The Biblical Israelites as a showcase

The Israelites were chosen to showcase how God and men proceed in their dialogue.
I always fancy how God had tried to rebuild His contact with men once the first family has fallen. God must have travelled around the globe, reaching out to different civilizations until at last, a man responded positively with Him, Noah and his descendants. Then entered Abraham who was able to demonstrate many facets of the interaction between God and man. It is not necessary to be an impeccably virtuous person to find favour in God. Abraham was important because he showed us the importance of faith, rather than virtues, in the interaction with God. Faith, rather than personal moral achievements, is the key element for the salvation of man.

God is faithful and keeps His promises with Abraham. Firstly, God moved Jacob's family to Egypt to multiply it. Then He sent Moses to deliver them out to settle them in Canaan. This is the story of Exodus. Deuteronomy 1 retells, summarizes and highlight the crucial events in this journey. It should not take more than a few months for even a large crowd of 600 thousands (Exodus 12:37) to move from Egypt to Canaan. In the end, the journey took 40 years, all because of their lack of faith in God. In Deuteronomy 1, at the end of their journey, Moses explained to the new generation of Israelites why they took so long to reach the Promised Land.

Soon (11 days) after they had received the 10 Commandments in Mount Horeb, they reached Kadesh-barnea (Deuteronomy 1:2). God instructed them to attack the hill country of the Amorites to occupy it (Deuteronomy 1:20-21). The Israelites hesitated (Deuteronomy 1:27-28). God was angry and swore that none of them might enter the Promised Land, not even Moses (Deuteronomy 1:34-40).
The Israelites knew their mistakes. They were willing to go up to fight just as God had commanded them (Deuteronomy 1:41). But it was too late. God did not give them a second chance. God told them that He would not fight this battle for them. Without God in their midst, they would not succeed. But they did not listen to God again. They fought and lost (Deuteronomy 1:43-44). They wept before the Lord but the Lord would not listen to them (Deuteronomy 1:45).
From then on, they wandered in the wilderness, passing through different places without conquering or occupying them until the stiff-necked generation had died out.
And the time from our leaving Kadesh-barnea until we crossed the brook Zered was thirty-eight years, until the entire generation, that is, the men of war, had perished from the camp, as the LORD had sworn to them (Deuteronomy 2:14).
When the time came, God began to fight battles for them. The first to fall was Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon (Deuteronomy 2:24-25). This event is sung Psalms 135, 136.

So, what have we learnt?
Following the instructions from God is the safest bet. But before we listen to Him, we must build up our faith in Him first. To build up our faith in Him, we must turn/return to Him first and when is the right time to turn to Him if not now?
For he says, "At the acceptable time I have listened to you,
and helped you on the day of salvation." (quoting Isaiah 49:8)
Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Dear Lord, give me one chance more. Amen.