The superscription at the beginning of Psalm 63 says, "A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah." As I reflected on this, I was reminded that God's people are no strangers to the wilderness. And while the wilderness appears barren, there are lessons here to be harvested. We would do well to keep this in mind as we face our own wildernesses.
Enemies and the Wilderness
Throughout the Scriptures, God's people have been sent into the wilderness, and it's been their enemies, the enemies of God, that have sent them there.
Adam and Eve
It was the serpent that deceived Adam and Eve, resulting in their fall into sin and their exile from Eden. This was no accident—it was malicious. In John 8:44, Jesus says of that ancient serpent, the devil (Rev. 12:9), "He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies."
Satan had murderous intent. It was through his lies that he led Adam and Eve down the path to death. While he didn't overtly hold the knife against them, he slickly guided their hands as they pushed it into the electrical outlet themselves. He wasn't surprised that death was the penalty for their sin, though he may have been surprised that the penalty wasn't immediate. Instead, Yahweh curses Adam and Eve and removes them from the paradise of His presence to the wilderness without.
The Israelites
It was the Egyptians who sent the Israelites away into the wilderness. Granted, the Egyptians desired to continue oppressing the Israelites as slaves, but when that becomes too much to bear after Yahweh sends ten plagues, they relent. It is their hard-heartedness that leads them to pursue the Israelites into the wilderness where they ignore the pillar of cloud, the walls of water, and their doom until it is too late.
While Egypt itself was a wilderness of a sort to the Israelites, the children of God find themselves in an actual wilderness on the other side of the Red Sea (Ex. 16:2-3).
King David
It was the enemies of King David, whether King Saul before him or David's own son Absalom, who force David to flee to the wilderness. David makes it clear in Psalm 63:9-10 that he has enemies, and they seek to destroy his life. But if they can't find him, they can't kill him. And if they can't kill him, they have to content themselves knowing he's limited to the wilderness.
Adam and Eve
It was the serpent that deceived Adam and Eve, resulting in their fall into sin and their exile from Eden. This was no accident—it was malicious. In John 8:44, Jesus says of that ancient serpent, the devil (Rev. 12:9), "He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies."
Satan had murderous intent. It was through his lies that he led Adam and Eve down the path to death. While he didn't overtly hold the knife against them, he slickly guided their hands as they pushed it into the electrical outlet themselves. He wasn't surprised that death was the penalty for their sin, though he may have been surprised that the penalty wasn't immediate. Instead, Yahweh curses Adam and Eve and removes them from the paradise of His presence to the wilderness without.
The Israelites
It was the Egyptians who sent the Israelites away into the wilderness. Granted, the Egyptians desired to continue oppressing the Israelites as slaves, but when that becomes too much to bear after Yahweh sends ten plagues, they relent. It is their hard-heartedness that leads them to pursue the Israelites into the wilderness where they ignore the pillar of cloud, the walls of water, and their doom until it is too late.
While Egypt itself was a wilderness of a sort to the Israelites, the children of God find themselves in an actual wilderness on the other side of the Red Sea (Ex. 16:2-3).
King David
It was the enemies of King David, whether King Saul before him or David's own son Absalom, who force David to flee to the wilderness. David makes it clear in Psalm 63:9-10 that he has enemies, and they seek to destroy his life. But if they can't find him, they can't kill him. And if they can't kill him, they have to content themselves knowing he's limited to the wilderness.
But in this there is great hope, because God's providence underpins all of these examples. These enemies would have no sway over God's people unless God Himself ordained it. But God is not malicious; He has a higher purpose. What the enemies of God's people mean for evil, God uses for good (Gen. 50:20).
God and the Wilderness
Throughout the Scriptures, God's people have been sent into the wilderness, and it's been their God, the Living God, that has met them there.
Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve never returned to Eden, the cherubim with the flaming sword saw to that. But while cursing the serpent, Yahweh gave His image-bearers a promise to cling to in Genesis 3:15,
Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve never returned to Eden, the cherubim with the flaming sword saw to that. But while cursing the serpent, Yahweh gave His image-bearers a promise to cling to in Genesis 3:15,
"I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”
Their hope was that their exile to the wilderness wouldn't last forever. Some future day the Son of Man would crush the serpent's head, doing what Adam failed to do in the garden. With that, a return into God's presence would be possible. Yes, they would know death, but they had a promise to hold. Because of their sinful rebellion, Yahweh would unfold a glorious plan for redemption.
Until then, they sought to settle the wilderness, carrying out the creation mandate while wrestling against the curses laid upon them. But in His grace, God ensured the curses were not more than they could bear. For even while carrying their curses, Eve would bear fruit from her womb while Adam and his sons would bring forth fruit from the earth. They were separated from God, but not completely abandoned. In the wilderness, they would have to learn to depend on God in ways they never would have in Eden.
