If one were to find a synonym for wilderness in the Bible it would be fairly safe to substitute hardship.  The Holman Christian Standard Bible uses the term wilderness 150 times. The majority of references applied to Israel wandering through deserts that resulted in all but two adults over 40 dying and a whole lot of complaining and suffering.  The fascinating thing is that God has a penchant for leading His people through wildernesses, to include His own Son (Matthew 4:1). Why does He do this?

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