There is not much mentioned about the Israelites of the forty years that they spent wandering around and around in the wilderness after they turned back from Canaan.

Deuteronomy 2:14-15
14 And the space in which we came from Kadeshbarnea, until we were come over the brook Zered, was thirty and eight years; until all the generation of the men of war were wasted out from among the host, as the LORD sware unto them. 15 For indeed the hand of the LORD was against them, to destroy them from among the host, until they were consumed.

• It took them 2 years to get from Egypt to the border of Canaan.
• And then they spent the next 38 years just wandering around until all those that were 20 years old and up perished as the Lord said He would do.
• God held true to His promise and gave them what they desired.

However, during this time the Lord did not forsake them. He was still with them and guiding them, providing for them and protecting them.

• Deuteronomy 2:7
  For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: he knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the LORD thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing.
• They lacked nothing at all. The manna still rained down every day for them. God’s presence was still with them.
• They had clear evidence that God’s presence was still there.
• Nehemiah 9:19-21
  19 Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go. 20 Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst. 21 Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not.
• The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night was a clear sign that God was with them.
• And the fact that they had manna, and also water provided for them. Even their clothes did not wear out and with all the walking that they did their feet did not swell.
• As a father watches over his children, so God’s watch care of the children of Israel was constant and never ceasing.

There was a dual purpose for the wilderness wandering of forty years in the desert though.

• First, it was judgment on the rebels and murmurers. They had requested to die in the wilderness and did not want to take possession of the land of Canaan when God gave them the opportunity, and so God gave them their request.
• However, it was also discipline and training for the rising generation to prepare them to enter the promised land. They were too young to understand fully the Lord for themselves, and so it was during this time in the wilderness that God was helping them to grow in faith and to trust Him implicitly.
• Deuteronomy 8:5
  Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee.
• God was chastening them, training them. Putting them through the school of affliction to help them to grow.
• What was the purpose behind it?
• Deuteronomy 8:2-4
  2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. 3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live. 4 Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.
• God wanted to test them and prove them to see if they would live by every word that He gave them. He wanted to see if they would keep His commandments or not.

We must all experience a wilderness experience.

• It’s important for us to understand how God guides us and how He is helping us to grow in our daily lives and in our character. We all go through the furnace of affliction so that God can shape us into His character and burn away the parts that are not like Him.
• Maybe you feel like your life is in a pause right now. Maybe you feel like you’re not getting anywhere in your career or your life has no definite aim or goal.
• That was the life of Moses for forty years after he fled from Egypt. He was just taking care of sheep. But truly, God was shaping his life there more than He was when he was training in Egypt to be a general.
• We must trust God in the process. The most important step in all of this is to ensure that we are walking in His way and doing all things according to His will. To build ourselves up spiritually be spending time in prayer and the word. If we do this, we can have the assurance that truly God is guiding our lives even when all seems to be on pause.

Deuteronomy 32:10
He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.

• God would keep them and protect them and watch over them. But at the same time He was also instructing them and training them.
• Isaiah 63:9
  In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.
• Yet all the time, God looked upon them and cared for them with greater love and pity than a mother would over the children of her womb.

The only records of the Israelites in the wilderness are of their rebellion against the Lord. And even though there was divine judgment that would come from God, the Israelites were slow to learn the lesson of trust in God.

Example of such an incident.

• Leviticus 24:10-12
  10 And the son of an Israelitish woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel: and this son of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp; 11 And the Israelitish woman’s son blasphemed the name of the LORD, and cursed. And they brought him unto Moses: (and his mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan:) 12 And they put him in ward, that the mind of the LORD might be shewed them.
• The son of a mixed marriage. Mum was an Israelite but the father was an Egyptian. And he had a quarrel with another person who was an Israelite.
• We don’t know the exact reason of the fight, but this son from the mixed marriage ended up cursing and took God’s name in vain.
• Right away, he was taken and they would discuss what should be done.

Leviticus 24:13-16
13 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 14 Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him. 15 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin. 16 And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death.

• The sentence was that he should be stoned to death.
• Leviticus 24:23
  And Moses spake to the children of Israel, that they should bring forth him that had cursed out of the camp, and stone him with stones. And the children of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses.

Why does it seem like such a harsh judgment was given just simply because the man cursed?

• God had given law concerning this.
• Exodus 21:17
  And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.
• Just that the method of putting the person to death had not been discussed yet. But ultimately instruction was given from God that he should be stoned to death.
• But why does it seem so harsh?
• Well God had already given the law. Just the execution of it had to be established. And had God not followed through with His word and left him unpunished, then others would have thought it OK to curse and not take God seriously with His word also. And evil influence would have pervaded the camp. And even the offender would have been emboldened to do more to go against the law of God.

