The Wilderness: A Sense of The Wilderness Wandering
- Kimberly Davis
- Jul 7, 2025
- 10 min read
The Wilderness: A Sense of The Wilderness Wandering
Israel: Finding Salvation in the Ruins
by Kimberly Davis
Bible History:
After the Reed Sea crossing, Hashem led His Jewish people “the long way round” to the Promised Land, incase our ancestors saw war and wanted to flee back to Egypt to serve false gods as slaves. After 430 years in Egyptian slavery, Hashem brought our ancestors out of Egypt (Exodus 1-14), given them the Torah at Mount Sinai (Exodus 20), and had been leading them through the wilderness for 40 years.
This long sojourn in the wilderness was on account of sin. When Hashem brought our people out of Egypt, the elder generation kept complaining, but the sin that made the week’s long journey into a 40 year journey was the sin of the 12 spies.
Numbers 13:1-20
In the opening lines of Numbers chapter 13, we read that Hashem commands Moshe to choose 12 men to go and scan the promised land. The Hebrew word used in the first verse to describe Hashem's interaction with Moshe is: אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה.
This word (or conjunction of words) connotes the idea that Hashem more than spoke to Moshe. Indeed, it connotes the idea that Hashem "spoke into Moshe." If we consider that every Jewish person has the neshumah (or spark of Hashem's own spirit) deep within us, we can better understand what is being conveyed here.
Hashem is not merely telling Moshe, "go do x, y, z."
Rather it is as if Hashem is speaking courage, strength, and resolve into Moshe's spirit so that Moshe can convey such attributes into his own men before sending them out. From Jewish soul to Jewish soul, Hashem speaks the definitive promise that He is going to give to the Jewish Israelites the land of Canaan:
"Send men to scout the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelite people." (Numbers 13:2)
These words are clear, decisive, and should cause no doubt for the 12 chieftains (the Hebrew נָשִׂ֥יא translates to English as "presidents") whom Moshe would elect and send. Instead, this declarative statement by Hashem should give hope, strength, and courage to the 12 elect men that no matter what the land or inhabitants looked like, Hashem would ensure that His Jewish Israelites would conquer the land and it would bloom, even in desert places.
After hearing the restated promise of Genesis 15: 17-19: "I will give you this land," Moshe then commands the men to go and scan (or spy out the land), noting the following attributes:
1. What kind of country is the land?
2. Are the people in the land strong or weak?
3. Are the people in the land few or many?
4. Is the country good or bad?
5. Are the towns open or fortified?
6. Is the soil rich or poor?
7. Is the land wooded or not wooded?
The men were also supposed to
"take pains to bring back some of the fruit of the land." (verse 20)
Verse 20 also makes clear that Hashem was sending the men out during the season of the first ripe grapes. Meaning Hashem was sending them out during a time when the good produce of the land would be undeniably visible. He was not sending the men during a fallow or drought period. But at a time of harvest.
If we look at the attributes that Hashem commanded the Jewish Israelites to look out for, He was not asking them to consider "can we conquer the land or not." Instead, it was as if Hashem was giving them a test of faith. For, Hashem had just told them that He was going to give the promised land to them. Now, Hashem was just asking them to go look and see what that promised land looked like. Would their faith stand and rest upon Hashem's promised regardless of what they saw?
For 2 of the spies, yes.
For 10 of the spies, no.
In verses 4-15, we read the names of the elected chieftains. Of note are Caleb from the tribe of Judah and Hosea (later named Joshua) from the tribe of Ephraim.
It is interesting to note that in the end, only Caleb and Joshua give the "good report." This seems no small coincidence when we remember and consider the blessings placed on the 12 sons by Jacob in Egypt.
Genesis 49 & 50:
In Genesis 49-50, we see that Judah is promised to be the tribe that would raise up the scepter for the Jewish Israelites.
Throughout biblical History, it is the tribe of Judah from whom much bloodshed comes in the various wars that are fought (many of which they help to win).
Judah is the strong arm of Hashem's army. Like David, the bloodshed is necessary to defeat adversaries and win victory for Israel. In Numbers 13:30, we will see the strong scepter raised by Caleb in his confident report of the promised land.
In Genesis, Joseph is said to be the "prince of his brothers," from whom all blessings of earth and heaven would come. In Genesis 48:17-22, we see that Ephraim (the younger of Joseph's sons) is promised to be the one that would bring his entire people back to the land of our fathers (the land of Canaan).
