The 40-year journey of the children of Israel
in the wilderness of Sinai was written in the Bible as a warning for us, who are reaching the end of centuries!
Paul in chapter 10 of his first epistle to the Corinthians is encouraging us to consider seriously the behavior of Israel’s children during their stay in the wilderness of Sinai in order not to repeat their dramatic mistakes today at the end times.
In other words, we should be aware of the great similarities between the living conditions and attitudes of the 12 tribes of Israel while being in the Sinai and ours as believers today. Indeed, faithful people are now living in a spiritual desert symbolized by the physical one of Sinai in which the Children of Israel were spending 40 years in the time of Moses. Read what Paul writes in I Corinthians, chapter 10, verses 1-6:
" Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them Elohim was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.”
The yet to come people of believers have been freed today from the bondage of sin after crossing the waters of baptism as the children of Israel saw the end of their Egyptian slavery, after crossing the Red Sea. The Egyptian army and Pharaoh were buried under the waters of the Red Sea like our old carnal self, our old man who was enslaving us, is agonizing in the waters of baptism.
The desert of Babylon the Great,
alias the desert of the sea!
After crossing the waters of baptism, if you allow me to try to follow some logic of similarities, we are expected to enter a wilderness symbolized by the Sinai. But what is this wilderness for today’s believers? Let us try to find out through the Word of our Creator!
First read the prophecy of Isaiah, chapter 21, verses 1-10:
“{21:1} The burden of the desert of the sea.
As whirlwinds in the south pass through; [so] it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land. {21:2} A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease. {21:3} Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing [of it;] I was dismayed at the seeing [of it. ]{21:4} My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me. {21:5} Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, [and] anoint the shield. {21:6} For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth. {21:7} And he saw a chariot [with] a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, [and] a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed: {21:8} And he cried, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights: {21:9} And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, [with] a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground. {21:10} O my threshing, and the corn of my floor: that which I have heard of the LORD of hosts, Elohim of Israel, have I declared unto you.”
This prophecy is a threat against the desert of the sea and Isaiah's prophecy reveals that this threat is addressed to Babylon, the destruction of which will be soon. So here is an indication about a possibility that the desert in which we are entering after the crossing of the waters of baptism might be the Great Babylon of today.
Chapter 14 of Isaiah reveals that the King of Babylon is implicitly Satan, the former Lucifer fallen so also known under the name of Lucifer (which is light in Latin). Let us read verses 4 and 12-17 of this chapter:
“{14:4} That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!...
{14:12} How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [how] art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! {14:13} For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of Elohim: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: {14:14} I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. {14:15} Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. {14:16} They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, [and] consider thee, [saying, Is] this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; {14:17} [That] made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the
cities thereof; [that] opened not the house of his prisoners?”
This prophecy tells us very briefly the story of the archangel bearer of light and who became Satan after his rebellion and his destructive revolt as he was considering himself similar to his Creator and in a position to usurp His throne. These series of events have led to the complete destruction of the wonderful creation made on earth by Elohim . This is indeed the reason why the earth became without form and void (tohu and bohu in Hebrew) as indicated in Genesis 1, verse 2. It also explains why Satan is present in the Garden of Eden and incarnating the body of a snake to come and seduce Eve. By so doing he could bar Adam and Eve from accessing the eternal life!
Since then, Satan had only one purpose:
Turn the earth into a physical and spiritual desert!
Let us read now how John envisions Satan in the book of Revelation, chapter 12, verses 16-18, having in mind that the dragon is none else than Satan according to verses 7-9 of the same chapter:
“{12:7} And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, {12:8} And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. {12:9} And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him…
{12:16} And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. {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 Elohim , and have the testimony of Yeshuah Christ. {12:18} And he stood upon the sand of the sea.”
Here is Satan standing at the head of his empire symbolized by the sand of the sea, in other words, the desert of the sea out of which will come the beast as described at the beginning of chapter 13 of the Book of Revelation.
