Psalm 78:40

Psalm 78:40

Rebellion in the wilderness

The Hebrew language has a number of words for “wilderness” or “desert” or “wasteland”. These places are very real and the word wilderness for instance, occurs nearly 300 times in the Scriptures. Quite rightly, we are prompted to think of desolate landscapes and wild natural environments where sensible people do not go!

In Genesis to Deuteronomy the most used Hebrew word is “Midbar” and it describes uninhabited land where humans are just nomads, they have nowhere to settle. It’s possible to have pastures in such a wilderness because, of course, nomadic people took their animals with them and grazed them on route. 

In Genesis 36:24 we read of a desert and the word to describe it is “arabah”. So in Isaiah 35:1 “The land that was desolate (midbar) and impassable shall be glad, and the wilderness (arabah) shall rejoice.”

There are two other Hebrew words that are used to describe waste places, “chorbah” literally means waste and “yeshimon” is land without water. It is in such these places that a number of Bible events unfold, the manna and the quails are provided by God. Moses encounters the burning bush, Elijah experiences the still, small voice. In the New Testament Jesus is driven into the wilderness after His baptism (the Greek word is “eremos”). 

All of these incidents speak of isolation, solitude, self-discovery and the presence of God. Like Israel, our human lives in this world are wilderness journeys, occasionally desert experiences, we plod along in the hope of the Promised Land and as we go the Lord feeds and satisfies our thirsty longings. I suspect that we have all rebelled against Him and grieved Him on this journey, however we must keep pressing on for the Land of Promise is in sight.

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