As we will see in later chapters and in the book of Joshua, Joshua indeed is the one who will lead our ancestors into (and conquer) the promised land.
Numbers 13:21-24
In Numbers 13:21-24, we learn about what the 12 "chieftains" or "presidents" saw in the promised land.
The first encounter that the 12 men have in the Promised Land is in Hebron, where they meet the Anakites, who are a race of giants from the line of the Nephalim.
The Nephalim are the race of giants who were birthed in Genesis 6 from the interactions between fallen angels and earthly women. The Nephalim are the only race/species that survived the flood (save Noah, his family, and the animals in the arc). There are several possibilities for how these giants survived while everything else died, but for now, suffice it to say, it would take a miracle from Hashem to defeat these beings who seem impervious to death.
The second encounter in the promised land is in the wadi Eshcol (Eshcol means "cluster"). Here, the 12 men found the abundant harvest of grapes, figs, and pomegranates. A single grape cluster was so large that the cluster had to be carried on the shoulders of two men!
The 12 chieftains scanned the land for 40 days and then they returned to Kadesh to give their report to Moshe and the rest of the Jewish Israelite people.
What was the report?
In Numbers 13:25-29, we read:
1. The land indeed flowed with milk and honey. HOWEVER,
2. The people are powerful.
3. The cities are fortified and very large.
4. The Anakite giants live there.
5. The Amalekites dwell in the Negeb.
6. The Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites inhabit the hill country.
7. The Canaanites dwell by the Sea and along the Jordan.
Reading this report in context, we can understand that the last 6 statements were said in a tone of fear and trembling as if these signs marked that the land could not be conquered (even though Hashem promised that He was giving us and our ancestors the land).
But, if we Jews look at the points numbered 6 & 7 alone, this should be cause for hope and rejoicing!
The fact that the Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, and Canaanites inhabited the land means that the land is indeed the Promised Land of Genesis 15! For, in Genesis 15, Hashem promised that the land of these peoples would be given to his offspring from Isaac.
Remember: these people groups descend from Ham. Ham (and his son Canaan) were cursed by Hashem because Ham denigrated his father, Noah, by revealing Noah's nakedness when he got drunk on wine produced from his first harvest after the flood. The Canaanites and other descendants of Ham were all cursed and were told that they would be slaves to the descendants of Shem and Jephath (Genesis 9).
Abram was born from the line of Shem. Abram was promised to receive the "cursed land," which Hashem would turn into a blessing for the offspring of Isaac (and the nations) (Genesis 12:1-3; Genesis 15).
After hearing the "bad report," Caleb quickly jumps in to give a good report. Being from the line of Judah (from whom the scepter of the Jews was to arise) Caleb confidently says that,
"yes the giants live in the land, but, let us by all means go up, and we shall gain possession of it, for we shall surely overcome it." (Numbers 13:30).
NOTE: Even though Caleb is confident in the victory, it is difficult to discern whether his confidence relies in himself and men or in the power of our All-Powerful G-d, Hashem.
Either way, 10 of the other spies quickly jump in to give an even worse report than their first report. The 10 leaders said:
"we cannot attack that people, for it is stronger than we." (verse 31).
"The country that we traversed and scouted is one that devours its settlers." (verse 32).
"All the people are of great size...and we looked like grasshoppers to ourselves, and so we must have looked to them!" (verse 33).
Numbers 14
We see the effects of this negative report: the chieftains (or presidents) of 10 of the tribes "spread calumnies among the Israelites."
• “To spread calumnies” means the leaders were spreading slander.
• In other words, instead of leading their fellow Israelites with courage and strength, hope and faith, the leaders made false and defamatory statements about the promised land (and perhaps Hashem) in order to damage the reputation of the Promised Land (and perhaps Hashem).
This negative reporting and slander made the entire Israelite population lose heart and lose faith in Hashem and His promise. The negative reporting immediately sent the entire population into a panic and spiraled into complaining (again) to Hashem that it would have been better to have been left in Egypt to die. The entire Jewish population was so blinded by the negative reports about how great and mighty the enemies were that they lost sight of how All-Powerful Hashem is.
They could not hear the good report of Caleb nor Joshua, who stated,
"The land that we traversed and scouted is exceedingly good land!" (Numbers 14:7).
