The Costly Wanderings of Life
Wanderings-(going about from place to place). The assumption being that the person never gets back on the track.
The wanderer, even though he does not deliberately plan to go in a particular direction, if he does not “consciously” turn away from particular directions, and get back onto the path ordained by God—(back on the track)—he will likely end up “laid to rest!”
In Egypt, God’s people had endured decades of slavery and wilderness wanderings, and were now poised on the threshold of their “Promised Land.”
The sole purpose of their wilderness experience was to prepare them for living in the Promised Land; but they refused to “enter in!”
Nevertheless, they reacted to their circumstances as human beings would normally react, those without the miracle of the Holy Spirit, opening up their minds and revealing what His purpose is.
Their stay in the wilderness extended, when they complained, deliberately disobeyed God, and turned to other “idols.”
God is working out something different with us than He did with them.
With them, He was establishing and setting examples for us. We now can look at what they did and learn from what occurred to them. We have the Holy Spirit, and they did not. That makes a huge difference!
Israel's experience in Egypt and in the wilderness is an object lesson that God desires for us to reflect on frequently!
At that time, Israel was nothing like what we saw, in the movie-The Ten Commandments (or some other Bible movie about the Exodus); where they depict the entire children of Israel as about “15” people with maybe four or five sheep. Realistic estimates conclude that Israel consisted of perhaps 2-3 “million people,” plus all the livestock and all the gear that they had brought with them. This was a train of people that stretched for miles! It took them a day or two to pass any one point from the first to the last person!
Once freed from their slavery to Egypt, it took the Israelites but seven days to cross the Red Sea, breaking completely clear of Egyptian control.
In dramatic contrast, it took them forty (40) years to walk the remaining few hundred miles! During this trek, every adult person numbered in the first census after leaving Egypt—with the exception of Joshua and Caleb—died without reaching the Promised Land.
Will we allow ourselves to match this miserable record by failing to maintain our liberty?
Such a costly expedition!!
Clearly, they did not make the right efforts to defend their God-given liberties. Instead, they exacerbated their circumstances by failing to discipline themselves to submit to God's rule over their lives, even though He freely rescued them from their slavery.
They were unwilling to pay the costs of directing their lives as He commanded, despite knowing His direction, through the many manifestations of His power!
They were willing to expend some effort in seeking God, but they were unwilling to go where they knew He had directed them. To a degree, they wanted the truth, but on their own terms.
They were not so hungry for it that they would “sacrifice” for it. They wanted it, but not if they had to humble themselves and obey and believe God.
As a result, they could not find God’s provision, and life again. They suffered during their wilderness wanderings, because of “unbelief” and did not enter into their land of promise!
Why do we have to go through trials and afflictions?? For the same reason that Jesus had to—"that we may know the only wise God." In what way? By the experiences of going through the same kinds of sufferings Jesus went through. We gain intimate knowledge of what it took for Him to fulfill His purpose. Our tests, trials, and sufferings are considerably toned down, in comparison to His, so that we can bear them. It is almost as if we are given a little taste of walking in His shoes.
If we do not endure our trials, we will not get to really know Christ. He, Himself says in John 17:3:
This is eternal life, that they may know the only true God, and the Son, whom He sent.” By knowing Jesus' loving and caring ways, by His power to meet every human need, and by His teaching the word of God, His disciples came to know the Father as well as the Son.
Now with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose “corpses” fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not “enter His rest,” but to those who did not obey?
So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief." Was it not those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness?? (Hebrews 3:17-19)
These "corpses" were the same people who came out of Egypt with great joy, elated in their new-found liberty. They yearned for a settled and free life, in a land that was their own; but instead of knowing the joy and plenty of the Promised Land, they chose to sentence themselves to live a life of homelessness, wandering in a barren land, dying and perhaps being buried in unmarked graves.
Chosen to be the beneficiaries of God's great blessings in a rich land—they instead lived poor and hungry in the wilderness, discontented, and often at war because of their sins. Their example ought to be a sobering warning!
The trials Jesus suffered was similar, but far more effective. God accepted Jesus's sacrifice of Himself, and now Jesus has entered into the Holy of Holies. He perhaps, could be called the scout—the one who went ahead to make sure that the way would be safe for us.
Now, under His blood, we can follow Him into the very presence of God. But in order for us to be there, Jesus had to endure the sufferings that made Him perfect for the job that has been given to Him (Hebrews 2:10).
JESUS—The “True Bread” of Life
Jesus called Himself the Bread of Life, to His disciples. In other words, He is the #1 “principal” and “essential” for life, and those who come to Him, will never have a desperate longing for, or feel deprived of a sense of purpose, passion, pleasure, and joy, in their life. (hungering) , and those who “continues and persists in the process of believing, “on” Him, will never have a longing to be satisfied.” (thirsty)
He has declared His own purpose and assignment: “I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of Him that sent me.”
What was the will and purpose of the father, for Jesus coming when He did?? — That, “of all which the Father sends Him; He should lose none of them, but rather, that He would “raise them up” on the last day.
“Everyone who acknowledges Him, and believe that He is indeed the Son of God—the true Bread who came down from Heaven, and gave “life” to a world He was sent to—then they would receive everlasting life.”
Jn. 6:35/(Jn 6:32-3)5
We are now in the same process. We are part of His spiritual Body, and are to be prepared to work under Him. We must go through a measure of suffering—an intensity not equal to Christ's, but mercifully toned down—to perfect (mature) us.
We live here as co-heirs of the earth with Jesus, but we are to live our lives as if we are just passing through, on the way to our inheritance. Not as Wanderers, but—as Pilgrims!
A pilgrim is a person out of his own country, who lives in a foreign land. He does not intend to put down roots there but is heading elsewhere toward a definite goal. Thus, his life is always in transition. He should not view himself as permanently anchored to the society in which he lives.
The Israelites were willing to expend some effort in obeying God, but they were unwilling to go where they actually needed to—the place where God directed.
To a degree, they wanted the truth, but on their own terms. They were not so hungry for God and His direction and truth—that it meant that they would actually have to sacrifice for it. They wanted it, but not if it meant, they had to humble themselves and go to where God wanted them to, when He wanted them to! As a result, they would not find the Lord again.
Are you feeling deprived of a sense of purpose, passion, pleasure, and joy in your life?
Do you have a strong desire or a longing to be satisfied and fully known in this life??
Then stop “wandering and wondering” and eat from Jesus, the bread of life, His, wisdom, knowledge, understanding and obedient faith; and enter into real life!