The mixed multitude was always a continual source of temptation and trouble. It was those that had come out from Egypt with the Israelites. They had claimed to renounce idolatry but in heart they had not really been converted at all. They were the ones that were quick to stir up strife and murmuring and complaining within the camp.

Another example of their rebellion in the wilderness was concerning the Sabbath.

• Numbers 15:32-34
  32 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day. 33 And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation. 34 And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him.
• A man went out gathering sticks on the Sabbath. This was shortly after they turned away from the border of Canaan after the 10 spies brought an evil report.
• It was clear from our study about the manna that even food was not to be collected on the Sabbath. No manna even rained down on the Sabbath day. This is how highly God regarded His Sabbath.
• What was the result?
• Numbers 15:35-36
  35 And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. 36 And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.
• The man would be stoned to death.
• During the forty years the Israelites would be reminded every week about the Sabbath through the miracle of the manna. There were three miracles performed every week for their reminder.
  • First – food would rain out double on Friday.
  • Second – if you kept the food from Friday to Sabbath it would not have worms. All the other days of the week if they kept it overnight, worms would appear.
  • Third – on the Sabbath no food rained down.
• And even though they had such a clear reminder, they were slow to learn the lesson of obedience.
• Ezekiel 20:15-16
  15 Yet also I lifted up my hand unto them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands; 16 Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.
• Yes, Sabbath breaking is one of the many reasons why they were kept out from entering Canaan the first time and forced to wander in the desert for another 38 years.

The ten commandments are no less binding today than it was back then. Two people were put to death for its transgression. One took God’s name in vain and cursed. The other violated the Sabbath commandment. The punishment was quick and severe. But the law of God would be upheld as God was the head of the nation.

• Today, though it seems like no one is punished when someone curses or someone disregards and breaks the Sabbath, it does not mean that the sin is viewed as a much smaller transgression or not as important.
• The wages of sin is still death.
• The reason why punishment was visited so swiftly is because the presence of God and His workings was so clear. The pillar of cloud and pillar of fire. The manna raining down every day. At mount Sinai, the fire that covered the mountain. All the miracles that were performed in front of their eyes. They had no excuse.
• But today, it’s not that there are no miracles, but God’s presence is not so visibly demonstrated like it was in the Old Testament times. So God’s patience is much longer than in times past.
• Was it a disadvantage to be living in Old Testament times because God’s judgment came down so fast? Absolutely not! Who has seen water come out of a rock when it was hit once? Or who has heard God’s voice?
• But even then, we have seen that God has been so patient with the children of Israel. He did not destroy them immediately or pour His judgment out as soon as they had disobeyed. He bore long with them. He bore long with their complaining and their murmuring, but they would reach a point where they would wear our His patience.
• When they went out to collect food on the Sabbath when manna was first given, God was patient with them. It was only when the laws were clearly given and Israel went into covenant with God that God would uphold His standard and His laws.

The Sabbath is still just as important to us today as it was to the Israelites back then.

• Hebrews 4:9
  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
• His law is just as binding today as in the Old Testament.
• God’s people are identified as being those who uphold His law in the last days.
• Revelation 12:17
  And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
• The conflict is between Christ and Satan. Between the children of light and the children of darkness. Between those who keep God’s commandments or those who will keep tradition.

However, even though God poured out His judgments on the children of Israel, they were slow to learn the lessons.

• Psalms 78:32-35
  32 For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works. 33 Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble. 34 When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God. 35 And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.
• They continued to sin, so God would judge them. And then they would turn to Him, but it was not from a sincere heart. It was so that God would relent of His judgment. They were not themselves repentant or converted.
• But every time they would turn to Him, God would forgive.
• Psalms 78:37-38
  37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant. 38 But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.

This is the merciful God that we still serve today. He is tender and compassionate. Full of mercy and ready to forgive those that come to Him. He is ready to bind up and heal us. He is always ready to lead us.

The invitation still stands for each of us today:

• Matthew 11:28
  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

God wants to give us rest from all our labour, our own works of righteousness. He wants to give us rest that can only be found in Christ and in the keeping of His law. He wants to give us rest that can be found in the Sabbath.

Let us not be slow to learn the lessons from God and how He wishes to guide us today, even though He bears long with us and withholds His judgments. Let us not take His mercy for granted today.