The Wilderness Experience

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By: Sylvia Huffnagle

 

I’m calling this article, The Wilderness Experience, because if you are in Jesus, you are in the Promise Land. But the Israelites had to go through the wilderness to learn warfare. Yes, that’s right, once they went into the Promise Land, they were going to have to fight for it. And after they owned it, they were going to have to fight to keep it.

Christians, if they are going to enjoy the Promise Land, must learn warfare. There are enemies to be conquered in the Promise Land--like fear, doubt, deception, temptations, negative emotions, stinking thinking, ignorance, bad habits, and shortcomings.

If a Christian has not had warfare experience, which means he/she was well-trained in self-discipline as a child or had learned the hard way to obey the authority, he/she will have to go through a wilderness experience in order to learn warfare.

The things below are what the Israelites learned in their wilderness experience and it is what a Christian must learn to enjoy the Promise Land.

Their first test was a lack of water. They were supposed to pray and ask God for what they needed, believe they receive, thank Him for it, and expect their need to be met. Instead they grumbled and complained and spoke against God. The former would have gotten the desired results and they could have enjoyed the Sabbath rest as they waited. The latter will cause distress and fainting. Phil: 2:12-15, Ex: 17:7

Understand, they were probably tired, hot, dirty, bored as well as thirsty. Their attitude was: God brought us out here and said He would provide, now where’s the water? Then the enemy (the liar, traducer, accuser, troublemaker, devil) suggested that maybe God isn’t to be depended upon. Maybe He left them out there to die of thirst. Fear and anger goaded them on to griping and grumbling.

The only difference between the Israelites and the Christian is that the Christian is born again of the Spirit of God and does not have to let his/her carnal nature rule the situation. But again, the Christian must learn spiritual warfare in order to walk by the Spirit and not by the flesh.

The second test was a strong temptation to serve other gods while the leader was away. To overcome this temptation the Christian is to put God first at all times, develop a Father/child relationship with God by spending quality time with Him and in His Word--it’s called bonding, and seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness diligently. Ex: 32:8, Matt: 6:33, 1Jn esp. Chap. 5

The third test was a lack again--a lack of bread. They were to do as in the first test, but they got shook up and grumbled. Moses interceded and God sent manna from heaven. The instructions were that they gather only what they needed for each day. So God was accomplishing two goals here--to manifest His power and glory to build their faith and to teach them to depend upon Him for their daily needs. Deut: 8:3, Heb: 10:36

The forth test was hardships. The people began complaining and God sent down fire. Moses prayed and the fire was quenched. The fire was to signify what God was teaching and that is that fearful, faithless, disobedient, selfish words are sparks that become a fire and will consume those with undisciplined mouths. Num: 11, Isa: 50:11, Heb: 12, Jas: 3:6

The fifth test was fear of the unknown coupled with fear of overwhelming odds. Instead of choosing to believe God and Moses, they fell into unbelief and chose to rebel and go back to Egypt. God was ready to do away with the whole bunch, but Moses and Aaron interceded and God relented of wiping them out, but declared that they were not to go into the Promise Land. Num: 14

Christians cannot abide in the Promise Land until they learn to trust and obey the Lord.

Test six was presumption. Presumption is when one moves forward because they think it is what they should do even though they have not gotten the confirmation or when one claims the promises of God when they have not met the stipulations that went with it.

The Israelites decided to go into the Promise Land after God told them not to. They counted on Him conceding and letting them have their way. It was open defiance of the living God. Moses warned them that it would end badly, but they went and the Amalekites and Canaanites smote them. Num: 14:44-45

God had Moses teach the tribes how they are to worship Him when they come into the land. He was referring to their offspring, because He had declared that only Joshua and Caleb would enter the Promise Land out of all the adult Israelites. But teaching them at that point settled their fears and causes them to look forward in hope and expectation.

When Christians are in a place of fear of the unknown or one of overwhelming odds, God wants them to dwell on the promises and keep their eyes on Jesus. Num: 14-15, Heb: 12

Test seven was contention with God’s anointed. God assured them that Moses and Aaron were to be in charge, but some of them refuse to accept it and they tried to get the rest of the people to join them in their rebellion and God had the earth open up and swallow them. The message--it is deadly to rebel against God. Num: 16

Test eight--the people still did not know how to follow the leader. They still did not fear God. They were strong-willed and hard-headed. God confirmed who is in charge, but when they got discouraged they grumbled against God and Moses again and fiery serpents appeared and started biting them and many died. Then the people repented and God had Moses make a fiery serpent of bronze and set it up on a pole and those that were bitten were to look at it and they would not die. Num: 21

This message from God shows the way of salvation. Jn: 3:14-16 says Jesus would be lifted up on the pole or cross and all who looked to Him could have eternal life and not die.

The fiery serpents that bite are a picture of what happens to those who lose faith and begin to blame and complain--the enemy feeds them fatal lies that destroy them. Mk: 4:3-20

Test nine, they mingled with the people of the land and fell into sexual sins and Moses calls upon the Israelites to slay them and Phinehas drew his sword in the name of the Lord and slew the fornicators. Num: 25

Christians often have to face the test of seduction. This example is meant to help them resist the temptation--it is another deadly one.

So you have to go through the wilderness to get to the Promise Land and then you will be fully-equipped to take the land and maintain ownership of the land. PTL!

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Prince Malachi is the founder of The Oracle Network and the Streetwear brand Y.A.H. Apparel

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