40 Years

Penatence

The other day I was talking with my Dad and Mom, discussing the church’s curriculum for this week for, Come, Follow Me. This we sometimes do at my Mom’s and Dad’s house, which I really enjoy very much. We talked about how the Lord told the children of Isreal they couldn’t enter into the promised land, because Moses had asked God to spare them when He was going to destroy them for their abominations? It was because Moses had not provided them with the proper view of the sanctity of the Lord by doing so. Here is the verse in Numbers 20 explaining this.

12 ¶ And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

One day of sin for them was to be counted for a year of wandering in the wilderness for the children of Israel, because of the severity of their abominations. 40 years in the wilderness for forty days. We also know that one thousand years our time, is a day unto the Lord, so in this regard, the Lord was being fair, time wise. Plus, the fact that they only lived so long, lines up perfectly with the divine plan of our Father in Heaven, for there is nothing random. As always, I love this kind of thinking, and I hope it’s also edifying for you.

So the Israelites may have been spared, but oh for such a time to repent in the wilderness, a total period of 40 years for the 40 days they misbehaved. 40 years of grueling penatence, for what time they may have enjoyed in the goodly land God had promised to give them for their posterity. Although their repentance may have made their 3rd estate (post mortal life) better, I would have liked to have avoided such a consequence in the first place! The things we do here count, and in a big way!

It ultimately comes down to a simple application of the gospel plan. Like my Dad and brother said, trust in the Lord, and obey His commandments.

Shane