Purging is God's Way....

Purging is God's Way....

Reference- Deuteronomy 2:14-15 

This is a powerful and sobering text that reveals a profound truth about God's nature and His governance of history and hows God "tracking the past to prepare the future.

1. The Past Act Being Tracked: Rebellion and Unbelief - The "past thing" God is tracking is the rebellion of the Israelites at Kadesh Barnea, recorded in Numbers 13-14. After hearing the fearful report of the spies, the people refused to trust God and enter the Promised Land. Their past act was a fundamental breach of the covenant of faith.

  • God's Sworn Oath: In response to this rebellion, God made a solemn declaration (an oath): "Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun... For forty years—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you." (Numbers 14:30, 34, paraphrased).

 • The Tracked Metric: The specific metric God was tracking was the lifespan and existence of that entire generation of fighting men (those 20 years and older who had rebelled). Their physical survival became the countdown timer on His judgment.

2. The Tracking Mechanism: Sovereign Supervision Over Time - The verse shows God's active, patient, and relentless supervision over the consequences of that past decision.

 • "It took us thirty-eight years...": This notes the duration of the tracking. God didn't forget His word after a few years. The entire 38-year period in the wilderness (plus the initial 2 years before Kadesh) was a period of His active governance.

 • "That’s how long it took for the entire generation... to die off, as God had sworn": This is the fulfillment mechanism. God's oath wasn't fulfilled in a single moment, but through the unfolding of time and natural life—under His sovereign control. He tracked the passing of each person until the condition was met.

 • "God was relentless against them until the last one was gone": This emphasizes God's consistency and justice. He did not relent or change His mind mid-process. The consequence of the past sin was fully carried out.

3. The Future Being Prepared: A New Foundation for Possession - God was not tracking the past merely for punitive reasons, but for a redemptive future purpose.

 • A Purged Community: The old generation, characterized by a slave mentality and unbelief, had to pass away. God was preparing a new generation that did not personally know Egypt, but had only known dependence on God in the wilderness (manna, water from the rock). Their past was one of God's provision, not Pharaoh's oppression.

 • A Lesson in Covenant Faithfulness: The new generation witnessing this 38-year process learned a terrifyingly clear lesson: 

Deuteronomy 4:21-22 MSG

[21-22] But God was angry with me because of you and the things you said. He swore that I’d never cross the Jordan, never get to enter the good land that God, your God, is giving you as an inheritance. This means that I am going to die here. I’m not crossing the Jordan. But you will cross; you’ll possess the good land.