Thus, these negative reports made the Jewish people sitting under them lose heart. The entire Jewish population became so fixated on the power and strength of the enemy in the land that they lost faith in Hashem and His promises, despite the faithful report from Joshua:
אִם־חָפֵ֥ץ בָּ֙נוּ֙ יְהֹוָ֔ה וְהֵבִ֤יא אֹתָ֙נוּ֙ אֶל־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את וּנְתָנָ֖הּ לָ֑נוּ אֶ֕רֶץ
אֲשֶׁר־הִ֛וא זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָֽשׁ׃
If pleased with us, יהוה will bring us into that land, a land that flows with milk and honey, and give it to us;
אַ֣ךְ בַּיהֹוָה֮ אַל־תִּמְרֹ֒דוּ֒ וְאַתֶּ֗ם אַל־תִּֽירְאוּ֙ אֶת־עַ֣ם הָאָ֔רֶץ כִּ֥י
לַחְמֵ֖נוּ הֵ֑ם סָ֣ר צִלָּ֧ם מֵעֲלֵיהֶ֛ם וַֽיהֹוָ֥ה אִתָּ֖נוּ אַל־תִּירָאֻֽם׃
only you must not rebel against יהוה. Have no fear then of the people of the country, for they are our prey: their protection has departed from them, but יהוה is with us. Have no fear of them!”
But, even with Joshua's encouraging message, the people were so disheartened by the 10 other leaders, they wanted to stone Joshua to death for daring to say that the Jewish Israelites could go and conquer the land and defeat all enemies in the land, as Hashem has promised.
It was at this point that Hashem shows up in fierce anger.
Because of the people's spurning of Hashem and because of their lack of faith, Hashem wanted to kill the entire people on the spot. But, praise be to Hashem, Moshe stepped in to mediate on behalf of the people. Moshe reminded Hashem that if He killed all of the Israelites, the enemies in Egypt would defame Hashem's glory by saying that "Hashem was not strong enough to save Israel, so He let our ancestors die." (Numbers 14:12-17).
Moshe calls upon the long-suffering, abounding kindness of Hashem, and pleads that Hashem forgive the people's iniquity, even if He did not remit their due punishment. (Numbers 14:18). Hashem, in His mercy, hears the pleas of Moshe and agrees to forgive the sins of the people. However, the punishment would still remain.
Here, we learn about the dangers of spurning Hashem:
Because the leaders had led the people into believing that the promised land was not able to be conquered and because the people also said it would be better to go back to Egypt and die because their children would be captured and devoured by the enemy in the promised land, Hashem decrees that He would give the people their wishes (Numbers 14:20-23; Numbers 14:26-35):
1. Since they thought the land could not be conquered, they would not see the promised land nor enter it.
2. Since they wanted to die rather than conquer the land promised to them, Hashem said those who were 20 years and older when leaving Egypt would die in the wilderness and not enter the promised land.
3. Only the children that they said the enemy would devour would live and enter the promised land.
Finally, in Numbers 14:25:
וְהָעֲמָלֵקִ֥י וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֖י יוֹשֵׁ֣ב בָּעֵ֑מֶק מָחָ֗ר פְּנ֨וּ וּסְע֥וּ לָכֶ֛ם הַמִּדְבָּ֖ר
דֶּ֥רֶךְ יַם־סֽוּף׃ {פ}
Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites occupy the valleys. Start out, then, tomorrow and march into the wilderness by way of the Sea of Reeds.
This declarative command by Hashem is telling the Jewish Israelites that they had to begin again.
They were not to march towards the promised land and enter, as was the original plan. Instead, they had to go back to the place of Hashem's miracle of parting the Reed Sea and begin again.
Timna Park, Israel:
A Sense of The Wilderness Wandering
One of my most favorite places that I visited in Israel during my 2023 trip just happened to be the wilderness at Timna Park, which is found in the south-eastern part of Israel. While our Jewish ancestors traveled in the wilderness on the east side of many of the mountain ranges that are at Timna, one can really get a sense of what the 40 year wilderness wandering after the Exodus must have been like.
Just beyond many of the mountains at Timna Park is Midian, the land of Moshe’s father-in-law, as well as the areas which our ancestors would have wandered. The parallel wilderness in Israeli land allows us to sense the wilderness whilst standing in the promised land.
Am Yisrael Chai!
Kimberly Davis
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