Yet in spite of all this, you did not trust the LORD your God … (v.32)

And so we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief. (Hebrews 3:19)

Then they rejected the pleasant land; they did not believe His word (Psalm 106:24)

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written: “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS ONE WILL LIVE BY FAITH.” (Romans 1:17)

I think most young Christians read the Bible up to Exodus and gradually lose interest as I did in my youth because of the lengthy writing of the law and the history of Israel nation. The law was the basis of the Mosaic covenant. However, the law allowed us to realize the difference between the Creator and humans. Paul wrote about this clearly in the Romans and the Galatians.

God did not give a different condition for salvation before Jesus came. Although we conveniently divide the Bible into two sections – the Old Testament and the New Testament, the Bible talks about the same thing from the beginning to the end. God has been faithful and consistent in what He has been trying to tell His people.

God’s true purpose of creating all things is His kingdom of the priests rooted in love (agape). We must understand why God gave the Israelites the law and punished them for their disobedience in the wilderness. God made them suffer for our education. So what can we learn from the history of the Israel nation?

It was not that the Israelites did not see enough miracles performed by God. Although their eyes saw many miracles, their eyes were blind to see and understand God. For this reason, I emphasized on the knowledge of the Trinity from the start. It is not the works that determine one’s character. It is the other way around. Therefore, we do not understand God’s works without knowing Him. But how do we know Him? We know Him by reading the Bible which contains God’s own words and works. Only by the power of the Holy Spirit, we understand God through the Bible.

If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” (John 10:37-38)