The Wilderness

My name is Abram, yo-- I used to serve other gods (Josh. 24: 2; 14-15)

My ways were pagan, but I couldn’t resist His Summons-Call

I came to Canaan, many days across rugged sod

But since He’s the Living God He’s worth it just to suffer hard

Some think I need my brain examined

Cuz I left my father’s house for the land God gave me—

--But it’s plagued with major famine (Gen. 12:10; 26: 1; 42: 5)

With lies I’m struggling, a sojourner, suffering (Gen. 12:10-13)

I go down to Egypt but the LORD will bring me up again

He’s telling me this, eternal is my homeland (Heb. 11:14-16)

But I’m dwelling in tents—sojourner in my own-land (Gen. 12: 8, 13: 3, 20: 1, Heb. 11: 9)

Though I’m battered and I’m bruised, I set the pattern for these Jews

Of sufferers who trust Your Word, Eleventh Chapter of Hebrews!

See I’m the forefather

Of many suffering sons of God who prefer this to being whoremongers (Heb. 11:25-26)

Though it’s a dark calling, getting hard often

He’ll bring us into glory because our Faithful God’s Sovereign!

Loved by my Father and despised by my brethren

Tossed in a pit and then sold by these henchmen

A slave in Egypt but the LORD’s who I’m trusting in

He’s preserving the nations, I’ll trust He’ll raise me up again

His wisdom is sufficient, though I’m a slave in this prison

Betrayed by kinsman but by grace I’ll forgive them

Raised up by God to provide for all the nations

To eat of this bread and be saved from starvation!

As for my brothers who sought after to kill me

I’m forgiving their sin and invite them to come feast with me

Into lawless hands I was handed over

But now I reign over the land by the hand of Jehovah

I trusted him who indeed was able to raise me

Up from out of the pit and release me from slavery

Trust and believe in the One who will certainly raise thee

The Promised Seed who suffers as King in order to save thee

It’s been a rugged ride through this wilderness

Surviving this pilgrimage

I’ve seen Your people wildin’ while You’re providing the illest gifts

I’ve seen Your work restoring, turning bitter water sweet

When You gave us bread from heaven it was more than we could eat

You know, trooping through the desert, is was never pleasant, though

I always had this feeling that You would have never let us go

Cause You heard the cries from Your children suffering in Egypt

Although You’re not obliged to

With signs and wonders You have freed us

We suffered in the desert, tempted and dwelling in tents

But in this wilderness—Yahweh’s tent dwelled in our midst!

And now You’ve brought me to this mountain

Where I’ll have my last moments

It’s tough to digest that it’s the Promised Land that I’m beholding

And even though I’ll never know its valleys or its peaks

In this wilderness I’ve grown to know my LORD, and I have peace

Although we don’t deserve to be Your people

Thank You that you chose us!

With this last breath, I plea that You receive Your servant Moses!

In this Wilderness, LORD I need You! (I need You!)

In this Wilderness God I seek You! (I seek You!)

O LORD, while many have wandered astray, fallen away

As long as the day is still regarded “today” (Heb. 3: 13)

We’ll call on Your Name, YHWH we’ll holler Your Praise

We long for the day when You take away all of our pain! (Rev. 21: 3-4)

LORD, this king’s in the Wilderness

I’m running from Saul, with the ruggedest squad

But nevertheless my heart hungers for God (Ps. 63: 1-5)

Rescue me when I stumble and fall, I’m in love with Your Law

But aren’t I Israel’s king to govern them all?

Have I been anointed to suffer, appointed to suffer?

As a suffering wilderness King I point to Another

I write Psalms in the desert, Your light calms my depression

Cuz Your Hesed חֶסדֶ is better than life

O God You’re my treasure! (Ps. 63: 3)

Your Praise I will mention, although there’s pain and affliction

Just like King Joseph, I been betrayed by my kinsman! (2 Sam. 15:13-14)

But You’ll vindicate me cuz Your Hand is gonna save (Ps. 18:24; 17:15)

I’ll stand and be amazed

Cuz my life’s not abandoned to the grave (Ps. 16:10-11)

I’m tired and worn, I been despised and I’m scorned

My own son has died

He was caught in briars and thorns (2 Sam. 18: 9, 14-15)

Previewing Messiah of course (John 19: 2, 34)

This Wilderness Rock reminds me of how I must hide in the LORD! (1 Sam. 23:28, Ps. 18: 1-2)

They persecute me because I’m speaking for God they’re not feelin’ Him

I found my refuge while I’m retreating off in the wilderness

They sought to take my life with swords and knives I had to flee

For 40 days and 40 nights at times I cried myself asleep

But the LORD provided water from a brook in the heat

Wouldn’t have survived if I was deprived of bread and meat

To stay protected from the elements, I

Have been provided with some garments made from animal hides

I walked the wilderness at Mt. Sinai feeling so lonesome

Consoled by thoughts of walking in the steps of Moses

The way they lie & threaten my life, just ain’t right

What will be said about Elijah the Tishbite?

