Almost two books of
the Bible are devoted to the story of Israel leaving Egypt, wandering for 40
years in the wilderness and then entering the Promised Land. I wonder what Moses thought about the logistics of taking the Children of Israel through the wilderness? He really didn't have time to map this whole thing out and come up with a reasonable plan. But...the Lord had this whole thing under control!
The 40-year wilderness
wandering must be one of the biggest miracles in the Bible, yet we take it for
granted. Think about this:
Food: God’s people had
to be fed daily. Feeding 3 to 3 1/2 million people and large flocks and herds
of animals would require a lot of food.
According to the quartermaster
general in the army, it is reported that Moses would have to have 1,500 tons of
food each day. It would take two freight trains, each a mile long, to feed that
many people – every day!
Cooking: They
would also need firewood to cook the food. This would take 4,000 tons of wood
and a few more freight trains, each a mile long, just for one day.
Water: A person's
water requirements would have been 19 liters [20 quarts approximately] per day
in 43 degrees Centigrade or 108 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, it is thought
that the Israelites would have needed up to 11,000,000 gallons of water each
day just to drink, wash themselves and clean dishes etc. This would be
equivalent of a freight train of tank cars, 1,800 miles long just to bring
water. They had no lakes, and only a few wells. How did they get that much
water in a land where water is scarce?
Space: The children of
Israel crossed the Red Sea in just one night. If they went on a narrow part,
double file, the line would be 800 miles long. And would take 35 days and
nights to get through. So there had to be a space in the Red Sea 3 miles wide
and they would have to walk across 5,000 abreast to get over in one night.
Every time they camped
at the end of the day, a campground 2/3 the size of the state of Rhode Island
was needed. That comprises an area of 25 miles wide, and 30 miles long... or, a
total of 750 square miles.
This space was just
for nightly camping.
Moses believed in God.
He watched the Lord care for the grumbling Israelites for 40 years – day and
night. We have the same God!
It took 40 hours for
Israel to get out of Egypt, but it took 40 years for Egypt to get out of
Israel! It seems as though Israel never stopped complaining as they walked
through the wilderness. Even though they saw God’s continual supernatural
presence by cloud and fire, and His daily supernatural provision, they still moaned and groaned the entire way. Change your focus, and how you speak about your
circumstances – learn how to find fresh manna in the morning, and water in the
dry places. The Rock – Jesus – continues to be our greatest supply of water,
and He is our Living Bread who is able to feed us:
"I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting
life.
I am the bread (Lit. food, sustenance) of life.
Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they
died.
But here is the bread that comes down from heaven,
which a man may eat and not die.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven…
He who comes to me will never go hungry,
and he who believes in me will never be thirsty!"
John 6:47-51,35
We think our problems
are so big. But remember what God can do. He knows what we need even before we
ask, and He knows how to care for every detail of our lives.
