On 2 pages of my Bible, in Numbers 33, are recorded 40 years of wandering; each sentence a stage on that epic journey. Here are the stages in the journey of the Israelites when they came out of Egypt by divisions under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. At the Lord’s command Moses recorded the stages in their journey. v. 1-2. A record. Do you ever reminisce about the stages of your life? Do you ever consider the stages of your life with God?

And then: On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho the Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places. Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess. But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them.’” v. 50-53, 55-56.

Does that seem unfair? If it was anyone but God it would be unfair. Do we trust God’s wisdom? I keep thinking about the two trees in the midst of the garden in Genesis 2:8-9. Two trees out of all kinds of trees that were there. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The knowledge of. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. I Corinthians 13:8-10. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. I Corinthians 1:25.

The practices of the Canaanites in the land God owned were vile. Because of their knowledge of what was evil and the practice of it, they had to be driven out before the people could settle there. If they didn’t completely drive them out and trust God’s wisdom to lead them, the people, too, would be driven out by God; and sadly, that is what happened centuries later.

Fast forward to today. We have knowledge that the ancient people could not have dreamed of understanding. Knowledge that is good and does great things…and knowledge of what is evil that does great harm; just as the ancient people before us, and look at the problems we face today. Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction. Proverbs 29:18.

Knowledge isn’t wisdom. What about the tree of life? Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Revelation 22:1-2.

A journey of stages not just of the ancient Israelites or the Canaanites but of all humanity is being played out and our story is not complete. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6. Wisdom. God didn’t undertake Creation without understanding. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. We can learn a lot from the journeys of people who came before us and we can learn so much more from God who loves us and is working for our good and working for that time when the tree of life, which was in the beginning, will be for the healing of the nations. And the amazing thing is that God will accomplish everything He has promised. Trust Him. He is worthy. Let Him journey with you.