I weep for my people, the wandering sheepfold

Their cravings and lusts are disgustingly lethal

They abandoned their God in pursuit of their evil

And must be punished through a foreign conquering people

Like Joseph, I too was tossed down a deep pit

Was laid in a grave but was raised I keep preaching

Repentance from sin, cause judgment is now approaching

Down from the North, the King of Babylon’s encroaching

And yet, I am swept down to Egypt

Though I was innocent and observed all His precepts

Counted as a lost covenant breaker and reject

It’s all for the sake of redeeming all of the elect (yeah!)

For others sins, I’m in exile and suffering

I’ll die in Egypt, will the LORD bring me up again?

For all your sins, the Branch of David was suffering

Repent and believe He’ll indeed raise you up again!

In this Wilderness, LORD I need You! (I need You!)

In this Wilderness God I seek You! (I seek You!)

O LORD, while many have wandered astray, fallen away

As long as the day is still regarded “today” (Heb. 3: 13)

We’ll call on Your Name, YHWH we’ll holler Your Praise

We long for the day when You take away all of our pain! (Rev. 21: 3-4)

I must have caught them off guard, some of them thought I was Elijah

But nah, I’m just John, the one they call the Baptizer

Been surviving in the wild, guess they all think it’s funny

That I dress in camel’s hair & live off locust & honey

But I ain’t telling jokes, either repent or you’ll get smoked

Leave the comfort of your homes into the desert for your hope

Like the children of Israel, set off into the desert

Before the son of Nun would bring them to the Land of Blessing

Let’s just say that I’m like Moses—calling you out of Egypt

And pointing to your Joshua hoping that you receive Him

But my time is up, soon I’ll be dead is what they said

Tell ‘em they’ll never turn my heart, even if they take my head

When I was just a kid, even then I was sufferin’ (Luke 2: 7)

We fled down to Egypt

When Herod died we went up again (Matt. 2: 13-15)

To reverse the sins of Israel the nation

I’m the True Israel Son who obeyed in wilderness temptation (Hoes. 11: 1=Matt. 2: 15; Isa. 49: 1-6)

Though the devil was tempting Me with these filthy sins

The Father’s Word is My living bread in this wilderness (Luke 4: 1-13)

I’ll take the multitude out to the hills for this

So I can feed them as the Bread from Heaven in the wilderness (John 6: 1-14; 26-35)

For My brother’s sins, I was on the Cross suffering

I went down to death

But the Father, He brought Me up again! (Luke 9: 31)

Betrayed by My kinsman; then raised up, I’m living

To my Father’s rest

All the elect safely I’ll bring them (John 17: 1-3; 24; 14: 2)

Cuz I’m bringing many sons to glory (Heb. 2: 10)

All those who suffered with Me

Whether they were after or before Me (Phil. 3: 10; Heb. 11:26)

With your trials I’m acquainted well

I blazed the trail (Heb. 4: 15, 12: 1-2)

If you endure you’ll rise forever; we’ll be glorified together (Rom. 8: 17)

The wilderness bride of Christ is His beautiful Church, (Rev. 12: 6)

United and blessed in Him through His sufferings and works. (Col. 1: 24)

He traversed the distance, He lavishes gives us

His gifts for this pilgrimage and He’s promised to give us… REST at the end of our journey

We long and we’re yearning

We groan with the rest of creation (Rom. 8: 18-24) —this tent is a burden, (2 Cor. 5: 1-4)

Death it will murder us but the LORD is preserving us

He’ll raise our bodies and give us rest when the journey’s up! (1 Cor. 15:51-57)

The Church (by timothy brindle)

Lord, Your blood spilled and You were killed for this

Your Communion Bread is feeding us in this Wilderness! (John 6: 48-58; 1 Cor. 12:23-26)

In our suffering rescue us from grumbling

Give us Christ—let us run to Him instead of other things

Many couldn’t take the heat so they got out the kitchen

They left the faith, and fled the saints, we thought they was Christian!

The O.T. saints laid the pattern for Jesus

Through our Union with Christ, we’re being fashioned as He is! (Rom. 8: 16-17; 28-29; Philipians 3: 10)