Transformation

God will keep us in the desert until the unbelieving old dies so the believing new can enter His promised land.

When we look at the nation of Israel Paul reminds us that the things that happened to them were for our benefit.

"For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness. Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved." (1 Corinthians 10:1)

"For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." (Romans 15:4)

So, what happened to them? They made choice and that choice caused them to wander in the wilderness for years. After 38 years those who did not believe passed and the next generation inherited the land. The exodus and conquest of the land is a physical manifestation of the spiritual journey of faith in the New Testament. We see that we are sold into slavery (Rom.7:14) and that God has to rescue us by the mighty act of Jesus on the cross and the resurrection.

Now we move out of bondage and into a place of reconciliation and worship just as the Israelites did. Soon God leads us to the “promised land” but to enter into His rest, Hebrews 3:7-19 and Hebrews 4:1-11, we must walk by faith to slay the giants in our lives. Giants like lust, greed, anger, and pride. If we do not face these giants and slay them we too will wander in the ‘desert’ for years.