— The Message of Deuteronomy
By Ouyang Wanting
（Continue from last week)
“The parting of the Red Sea strengthened my trust in God even more. No natural force could open a dry path through the waters—only Almighty God could. If I didn’t believe in such a God, I would be blind or foolish. As I helped others forward, I saw Moses with his staff raised, his face full of trust. That faith came from believing in the eternal God. Faith made the impossible possible.” Caleb shook his leg. “From then on, I vowed to walk with God and never turn back. After crossing the Red Sea, I pondered how we could please God. For four hundred years, Egypt’s culture, food, customs, and religion shaped us. Now we worship the one true God—how can we please Him? Thank God, He gave us the law. Through the commandments, we know His expectations.”
Joshua shifted his body. “Yes, the ways and environment we grew up in became hurdles for us to overcome. I learned how to approach God by watching Moses interact with Him. Every day, I observed how he prayed, judged rightly, spoke with elders and children, humbled himself under accusation, and cried out for God’s mercy when Israel sinned.” He raised his voice. “Once, he chose me to lead Israel in battle against Amalek. He stayed on the hill with Aaron and Hur, praying for us, hands raised, asking God for protection, strength, and mercy. Later, I accompanied him up Sinai to receive the commandments. What a special experience! Despite earthquakes, lightning, and thunder, we were unharmed. But coming down, we saw Aaron lead the people in worshipping the golden calf as God who brought Israel out of Egypt. Moses was furious! He lost control and shattered the tablets. Moses expressed God’s anger and jealousy. God loves His people and expects them to love Him back with faithfulness.”
Caleb leaned forward. “I remember that day. I also remember all the acts of unfaithfulness by the Israelites in the wilderness. For forty years, God provided us with life-giving water, manna, and meat. Our shoes and clothes never wore out, and we defeated our enemies. Why, then, could our people not remain faithful to such a God? He is a gracious God. Whenever the people repented, He forgave our sins.” He paused for a moment. “At Kadesh, Moses sent the twelve of us to spy out the land God had promised. Can you imagine it? We were the first of our generation to step foot on the land God had promised to Abraham. The land we passed through was very fertile, rich in produce. God said we could go in and defeat our enemies to take the land, and I believed Him. I remember you were just as excited as I was. We told each other that no matter how tall or strong our enemies were, our God would overcome them. But the others did not think so. They only saw the strength of the enemy, not the power of God. The people listened to them, and a rebellion arose. As a result, God punished all those over twenty years old, not allowing them to enter the promised land. We ended up wandering in the wilderness for another thirty-eight years.”
Joshua shook his head. “Of course I remember. We fell from the heights of excitement to the depths of despair. During those thirty-eight years, I mourned the deaths of family and friends. All this was because we did not trust God. Over these thirty-eight years, the Israelites really changed. With the laws, commandments, and the tabernacle that God gave us, we learned how to worship a holy God and how to get along with each other. We came to understand justice, fairness, and how to treat the unfortunate with compassion. We also learned how to win battles. Whether we moved forward or stayed put, we did so according to His command. This process transformed us from a mere scattered people into a nation. The most precious lesson I learned from this long journey is that God loves us. Whether through commandments, suffering, or trials, God’s purpose is to teach us how to love Him and how to love one another.”
“You’re right. We have a loving God. Moses warned us we are a rebellious nation. In times of trouble, we easily turn from God. When we’re prosperous, we neglect God and worship idols, thinking those false gods provide all good things. Moses told us to be careful not to overlook the one true almighty God—to love Him with all our heart, soul, and strength, to trust and obey. This is a serious choice. It’s a decision between life and blessing, or death and curse. May the people of Israel choose life, not death! Night is falling.” Caleb stood up. “Let’s go. They are waiting for us to return.”
Joshua stood up too. “Yes, old friend. Let’s go. We still have many challenges ahead of us.”
As the two men approached the foot of the mountain, the people began to weep loudly, for they knew their beloved leader, Moses, was gone.
About the author: Dr. Ouyang received his BSc from Texas A&M University and his PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He worked in Japan, the US, and the People’s Republic of China as a corn researcher until his retirement in 2015. In 2020, he earned a Master of Arts in Biblical and Theological Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary. Since then, he has been serving as a Sunday school teacher at Twin Cities Chinese Christian Church in Minneapolis.