As we can read a little bit later in chapter 17 of the Book of Revelation, the beast that rises from the sea will bear reluctantly and for a very short period of time Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots. This Babylon the Great whose identity caused a great surprise to John (read about this in the article on the striking identity of Babylon the Great) was and will be the cause of death of many saints and witnesses of our Lord! Babylon the Great is to some extent expected to reign sprititually on the desert in which we are living today. The people of our Creator will be taught in the wilderness by chosen men. Read howYeshuah shortly before his death, prayed his Father about this in John 17: 11-17:
“{17:11} And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast
given me, that they may be one, as we [are. ]{17:12} While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
{17:13} And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. {17:14} I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. {17:15} I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. {17:16} They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. {17:17} Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”
Note that Yeshuah Christ was still in the world just before that last Passover. He left the world while we are still in it. We are living in this world symbolized by the desert crossed by the children Israel after their exodus from Egypt. And the Lord made sure that many details of their conditions of life and behavior in the desert of Sinai are preciously kept in His writings of the Bible so that we can be informed today about the dangers we should avoid if we want to reach His Kingdom.
We will review few examples with more details.
Freed from Egyptian slavery during Passover and missing the entrance of the Promised Land for the festival of Sukkot!
The Children of Israel left Egypt, the house of slavery; few days after the Passover, during the days of unleavened bread. Like Yeshuah Christ who left this world during Passover, the Children of Israel and their followers were freed from the slavery in Egypt. In other words, they were still in the world but not anymore part of it. But they started their freedom in an empty desert!
A year and a half later, after crossing the desert and have solemnly pledged to be faithful to the LORD, the first King of Israel, the Children of Israel arrived at the borders of the Promised Land just before the feast of Succoth. Please read Numbers chapter 13, verses 1-2 and 18-20:
“{13:1} And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, {13:2}Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them…
{13:18} And see the land, what it [is;] and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they [be] strong or weak, few or many; {13:19} And what the land [is] that they dwell in, whether it [be] good or bad; and what cities [they be] that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds; {13:20} And what the land [is,] whether it [be] fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land.
Now the time [was] the time of the first-ripe grapes.”
The time of the first-ripe grapes is an indication telling us that the spies visit took place shortly before Sukkot, when the grapes will be in full harvest.
The question we have now to ask ourselves is:
Would our behavior be the same as the Children of Israel as we too are on the threshold of entering the New World promised by the Creator and His Son? Will we like them despise this new kingdom about to be given to us by letting our carnal nature dominate our lives and will we put an end to our faith in the omnipotence of Elohim? The Lord will soon give us the order to leave and flee out of Babylon the Great (Revelation 18, verses 4-8):
“{18:4} And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. {18:5} For her sins have reached unto heaven, and Elohim hath remembered her iniquities. {18:6} Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
{18:7} How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. {18:8} Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong [is] the Lord Elohim who judgeth her.”
When the Lord will ask us to leave Babylon the Great and to run into this new world of freedom, will we like the Children of Israel be influenced by the discouraging report made by almost all the spies and will we let the fear push us to lose confidence in the omnipotence of our Creator? Will we decide to return to Egypt, the symbol of slavery? Think about the awful crossing of the wilderness by the Children of Israel and be ready to take the good decision: Strive to enter the Promised Land at the time of Succoth and try to avoid dying in this desolate wilderness!
At that time: spectacular miracles
but no Holy Spirit,
Gift of the Ten Commandments in writings!
There is a big difference between the Children of Israel and the very few believers today: at that time, aside from Moses and the elders appointed by him, nobody received the Holy Spirit. Read about it Numbers, chapter 11, verses 16-17 and 25-26:
“{11:16} And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee. {11:17} And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which [is] upon thee, and will put [it] upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone…
{11:25} And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that [was] upon him, and gave [it] unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, [that,] when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease. {11:26} But there remained two [of the] men in the camp, the name of the one [was] Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the spirit rested upon them; and they [were] of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp.”
If very few are those who have received the Holy Spirit of Elohim, by cons all the children of Israel have had the privilege to attend many spectacular miracles and unheard events demonstrating without any doubt the omnipotence of Yehoah their LORD. These are the miracles that Nehemiah recalls in the chapter 9 of his book, verses 9-15:
“{9:9} And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red sea; {9:10} And shewedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land: for thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them. So didst thou get thee a name, as [it is] this day. {9:11} And thou didst divide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their persecutors thou threwest into the deeps, as a stone into the mighty waters. {9:12} Moreover thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go. {9:13} Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments: {9:14} And madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant: {9:15} And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them.”
This was the mean chosen by the LORD to show His power, by miracles expected to strike the mind of His people. The extraordinary way by which the LORD gave them the Ten Commandments generated at the same time a respectful fear among all the children of Israel. Read it in Exodus 20, verses 18 to 20:
“{20:18} And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw [it,] they removed, and stood afar off. {20:19} And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not Elohim speak with us, lest we die. {20:20} And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for Elohim is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.”
