The Israelites must have felt terribly discouraged as they turned their backs on the promised land and headed back into the wilderness. They had been rebuked by the Lord, had suffered defeat in battle, and now had to face the hard reality that most of them would never set foot in the land.

It seems like a strange moment in the story to introduce another set of laws and regulations, but God, of course, knew what he was doing. Amidst the hopelessness and despair, God came with a set of regulations that were not about the wilderness, but about the promised land. God may have had to pass judgement on the people for their unbelief, but his judgement is tempered with mercy. These regulations were a reassurance that God’s promise would be fulfilled one day.

God’s discipline may be hard to bear, but Scripture tells us that God disciplines those he loves (Proverbs 3:12), that his discipline is for our good (Hebrews 12:10), and that it is a sign that we are God’s true children (Hebrews 12:8). Unlike an earthly parent’s discipline, God is not unfair, or unpredictable. He does not say one thing and do another. He is not unjust or cruel, and he does not lose control of himself.

The Israelites had shown that they were not ready to enter the promised land – they lacked the faith and the obedience – but the Lord had not given up on them. He was still with them in the fire and in the cloud, and he was still planning for a good future for them. We will all sometimes fall short, lack faith and stray into disobedience, but we can remain sure that the Lord’s plans are for our good and he will keep his promises.

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NEWBOLD COMMUNITY CHURCH