Walking worthily

God’s people were so close. In a few months they had been rescued from slavery in Egypt through the Red Sea, led through the wilderness by a cloud and fiery pillar, and been fed by miraculous manna and quail. Now, here they stand at the border of the land promised to their forefathers. It’s like a film that feels as if it’s about to end, but you have an hour left. ‘What on earth is there left to happen?’ you ask yourself.

God’s people were so close, yet so far: they were a ‘rabble’ (11:4); Moses’ own siblings had opposed him (chapter 12); and now in chapters 13–19 their rebellion goes from bad to worse, resulting in thousands being killed and the rest being condemned to wandering in the wilderness for forty years. It doesn’t make sense that people who had witnessed such wonders would rebel within months and wish they were back in Egypt – as slaves (14:3–4)! The Israelites had been set free, but didn’t want to change. They had seen, but did not trust. They had heard, but did not listen.

Looking back at all this Paul wrote: ‘These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us … So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!’ (1 Corinthians 10:11–12). May we listen to and heed these warnings, and make sure we are standing on the only firm ground of God’s forgiveness in Jesus.