Hey Bible readers, I'm Tara Lee Cobble and I'm your host for the Bible recap.

Today we drop back in on Moses' speech to the new generation of Israelites before they

enter the Promised Land.

This is his final locker room talk.

He's recounting all the ways they've made bad plays in the past and he's going over

the plays they want to execute well in the future.

He tells them that the wilderness was a test to refine them and it's clear that the Promised

Land will be a test as well.

It's not some kind of end game for them, some kind of reward where they can just kick

back and do whatever they want.

They personally won't retain the land unless they respond to God's covenant promise

by worshiping Him alone.

The Promised Land is just another part of God's process to restore wicked humanity in relationship

with Himself.

And He knows how this next step will turn out too.

He's not testing them for His sake, He's testing them for their sake.

This generation had yet to encounter anything that was really a result of their own actions.

They had to endure at least a portion of the 38 years of wilderness that their parents

received as punishment, but they weren't complicit in rebellion at Kadesh Barnaya.

So this wasn't a punishment for them even though they had to endure it just like their

parents did.

I'm sure it felt like punishment at times, but it wasn't in response to anything they

...