What comes to mind when I say the word “wilderness”?
- Forests?
- Dense woods?
- Getting lost?
- Poison ivy?
- Running from a bear?
Biblically speaking, the wilderness was desert places with no animals or vegetation, no life.
The first time wilderness is mentioned is in Genesis 14:6.
‘and the Horites in the hill country of Seir as far as El-paran on the edge of the wilderness; ‘
Edge of the wilderness. Now that’s an interesting concept. To be on the edge of something. Let’s come back to that.
A wilderness is characterized by harsh conditions. No water. Still, these spaces, be they real or symbolic (depending on the situation), are backdrops to divine and spiritual encounters. Testing. Transformations. Let’s read about a story like that.
The whole congregation of the Israelites set out from Elim and came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
-Exodus 16:1-3
These verses are a snapshot of what happened in the Exodus story. Moses was sent by God, Yahweh, to free His people from slavery in Egypt. The book’s title, “EXODUS,” means a departure of a large number of people. And that’s precisely what happens in this story. Passover, the Biblical holiday that develops into Easter, quite literally came about from this journey from bondage to freedom. But what we miss is that after the release from bondage, they didn’t immediately end up in the promise land. Nope. They had to wander in the wilderness, a wasteland, for 40 years. Why?! Didn’t they go through enough already? And yet, we see some of the WHY in the verses we just read.
“The whole congregation complained…’If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.'”
Imagine wanting to go back to the place God just delivered you from!
Why would a person ever want to go back to or stay in a bad situation?
- Familiarity
- Not sure if they can make it through
- Given up
- Scared of the unknown
Let me put it to you this way. If the Hebrews had given up and gone back to their oppressors, they knew what awaited them. They had been living it for generations. They were in this in-between state. They could go back to bondage. They could die in this transitional place. Or, they could push through. Trust the process. Trust the path that God is setting them on. You see, the wilderness is a place for preparation.
‘ A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD ; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” ‘
-Isaiah 40:3-5
In the wilderness is where God prepares us for something. For the Hebrews, it was preparation for them to live in the promise land. Because they weren’t ready the moment God rescued them from slavery. They wanted to go back when things got hard. God had to prepare them, prune them, make them ready. He even had to remove people from their group who hindered their progress, their growth. Because He was already there, ready and waiting.
What are we waiting on in our in-between spaces? What is preventing us from stepping into our promise land? Are we:
- Holding onto traditions, man’s tradition that is prohibiting the Holy Spirit’s growth in our lives?
- Are we holding onto “groupthink” mentalities?
- Protecting a theology or belief because it’s what you were brought up around? Because a pastor “said so”?
- Ignoring pain? In our lives and that of others?
- Are we judging others? Because they don’t look like us, sound like us, dress like us, have stuff like us, believe like us?
The wilderness in our lives, or even in the entirety of Christianity, signifies a time of refinement. This period can sometimes be by fire. It can be painful. To unlearn our preconceived notions, our biases. Painful. The Holy Spirit, the Advocate, the Ruach Hakodesh living within us, is providing wisdom and discernment. We need to get out of the way! We need to learn to duck so God can punch the enemy behind us!
‘Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power; put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, for our struggle is not against blood and flesh but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on the evil day and, having prevailed against everything, to stand firm. Stand, therefore, and belt your waist with truth and put on the breastplate of righteousness and lace up your sandals in preparation for the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. ‘
-Ephesians 6:10-18
Put on the whole armor of God to withstand the enemy. To stand against the empire. The Hebrews had to go against the government of their day to escape oppression. Who are the oppressors for us today? Stand against injustice in whatever form the enemy wants to take!
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on the evil day and, having prevailed against everything, to stand firm.
Stand firm. Stand against theology that goes against the righteousness of Christ and his teachings. Stand against our faith being manipulated into weapons.
Preparation, this word is not to be taken lightly. It is about preparing for both the spiritual and physical aspects of our lives. For Christianity, our time in the wilderness began after Jesus rose and ascended to heaven. We are now waiting, much like the Hebrews in the desert, for our promise land. The Eternal Kingdom of God. Our return to a new Eden. Jesus is ready, willing, and waiting for us to be prepared, to be made ready. The wilderness is where the before and after meet. It is where God prepares us for the Garden with a purpose. For such a time as this (Esther 4:14).
Let’s get ready, church.
Amen.
Further Study
How does the Bible define the term “enemy”?
Satan is not a name but a title.
What is the Anti-Christ?
History of the Anti-Christ
Jesus prepares us in the wilderness.
The Wilderness = A place of preparation
The Religion of Whiteness: How Racism Distorts Christian Faith
Wilderness: Topical Encyclopedia
Wandering in the Desert: Topical Encyclopedia
The Importance of Preparation: Topical Encyclopedia
Behind The Scenes
I thought I would share a look at my notes as I prepare these sermons each week. They aren’t neat and tidy. They are chaos incarnate. Much like our faith walk. Our journeys aren’t always a clean path. Often, they look like off-road vehicles that have hit one too many mud puddles.
I wanted to start giving a glimpse into my writing process. This is to express the sentiment. The finished picture doesn’t portray the process.
-Pastor Alex