The Major Obstacle

The redemptive narrative of the Old Testament finds God fulfilling His promise to Abraham to make of his descendants a great nation. This nation building process took place in Egypt where Israel suffered in servitude under the Egyptian lash for four hundred years.
The Lord delivered them out with great power and brought Israel into the wilderness to test them as to whether they would trust Him to provide and protect them. Would they trust Him to be their God? Would they be His people?

God tested Israel both before and after He established them as a nation and entered covenant with them at Mount Sinai. Before Sinai, they complained, but God did not punish them. However, after Sinai, when they complained, God severely punished them. Why the difference? The Old Covenant is not a covenant of grace, but of holiness. It does not overlook sin. It exposes and judges sin. It prepares for the New Covenant and forgiveness of sin.