Israel in the Wilderness
March 14, 2021
Randy Hageman
If we believe that God can bring good from any circumstance, then we have to also believe that He can bring good even from
Sometimes God
I. THE WILDERNESS WAS A PLACE OF
Moving out into the wilderness beyond the Red Sea, the Israelites are suddenly in a barren land, going from being largely dependent on themselves to being dependent on
God lets you do without, so you can come to know Him as your provider. God lets you be lonely, so that you can come to know Him as your friend. God lets you be frightened and worried, so that you can come to know Him as your peace. God lets you be weak, so that you can know His strength. —Eddie Davidson
Sometimes, in lonely places, in a wilderness experience, when we’re separated from the things we’re used to, we finally find the clarity – or need – to turn our focus on
Jesus: ‘Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.’ —Matthew 6:33 (NLT)
Jesus: … ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ —John 6:32-33 (ESV)
Jesus: … ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.’ —John 6:35 (ESV)
… [our ancestors in the wilderness long ago] drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ. —1 Corinthians 10:4 (NLT)
Sometimes God knows that it’s only when our backs are up against the wall and we’ve run out of our strength and resources that we will finally turn to
II. WE MAY DISCOVER THE WILDERNESS IS A PLACE OF
Though we may not see it, God may see a wilderness as a place to
‘Remember how the LORD your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands. Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. For all these forty years your clothes didn’t wear out, and your feet didn’t blister or swell. Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the LORD your God disciplines you for your own good. So obey the commands of the LORD your God by walking in his ways and fearing him.’ —Deuteronomy 8:2-6 (NLT)
Sometimes, it’s only on the other side, when we can
III. THE WILDERNESS IS OFTEN A PLACE OF
After breaking camp at Rephidim, they came to the wilderness of Sinai and set up camp there at the base of Mount Sinai. Then Moses climbed the mountain to appear before God. The LORD called to him from the mountain and said, ‘Give these instructions to the family of Jacob; announce it to the descendants of Israel: “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians. You know how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.” This is the message you must give to the people of Israel.’ —Exodus 19:2-6 (NLT)
God took the Israelites away from distractions and brought them to
And [Jesus] appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach —Mark 3:14 (ESV)
The disciples had to be
The problem that most of us struggle with at one time or another is that we want the
It’s in the wilderness, in a lonely place where we have nowhere and no one else to turn to that we sometimes discover that God is
Sometimes God leads us into a lonely place, in the wilderness, not only to show us Himself, but to also show us
‘You [LORD God] came down at Mount Sinai and spoke to them from heaven. You gave them regulations and instructions that were just, and decrees and commands that were good. You instructed them concerning your holy Sabbath. And you commanded them, through Moses your servant, to obey all your commands, decrees, and instructions. You gave them bread from heaven when they were hungry and water from the rock when they were thirsty. You commanded them to go and take possession of the land you had sworn to give them. But our ancestors were proud and stubborn, and they paid no attention to your commands. They refused to obey and did not remember the miracles you had done for them. Instead, they became stubborn and appointed a leader to take them back to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love. You did not abandon them, even when they made an idol shaped like a calf and said, “This is your god who brought you out of Egypt!” They committed terrible blasphemies. But in your great mercy you did not abandon them to die in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud still led them forward by day, and the pillar of fire showed them the way through the night. You sent your good Spirit to instruct them, and you did not stop giving them manna from heaven or water for their thirst. For forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell!’ —Nehemiah 9:13-21 (NLT)
When we see our sin and mourn our sin, we come to realize we need Someone who can save us from our sin – our sin reveals how much we need a
No matter what kind of wilderness we find ourselves in, God will remain
‘and in the wilderness, where you have seen how the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way that you went until you came to this place.’ —Deuteronomy 1:31 (NLT)
Next Week: Elijah Runs
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