Why did God take the Israelites through the wilderness?

For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt. So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea” (Ex. 13: 17-18 NIV) When Pharaoh decided to chase them – which God knew he would – the Israelites would have been surrounded if they would have taken the direct route.

How far did the Israelites travel in 40 years?

Subsequently, question is, how far did the Israelites travel in 40 years? If they walked in a single file line with 3 feet between them, the line itself would have been over six times the length of the total trip—over 1300 miles.

What is the significance of the wilderness in the Bible?

The wilderness is a locale for intense experiences—of stark need for food and water (manna and quails), of isolation (Elijah and the still small voice), of danger and divine deliverance (Hagar and Ishmael), of renewal, of encounters with God (Moses, the burning bush, the revelation of the divine name, Mount Sinai).

How many Israelites died in the wilderness?

The following morning, some 15,000 individuals were found dead in their graves. According to tradition, this harrowing ritual was repeated annually for forty years, until the original 600,000 Israelites who left Egypt—those who doubted that they could attain the Promised Land—finally died off.

What does God provide for the Israelites in the wilderness?

The Israelites consistently complained and sinned against God, but despite their grumbling God steadily took care of them by providing water and bread by his grace. In the provision of manna in the wilderness, the Israelites saw the “glory (kābôd) of the LORD” (16:7, 10).

How did God protect the Israelites in the wilderness?

In the wilderness, God revealed himself to the Israelites by graciously providing for them or by punishing them for their sins.

What lessons did the Israelites learn in the wilderness?

Lessons Learned From the Israelites

• Be patient. The Israelites waited generations to be freed from bondage.
• Faith must be nurtured. The plagues and the parting of the Red Sea were just the beginning of the miracles God rained down upon the children of Israel.
• God loves his children.
• It will work out in the end.

What did God give the Israelites to eat in the wilderness?

Manna (Hebrew: מָן‎ mān, Greek: μάννα; Arabic: اَلْمَنُّ‎; sometimes or archaically spelled mana) is, according to the Bible, an edible substance which God provided for the Israelites during their travels in the desert during the 40-year period following the Exodus and prior to the conquest of Canaan.

What is the significance of 40 years in the Bible?

The Hebrew people lived in the lands outside of the promised land for “forty years”. This period of years represents the time it takes for a new generation to arise (Numbers 32:13). Several early Hebrew leaders and kings are said to have ruled for “forty years”, that is, a generation.

What does it mean to wander in the wilderness?

1 also tr to move or travel about, in, or through (a place) without any definite purpose or destination. 2 to proceed in an irregular course; meander.

Where did Moses wander for 40 years?

Mount Sinai
After the Ten Plagues, Moses led the Exodus of the Israelites out of Egypt and across the Red Sea, after which they based themselves at biblical Mount Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments. After 40 years of wandering in the desert, Moses died within sight of the Promised Land on Mount Nebo.

What happened during the 40 years in the wilderness?

For 40 years, the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, eating quail and manna. They were led into the Promised Land by Joshua; the victory at Jericho marked the beginning of possession of the land. As victories were won, the tracts of land were assigned to each tribe, and they lived peacefully with each other.

What is the spiritual meaning of 40?

Christianity. Christianity similarly uses forty to designate important time periods. Before his temptation, Jesus fasted “forty days and forty nights” in the Judean desert (Matthew 4:2, Mark 1:13, Luke 4:2). Forty days was the period from the resurrection of Jesus to the ascension of Jesus (Acts 1:3).

Why did Israel wander in the wilderness for 40 years?

Because of their faithlessness, God disciplined them. “The LORD’s anger burned against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness 40 years until the whole generation that had done what was evil in the LORD’s sight was gone.” (Num. 32:13). Even though God was angry with Israel, He did not abandon them.

How did God lead Israel in the wilderness?

“The Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness.” Israel wasn’t lost; Israel was being led by God. God didn’t leave his people to find their own way, instead he went before them with the cloud by day and pillar of fire by night.

Why did Moses go to the wilderness for forty years?

In Deuteronomy 8:2-3, Moses makes several important points about these difficult decades. He says, And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.

What can we learn from the Israelites wandering the desert?

Indeed. We’ll dive into some of the many lessons from the 40 years in the desert. In the desert, the Israelites had run low on provisions ( Numbers 11:5 ). It gets to the point where the Israelites pine after the “good ole days” of their slavery in Egypt, where they didn’t have to worry about starvation.