The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) Introduction to Desert Wanderings (with Jeff Cavins) (2026)
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Feb 21, 2026 
Jeff Cavins, Catholic Bible scholar who created the Great Adventure Timeline, introduces the Desert Wanderings period covering Numbers and Deuteronomy. He explains narrative structure, the role of lists and literary devices, Israel’s forty-year wandering after Kadesh Barnea, wilderness testing and formation, key scenes like the bronze serpent and Nazarite, and Deuteronomy’s call to faithfulness in the land.
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Forty Years As Formation
- The sending of spies and their report turned Israel's hoped-for entry into Canaan into forty years of testing.
- The number 40 signals a period of formation where God tests and trains his people in trust.
Apply Scripture During Trials
- Trust God practically by applying Scripture, not just mentally assenting to it.
- Use wilderness seasons to deepen reliance on God's word as sustenance over mere physical needs.
Tassels As Daily Reminders
- The tzitzit (tassels) on garments function as a sacramental reminder of God's commands and identity.
- Physical reminders helped Israel trust and live by God's word during wilderness formation.