Exodus 13:17-22 (NLT)
Israel’s Wilderness Detour
17 When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” 18 So God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea.[c] Thus the Israelites left Egypt like an army ready for battle.2719 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear to do this. He said, “God will certainly come to help you. When he does, you must take my bones with you from this place.”
20 The Israelites left Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness. 21 The Lord went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night. 22 And the Lord did not remove the pillar of cloud or pillar of fire from its place in front of the people.
As I was reading Exodus 13, God had highlighted some verses that really spoke to me about my journey with Him and I believe that God wants me to share it with you as well.
When the Israelites were finally let go by Pharaoh, instead of taking the people of Israel straight to the Promise Land (After 430 years of slavery and oppression), He led them in a roundabout through the wilderness towards the Red Sea. The thought of that just seems frustrating especially coming out of Pharaoh’s oppressive rule. The Promise Land sounds like a sweet place to be if you ask me. I understand that the people didn’t necessarily know that they were being led this way and I guess it might be hard to spot the same sand dune more than once (I’m assuming it was a desert route).
I wonder if reaching the Promise Land through the short route would feel just as sweet as the roundabout way? I’ve heard of delayed gratification but this might be a stretch…
So I guess this begs the questions, why would God opt out of the shortest route to the Promise Land? Well at the end of verse 17 it says “ God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” It seems like God was saving the Israelites from a battle or better yet, saving them from changing their minds in the face of a battle and returning back to Egypt (To go back to being in slavery). God’s solution to this was to take them in a roundabout way through the wilderness.
When I think about how God took the Israelites out of Egypt and led them to the Promise Land through a roundabout way in the wilderness, I can’t help but wonder, is that what God is doing to us through our journey to Maturity? I’ve heard that the journey to Maturity is long and the path is less travelled but is that the route God is calling us to take?
As I reread verse 17, I can see worry and concern when God says, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” God knew that the Israelites were not at the point in their faith where if they faced a Philistine, they would trust the Lord and fight their way through to the Promise Land. God knew that they would run to the most familiar place to them and possibly think that the journey is not worth the fight. God had to take them in a roundabout way through the wilderness to teach them to Trust in Him and to prepare them to enter into the Promise Land.
If you are like me, then you might be feeling like God is sending you on a roundabout way through the wilderness, wondering when you will get to the Promise Land. But I believe, like the Israelites, God wants to teach us to trust in Him and is preparing us for what is to come. I believe that God is calling us to the journey of Maturity, taking us through what might seem like a roundabout way through the wilderness, to really shape us and mold us, to see if we are really willing to Make Every Effort. God doesn’t want us to run back into our old comforts, into the things that once enslaved us, into the familiar and known. No, God is calling us to stand firm in His word, to strip away the old and put on the new, to trust in Him, and to Make Every Effort to Grow in Maturity.
There are things that are learned in the wilderness that can’t be learned on the main road. The big battles are not always won on the main road but rather won by every small decision you make in the wilderness. The Good news is, just like the Israelites were given a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire to guide them, God has given us Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit to guide us on our journey to Maturity. Our job is to not go looking for the Promise Land or in some cases God’s Promise for our lives, but to fix our eyes and our ears on Jesus Christ and be led by the Holy Spirit. If we can do that, then surely God will bring us exactly where we need to be, when we need to be there.
Father, we thank you that you know what’s best for us. We thank you that you are leading us on a path to Growing in Maturity. God, we recognize that it is not easy, and it is not short but we choose to put our trust in you, that you are teaching us how to Make Every Effort and to prepare us to receive your promises. God, I pray that you would help us to fix our eyes and ears on Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us daily. We need you and we love you. Let us not be discouraged by the route but be encouraged by your grace. We pray this all in your son’s name, Jesus, Amen!