The Narrow Path Meaning (Think the Wilderness)
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” Mathew 7: 13, 14.
This familiar passage is part of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus preached many times. To read the passage for context, click here.
I think this metaphor can represent the figurative wilderness experience. The word “hard” in verse 14 means “to groan” according to Strong’s Bible Dictionary. And “narrow” means to “crowd, afflict, throng, suffer tribulation, trouble”.
In other words, the path to life is a path of affliction, trouble and suffering. I think this is a pretty apt description of the wilderness experience.
Narrow Path Meaning
After all, the Israelites in the wilderness went hungry and thirsty, had to eat the same thing day after day, roamed around in the hot, dry desert, lived in tents, didn’t have a place to call home, had to fend off enemies, both human and otherwise (Exodus 15:22-18:27).
This was a hard existence. In fact, Moses told Jethro his father-in-law about “all the hardships they had met along the way”.
But it’s this narrow path of affliction that leads to life- to the promise land. But according to our passage, few are those who find this “narrow gate” and “hard way”.
The testimony of the Israelites bears this out as well. Of the first generation whom Moses led out of Egypt, only a few made it to the promise land.
Why is that? Because it’s hard to go through the wilderness and have your faith tested by experiences that seem to contradict God’s word.
It’s not easy to suffer tribulation, affliction and trouble. I dare say that without faith, in God’s glorious promises, it’s just about impossible.
If we ever want to make it to the promise land, which represents fullness of the Holy Spirit, as well as the long life, honor, wealth, and deliverance (Proverbs 3: 13-18) that goes with it, we’ve got to go through the wilderness.
The Narrow Road of Suffering
And this is the narrow road of suffering. Most of the first-generation Israelites refused to take this narrow road. They became angry and bitter and wanted to go back to Egypt. They grumbled, complained, and hated God and his servants.
And this “easy” way, which simply means “spacious, wide“, led to destruction. Their bodies fell in the wilderness. They refused to submit to the “hard way” of trouble.
Consequently, they perished in the wilderness.
You cannot take the “hard way” without faith. You have to believe it’s leading the life, the promise land and “every good thing and perfect gift” (James 1: 17).
Without this faith, you have no hope to lead you through the “great and terrible wilderness”(Deuteronomy 1:19). That’s exactly why most of the Israelites never made it. They refused to believe God’s glorious promise.
To read another post similar to The Narrow Path Meaning (Think the Wilderness), see Stand Firm and be Delivered!