Last week I got back from a week´s trip to Dubai. My first time there and it was quite an experience. Apart from meeting old friends and making new friends I also got to see and experience the Dubai desert for a few hours as a birthday present from my church. I wasn´t quite sure what to think: My church sending me out into the desert J.
But I also reflected, while enjoying the view, on the Old testament Jewish people who got to spend 40 long years wandering in the desert because of their disobedience.
While they were in the desert the Bible describes how these millions of people lived from day to day – cut off from other civilization and any type of inhabitable land.
While they were in the desert there was no commerce, no entertainment industry, no schools, no organized military, no government, no mass communication industry.
For 40 years, the Jews had only one task and that was to serve the Lord.
They ate, slept, maintained their dwellings and the rest of their time was devoted to serving God in the various ways. This total focusing, this total devotion; this total consumption of time and energy invested in serving God produced some badly needed changes and results for the Jewish people who had been disobedient.
This Lifestyle Kept Them Out Of Trouble.
Being alone in the desert kept them from mixing and messing with other ungodly nations and being influenced by their practices. It also kept them focused on God so there was less time for fighting among themselves.
This Lifestyle Strengthened Their Dependence On God.
They never needed new clothes; their sandals never wore out. God provided water in the desert, food in the desert, protection in the desert, direction in the desert. Their entire devotion to Him was meant to emphasize their dependency on Him. Their situation was one of utter helplessness and yet each day God reminded them of His ability to care for all of their needs.
And each day their dependence on Him was reinforced a confirmed through their continued survival.
This Lifestyle Provided A Witness.
They didn’t mingle with the ungodly nations, but that didn´t mean that these nations didn’t notice them. The ungodly people could easily see the difference between themselves and this strange group of people that wandered in the desert year after year.
They saw something special, something different and attractive when they compared.
What can we learn from the Desert:
- He Still Wants us Separate from the sinful World
As Christians, we have escaped slavery to sin and live as pilgrims in this world as we travel to the heavenly Promise Land. God expects us to be His exclusive people separate and apart from the world.
- God Still Wants us to Wholly Depend On Him, One Day at a Time
True He doesn’t send manna every morning, He no longer draws water from rocks or clothing that doesn’t wear out for 40 years. But He does provide a Job, a home, a vehicle, and everything else that we need. Our wealth and materialism tends to hide the fact that God is the source of our blessing and good life.
But God still requires His people to depend totally on Him. For everything. Every single day. Forever.
- God Still Wants Us To Be His Ambassadors.
When the Jews were in the desert they embodied the truth and presence of God to that dark world.
They were the only way that unbelievers could know God’s truth, see God at work in a people – there was no other way, no other place, no other people. If you missed it here, you missed it altogether.
Today this role is given to Christians, to the Church. We are the Ambassadors for Christ to the world.
Our calling card is the gospel, our embassy is the church, our government is the kingdom of God, our credibility and effectiveness is dependent on our holy living in obedience to Christ.
We “look” very different than the Jews did but we are still responsible for delivering the Christ to the world and if the world doesn’t see Him in us – it won’t see Him anywhere else.
To find out more about the children of Israel´s desert experiences, read the book of Exodus in the Old Testament and be inspired by God´s love and care for those that are totally dependent on God.
Have a blessed week!
/Mark
This is why we sent you to the desert 🙂 such an amazing word! Blessed!
Glad you enjoyed!! 😉