When Paul recalls these events, at the end of his epistle to the Hebrews chapter 12, verses 18-29, he confirms that even Moses was terrified! But what is most important here is the warning given to us by Paul to be careful and to learn from the past:
“{12:18} For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, {12:19} And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; [which] voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: {12:20} (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: {12:21} And so terrible was the sight, [that] Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) {12:22} But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living Lord, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, {12:23} To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to the Lord, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, {12:24} And to Yeshuah the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than [that of] Abel. {12:25} See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more [shall not] we [escape,] if we turn away from him that [speaketh] from heaven: {12:26} Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. {12:27} And this [word,] Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. {12:28} Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve the Lord acceptably with reverence and godly fear: {12:29} For our Lord [is] a consuming fire.”
The lesson from the past to learn here is that the Children of Israel, few weeks after having received the gift of the Ten Commandments under terrifying conditions, quickly forgot their Savior. Let us read how Asaph is writing about this in Psalm 78, verses 10-11 and 42-43:
“{78:10} They kept not the covenant of Elohim, and refused to walk in his law;
{78:11} And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them….
{78:42} They remembered not his hand, [nor] the day when he delivered them from the enemy. {78:43} How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan…”
The Children of Israel have a so short memory that they don’t believe anymore in the unlimited power of the LORD!
Today, the community of believers as a whole does not have similar opportunities to assist to miraculous events like the plagues of Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea with the complete destruction of Pharaoh's army or the statement of the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai. By cons, these same believers can get as a gift the Holy Spirit after baptism and this Holy Spirit is a tool enabling to grow in ourselves spiritual fruits such as faith! (Galatians 5: 22)
Moses, a visible leader with a veil to hide his face!
Yeshuah Christ, the invisible Lord removed the veil!
Moses, the leader of the Children of Israel, was clearly visible, but his transient glory forced him to wear a veil in order not to frighten his people. Read how Paul writes about this in II Corinthians, chapter 3, verses 7-14:
"{3:7} But if the ministration of death, written [and] engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which [glory] was to be done away: {3:8} How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? {3:9} For if the ministration of condemnation [be] glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. {3:10} For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. {3:11} For if that which is done away [was] glorious, much more that which remaineth [is] glorious. {3:12} Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: {3:13} And not as Moses, [which] put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: {3:14} But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which [vail] is done away in Christ.”
But on the opposite, today’s community of believers thanks to the Holy Spirit is not separated by any veil from the glory of the Lord Yeshuah as we can see from the following verses in II Corintians 3, verses 15 to 18:
“{3:15} But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. {3:16} Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. {3:17}Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord [is,] there [is] liberty. {3:18} But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
Lack of joy, Refusal to obey,
Lack of perseverance and pride!
These are a few of the defects found in the children of Israel. We will investigate them and try to give some guidance in order to find ways to escape these traps and avoid the kind of sufferings endured by the Children of Israel.
Lack of joy.
What strikes first in the attitude of the Children of Israel is their lack of joy and enthusiasm throughout all their stay in the desert of Sinai. Indeed, very soon after the crossing of the Red Sea, the Children forgot the wonderful moment while discovering miraculously their new freedom. Instead of joy we find mostly bitterness at each step of this journey. This is very disappointing when we know that their Creator and Liberator was among them in the middle of their camp!
In Marah, only three days after the crossing of the Red Sea, their first murmurs are heard as can be found in Exodus 15: 23-24:
“23 Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. 24 And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” Instead of putting his trust in the LORD happily and ask as Moses because of the water, the people pitched and angry against Moses who is innocent.”
A month later, the Children of Israel made their come- back to square one and grumbled again against Moses and Aaron as shown in Exodus 16, verses 1-4:
“1 And they journeyed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they departed from the land of Egypt. 2 Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3 And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not.”
The children of Israel completely forgot that they were the ones who screamed for help from the LORD to be freed from Egyptian slavery and were also the ones who freely decided to follow Moses after Passover! Instead of blaming themselves, they turned themselves against Moses and Aaron.
But here is the answer given by Moses and Aaron in verses 7 and 8:
"... 7 And in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord; for He hears your complaints against the Lord. But what are we, that you complain against us?” 8 Also Moses said, “This shall be seen when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to the full; for the Lord hears your complaints which you make against Him. And what are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the Lord.”
