Desert Wilderness

God Provides in the Wilderness

• God guided the people by a pillar of cloud by
day and a pillar of fire by night
• The people were hungry and began to complain
because they missed what they had in Egypt
– A fine flak-like food rained down on the ground (Ex
16:2-19)
– Manna – is Hebrew for “what is it”
• Water from the rock – Moses knowing the wilderness
because of his 40 years as a shepherd knows where to
strike the rocks in order to get water (Ex 17:1-6)
• Type of the Eucharist – just as God gave manna from
heaven to physically feed his people in the Old Covenant
so he gives the Eucharist to spiritually feed his people in
the New Covenant
 Covenant on Sinai
• After 3 months they arrive at Mt. Sinai where God
will form a covenant with Israel forming them into a
priestly nation (Ex 19:3-8)
– Moses alone claimed the mountain which was quaking, and filled with
thunder, smoke, and fire
– The whole people heard the voice of God and were frightened
– Here God gave the people the 10 Commandments
– Moses again went onto the mountain and God gave him a more
detailed version of the holy law
• The people sealed the covenant with God by
sacrifice on a 12 pillar altar (Ex 24: 4-8)
– Moses took half the blood throwing it on the altar
– Then he read the commandments and the people swore
their obedience said,
– Then Moses took the other half of the blood and threw it upon the
people sealing the covenant
– This action indicated that through obedience to the commandments
God and the people are now united as a family who share the same
blood
 10 Commandments
• Torah – is a Hebrew word which means “Law;” it comes
from the Hebrew word Yarah which means “hit the mark”
• The 10 Commandments are a summary of the whole law
1. I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods before me
2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain
3. Remember to keep holy the Sabbath
4. Honor your father and your mother
5. You shall not murder
6. You shall not commit adultery
7. You shall not steal
8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife  
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods
 The Golden Calf
• Moses goes up Mt. Sinai for 40 days which is a time
of testing to see if the people trust God
– During this time God gives Moses instructions for building
the Tabernacle
– The people grow impatient and go to Aaron to ask him to
make them gods (Ex 32:1-10)
– They use some of the gold from Egypt and Aaron made a golden calf,
which was a fertility god (the gods of Egypt are still in their heart)
• God tells Moses to go down from the mountain as his wrath
and punishment will be upon the people
– Moses intercedes for the people that God will not destroy them
– Moses breaks the tablets to show that the people broke the covenant
– Moses asks who will choose the Lord and the tribe of Levi gather
around him and Moses tells them to execute the 3000 who refused
– Because of the golden calf the people are no longer priests but only
the tribe of Levi especially from the line of Aaron
• Through Moses, who speaks face to face with God, the
people renew the covenant and again receive the 10
commandments
 Leviticus and Numbers
• Book of Leviticus
– Named Leviticus because it is mainly for the
Levites who are the OT priests
– Part one (1-16) - the priestly code: ritual
sacrifices, ceremony of ordination, legal purity
– Part two (17-27) - the holiness code for the
common Israelite
– Jewish feasts: Sabbath, Passover, Weeks,
Tabernacles, Day of Atonement, and others
• Book of Numbers
– Named the book of numbers because it begins with a census of the
12 tribes
– Tells all the stages of the story of the dessert wonderings and
describes the duties of the Levites
– The Levites are now the priests instead of the first born (Num 3:11-13)
• God says and repeats so much concerning the Levites to
establish their authority
 The Tabernacle
• Outer court
– Altar of Sacrifice
– Bronze Laver for ritual washing
– Tabernacle tent
• The Holy Place
– Golden lamp stand (menorah)
– Table for the bread of the Presence
– Altar of Incense
– Veil segmenting the Holy of Holies
• The Holy of Holies
– The Holy of Holies held the Arc of the Covenant in which there was
the tablets of stone, manna, and Aaron’s rod
– On the ark is the mercy seat on which there are cherubim
• The Tabernacle was modeled after Moses vision of heaven
and was a sign of God presence
– The Levites were responsible for divine worship and the furnishings of
the tabernacle
 Spies in Canaan
• 12 spies went to see what the land of
Canaan was like
– Found that it was a land flowing with milk and
honey
– After 40 days they were afraid because they saw that the
cities were well fortified and the inhabitants were strong
– They brought back some of the lushes fruit of the land
– 10 of the spies give a message of fear and
hopelessness and the people believe them
– Only Caleb and Joshua trust God and
encourage the people
 40 Years in the Wilderness
• The Lord punishes the people because of their
distrust (Num 14:1-4)
– All the people who were over 20 would die in the
desert
– They wonder for 40 years, one year for every day they
were in the promised land
– After this punishment they presume to take the country
without God’s help and they were defeated
• The people complain again about water and the Lord
says to Moses to speak to the rock that it may give water
– Moses in anger strikes the rock twice
– Since Moses did not show God’s holiness he was
forbidden from taking the people into the Land
(Num 20 )
– God’s judgment is stricter for leaders
 Deuteronomy
• Israel again falls into idolatry at Beth-peor where the women
worship Baal through prostitution
– Phineas takes vengeance and is made High Priest
• Because of their faithlessness God gives them another law
(Deuteronomy – means “Second Law”)
– It was a punishment but also a slow remedy
– These laws come especially from Moses instead of
directly from God
– Given for their hardness of heart and allowed divorce
– Commanded separation from other nations instead of being
a light to them
– Gives provisions for a king
– Shema – Deut 6:4-5 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our
God is one LORD; and you shall love the LORD your
God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with
all your might
• Deuteronomy ends with the death of Moses who while
seeing the Promised Land never got to step foot in it