There is a bit of history that most of us never question. Why did it take the Israelites 40 years to cross the wilderness desert after leaving Egypt? After nearly 3,500 years, God had finally delivered His people from Egyptian bondage. They were to take possession of the land God had promised their forefathers, a land “flowing with milk and honey.” One would conclude that there would have been a lot of effort to get there quickly. The distance is approximately 240 miles (385 Kilometers). If the Israelites had tried to cross the desert as fast as possible, it would have taken them only several weeks or months, but certainly less than 40 years.
The Israelites crossed the “Desert of Sin” en route to Mount Sinai. The term used in the Hebrew Bible for the land they passed through is “midbar,” which can mean desert but also includes wilderness areas of all kinds, such as mountainous terrain and even empty grazing land. It is more accurate to say that the Israelites journeyed through a wilderness than to refer to a specific desert or route. Our question is: Why did the Israelites take so long?
- The book of Exodus documents that over 600,000 men, not including women and children, left Egypt with Moses (Exodus 12:37; Numbers 1:46). Including women, children, and the elderly, there could have been as many as 2.4 million people. This mass migration had huge logistical issues. Along with them were livestock, supplies, and tentage.
- The Israelites were afraid of the inhabitants of the land they were to occupy. They said, “The people are stronger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the sky. We even saw the Anakites there.“ (Deuteronomy1:28)1NIV New International Version Translations.
- Even though Moses assured the people that God would fight for them as He did in Egypt, they did not trust their God to fulfill His promises (Deuteronomy 1:29–33). Do you remember the “Ten Plagues?” (Nile River into Blood; Frogs; Lice/Gnats; Wild animals and flies; Pestilence on livestock; Boils; Thunderstorm of hail and fire; locusts; darkness for three days; and Death of the firstborn.) God was convincing enough to gain freedom for His people! You would have thought that the parting of the Red Sea would have been the icing on the cake.
- In the book of Numbers, God asked Moses to send out spies to survey the land He would give to the Israelites, and Moses obeyed (Numbers 13:1-3). However, some spies used this reconnaissance mission to avoid following God’s commands.
The Israelites’ reluctance to enter the Promised Land was primarily due to their fear and lack of faith in God. By now, anyone who reads our Bible should understand that God considers disobedience a sin. Sin is always punished (place and time at God’s discretion). Because of their disobedience, the Israelites living at the time were barred from entering their Promised Land.
(Deuteronomy 1:35) – “No one from this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give your ancestors,”
Moses was barred from entering the land due to a different act of disobedience. In Numbers 20:2-12, Moses pleads to God for a water source, and God tells Moses to command a rock to become a spring. Instead, Moses strikes the rock twice with his staff. The second strike was due to his lack of faith in God. God would have given him water with the first strike. Therefore, God’s judgment was His response to disobedience and Moses’ lack of faith. God does the same to people today.
The Israelites’ 40-year journey in the wilderness was a punishment. The consequences of disobedience served as a lesson. Consequences, while different, serve to teach both the current generation and future generations about the importance of obedience and faith in God. Our God is often described as slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love (Exodus 34:6). God is patient and gives people time to repent and return to Him. God’s plan for the redemption of humanity unfolds over many generations and includes periods of disobedience, judgment, and restoration. This does not happen because of God but because of humanity’s free will and propensity to sin. Each subsequent generation is responsible for their actions and the passing of their faith on to the next generation. This includes the lessons learned from past mistakes and the hope that comes from God’s promises.
When the Israelites arrived at Kadesh Barnea (which bordered the Promised Land of Canaan), they sent twelve spies to survey the land and its people. Ten of the spies had a bad report.
(Numbers 13:31-33) – “But the men who had gone up with him said, ‘We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.’ And they spread a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, ‘The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there were of great size. We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.’”
Only Joshua and Caleb dissented. Believing the report of the ten doubters, the people lost heart and rebelled. Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long will they refuse to believe in me, despite all the miraculous signs I have performed among them? I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them”. However, Moses once again interceded for his people and turned away the wrath of God. Although God did forgive them, He decided that “not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it”. Rather, they would suffer by wandering in the wilderness for forty years, one year for each day the spies explored the land.
This period of wandering in the desert was a time of testing and discipline. It was also a time when God provided for His people. While it took 40 years, it was not a continuous journey. A significant amount of time was spent at Mount Sinai and various encampments.
Conclusion
The Israelites would learn several important lessons during their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. They would realize how much they had to rely on God. Every day, they needed His Spirit to fill them again and strengthen them for what was ahead. In miraculous ways, God provided for their needs. As an example, manna and quail from heaven provided food. This taught them that God could provide for them in the wilderness, where no food could be found. He could do the same for the Israelites in the Promised Land.
The time spent wandering in the wilderness was also a purging process, eliminating unbelievers and teaching the remaining Israelites to trust God more than humanity. Their faith was strengthened and dependence on God grew stronger. These lessons are also for us today. The story reminds us of the importance of our faith, obedience, and God.
Contemplations
- How did these lessons the Israelites learned shape their faith and relationship with God?
- Ideas to Explore: The next generation was willing to take risks and enter Canna. Why do you think that was true?
- How did the Israelites’ experiences in the wilderness reflect their trust (or lack of trust) in God’s promises?
- Ideas to Explore: The Israelites did not appear observant. Parting the Red Sea, years of manna, and water from stone did not strengthen their faith in God.
- There were consequences for the Israelites’ disobedience. However, God did not ban them from joining Him in eternity. What do you think about this selective punishment?
- Ideas to Explore: God kept many from experiencing the “milk and honey.” God did not, however, pass an eternal judgment on all of them. God intended to provide blessings in this world too. (John 10:10)
- How does the story of the Israelites’ journey in the wilderness apply to our lives today?
- Ideas to Explore: The importance of trust and faith in God. One’s ability to observe and see God’s provisions. The importance of passing on our faith and history to the next generation.
- Do you think our nation is wandering through the wilderness now?
- Ideas to Explore: We live in a nation filled with blessings, and our history shows God’s favor and providence. Why is so much going wrong now? Have we failed to pass our faith on to the next generation? Is our nation being blocked from reaching its “Promised Land” by sin and disobedience?
- 1NIV New International Version Translations