17 Bible Verses about Wilderness

Moses led Israel away from the Red Sea into the desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water.

They moved from Pi Hahiroth and went through the middle of the sea into the desert. After they traveled for three days in the Desert of Etham, they set up camp at Marah.

He went into a cave and spent the night. The word of Jehovah came to him, saying: What are you doing here, Elijah? He said: I have been zealous for Jehovah, the God of hosts. The children of Israel have not kept your agreement (covenant). They have destroyed your altars. They killed your prophets with the sword. I, even I, am the only one living. Now they seek to take my life too. Then he said: Go out and take your place on the mountain before Jehovah. Jehovah passed by and the force of a great wind parted the mountains. Rocks were broken before Jehovah but Jehovah was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but Jehovah was not in the earthquake. read more.
After the earthquake a fire, but Jehovah was not in the fire. And after the fire, the sounds of a soft breathe. Elijah heard it and went out covering his face with his robe. He stood by the entrance of the cave. He heard a voice saying: What are you doing here, Elijah? He replied: I have been very zealous for Jehovah, the God of hosts. The children of Israel have not kept your agreement. They have torn down your altars. They killed your prophets with the sword. I, even I, am the only one living. Now they seek to take my life. Jehovah said to him: Go back on your way through the wasteland to Damascus. When you get there, put holy oil on Hazael to make him king over Aram, And also anoint Jehu, son of Nimshi, making him king over Israel; and Elisha, the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah, to be prophet in your place. Whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will put to death. Whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will put to death. I will leave seven thousand people alive in Israel; all those who are loyal to me and have not bowed to Baal or kissed his idol. Elijah left there and found Elisha plowing with a team of bulls. There were eleven teams ahead of him. He was plowing with the last one. Elijah took off his cloak and put it on Elisha. Elisha then left his bulls and ran after Elijah. He said: Let me kiss my father and mother good-bye and then I will go with you. Elijah answered, All right, go back. I am not stopping you! Then Elisha went to his team of bulls, killed them, and cooked the meat. He used the yoke as fuel for the fire. He gave the meat to the people, and they ate it. Then he followed Elijah as his helper.

Jehovah said: I forgive them, as you have asked. But as I live and as the glory of Jehovah fills the whole earth, I solemnly swear that none of the people who saw my glory and the miraculous signs I did in Egypt and in the desert will see the land I promised their ancestors. They have tested me now ten times and refused to obey me. read more.
None of those who treat me with contempt will see it! My servant Caleb has a different attitude and has wholeheartedly followed me, I will bring him to the land he already explored. His descendants will possess it. The Amalekites and Canaanites are living in the valleys. Tomorrow you must turn around, go back into the desert. Follow the road that goes to the Red Sea. Then Jehovah said to Moses and Aaron: How long must I put up with this wicked congregation that keeps complaining about me? I have heard the complaints the Israelites are making about me. Therefore tell them: 'As I live, declares Jehovah, I solemnly swear I will do everything to you that you said I would do. Your bodies will drop dead in this desert. All of you who are at least twenty years old, who were registered and listed, and who complained about me will die. I raised my hand and swore an oath to give you this land to live in. But none of you will enter it except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. You said your children would be taken as prisoners of war. Instead, I will bring them into the land you rejected, and they will enjoy it. But your bodies will drop dead in this desert. Your children will be shepherds in the desert for forty years. They will suffer for your unfaithfulness until the last of your bodies lies dead in the desert. You explored the land for forty days. So for forty years, one year for each day, you will suffer for your sins and know what it means for me to be against you.' I, Jehovah, have spoken. I swear I will do these things to all the people in this whole wicked congregation. For they have joined forces against me. They will meet their end in this desert. Here they will die!' The men Moses sent to explore the land died in front of Jehovah from a plague. They died because they had returned and made the whole community complain about Moses. They spread lies about the land. Of all the men who went to explore the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived. Moses told these things to all the Israelites. The people mourned bitterly, as if someone had died.

The cloud over the tent of Jehovah's presence lifted the twentieth day of the second month in the second year after the people left Egypt. At last the Israelites started on their journey out of the Sinai Desert. The cloud came to rest in the wilderness of Paran. Jehovah gave the command through Moses for them to march. read more.
They were in the same order each time they moved. Those under the banner of the division led by the tribe of Judah started out first, company by company, with Nahshon son of Amminadab in command. Nethanel son of Zuar was in command of the tribe of Issachar. Eliab son of Helon was in command of the tribe of Zebulun. Then the tent would be taken down. The clans of Gershon and Merari carried it. Next, the banner of the division led by the tribe of Reuben would start out, company by company. Elizur son of Shedeur was in command. Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai was in command of the tribe of Simeon, and Eliasaph son of Deuel was in command of the tribe of Gad. The Levite clan of Kohath started the march. They carried the sacred objects. By the time they arrived at the next camp, the tent had been set up again. Next, the banner of the division led by the tribe of Ephraim would start out, company by company, with Elishama son of Ammihud in command. Gamaliel son of Pedahzur commanded the tribe of Manasseh. Abidan son of Gideoni commanded the tribe of Benjamin. Finally, the banner of the division led by the tribe of Dan, serving as the rear guard of all the divisions, started out, company by company. Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai was in command. Pagiel son of Ochran commanded the tribe of Asher. Ahira son of Enan commanded the tribe of Naphtali. This was the order of march, company by company, when the Israelites broke camp and set out. Moses said to his brother-in-law Hobab son of Jethro the Midianite: We are about to start out for the place Jehovah said he would give us. He promised to make Israel prosperous, so come with us, and we will share our prosperity with you. Hobab answered: No, I am going back to my native land. Please do not leave us, Moses said. You know where we can camp in the desert. You can be our guide. If you come with us, we will share with you all the blessings that Jehovah gives us. The people left Sinai, the holy mountain. They traveled three days. Jehovah's Ark of the Covenant always went ahead of them to find a place for them to camp. They moved camp to camp with the cloud of Jehovah over them by day. When the Ark of the Covenant started out, Moses would say: ARISE, JEHOVAH; scatter your enemies and put to flight those who hate you! And when it stopped, he would say: RETURN, O JEHOVAH, to the countless thousands of Israel!

God's Spirit led Jesus into the desert wilderness. There he was tested (tempted) by the Devil.

At once the Spirit compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness filled with wild animals. Satan tempted Jesus. This lasted forty days. The angels took care of Jesus.

Jesus was full of God's Holy Spirit when he returned from the Jordan. Holy Spirit led him into the wilderness.

He found his people in a desert land, in a barren place where animals howl. He guarded them, took care of them, and protected them because they were the precious apple (pupil) of his eye.