Dangerous and Divine
“They wandered in the wilderness in a desert region” Psalm 107:4 NASB
Desert Region– For most of us, the idea of wilderness recalls pictures of the Arizona desert or the Sahara or the Northern Territories. We think of wilderness as a place where men cannot live. But what we really mean is that men cannot live in these places the way that we would like to live. This reveals something important about the wilderness, so important that the Biblical wilderness is an essential part of God’s message. The wilderness is the place where men encounter God and, at the same time, it is a place inhabited by demons. It is the place of God’s revelation of the Law and it is the place of great temptation. It is the place of His call and the place of our rejection. In one facet of wilderness theology, it is a place where every one of us lives, right now.
In this verse, the word translated “wilderness” is not the same as the word for “desert region”. The difference may be important. “Wilderness” is midbar but “desert region” is yeshimon. Midbar describes particular places but yeshimon has the nuance of devastation and desolation, sometimes associated with the destruction caused by God’s punishment. Being in deserted places does not always mean desolation and devastation. But in this verse, David captures the full range. Israel was not wandering simply because they lacked a good map. They were wandering because they were experiencing God’s devastation.
You and I often follow the same trek across the empty places of life. It is not the lack of companionship or communication that causes us to agonize in our wilderness. The terror comes from the desolation and devastation that we experience in that place. Faces to the ground, tears without comfort, we begin to see the futility of our lives in our efforts to survive the wilderness. When God withdraws, we discover we are in a yeshimon, not the midbar.
Men today do everything possible to avoid these places. We fill our lives with the clutter of the city, the pace of exhaustion, the demands of the demons of work and money and time. We avoid silence and solitude, those fearful glimpses of our frail existence. We would rather leave the television on. But God has a purpose for yeshimon. Personal desolation violates our mythical self-sufficiency. The truth is that we are alone, completely alone, without God. Community is not the fabrication of human communication skills. It is the gift of grace. Without Him, the wilderness becomes yeshimon. Terrifying and Truthful.
Let go of your false protection. You will find the wasteland is but one step away. And there you will discover who you really are—and who keeps you. As frightening as it is, this is the first step toward freedom. God is in the midbar. Without Him, you and I are in the yeshimon.
Topical Index: yeshimon, desert place, midbar, wilderness, alone, Psalm 107:4
“Then God opened her eyes…and she perceived a well of water…”
The KJV renders this word “solitary way”. Disconnected from all earthly systems and confederations: no fleshly substitutes for community can be found to work in these special ‘alone’ places. Everything is vertical: it’s just me and God. Who wants to be left alone – with God? Nobody! Every damaged place in us that is believing lies about love is a place that is terrified of anything that shows us that damage (for this goes against our bush-hiding paradigm) or that God ragingly desperate for that connection with us. Nope: better to just run and hide some more. Until we can’t: until all the birds have come home to roost and we can’t juggle the balls of the flesh anymore and nobody can afford to stand with us because we have run out of attractive things to exchange or offer. Sick, exhausted, deserted, out of resources and worldly connections that still work; here is the place our rudderless, sailless ship finds itself, circling with a bunch of grass out in the middle of nowhere. It’s an unbelievable place: we can’t figure out why we are here or why we can no longer be anywhere else. Because we have on our bush-paradigm glasses, it looks awful because there is no place left to hide and no excuse to answer the Accuser with is working. And God is calling “where are you?” and we don’t know where we are or where He is. The bush paradigm fails us in the wilderness.
Time to come out slow with our hands held up and lay our weapon – those infernal paradigm glasses – down. We are out of bullets – I do mean bushes – anyway.
Just a note oh, you mentioned the bush twice, this caused me to take note of myself what is in the bush? In the past places where wild animals live, and you have no idea of knowing when they might attack. Like in Africa the Sahara, places like those. Then you’ve used the word paradigm this causes me to think that everything shifts too I thought of fear, and uselessness, no defense. I’ve been there several times, like most of us. Bad back has asked me out of work, all this time on my watching television, oh read the Bible some more, study some more wow this where is Yahweh.? I have lessons to learn on loneliness. I am never alone. He is always with me, waiting for me to turn to him. He is the opposite of all this stuff. Not only that he allows all this stuff so that I will turn to him. Rise above. We are not only encouraged to walk on the highway in the desert, but to build it…. For our Lord.. Is he not worthy of this.? It’s about building a life that others will follow. No matter where it may bring us. It brings us to to the unreached the unloved touched. So that he can reach them, so that he can touch them, so that he can love them, through us. This is not just another today’s Hebrew word study. I am touched can somewhat grieved. This gives me encouragement to do more. Thank you this is what happens when we pray for one another. Once again I will pull up my pant legs, and press toward the mark of the High Calling which is in Yeshua Ha mashiach …
My times in yeshimon were hell on earth.
I was there often.
I got there because I was living the “good life”
which is best described as being in control and
getting the most this world had to offer. Or so I
thought.
God allowed me to process through this grand
paradox of successfully living without Him. Just when
I thought I “had it all”, the rug got pulled out from under me.
This experience began to get old. But God knew me! He knew
exactly how to get my full attention. Too many times in yeshimon
convinced me I was NOT in control.
Mt path to finding Him was perhaps different than many.
But having to endure hell on earth seems to be common
ground no matter who you are in your wilderness experience.
I must say I much prefer to be standing on holy ground!
Rich, I’m glad He got your attention. You have a way of seeing the Scriptures and experiencing YHVH that leaves me wanting to ask, seek and knock more persistently. I appreciate you.
Theresa T,
Your comments are a credit to Him!
I’ve found that studying the Scriptures is
invaluable — but even more is the Spirit’s
intimate presence in all I see and do. That’s
the unexplainable part, and the most incredible
part of knowing Him.
Stay persistent!.
What’s the next step?
Praise YeHoVaH for his Dibar in the Midbar.
I spent years kicking and screaming (yeshimon) because i didn’t recognize it.
Now i don’t want to leave (midbar).
40 days of midbar (?). Or 40 years of yeshimon (?).
“In the wilderness, in the wilderness
He calls His sons and daughters to the wilderness
oh, He gives grace sufficient to survive any test
and that’s the painful purpose of the wilderness…
“[We] find that those who follow Him must often walk alone…
“But wandering in the wilderness is the best way to be found…
“Groaning and growing amidst the desert days
The windy winter wilderness can blow the self away…
“To be so completely guilty and given over to despair
To look into your Judge’s face and find (see) your Savior there…
“…that’s the painful promise of the wilderness.”
-lyrics from Michael Card’s “The Ancient Faith” trilogy, rereleased as “An Invitation to Awe”
At a time, decades ago, when I was living in a physical wilderness while working through a spiritual one, his lyrics helped me find the ancient path to the Father’s love and grace and mercy. I remain forever grateful.
Leslee, Thanks for the musical flashback. I love Michael Card’s music. An anointed lyricist and accomplished composer. The album you mentioned and The Creation Story: An Audio Dramatization of Genesis 1-11 are still favorites of ours.
Michael, As I read Skip’s post (I read the next day’s first, cuz we missed this one) the lyrics were just here in my heart-mind. Michael Card had a rough time when he worked on the Trilogy and re-releasing it was an act of love. He understands what it means to have questions and seek answers and feel the offense of the Pharisees when we don’t conform to their paradigms. Dissonance!