And follows an endless series of growls from the Children of Israel, like the one in Exodus 17, verses 1-3:
“1 Then all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sin, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, “Give us water, that we may drink.”So Moses said to them, “Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the Lord?” 3 And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, “Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?”
By cons look at the exemplary attitude of Moses, when with the help given by Hur and Aaron, he will contribute to the victory of the LORD against Amalek in Exodus 17, verses 8-16:
“8 Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9 And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of Elohim in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. 14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner;[c] 16 for he said, “Because the Lord has sworn: the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
Put in a very difficult situation taking into account his old age, Moses, did not follow the usual attitude of the children of Israel and did not start to grumble against his Creator because the fight lasts too long. On the contrary, Moses and his faithful servants have sought ways to fulfill what was expected from them by Yehoah: Keep hands up!
And unlike Israel,
They did not give up!
Up to us to do the same and to follow with perseverance Paul's advice under all circumstances:
" Rejoice always! '
(I Thessalonians 5: 16)
Refusal to obey.
Another repetitive fault of the Children of Israel is their refusal to obey clear and precise orders given by the LORD or by Moses. This persistent disobedience occurs sometimes with small seemingly unimportant instruction like the one about the manna as indicated in Exodus 16: 16-20:
“16 This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: ‘Let every man gather it according to each one’s need, one omer for each person, according to the number of persons; let every man take for those who are in his tent.17 Then the children of Israel did so and gathered, some more, some less. 18 So when they measured it by omers, he who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack. Every man had gathered according to each one’s need. 19 And Moses said, “Let no one leave any of it till morning.” 20 Notwithstanding they did not heed Moses. But some of them left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them.”
But disobedience also occurs against very important commandment such as this one given in Exodus 20: 1-6:
“1 And Elohim spoke all these words, saying: 2 “I am the Lord your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 “You shall have no other gods before Me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your Elohim, am a jealous Elohim, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”
But once again, less than two months after the statement of this key commandment, read how the Children of Israel are going to disobey in Acts 7, verses 39-43:
“39 whom our fathers would not obey, but rejected. And in their hearts they turned back to Egypt, 40 saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods to go before us; as for this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’[l] 41 And they made a calf in those days, offered sacrifices to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. 42 Then Elohim turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the Prophets:
‘Did you offer Me slaughtered animals and sacrifices during forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? 43 You also took up the tabernacle of Moloch, And the star of your god Remphan, Images which you made to worship; And I will carry you away beyond Babylon.”
Lack of perseverance!
The Children of Israel in many events were lacking of perseverance. At every trial and despite the strong demonstration of the presence of the LORD, the children of Israel were quick to forget why they came out of Egypt. They did not persevere, being always ready to go back to Egypt, toward the kingdom of Satan, toward slavery days they vomiting few months ago!
Today, such an attitude could be compared with the one of some believer who would leave their congregation at every difficulty in their life and would resubmit themselves to the power of Satan ... instead of asking our Father to help us to overcome such event or to accept any possible punishment.
Be careful as a lack of perseverance may cause us missing the eternal life in the new world to come as the children of Israel missed their entry into the Promised Land, as we read in Numbers 14, verses 1-4:
“1 So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” 4 So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.”
By the way, the main cause of this lack of perseverance is inspired by vanity, another weakness about which we will meditate as vanity is making us to
Have more faith in ourself than in the Creator!
Vanity.
Vanity is indeed playing an important role in the negative behavior of the Children of Israel, on the threshold of the Land of Canaan they were so much hoping for. But because of their vanity, they came to prefer the way of death in Egypt or in the desert. Incidentally, the LORD will fulfill their request as He will make them walk in the wilderness until the death of the last of them some 38 years later. Please read the dialogue between Moses and the LORD about this event in Numbers 14, verses 11 and 20 to 25:
“ 11 Then the Lord said to Moses: “How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them?...
20 Then the Lord said: “I have pardoned, according to your word; 21 but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord— 22 because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice, 23 they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it. 24 But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it. 25 Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valley; tomorrow turn and move out into the wilderness by the Way of the Red Sea.”
How can be seen the vanity in the behavior of the Children of Israel? In fact, they are afraid to enter the Promised Land because their inhabitants are too strong for them, their fortified places could not be taken with their weapons and their human resources!
This is indeed the vanity of Israel:
Rely only on themselves and on their own strength to do the will of their Lord! Refuse the idea of the existence of an Almighty Creator able of much more than their own small power full of proud!
