One Last Chance: The Israelite Children
The book of Genesis ends with Joseph moving his family to Egypt. In the beginning of Exodus, a few hundred years have passed. The Israelites are
God lead the Israelite children out of Egypt
now slaves to the Egyptians. However, God sends Moses to lead them out of slavery.
Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt and time and again the see miracles, such as when God parts the red sea. While in the desert, God feeds them manna for food.
Moses ascends Mount Sinai where God gives him the Ten Commandments. God then instructs the people to build the Ark of the Covenant.
While Moses is on the mountain, the people grow restless. Aaron, Moses’ brother, constructs a golden bull as an image of “Yahweh”. When Moses returns from the mountain he is so angry by this idol that he smashes the Ten Commandments. He then ascends the mountain again, where he spends another forty days in worship and prayer. God gives him a second set of stone tablets.
God provided manna from heaven to care for their needs
After Moses descends the mountain, the Israelites agree to be the chosen people of God. They also agree to follow the laws of the Torah. Moses warns that if they forsake the Torah, God will exile them.
Moses sends scouts to the Land of Canaan, and commands the Israelites to go and conquer the land. However, the people are afraid and refuse to take all God has promised. God is angry and condemns the entire generation to exile and death in the Sinai desert.
Forty years pass and the entire generation dies out, including Moses. Joshua becomes leader with the death of Moses and leads the new generation of Israelites to take possession of Canaan.
So what can we learn from the children of Israel?
Moses and the Israelite’s wondered 40 years in the wilderness for their disobedience
- God always fulfills His promises
- God will send help in the most unexpected way—no one expected Moses to become the leader he became
- We often grow restless in the wait
- God often provides warnings in advance
- God always provides for our basic needs—such as providing manna
- We can witness miraculous signs from God and still doubt Him
- We will be punished for our sins
- Fear can keep us from fulfilling our destiny
- We can use fear as an excuse to derail God’s promises
- God is slow to anger, but He does possess this emotion
- God will use others to fulfill His destiny when we refuse
- God does not forget His promises
For others in the One Last Chance Series:
Adam and Eve, Cain, Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot’s Wife, Er and Onan
For the Second Chances series:
Old Testament: Jonah, Job, Samson, Rahab, David and Bathsheba, Moses, Joseph, and Jacob
New Testament: Zacchaeus, Woman Caught in Adultery, The Prodigal Son, The Thief on the Cross, Saul to Paul, John Mark, and Peter