The Israelites
God didn't deliver the Israelites out of Egypt and into the promised land. He delivered them into the wilderness, and Scripture gives us a robust record of their experience there. It was a trying experience, but they didn't make it easy for themselves. Much of their woe in the wilderness was a direct result of their sin, from their idolatry (Ex. 32), to their complaining (Num. 11), to their faithlessness (Num. 13-14), to their dissension (Num. 12; 16). God tests them, and they fail. Hard. Yet God was gracious to them as He provided them with manna from heaven (Ex. 16:4-5), quail from the sky (Ex. 16:13), water from rocks (Ex. 17:6), and kept their sandals from wearing out (Deut. 29:5). Even His discipline was a grace as it taught them again and again who He was (holy and faithful) and who they were (sinful and fickle).
Ultimately, Yahweh revealed Himself to them in the wilderness. He came down on Mount Sinai in thunder and lightning with the sound of trumpets, so awesome in power that the mountain starts to smoke under the weight of His glory. His voice is so great that the Israelites fear they will die if they hear it again, so they beg Moses to speak to God in their stead while they stand far off (Ex. 20:18-21). Moses does, and God gives them the Law.
Until the incarnation of Jesus Christ, there would not be a more complete revelation of Yahweh and His character than what He gave to the Israelites in the wilderness (Ex. 34:6-7). Everything that comes after builds upon what is laid down here. It is the wilderness that God uses to test the Israelites, and though they are found lacking, it is in the wilderness that God meets them.
King David
King David always returned from his exiles in the wilderness. But what He found there he would always remember. It wasn't that he found the wilderness to be his refuge. No, but he did find Him who is his refuge in the wilderness: Yahweh. In the shadow of His wings David sang for joy (Ps. 63:7). His soul clung to the Lord, for he knew it was the Lord's right hand that upheld him (Ps. 63:8).
Yet not only does the Lord sustain, He satisfies (Ps. 63:5). The needs of thirsty souls and fainting flesh are only met in Yahweh. This is why David sought the Lord earnestly (Ps. 63:1). There is blessing in beholding God's beauty. Blessing so abundant and rich that a dry and weary soul becomes a fountain of joyful praise and happy worship (Ps. 63:1, 4-7, 11).
In one of the many paradoxes that God works in this fallen world, God uses the wilderness to draw His people to Himself. When there is nothing else to sustain us, we have no choice but to turn to Him for our needs. What seems like it should keep us from God, and will if we let it, God uses to teach us key lessons about who He is and who we are. Only God can bring forth such pleasing desserts from our deserts.
Jesus and the Wilderness
But we're not done yet. Before we close, we must look at the antitype to all these types: Jesus. He, too, experienced the wilderness.
Jesus was not forced into the wilderness by His enemy, He was led there by the Holy Spirit. There, He would be tempted by the devil, and He would prevail (Mt. 4:1-11). He would be tested, and then He would begin His ministry. He would fast for 40 days, and he would be sustained and satisfied in God.
And while he didn't crush the serpent's head in this moment, it foreshadowed that He ultimately would. He would have the victory. It would come at great cost to Himself, but He would have it.
Yes, He would be the fulfillment of God's promise in Genesis 3:15. He would be the complete revelation of God and His character. He would be the sustaining, satisfying refuge for all God's people among all the nations.
We still endure our own wildernesses today. They are not always physical; often they are spiritual. Still, they are hard, difficult places where we are tested. And though the enemy of our souls wants us to believe that we must face them alone, we need not. The Living God is on our side. Christ is victorious, and the evil one is vanquished. Our Lord and Savior knows the wilderness, and He is there with us in ours.
One day soon, Christ will return, and we will behold Him. Then the wilderness will be no more, and paradise will be established forever. We will be with Him! Until then, may we seek the Lord—wilderness or not! He has much to teach us about who He is and who we are.
Jesus was not forced into the wilderness by His enemy, He was led there by the Holy Spirit. There, He would be tempted by the devil, and He would prevail (Mt. 4:1-11). He would be tested, and then He would begin His ministry. He would fast for 40 days, and he would be sustained and satisfied in God.
And while he didn't crush the serpent's head in this moment, it foreshadowed that He ultimately would. He would have the victory. It would come at great cost to Himself, but He would have it.
Yes, He would be the fulfillment of God's promise in Genesis 3:15. He would be the complete revelation of God and His character. He would be the sustaining, satisfying refuge for all God's people among all the nations.
We still endure our own wildernesses today. They are not always physical; often they are spiritual. Still, they are hard, difficult places where we are tested. And though the enemy of our souls wants us to believe that we must face them alone, we need not. The Living God is on our side. Christ is victorious, and the evil one is vanquished. Our Lord and Savior knows the wilderness, and He is there with us in ours.
One day soon, Christ will return, and we will behold Him. Then the wilderness will be no more, and paradise will be established forever. We will be with Him! Until then, may we seek the Lord—wilderness or not! He has much to teach us about who He is and who we are.