The Children of Israel made a comparison between themselves and their enemy, between themselves and the threat that exists in the Promised Land. The Children of Israel have a behavior similar to the one of our "advanced"today’s society who cannot accept the almighty power of the Lord who is by far superior to their’s.
This attitude full of vanity cause the blindness of the people who, when facing a real danger, will completely forget to ask for the help of their Creator and will miss miserably in their life. For the Children of Israel, they will be unable to enter the Promised Land and the next generation will be the one who will enter under the leadership of Joshua.
Interesting to note that this next generation will not enter at the time of the feast of Sukkot during the seventh month of the year, but a little before Passover in the first month of the year. This is what is written in Joshua 4, verses 19 and Chapter 5, verses 10 to 12:
“19 Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they camped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. ...
10 Now the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho. 11 And they ate of the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and parched grain, on the very same day. 12 Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year.”
The Children of Israel of this second generation will enter the country with an attitude of faith completely opposite to the one of their parents as we read in Joshua 6, verses 1-5 and 16-20:
“1 Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. 2 And the Lord said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor. 3 You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. 4 And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.....
16 And the seventh time it happened, when the priests blew the trumpets, that Joshua said to the people: “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city! 17 Now the city shall be doomed by the Lord to destruction, it and all who are in it. Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. 18 And you, by all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. 19 But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated to the Lord; they shall come into the treasury of the Lord.”
20 So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.”
What we read above is also an indication that this generation of Israel has no vanity. They know that Yehoah is walking with them and is Almighty. Moreover the LORD is asking for the participation of His people and He is also associating them in the victory at the very critical moment when the wall is falling.
What lessons should we draw from these events, having in mind we are on the border of
the new world?
As said at the beginning of this article, do not forget that all the texts we have read have been kept preciously for you who are living today at the end-times. So how to take them into account in our daily life to garantee our future?
Are we so different from our ancestors by adoption? To answer this question, let us stand in front of a mirror and watch carefully at ourselves. The mirror particularly suitable for this purpose is the Bible, the Word of our Lord as we can read in James, in his epistle chapter 1, verse 23:
“23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”
A lack of faith!
Obviously the life we have in the western world, is very different from the one of the Children of Israel in the wilderness: we don’t walk several days to find water and we don’t have to wait several weeks for some meat.
But one of the major problem of this world, is its reluctancy to accept any substantial reduction in its standard of living! Influenced by this, believers are often ready to follow the Lord for small things like to keep the day of rest, the Sabbath or the holy days, the observance of clean food and maybe even the payment of tithes. But compliance with these laws is not always done with love and enthusiasm: we obey only half-heartedly as long as it does not reach our comfort!
Isaiah describes this attitude in chapter 29, verses 9-16:
“The Blindness of Disobedience.
9 Pause and wonder! Blind yourselves and be blind! They are drunk, but not with wine; They stagger, but not with intoxicating drink. 10 For the Lord has poured out on you The spirit of deep sleep, And has closed your eyes, namely, the prophets; And He has covered your heads, namely, the seers.
11 The whole vision has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is literate, saying, “Read this, please.” And he says, “I cannot, for it is sealed.” 12 Then the book is delivered to one who is illiterate, saying, “Read this, please.” And he says, “I am not literate.”
13 Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, 14 Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work Among this people, A marvelous work and a wonder; For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.” 15 Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the Lord, And their works are in the dark; They say, “Who sees us?” and, “Who knows us?” 16 Surely you have things turned around! Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; For shall the thing made say of him who made it, “He did not make me”? Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”?
Aren’t we too often like the children of Israel, ready to return to this world and its system as they wept so many times and yearned to return to Egypt or even the desert? This approach is caused by a complete lack of faith. If we have this attitude when facing only small difficulties, what will happen when we will have to cope with much more serious situations such as those described by Paul in the Epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 11, verses 35 to 40?
"35 Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. (note: this is the first resurrection described in Revelation 20: 4-6). 36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, 40 Elohim having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.”.
We should compare the today’s community of believers as a team of underground movement fighting in the middle of an enemy territory. Be careful because part of the enemy is our own carnal nature! This is why Paul continues with encouragement in Hebrews 12, verses 1-3:
"1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Yeshuah, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of Elohim.3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.”
Lack of Joy!
Lack of joy is also what makes us look like the children of Israel. People spend much more time to show their dissatisfaction and to find quantities of topics to complain about as the children of Israel had the habit of doing. Paul encourages believers to be always happy in his first epistle to the Thessalonians, chapter 5, verset16!
