A generation has died off in a little less than forty years. Now we are back at the point we were at in chapter 1. As I read this, I wonder what it would have been like to have been a child growing up during that time. What would I have thought of my parents? What would they have told me? How would my view of God been formed by this experience? The wilderness would have been a difficult time.
The Lord’s plans move forward. He is determined to have Israel be a blessing for all the nations of the earth (Gen 12:1-3) and to bring justice to the land (Gen 15:16). But He chooses to use those whose hearts are His. Like the story of Balaam, it is not about being used by the Lord that matters, it is about walking with Him. If this people did not follow their God, I imagine that they’d be in the desert for a few more decades.
This chapter doesn’t just remind us of past failures, but it gives hope. God doesn’t leave his people. He is patient and faithful to carry out His plans.
NB – A friend of mine (whose name is also Todd) said that when he comes across a chapter that is either a genealogy or has a paragraph that is repeated several times, he reads the chapter out loud. This is a great idea.
