I thought I knew what I was going to do with this reflection.

When Stephen spoke on Sunday (catch up here if you haven’t already), I was struck by the notion that wilderness represents a meeting place with God. I spoke the other week about how the Exodus story engages with the promise of God’s presence. It shouldn’t have surprised me, then,  that this idea about encountering God’s presence is found throughout the story. There is, I think, something powerful about meeting God in the desert places, the places which feel like you are most alone.

So I had planned on exploring that idea in a more personal way – but then I read something this week by Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann, who wrote, in his introduction to the Old Testament, about wilderness being connected to both Exile and Chaos.

Now, that is intriguing to me.

Perhaps the biggest event in the history of the Israelites was the Exile. Much of the Old Testament is written in light of the Exile, or written around the time of the Exile. And the story which serves the greatest foundation to the Jewish people is the Exodus. So, that the two can be connected is important.

When we worked through the story of Ezekiel at the beginning of last year, we explored the idea of God’s presence leaving the temple and going to the people in exile. This was a momentous shift in theology, where the God who dwelled in a fixed place was described as having a mobile throne (Ezekiel 1) and God’s presence was going to be with the Israelites again. We see this in the beginning of the Exodus story – the God who was far off, the God who heard the cries of Their people, is coming to be with the people. And then as the Israelites are led into the wilderness journey, they are guided by a pillar of smoke by day and fire by night – Visible signs of God’s presence. And then, in the latter parts of the story, the construction of the ark of the covenant and the tabernacle, serve as more permanent symbols of God’s presence. Both the Exodus and the Exile are places of meeting with God, even when the people might feel most distant from God.

Chaos, on the other hand, is also found across the Old Testament stories, but in a less tangible way. Stephen said on Sunday that wilderness is not for chaos, but for preparation. We see again and again that chaos precedes order. Chaos is a cosmic force, out of which creation emerged. Specifically, it appears in Genesis 1:2, describing the state of the earth before God began the process of creation:

"Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters." (Genesis 1:2, NIV)

The words "formless and empty" are translated from the Hebrew phrase "tohu wa-bohu," (תֹ֙הוּ֙ וָבֹ֔הוּ) which suggests a state of chaos, disorder, or desolation. In the context of Genesis, this chaos precedes God's creative act, where He brings order and structure to the world through the creation of light, the separation of the waters, and the formation of land, plants, animals, and humans.

In that context, the idea of a connection between wilderness and chaos makes more sense and brings greater significance to the wilderness experience. The Exodus journey doesn’t remain chaos, but it leads to the creation of a nation. Along the way, there is a significant chunk of law and instruction given – order to shape the chaos of life post-slavery. God is forming the people through the wilderness experience. This is expounded upon in Isaiah 43, in the context of chaos into creation;

I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King. Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, who brings out chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down; they cannot rise; they are extinguished, quenched like a wick: Do not remember the former things or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth; do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The wild animals will honour me, the jackals and the ostriches, for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise. – Isaiah 43:15-21 (NRSV)

Let us, then, be encouraged to see that God appears to be using a difficult situation for our good. We can all go through experiences which we might call ‘wilderness’.

Loss and grief. Change. Fear. Loneliness. Isolation. Disappointment. Confusion.

The connection between wilderness, chaos and exile can teach us two things;

1)      God can meet with us in our wilderness

2)      God can use our wilderness to do something new

Those things can offer hope, joy, peace and comfort when we find ourselves entering a wilderness time. All we have to do then, as we learn from the Israelites about responding to God in that time, is to keep worshipping and keep trusting.