Forty Years of Wandering (The Days of Provocation)

[Intro] [Verse 1] From Egypt's chains they broke free in the night A sea split wide at Moses' outstretched hand God led them out by fire and cloud of light Yet fearful hearts refused the promised land He sent them bread descending like the dew White manna on the ground when morning came A heaven-sent provision ever new And still they murmured, still they cried in shame [Pre-Chorus] They saw the cloud by day, the fire by night They drank from water God had split from stone And still they turned their faces from the light Forgetting every miracle He'd shown [Chorus] These were the days of provocation A stubborn people wandering in the wild God clothed and fed a faithless, doubting nation Still loved and held and called them every child Their sandals never broke, their garments never wore Through forty years of fire and desert sand They turned their backs on every miracle before And still He carried them by His own hand [Verse 2] The tabernacle rose in every camp they'd stop A holy tent, a dwelling for the King Where priests would bow and sacred incense drop A house of God beneath the desert ring They built a calf of gold at Sinai's mount While Moses held the law in hands of stone Rejecting every mercy, every count Weeping for the chains of a life they'd known [Pre-Chorus] They begged to go back to their chains and pain Forgetting every plague that set them free How quickly faith is swallowed by the strain How short the memory of those who will not see [Chorus] These were the days of provocation A stubborn people wandering in the wild God clothed and fed a faithless, doubting nation Still loved and held and called them every child Their sandals never broke, their garments never wore Through forty years of fire and desert sand They turned their backs on every miracle before And still He carried them by His own hand [Bridge] Two faithful men stood tall among the crowd Caleb and Joshua righteous, bold, and true They cried "We can take the land!" and said it loud When ten fell back in fear, these two pushed through And Moses on the mountain disappeared Not taken down by death or sealed in stone Translated into glory God had cleared His servant from the veil to stand before the throne On Transfiguration's mount the keys were given The gathering of Israel heaven's call No force on earth, no darkness hell had driven Could stop God's work from standing through it all [Verse 3] What do forty years of desert say To hearts that falter and to feet that roam? That God is faithful when we lose our way And mercy walks the long road leading home Don't be the voice that cries "Let's go back now" Don't let the comfort of old chains deceive Let Caleb's bold example show you how Let Joshua's faith declare what you believe [Final Chorus] Don't be a generation of provocation Don't trade your freedom for an Egypt chain Arise in faith and claim your promised nation Let every miracle not fall in vain Your shoes won't wear, your strength will not give out When God Himself is walking by your side Let Caleb's voice rise louder than your doubt And Joshua's faith will always be your guide [Outro] Forty years of wandering Forty years of wonder too Clothed and fed by heaven's hand God was faithful, ever true