Wilderness
The Mosaic Age Pt. 1

The period in Bible history we call the Mosaic Age began when God gave the law to Moses on Mount Sinai. The law lasted until Christ died. During the first part of this period God ruled over the people with judges. Then when the Israelites wanted a king like the people of other nations around them, God gave them a king. God spoke to the Israelites during the time of the judges and kings through His prophets [men who told what was going to happen in the future].

The law was given to Moses on Mount Sinai while the children of Israel were wandering in the wilderness. While Moses was on the mountain receiving the law the people asked Aaron [Moses’ brother] to make them gods for they said they did not know what had happened to Moses. Aaron did as the people asked and he made a golden calf for them to worship.

The Lord was very angry with the people for making this idol and worshipping it. God told Moses that he was going to destroy the people. Moses begged the Lord not to destroy them and the Bible tells us in Exodus chapter 32 verse 14 that “The Lord repented of the evil which He thought to do unto His people.”

After begging God not to destroy the people Moses came down from the mountain and he saw the calf and the people dancing. He was very angry himself and he cast down the tables which the law was written and broke them. Then he took the golden calf and burned it with the fire, ground them into powder, threw it on the water and made the people drink it. We read of many other things that happened in the wilderness in the book of Exodus and the book of Numbers.

In the book of Leviticus we read more about the law that was given to Moses on Mount Sinai. This part of the law tells us that about the Levites, [the priests came from the tribe of Levi] and the priesthood, the holy days and the animal sacrifices the people had to offer to God.

The book of Numbers [the fourth book in the Bible] covers a long period of time. In this book we read about the last days at Mount Sinai to the end of the wanderings in the wilderness.
 

Deuteronomy, the fifth book in the Bible reviews the law and some of the wanderings in the wilderness. In the last chapter, we read of the last days and death of the great leader of God’s people, Moses.

In Numbers chapter 20 we read where the children of Israel had been in the wilderness for some time. They had no water and began to complain to Moses and Aaron. God told Moses and Aaron to take the rod, gather all the people together and then speak to the rock and water would come out of the rock. Moses did almost as God had said. He took his rod and gathered all the people together. Then he hit the rock instead of speaking to it as God had told him. The Lord did allow water to come out of the rock. But because Moses did not do exactly what God had told him he was not allowed to enter into the Promised Land years later. This should be an example for us to do exactly as God commands us in His New Testament.

However, God took Moses upon a mountain and let him look at the beautiful land that was promised to the children of Israel. Moses died there in the land of Moab and the Lord buried him.

In our next lesson we will study about how God ruled the people with judges, kings and prophets.