Let's see, what is Chapter One about? Moses is recounting all that had happened to the Israelites. They have been following God around the desert for forty years and now Moses has stopped the group and is reminding them of what had happened up to that point, and what God had done for them. There's nothing like looking back at the facts to help clarify a situation, I think. It's one thing to re-hash your own version of history - you know the one, where you usually look good and were completely clear and almost everything that went wrong was someone else's fault? However, as the voice of God, they (and we) can be certain that what Moses says is what God means. (I'll never understand how some people can acknowledge God as, well, GOD, but still somehow think He isn't powerful enough to get the right words into His own Book!?! If we can't trust the Bible, then there is no truth in the world at all.) So this is not some personal recap, fish stories tweaked to slant things one way or another. When it says "In spite of this, you did not trust in the Lord your God" this is not simply Moses' opinion of what happened, God knew it to be the truth.
What does this passage mean today, to me? It is reassuring to see that despite all they did, God was still with them. Even when they were told not to do something, He stayed with them. Even though they "rebelled against the Lord's command" He stuck with them, as He had promised. Does that mean that we can never "shake" God, no matter what we do? I think it depends on our heart or our intentions. I think that as long as you are trying to follow God, even if you are terribly wrong, He will continue to pursue you. He'll probably even step up the assault on your rebellion for you, just to help you learn your lesson well. SO if things seem to be getting worse and worse, it is time to pray and take a good, hard look at what you are doing (in the light of the Word) and what your intentions honestly are. On the other hand, if you intentionally chose to rebel, and do it out of spite, or with a "Take That, YOU!" kind of attitude, I think you might very well get what you ask for. Free will is a big thing with God, and if you really, truly want Him to leave you alone with your sin, He will oblige. Are you then still saved? Were you ever really saved? I leave that to the theologians to debate, because I don't want to go there, dancing on the head of a pin. I'm going to stay safely on the side of trying to follow God, and asking His forgiveness when I stray, and praying all the time for His wisdom to see where I should be heading.
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