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Post by Rejoice on Jan 15, 2020 9:37:13 GMT -5
If I am understand it, the only reason for the 40 years in the wilderness was because the rebels would die during that time. Why was it necessary to do it over that many years?
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Post by John on Jan 15, 2020 19:12:13 GMT -5
There were different reasons. For one thing, everyone who was 20 years old and upward was going to die, so all you would have left would have been people 19 and under. To destroy them all at once wouldn't have left that many to inherit the land, and you would have basically had children going to war. As it was, there was not enough people to fill the entire land of Canaan, and that was why God was gradually having them inherit the land, so it wouldn't be overridden by wild animals.
I believe that it was the will of God that many more children would be born during that 40 year time span, which would keep the numbers from dwindling way down. It would leave parents to raise those children. One other thing I would add is that since God is all knowing, I don't think any of what happened really took him by surprise. There is a principal known as a cup of iniquity, and when a nation's cup is full, then comes the final judgment on that nation. I suspect that the cup of iniquity of the inhabitants of Canaan would not be full for an additional 40 years, but that is just an opinion. It is possible that it was already up, but they were given an extra 40 years of mercy.
Those are just things that come to my mind. Who really can fully know the mind of God besides the Lord himself?
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Post by John on Jan 15, 2020 19:13:31 GMT -5
And Rejoice, I love answering questions, so don't feel like you are being a bother. Any questions that you have, feel free to ask. If I know the answer, I will give it to you, and if I am not sure, I will seek it out.
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