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The Law and the Wilderness Walk

Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’” (Exodus 19:3–6)

God chose the Israelites to be his special people. He gave them the Ten Commandments to reveal his perfect character. He demanded that, as his people, the Israelites live in a way that reflected his holiness: “I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44). The Israelites couldn’t keep these commandments—and neither can we. Even when people fail, God is faithful. He wants a relationship with us. “I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people” (Leviticus 26:12).

The Israelites learned that God is their powerful provider. They fled Egypt after the tenth plague. God led them by a pillar of fire at night and a pillar of cloud by day. He parted the Red Sea for the Israelites but drowned the pursuing Egyptian soldiers. The Lord made undrinkable water drinkable and provided water out of a rock. He provided bread from heaven every single day. 

Again and again, God showed his faithfulness. Again and again, he provided the impossible.

Yet the Israelites doubted God’s power and provision when they saw the people who were living in the promised land. They panicked, thinking they couldn’t defeat these mighty people—and they didn’t believe God would equip them to defeat these enemies and take possession of the land he had promised to them. Because of their unbelief, they wandered for the next forty years in the desert.

The Israelites spent those forty years learning they couldn’t do life without God. They tried making idols, fighting their own enemies, and solving their own problems only to fall flat on their faces. They learned to repent of their sin—to be truly sad and turn away from it. They learned that obedience leads to blessing and that the presence of God is everything. They learned to pray, worship, care for one another, to be warriors, and to hear the voice of God.

At times you might feel like you are wandering in the wilderness. Remember that God is always powerful and in control. He will use your journey—like the Israelites’ journey thousands of years ago—to draw you closer to himself and to show you his faithfulness. “The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything” (Deuteronomy 2:7).

Reflect on these questions after reading Exodus 20.

• Why would God’s presence have been frightening to the Israelites?
• Do you think God’s presence is frightening now? Why or why not?
• In what ways are the Ten Commandments good for us?
• What do the Ten Commandments reveal about God’s character?

Pray

Today’s prayer comes from Exodus 20.

You are the Lord my God who delivers me from the slavery of sin. Teach me to worship you, to honor your name, to hear your word diligently, and to obey you. Thank you for creating and redeeming me. In Jesus’ name, amen.