off the mountain because the people had sinned.  When Moses saw the calf, he was angry.  He threw the stone tablets down and broke them.

Moses went back to the mountaintop after destroying the calf, and God gave him another set of stone tablets.  Moses asked to see God's glory, so He put Moses in the cleft of a rock and covered him with His hand and as He passed by he saw God's back.  Moses' face shone when he came off of the mountain- it was so bright that he had to wear a veil.

They built the tabernacle according to the regulations.  The cloud covered the tabernacle and the glory of God filled it.  Whenever the cloud was taken up, the children of Israel would continue their journey. The cloud was above it by day and the fire was over it by night.

God asked them to send out spies to Canaan- one man from each tribe.  They brought back the fruit of the land and told the Israelites that the land indeed flows with milk and honey, but the people who live there are giants.  Ten of the twelve men were afraid, but Caleb and Joshua said, "we are well able to overcome it". (Numbers 13:30)

The ten spies that feared said that they looked like grasshoppers in our own sight and so were we in their sight.  All of the children of Israel complained and said, "if only we had died in Egypt or in the wilderness".  Joshua and Caleb wanted to go forth into the land.  The people wanted to stone them.

As a consequence, they had to stay in the wilderness for 38 more years.  God said that all of the children would die in the wilderness and not see the Promised Land- except for Joshua and Caleb.  They could’ve lived in the Promised Land, but instead, their unbelief kept them from living where God wanted them to be.  They felt safe there, it was ‘good enough’, but it wasn’t ‘the best’ that God planned for them.

How many times do we settle where we feel secure? We can live in the fullness of God’s promises, but we choose to play it safe.  Some people live their entire life on the edge of their promised land.  It’s time for us to step out into the water and go forth- live in the promises of God. Don’t play it safe on the water’s edge. 

Once again, they had no water.  God told Moses to speak to the rock and it will yield water.  Moses took the rod and said to the people, “you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?” and he struck the rock twice.  Water came forth, but Moses had to pay for his error- he was not allowed to enter the Promised Land because he did not follow God’s command. (ch 20) Moses continued to lead the children of Israel until they had fulfilled the 38 years in the wilderness.  At the end of this time, God told Moses to take Joshua and make him the new leader.

In Deuteronomy, Moses warns the Israelites of the dangers of forgetfulness.  He said to them, “Thou shalt remember”.  He gives to them blessings of a proper relationship with God and the curses of forgetting Him.  His last words to Israel were a song and a blessing. (Deut 32-33)

"God took Moses high up on a mountain and let him see the land, but God told him that he wouldn't enter it.  To this day, nobody knows the place where Moses was buried, because God laid him to rest.  Can you imagine? God Himself buried His servant Moses.  The tender care of a Father in this moment absolutely slays me every time... The same God who carried Moses to eternity will do the same for you as a believer in Christ."  (Seamless, p78-79)