The Book of Numbers has long been known as such because it begins and ends with a census of Israel. However, the Hebrew name for this book, “In the Wilderness,” perhaps better describes what the book is about. While in the wilderness, God’s people experienced not only God’s kindness and patience but also His holy discipline. They would learn that their new freedom from Egyptian bondage included the responsibility to serve and obey God. Let’s look closer as we experience the wilderness.

All of us wish that our recovery from sin would involve a dramatic escape from slavery and immediate entrance...