Fall 1998
The Wilderness of Paran
Charles Haun

This is a wonderful place, this spiritual wilderness called Paran, which in Hebrew means "glory" or "beauty." To see the wilderness in such gratifying terms, one must first become aware of the Lord's intentions in bringing a person into the wilderness. Once a believer comes to this awareness, he can then begin to understand how glory and beauty can relate to the Wilderness.

THE WORKSHOP

The wilderness is the Lord's workshop, which He has designed for us. He brings into it, "Even every one who is called by My name, for I have created him for My glory" Isaiah 43:7a. We are brought here to see His glory, to relate to it, to learn from it, and most importantly, to be conformed to His image.

The wilderness is a part of our spiritual development and is necessary for our growth. It opens our vision to Himself and to His provisions for us. It is that which the Lord uses to bring spiritual enrichment into our lives.

We would prefer that the Lord work on us in green pastures, or beside still waters. Although these are a part of our Christian experience, certain types of work are not accomplished in us, except in the wilderness. It is an essential part of the Christian life, whether we like it or not.

The wilderness may not be seen by some as being a launching pad into the realm of spiritual life. But the wilderness is just that, and more; it is the place of opportunity. Here, the children of Israel were made ready to go further. The Lord Himself initiated the conquest of Canaan at this time, from this place, as seen in Numbers 13:3.

"And Moses by the commandment of the LORD sent them
from the wilderness of Paran: all those men were
heads of the children of Israel."

There are two areas of blessing that relate to the wilderness. One is the blessings which are discovered within the wilderness. The other is the preparation for blessings, which follow the wilderness experience. These are dependent on how we responded to the Lord while in the wilderness.

LESSONS

"And the children of Israel took their journeys out of
the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud rested in the
wilderness of Paran" Numbers 10:12.

This was not their choice, rather it was the Lord's choice and direction for them. The Israelites were to follow the cloud and stop where it stopped, and move only when it moved. The first lesson to be learned is to follow and abide in His presence.

We are not to be afraid of the wilderness. Our times in the wilderness may be the only occasions when the Lord imparts certain divine principles and rich revelations to us. Thus, the wilderness is the place of our greatest progression in God. There are certain things which the Lord can bring to us only in the wilderness, as we properly relate to His glory in the wilderness.

The second lesson to be learned is that we are not to complain and question the Lord as we follow. "Why did the cloud stop here? Does the Lord know that there is no water here? Did He bring us here to kill us?" The answer is that He brings us here for this very purpose; to kill all that will in any way hinder our going further.

The children of Israel followed the cloud to green grass. The name of the place was "Hazeroth," which means a "green enclosure." It was a luscious place which was most pleasing to those camping there. But they were not permitted to remain there long, as they were to follow the cloud.

It soon moved from Hazeroth, as recorded in Numbers 12:16. "And afterward, the people removed from Hazeroth, and pitched in the wilderness of Paran." The green grass of Hazeroth is desired by all, but it does not fully and totally meet man's spiritual needs. The leadership directly under Moses failed while in the green grass. There, "the anger of the LORD was kindled against them (Aaron and Miriam); and He departed" Numbers 12:9.

POINT OF VIEW

What is seen, or not seen in the wilderness, depends upon our point of view, or the direction in which we habitually look.

"And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole
congregation of the children of Israel, that they
looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory
of the Lord appeared in the cloud," Exodus 16:10.

The gaze of the Israelites had just been on the meat which they did not have, but desired. Only when they looked toward the wilderness did they see the glory of God.

The reason many believers, upon many different occasions, miss seeing the glory of God is that they are looking toward that which they desire. They are looking toward Canaan Land, when they should be looking toward the wilderness.

If the glory of the Lord is appearing in the wilderness, and we are looking longingly at the Promised Land, we may see the Promised Land, but we will not see the glory of God. When the glory of God has come to the wilderness, it is time to give the wilderness our attention.

A particular opportunity is seen in verse two of Numbers 13. "Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel." These men are going to search and discover. They are going to move toward that which the Lord had promised them.

Although many are brought to the wilderness to see the glory of God, not all see it. The direction of our vision at any particular time in our life will determine what we will see. We will miss seeing His goodness if we constantly gaze at unfulfilled desires, and long for the comforts of the flesh.

Let us lay aside our fleshly desires and follow our Maker without complaining and questioning. As we accomplish these things we will see more clearly the purposes that the Lord has for us.

Note: This article is edited from the book, "Wilderness of Paran" by Charles Haun. Charles taught from time to time for many years at Pinecrest. He has published a series of eight books on the wildernesses that are listed in Scripture. These eight books are available at the Pinecrest Book Store. Call 1-800-579-5973 to order.