Wilderness I Talk 8: Discern God’s Heart

We’ve arrived at the last Talk of Numbers.

In Talk 8, we learn that not everybody gets into the Promised Land— those who wanted something else, those who did not really fathom what God wanted to give them. The key message: Discern God’s Heart.

Before embarking on their journey from Egypt to Canaan, the Promised Land, the Israelites held a census to know how many were taking the journey.

Because they did not follow God’s instructions, their journey took 40 years. This First Generation had now died—many in battles with tribes they encountered as they crossed one territory after another, or simply because of hardships in the wilderness.

Those who are now almost at the Promised Land are the children or grandchildren of the First Generation. So, God commands Moses to do a second census—to count, to number, how many are to enter the Promised Land. That’s why the title of this book is Numbers.