The Desert Stands Between Egypt and Promiseland

The Desert Experience

The enslaved Israelites were freed from Pharaoh’s chains, leaving Egypt with hopes of reaching the land of “milk and honey” — yet their journey led them through 40 years of desert wandering before they could enter their inheritance. Here, hunger, thirst, and the monotony of eating manna three times a day for forty years defined their existence.

The only way to reach the Promised Land was by braving the unforgiving desert.

The principle applies to every Christian seeking spiritual growth, maturity, and renewal. They will inevitably be led into the desert, where they will encounter God through pain, suffering, and various trials. Far from being a burden, the desert experience is a sign of God’s special plan for your life.

 What is the desert and what purposes does it serve?

The desert is harsh, painful, and relentless – a place of solitude, agony, and suffering. Understandably, no one desires to go through it.

Yet, God sees the desert as a necessary path, a refining process that prepares us for the blessings of Promiseland. It shapes our character, deepens our faith, and equips us for effective service to Him.

Let’s look at a few examples.

Moses, born of Hebrew parents but raised in Pharaoh’s palace, saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave and killed the oppressor. This act made him a fugitive, forcing him to flee Egypt to escape Pharaoh’s wrath, seeking refuge in the Midian desert. The wilderness experience humbled this once-privileged prince, stripping away the comforts of royalty and forcing him to take on the humbling task of shepherding sheep. In the solitude of the wilderness, Moses underwent a profound transformation of character, shaping him for what would become one of the most demanding and consequential leadership roles in biblical history. Through hardship and isolation, the wilderness deepened his faith, turning his fear into courage. It empowered him to stand before Pharaoh, boldly demanding the release of his people.

The prophet Samuel anointed David as the future king of Judah and Israel while he was still a teenager. However, before ascending the throne, David endured the harrowing desert ordeal of being relentlessly pursued by King Saul, whose jealousy and paranoia drove him to seek David’s life. During this time of fear and suffering, David was cut off from his family and separated from his closest friend and confidant, Jonathan. With no one to turn to except God, he poured out his heart in prayer and worship, leading to the creation of many of the Psalms that continue to offer us comfort, encouragement, and solace today. This wilderness experience not only deepened David’s faith and dependence on God but also forged his resilience, shaping him into the leader he would become.

The book of Psalms is filled with the prayer cries of godly men enduring the “desert” seasons of life. While most psalms end on a note of hope, Psalm 88 stands apart as one of unrelenting sorrow. “I am overwhelmed with troubles, and my life draws near to death… I am set apart with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more, who are cut off from your care… You have taken from me my closest friends and have made me repulsive to them… From my youth I have suffered and been close to death; I have borne your terrors and am in despair.” The psalmist concludes with the haunting words: “Darkness is my closest friend.”

It is astonishing that this agonizing lament was penned by Heman the Ezrahite – a Levite, a chief musician, and a leader of worship in the Tabernacle. A man who led others in praising God also endured deep suffering and spiritual isolation. His life is a sobering reminder that being a servant of God does not exempt us from the desert agony— if anything, it may make us more likely to encounter it.

The Apostle Paul was led into the Arabian desert, where he received divine revelation about the theology of Jesus’ death and resurrection and its profound implications for Christian living. The time in the desert helped him put off his false notions about Christ whom he was persecuting. This period of spiritual formation equipped him to proclaim the Gospel throughout Europe, laying the groundwork for Christianity’s eventual acceptance as the state religion of the Roman Empire. Paul’s experiences in the Arabian desert strengthened him and inspired his epistles—now an integral part of the New Testament—providing the Church with a doctrinal foundation for Christian faith and practice. The wilderness pain also instilled in him unshakable faith and inner fortitude, enabling him to stand firm against both opposition within the Church and external adversaries. It strengthened him to endure excruciating hardships – including shipwrecks, beatings, imprisonments, and ultimately, martyrdom.

How about Jesus? Did He experience the desert?

Like the many men of God preceding Him, Jesus was also led into the desert. His first faith testing experience where he was tempted by Satan was a prelude to the ultimate desert that He would experience towards the end of his earthly life.

Jesus’ ultimate and history-shaping desert experience occurred on the cross. He first endured unimaginable, excruciating physical pain caused by the countless pre-crucifixion slash wounds that tore his body. This was later amplified by the agony of nails driven through his hands and feet. As he hung, his weight bore down on those nails, making each breath a tortuous struggle, forcing him to push against the nails that held him.

Beyond the physical torment, He suffered the humiliation of total exposure, His naked body subjected to the merciless sun, wind, and the taunts of onlookers. Even wild birds, drawn by the scent of blood, pecked at his flesh, adding to his agony.

Yet, all this physical and emotional pain paled in comparison to the deepest suffering of all—the moment the Father turned His face away. Bearing the full weight of humanity’s sin, Jesus experienced a separation unlike any other, a pain far greater than physical torment—a soul-wrenching forsakenness that no suffering on earth could equal.

Jesus, perfect and pure, had no need for purification or renewal, yet He endured the desert of unimaginable suffering for our sake, paving the way for us to enter the life of eternal bliss.

How about us, living in the 21st century?

The desert serves as a place of purification, shaping us and preparing us to face life’s challenges and the demands of serving God. It took God one day to take the Israelites out of Egypt, but it took Him 40 wilderness years to remove Egypt from within the Israelites. Thus, the desert is necessary to helps us shed our old sinful selves and embrace the new self, created in God’s image. It is in the desert that we hear God’s voice more clearly, deepen our faith, and draw closer to Him – lessons we rarely learn in moments of ease, such as beach vacations. Like Jesus, who was tested in the desert before stepping into His mission, we too are tested to prove our worthiness to tackle life’s challenges and overcome ministry difficulties.

How about our experiences in the desert?

No one enjoys the desert experience. Naturally, we prefer a life of comfort and security. Yet, at times—against our wishes—God leads us into the desert. As difficult as it may be, the wilderness is an essential phase of spiritual growth, purification and character formation. It is an essential part of our spiritual training, preparing us for Christian service.

Financial problems, family breakups, or bad news from the doctor can devastate us—drowning us in worry, filling us with fear, and consuming our focus. Yet, how we respond to these trials ultimately determines their lasting impact.

When we find ourselves in the desert, God calls us to embrace the experience. Though difficult, we must fix our eyes on His love and sovereignty, choosing to praise Him through every trial, knowing that it is in these moments of testing and refinement that true spiritual growth unfolds.

Let us remember that Jesus’ ultimate desert experience was on the cross, where God turned His face away. Yet, in that moment of deepest anguish, He secured for us the very path into God’s presence. Because of His unimaginable suffering, we now live with the unshakable assurance that God will never turn His face from us.

As these truths take root in our hearts, they strengthen and comfort us, easing the weight of our desert experiences and filling them with hope.