Are You Wandering?

Are you one of the many people who feel adrift today? Could the dusty wanderings of an ancient people have bearing on your life?

The Israelites spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness. But it didn’t have to be that way!

Let’s examine these ancient wanderers and consider the modern lessons for us.

A people enslaved

The story of ancient Israel is epic and moving. Israel, the name God gave to Jacob (Genesis 32:22-28), had 12 sons. One son, Joseph, was sold into bondage, landing as a slave in Egypt. Through a series of incredible events, Joseph rose to be second in command of Egypt, just under Pharaoh (Genesis chapters 39-41).

At Joseph’s urging, the extended family of Israel relocated to an area in Egypt called Goshen during a time of protracted famine (Genesis chapters 42-46). Their descendants prospered for a time and “increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty” (Exodus 1:7).

But then “there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph” (verse 8). This Pharaoh felt threatened by the potential military power of the Israelites. Pharaoh’s solution to this potential threat was to enslave them (verses 9-14).

Deliverance

God orchestrated a series of miracles to deliver the Israelites from slavery. (See our online article “A Deeper Look at the 10 Plagues” for more about this.)

God systematically reduced the religious, social and economic structures of Egypt to ruin. As a result, “the Egyptians urged the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste” (Exodus 12:33).

As they left, “Moses said to the people, ‘Remember this day, in which you went out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out of this place’” (Exodus 13:3).

More than freedom

God had great plans for these freed slaves.

God told Moses, “I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:8).

God’s intent was twofold:

1. To give them deliverance.
2. To bring them to a land flowing with milk and honey.

There was a purpose behind deliverance. God’s purpose was to lead them to the Promised Land.

God planned to lead them personally. “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people” (Exodus 13:21-22).

God’s plan to settle them in a bountiful land where they could live as examples of God’s way of life should have shaped the Israelites’ journey. This purpose offered meaning to the day-to-day challenges and realities of a desert migration.

The loss of purpose

Sadly, as history reveals, most Israelites lost sight of God’s purpose. Daily life—with its repetitive responsibilities, frustrations and perceived drudgery—began to eclipse their vision of God’s purpose.

The purpose was quickly overshadowed by their physical circumstances.

A mere 30 days after leaving slavery behind, “the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the children of Israel said to them, ‘Oh, that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger’” (Exodus 16:2-3).

Their lives as slaves had been “bitter with hard bondage” (Exodus 1:14). One month after being freed, the Israelites were complaining, bemoaning and lamenting their lot in life.

They began to fantasize about their former life as slaves, convincing themselves it hadn’t been that bad.

Complaints about hunger were followed by complaints about water and leadership and God Himself. Complaining became a way of life.

Many forgot the purpose of the journey—to inherit the Promised Land—and began to look back to slavery.

The wandering begins

So diminished was their appreciation of God’s purpose, the Israelites balked when they finally reached the Promised Land. They wouldn’t go in. Astonishingly, they demanded to return to Egypt.

“And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, ‘If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why has the LORD brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?’ So they said to one another, ‘Let us select a leader and return to Egypt’” (Numbers 14:2-4).

Imagine! They were eager to return to slavery.

So God said, “Because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice, they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it” (verses 22-23).

The Israelites instead spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness until the generation that lost sight of God’s purpose died (verses 27-30).

Paul summarized the tragic errors of those who perished in the wilderness: “All ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness” (1 Corinthians 10:3-5).

As the Israelites became more disconnected from God’s purpose, they began to wander off after other activities to fill the void. Paul mentions their lust for evil things, idolatry, sexual immorality and tendency to complain (verses 6-10).

Modern relevance

While the Israelites’ story is tragic and interesting, is it relevant to you?

Paul used the Israelites’ desert wandering as a metaphor for the Christian life (verses 1-12). He emphasized the importance of their history for Christians. Note his words:

• These things became our examples (verse 6).
• To the intent that we . . . (verse 6).
• All these things happened to them as examples (verse 11).
• They were written for our admonition (verse 11).

The modern human family has much in common with those ancient travelers. We, too, are prone to wandering. There is much we need to learn from this story.

A purpose for you

In the same way that He had a purpose for the Israelites, God has a purpose for each of us. He reveals that purpose in the Bible.

God has a tremendous future in store for humanity—far greater in scope and impact than the physical Promised Land offered to the Israelites.

God’s purpose is to bring those who respond to His calling into the Kingdom of God.

Incredibly, at creation, God stated that He created the human family in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27). God created humans with the potential to join His family, and He is actively “bringing many sons and daughters to glory” (Hebrews 2:10, New International Version).

To explore more about this incredible purpose, download our booklet God’s Purpose for You.

A plan to lead

God has set in motion an incredible plan of deliverance to bring His purpose about.

God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for the sins of mankind (Romans 5:8-11; 1 Corinthians 5:7). Jesus’ sacrifice offers us deliverance from slavery to sin.

But deliverance is only part of the plan. To accomplish His full purpose—bringing sons and daughters into His family—God offers to take those who repent on a lifetime journey of spiritual growth that leads to the Kingdom of God (Romans 8:5, 14; 1 Peter 1:6-9).

This amazing plan is outlined in God’s annual festival cycle. For more information, download our booklet From Holidays to Holy Days: God’s Plan for You.

Stop wandering

Humans seek after all kinds of things. Across the world, people pursue fame, fortune, prestige, acclaim, notoriety, influence—wandering from pursuit to pursuit in a desperate search for meaning.

Those pursuits have proved to be inadequate to quench our desire for purpose.

Do you find yourself wandering in this life—searching for meaning, purpose or direction?

Are you tired, overwhelmed or exhausted from competing endlessly for money, promotion, status, etc.?

Those God calls can stop wandering now (John 6:44; Hebrews 9:15). If this sounds appealing, embrace God’s purpose for you and begin following Him. Examine, study and apply what the Bible teaches.

To stop wandering and pursue real purpose, study the biblical process explained in our online booklet Change Your Life.