After experiencing God's amazing work of salvation through the crossing of the Red Sea and with pharaoh and Egypt now behind them, the Israelites might have expected a smooth journey to the Promised Land. But God tests His people by bringing them into various challenging situations. However, this testing is not for their salvation, rather it is for their sanctification. God puts His people to the test in order to mature them by growing their knowledge of His character and deepening their experience of His grace.