Paul also expresses his joy in Chapter 4 of his epistle to the Philippians:
" 1 Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved. 2 I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellowworkers, whose names are in the Book of Life. 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to Elohim ; 7 and the peace of Elohim , which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Yeshuah.
8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and Elohim of peace will be with you.
10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
14 Nevertheless you have done well that you shared in my distress. 15 Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. 16 For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. 18 Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to Elohim. 19 And my Elohim shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Yeshuah. 20 Now to our Elohim and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
21 Greet every saint in Christ Yeshuah. The brethren who are with me greet you. 22 All the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesar’s household.
23 The grace of our Lord Yeshuah Christ be with you all.[c] Amen.”
Joy must be part of us, otherwise when we will be offered to quit the new Great Babylon, those who will not do it with enthusiasm will be sent back to the desert of Babylon to face its law, or more precisely the lack of Law under Satan’s ruling!
Let us read in Isaiah 48, verse 20:
"20 Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! With a voice of singing, Declare, proclaim this, Utter it to the end of the earth; Say, “Yehoah has redeemed His servant Jacob!” 21 And they did not thirst When He led them through the deserts; He caused the waters to flow from the rock for them; He also split the rock, and the waters gushed out. 22 “There is no peace,” says Yehoah , “for the wicked.”
Lack of obedience and Continuous Spirit of rebellion!
Our carnal nature makes us prone to continuously oppose our Creator sometimes by simple negligence but also pushed by a spirit of rebellion. It is negligence when we have the feeling that our Father is not too interested in what we are doing and if consequently we don’t care about His laws. Too often we think that Yehoah is too far away to see all our dirty deeds. But we should pay a serious attention about what He says in Jeremiah, chapter 23, verses 23 and 24:
"23 “Am I Elohim near at hand,” says the Lord, “And not Elohim afar off? 24 Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?” says Yehoah ; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says Yehoah .”
In our blindness, we also inventing reasoning taking their root in this world, to convince us that what is written in the Bible is only valid under certain circumstances left to our judgment. We believe wrongly that we are like gods capable of deciding when a law is good or not!
Nothing has changed under the sun, what was, is what will be and we have forgotten how the children of Israel disobeyed non-stop in the desert, and for their loss.
Lack of Perseverance!
Last but not least, a very serious defect which can endanger the future of today’s believers is a lack of perseverance. This shortcoming is particularly serious today as we are now approaching the time when the spectacular promises made to Abraham is about to happen. Compare this with the children of Israel when they were on the threshold of the Promised Land, we are on the threshold of the spiritual kingdom of our Savior. The Bible forecasts that a majority of the mankind will fight against our Savior and refuse to the Promised Kingdom for the same reason invoked by the children of Israel about 3500 years ago, namely the fear of the impressive power coming from the Beast and therefore a lack of confidence in the power of our Father.
If we want to overcome this lack of perseverance, we must keep in mind the spiritual kingdom of our Father as our main target and not get distracted by anything else whatsoever. Our best ally is the spirit of freedom, total freedom that our Creator has given us. Do not be afraid of losing your job and prefer, if this is the only choice to follow your own beliefs based on morality and honesty. Fight against your selfishness so that your heart will not become a heart of stone but will remain open to goodness for your neighborhood. Paul encourages us not to hurt your opponent even if he is heinous. Remember, David has never laid a hand on his King Saul even in the most critical moment where Saul wanted to kill him!
Do not try to keep a good-looking for outisde, but on the contrary have in mind these wonderful words of our Lord as we can read in Matthew, chapter 6, verses 31-34:
"31 Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of Elohim and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
This is the right time to remind that Yehoah has maintained alivea population of around 1 million people in the terrible wilderness of Sinai where it is usually impossible to survive more than few weeks. Moreover the children of Israel were wearing the same shoes all the time and they were fed by the miraculous manna every day except the Sabbath.
Keep in mind the good news given by Yeshuah-Christ: Since His first advent, Believers have a place of choice!
"For assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
(Matthew 13: 17)
Do not let these marvels pass away from you and be ready to see the appearance of this new kingdom symbolized by the holy days of Sukkot, the Feast of huts.
The writings of the Bible are a precious gift from our Lord helping us to avoid a repeat of the silly mistakes made by the children of Israel while they were crossing the wilderness of Sinai on their way to the Holy Land.
Do not miss your entrance with the Lord in the Millennium!