Our text centers on God's promised action in the wilderness. Have you ever seen photographs of the wilderness areas in the land of the Bible; for example today's Israel, Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Iran? The wilderness is a rocky, dry, and barren space. In the same day, temperatures may vary from a blazing 100 degrees Fahrenheit to nearly freezing. Food and water are scarce. Wild beasts and even bandits prowl around seeking to devour unsuspecting travelers. The wilderness can be a very scary and lonely space. It's easy to get lost there, far from home with no hope, no help, and no support in sight. In the wilderness spaces of our lives, one can feel abandoned even by God.

In today's lesson, the people of God have been living as exiles in Babylon approximately 500 miles from their homeland. Th…