The Wilderness and the Desert: a Story Rescripted

Israel has a story with weighty significance - a story grounded in Scripture that carries a supreme importance in the Hebrew mind concerning the history of redemption. The Lord refers to Israel as his "firstborn son" (Exodus 4:22). So significant was this sonship that the Lord again says, "when Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son" (Hosea 11:1). There was a covenant intimacy the Lord bestowed upon Israel, having its firm foundation in the one-sided contract the Lord had previously established with Abraham (Genesis 15). As the suzerain, God would protect and provide for his son, while Israel as the vassal would respond by faithfully keeping the commands and stipulations drawn up by the Lord at Sinai. Israel's faith was put to the test, however, as they wandered through the wilderness for 40 years. They desired evil by indulging in idolatry, sexual immorality, and grumbling against his provisions (1 Corinthians 10:6-10), rather than keeping covenant with the God who remains faithful. Paul says that all of this happened as an example (Greek, typos) for us, that we might be instructed to not desire evil as they did (1 Corinthians 10:11).

But it was obvious that we needed to see more than just the type -  but the fulfillment as well. We needed a greater example - one that succeeded where Israel had not. In order to do this, the Father would need to rescript the story of Israel in the life of his true Son - Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Jesus was born out of miraculous circumstances by the virgin Mary, conceived by the Holy Spirit. Unlike his kindred in the flesh, born into sin, Jesus proceeded forth from the womb blameless, that he might bear our infirmities in his body one day on the cross. Joseph then took his wife and the newborn Jesus to Egypt to escape from Herod, thereby fulfilling "what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, 'Out of Egypt I called my son'" (Matthew 2:15, previously referring to Israel in Hosea 11:1 - see above). Years later, Jesus' sonship was confirmed immediately after his baptism in the Jordan as the Spirit descended upon him like a dove and the voice of the Lord declared from heaven, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17).

Then, just as Israel's sonship was tested in the wilderness, so Jesus' sonship would now be tested in his temptation in the desert. These forty days are reminiscent of and meant to mirror Israel's forty years of wilderness wandering. Jesus replies with strategic Scripture from Deuteronomy when assailed by Satan, thus acting as a testimony of his superiority to what Israel failed to learn and perform in their wilderness trial. The diabolical plan of Satan to repeat in Jesus what he had previously done in Israel was thwarted. Jesus established himself as the true Israel of God - his one, unique Son. He defeated Satan where Israel has failed, thus securing in himself the title of Redeemer. While it seemed God's intention to bring about his "blessings to the nations" was through Israel by placing them in Canaan (Genesis 12, 15, & 18), it was actually through his beloved Son that he would thus sprinkle the world with his unmerited grace.

SDG