The Wilderness

[Verse 1: timothy brindle]
My name is Abram, yo-- I used to serve other gods (Josh. 24:2; 14-15)
My ways were pagan, but I couldn’t resist His Summons-Call
I came to Canaan, many days across rugged sod
But since He’s the Living God He’s worth it just to suffer hard
Some think I need my brain examined
Cuz I left my father’s house for the land God gave me—
--but it’s plagued with major famine (Gen. 12:10; 26:1; 42:5)
With lies I’m struggling, a sojourner, suffering (Gen. 12:10-13)
I go down to Egypt but the LORD will bring me up again
He’s telling me this, eternal is my homeland (Heb. 11:14-16)
But I’m dwelling in tents—sojourner in my own-land (Gen. 12:8, 13:3, 20:1, Heb. 11:9)
Though I’m battered and I’m bruised, I set the pattern for these Jews
Of sufferers who trust Your Word, Eleventh Chapter of Hebrews!
See I’m the forefather
Of many suffering sons of God who prefer this to being whoremongers (Heb. 11:25-26)
Though it’s a dark calling, getting hard often
He’ll bring us into glory because our Faithful God’s Sovereign!

[Verse 2: Ian Buchanan]
Loved by my Father and despised by my brethren
Tossed in a pit and then sold by these henchmen
A slave in Egypt but the LORD’s who I’m trusting in
He’s preserving the nations, I’ll trust He’ll raise me up again
His wisdom is sufficient, though I’m a slave in this prison
Betrayed by kinsman but by grace I’ll forgive them
Raised up by God to provide for all the nations
To eat of this bread and be saved from starvation!
As for my brothers who sought after to kill me
I’m forgiving their sin and invite them to come feast with me
Into lawless hands I was handed over
But now I reign over the land by the hand of Jehovah
I trusted him who indeed was able to raise me
Up from out of the pit and release me from slavery
Trust and believe in the One who will certainly raise thee
The Promised Seed who suffers as King in order to save thee

[Verse 3: Zae the Blacksmith]
It’s been a rugged ride through this wilderness
Surviving this pilgrimage
I’ve seen Your people wildin’ while You’re providing the illest gifts
I’ve seen Your work restoring, turning bitter water sweet
When You gave us bread from heaven it was more than we could eat
You know, trooping through the desert, is was never pleasant, though
I always had this feeling that You would have never let us go
Cause You heard the cries from Your children suffering in Egypt
Although You’re not obliged to
With signs and wonders You have freed us
We suffered in the desert, tempted and dwelling in tents
But in this wilderness—Yahweh’s tent dwelled in our midst!
And now You’ve brought me to this mountain
Where I’ll have my last moments
It’s tough to digest that it’s the Promised Land that I’m beholding
And even though I’ll never know its valleys or its peaks
In this wilderness I’ve grown to know my LORD, and I have peace
Although we don’t deserve to be Your people
Thank You that you chose us!
With this last breath, I plea that You receive Your servant Moses!

[Chorus: Benjamin Wilson & timothy brindle]
In this Wilderness, LORD I need You! (I need You!)
In this Wilderness God I seek You! (I seek You!)
O LORD, while many have wandered astray, fallen away
As long as the day is still regarded “today” (Heb. 3:13)
We’ll call on Your Name, YHWH we’ll holler Your Praise
We long for the day when You take away all of our pain! (Rev. 21:3-4)

[Verse 4: timothy brindle]
LORD, this king’s in the Wilderness
I’m running from Saul, with the ruggedest squad
But nevertheless my heart hungers for God (Ps. 63:1-5)
Rescue me when I stumble and fall, I’m in love with Your Law
But aren’t I Israel’s king to govern them all?
Have I been anointed to suffer, appointed to suffer?
As a suffering wilderness King I point to Another
I write Psalms in the desert, Your light calms my depression
Cuz Your Hesed חֶסדֶ is better than life
O God You’re my treasure! (Ps. 63:3)
Your Praise I will mention, although there’s pain and affliction
Just like King Joseph, I been betrayed by my kinsman! (2 Sam. 15:13-14)
But You’ll vindicate me cuz Your Hand is gonna save (Ps. 18:24; 17:15)
I’ll stand and be amazed
Cuz my life’s not abandoned to the grave (Ps. 16:10-11)
I’m tired and worn, I been despised and I’m scorned
My own son has died
He was caught in briars and thorns (2 Sam. 18:9, 14-15)
Previewing Messiah of course (John 19:2, 34)
This Wilderness Rock reminds me of how I must hide in the LORD! (1 Sam. 23:28, Ps. 18:1-2)

[Verse 5: Zae the Blacksmith]
They persecute me because I’m speaking for God they’re not feelin’ Him
I found my refuge while I’m retreating off in the wilderness
They sought to take my life with swords and knives I had to flee
For 40 days and 40 nights at times I cried myself asleep
But the LORD provided water from a brook in the heat
Wouldn’t have survived if I was deprived of bread and meat
To stay protected from the elements, I
Have been provided with some garments made from animal hides
I walked the wilderness at Mt. Sinai feeling so lonesome
Consoled by thoughts of walking in the steps of Moses
The way they lie & threaten my life, just ain’t right
What will be said about Elijah the Tishbite?

