

Deuteronomy 1:6 - “The Lord our God said to us at Horeb, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the mountains"
Why did the Israelites stop at Horeb and waste so much of their time there?
The truth is that it was not in God’s plan for them to stay in Horeb.
They had messed up - messed with the plans of God and their leader Moses.
Have you seen the signs that say “Don’t Mess With Texas”?
If a police officer stops you after you’ve violated the law while driving, you will definitely have your time, money, and peace of mind wasted. Don’t blame the police officer for the consequences you face.
The same way, the Israelites were held up in Horeb because they had messed up.
Many times, we also do the same; we mess up in our spiritual life and we proceed to blame God.
Why did the Israelites stay in Horeb so long?
Psalm 106:19 – “At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped an idol cast from metal.”
At Horeb, they rebelled against God and Moses - they did not listen to God’s word through Moses their leader.
Exodus 32: 1 – “When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”
Exodus 32:6 – “So, the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry (merriment – partying, cheerfulness – fun).”
There is a golden calf – idols in our heart, in our homes, in our churches.
We need to break down it, throw it away, and clear it out for our destiny, so that we are not held up in our journey.
There are two kinds of ministry we see here:
Mosaic ministry – Moses hears from the Lord and the people are ready to obey the words of the Lord through Moses.
Aaronic Ministry - Aaron hears from the people and obeys the people according to their demands and convenience.
Once we were under the influence of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit had shaped our worship. Now we plan and do things according to our own conveniences.
They messed up at Horeb and were held back in their journey.
Do not mess up your spiritual life, your priorities, your personal prayer, your personal relationship with Christ, your Sunday worship, your fasting prayer – you may be held up in your journey.
The Israelites now did not know what to do next. They lost their vision and they became complacent with their situation.
Despite this, God was faithful and he pushed them towards the promise land
Deuteronomy1:6-8 - "Now go, as far as the great river, the Euphrates. See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land the Lord swore he would give to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—and to their descendants after them.”
“Now go” – In other words, do not stop the walk of faith, do not give up the hope of my promise, and do not grow tired in the walk of obedience.
God said “See, I have given you this land” - In other words, you are spiritually blind, but open your eyes and see the promise that I have given you. The land has already been given to His people. But they could not see it with their naked eyes – but God said go in and take possession of the land with the eyes of faith.
One thing is obvious - when we are close to our promise, the devil will try to hold us up with discouragement, disappointment, confusion, frustration, and rebelliousness.
Deuteronomy1:21 – “See, the Lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
God did not say “see I am going to give you the land” – rather He said – “I have already given you the promised land.” Brothers and sisters, your promise is only within reach.
Do not be discouraged, disappointed, confused, frustrated, or rebellious. Take a step of faith, hold onto hope of your promise, and go forward to inherit your blessings.