[Verse 6: Ian Buchanan]
I weep for my people, the wandering sheepfold
Their cravings and lusts are disgustingly lethal:
They abandoned their God in pursuit of their evil
And must be punished through a foreign conquering people
Like Joseph, I too was tossed down a deep pit
Was laid in a grave but was raised I keep preaching:
Repentance from sin, cause judgment is now approaching
Down from the North, the King of Babylon’s encroaching
And yet, I am swept down to Egypt
Though I was innocent and observed all His precepts
Counted as a lost covenant breaker and reject
It’s all for the sake of redeeming all of the elect. (Yeah!)
For others sins, I’m in exile and suffering
I’ll die in Egypt, will the LORD bring me up again?
For all your sins, the Branch of David was suffering
Repent and believe He’ll indeed raise you up again!

[Chorus: Benjamin Wilson & timothy brindle]
In this Wilderness, LORD I need You! (I need You!)
In this Wilderness God I seek You! (I seek You!)
O LORD, while many have wandered astray, fallen away
As long as the day is still regarded “today” (Heb. 3:13)
We’ll call on Your Name, YHWH we’ll holler Your Praise
We long for the day when You take away all of our pain! (Rev. 21:3-4)

[Verse 7: Zae the Blacksmith]
I must have caught them off guard, some of them thought I was Elijah
But nah, I’m just John, the one they call the Baptizer
Been surviving in the wild, guess they all think it’s funny
That I dress in camel’s hair & live off locust & honey
But I ain’t telling jokes, either repent or you’ll get smoked
Leave the comfort of your homes into the desert for your hope
Like the children of Israel, set off into the desert
Before the son of Nun would bring them to the Land of Blessing
Let’s just say that I’m like Moses—calling you out of Egypt
And pointing to your “Joshua” hoping that you receive Him
But my time is up, soon I’ll be dead is what they said
Tell ‘em they’ll never turn my heart, even if they take my head

[Verse 8: timothy brindle]
When I was just a kid, even then I was sufferin’ (Luke 2:7)
We fled down to Egypt
When Herod died we went up again (Matt. 2:13-15)
To reverse the sins of Israel the nation:
I’m the True Israel Son who obeyed in wilderness temptation(Hoes. 11:1=Matt. 2:15; Isa. 49:1-6)
Though the devil was tempting Me with these filthy sins
The Father’s Word is My living bread in this wilderness (Luke 4:1-13)
I’ll take the multitude out to the hills for this
So I can feed them as the Bread from Heaven in the wilderness (John 6:1-14; 26-35)
For My brother’s sins, I was on the Cross suffering
I went down to death
But the Father, He brought Me up again! (Luke 9:31)
Betrayed by My kinsman; then raised up, I’m living
To my Father’s rest
All the elect safely I’ll bring them (John 17:1-3; 24; 14:2)
Cuz I’m bringing many sons to glory (Heb. 2:10)
All those who suffered with Me
Whether they were after or before Me (Phil. 3:10; Heb. 11:26)
With your trials I’m acquainted well
I blazed the trail (Heb. 4:15, 12:1-2)
If you endure you’ll rise forever; we’ll be glorified together (Rom. 8:17)

[Verse 9: Ian Buchanan]
The wilderness bride of Christ is His beautiful Church, (Rev. 12:6)
United and blessed in Him through His sufferings and works. (Col. 1:24)
He traversed the distance, He lavishes gives us
His gifts for this pilgrimage and He’s promised to give us…REST at the end of our journey
We long and we’re yearning
We groan with the rest of creation (Rom. 8:18-24)—this tent is a burden, (2 Cor. 5:1-4)
Death it will murder us but the LORD is preserving us
He’ll raise our bodies and give us rest when the journey’s up! (1 Cor. 15:51-57)
The Church (by timothy brindle):
Lord, Your blood spilled and You were killed for this
Your Communion Bread is feeding us in this Wilderness! (John 6:48-58; 1 Cor. 12:23-26)
In our suffering rescue us from grumbling
Give us Christ—let us run to Him instead of other things
Many couldn’t take the heat so they got out the kitchen
They left the faith, and fled the saints, we thought they was Christian!
The O.T. saints laid the pattern for Jesus
Through our Union with Christ, we’re being fashioned as He is! (Rom. 8:16-17; 28-29; Philipians 3:10)