Confession time. This past week for me was difficult in ways I did not expect. It was a week where I became very aware of my lack and the many needs I have in life, and so for most of the week I felt weak and frail instead of sure and stable. I know I’m not the only one who has weeks like this, many of you do too. All this got me thinking, so I did a quick AI search and asked for a list of basic human needs. This is just some of what popped up.
Physically we need to eat and drink healthy things not junky things to sustain ourselves. We need movement and activity and resistance to stay healthy. And we need sleep to recover and restore.
Emotionally we need a measure of security to not feel under threat. We need a sense of purpose to drive us onward. And we need time and close friends to process all the noise in our heads so we can think clearly.
Relationally we need a sense of connectedness with others, a like-minded community to know we’re not alone. We need to feel a sense of contribution in that community to know we’re making a difference. And we need others, to work with, to share joy and sorrow with, to be serious with, and to relax with.
That’s a lot of needs. But this list missed a massive item. We also have many spiritual needs. We need to know God, that He made us, that we’re fallen sinners, that He saves us through Christ, and keeps us through the Spirit. We need to live near to the Lord in all of life, near His Word, near to prayer, and near to His people.
Church, we’re all needy people. Hear it though, this is not bad news, it’s actually good news to know how many needs we have. Why? Because into our many needs, God delights to show up.
Our passage today, shows us this very thing. Israel was a people with many needs and into all their need, God shows up and shows Himself to be strong, and sure, and enough. Into their lack of wisdom and knowledge, God stood forth as wise. Into their worries and concerns about what may come, God stood forth as faithful. And into their wandering, God’s guidance stood forth as sure and clear.
All this and more is there for us in Exodus 13:17-22, go ahead and open up there.
Some reorienting might be in order as we’re still getting used to being back in Exodus after a few months away from it. As chapter 12 finishes the waiting had finally ended for Israel. They had been enslaved for over 400 years, they had cried out to God, He heard, He sent Moses and Aaron, and then He sent the plagues. When the final devastating plague fell on Egypt, the death of the firstborn, Pharaoh let the people go. We see this monumental moment occur in Exodus 12:40-42, “The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of 430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. It was a night of watching by the Lord, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; so this same night is a night of watching kept to the Lord by all the people of Israel throughout their generations.”
After this text God does many things. He instructs His people to institute certain feasts to celebrate and mark this epic moment: the Passover, the consecration of the firstborn, and the festival of unleavened bread…we saw all that last week.
Today we pick back up in chapter 13:17-22 where we see Israel back on the move. Church, there is so much to be encouraged by here. See first…
God Always Knows Best (v17-18)
“When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle.”
As v17 begins we are told of the moment when Pharaoh finally let the Israelites go. But, we’re also told something unexpected. God does not lead His people by the shortest and most likely road. What is this? Well, if you flip to the back of your Bibles or look at an old map of this region you’ll see that there was one main road coming out of Egypt that most everyone used. It headed north out of Egypt and went straight to Canaan. One ancient Egyptian document mentions this saying many runaway slaves were caught on this road because it was the fastest way out of town.[1] If Israel took this road on their way out of Egypt, it would’ve taken them about 2 weeks to get to the Promise Land. This road was well traveled, it was short, and direct. It seemed like the best option for them.
Yet v17 says that although this road was near, short, and direct God led them by a different way, a longer way. Why? Because this main road was a militarized zone. God knew His people. He knew that if they went that way, they would have to fight. He knew they weren’t ready for that, and that a war would’ve ended with Israel fleeing back to Egypt. See how v17 ends? “For God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.”
Ask a question at this point. Couldn’t God have just defeated any army the Israelites came upon on this road and see them through to safety?[2] Well, of course He could have done that. He could’ve dealt with the Philistines easily. But that wasn’t the plan. v18 does say they came out of Egypt equipped for battle, or ready for battle, or in a battle like formation, but God clearly said they weren’t ready for that.[3] The Philistines would be dealt with for sure, but that would come much later on. For now, God was teaching His people to trust.
So, He changed the route. Look at v18, “But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea.” It was not the fastest way, it was not the most obvious way, it was not the shortest way, and it certainly was not the most direct way. But it was God’s way, and because of that it was the best way. God knew His people. He knew exactly how much His people could handle, at this very moment. He knew they wouldn’t make it on one road so He led them down another.
In other words, God knew His people needed the long way home.[4]
How relevant is this to us? Anyone feel as if your life hasn’t turned out the way you thought it would? Do you feel your life has taken a detour and that you’ve never quite made it back on track? Do you feel like you’ve gotten lost in life and you’re now struggling through some backwoods dirt road? Maybe your inner dialogue sounds something like this, ‘God didn’t intend for me to be where I am now. God is disappointed in me that I’m so off course. I’ve made such a mess of things I don’t know if I’ll ever find my way again.’
Church, be encouraged. God is too big and too sovereign for you to mess up His plans for your life.
He knew Israel and knew what road was best for them to take, they didn’t understand why but had to learn to trust Him. So too, God knows you. He knows you better than you know you, and He always knows what road is best for you, and if you don’t understand why, rest in the fact that He does.
Your life may not look like you wanted it to. Your life may not be anything like what you thought it would be like. It might be far messier and filled with more detours, ditches, and dirt roads than you want it to. But hear it Church, that’s ok. That’s ok. God always knows what is best. Romans 8:28 is wondrously true, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good…” All things! There’s nothing not included in all things! All the good, all the bad, all the in-between, all things means nothing in your life is random. So everything and everyone in your life is in your life by divine orchestration, so everything in our lives is an opportunity to know and serve and trust the Lord.
Church, this first point is really an invitation to trust the wisdom of God. Think of God’s wisdom, what does that mean? That He is wise means God knows everything, and that He knows what is best for us, yes. But it also means He uses His perfect knowledge of all things to govern and guide our lives in the exact manner which is best. Meaning, in the exact manner which brings us the most good and Him the most glory.
Church, in all of life remember, God always knows best.
God Always Keeps Promises (v19)
“Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones with you from here.””
Here in v19 we seem to get a detail that isn’t all that significant, but it is. Long ago God promised Joseph that His bones would one day be brought out of Egypt and carried into the Promise Land. Hebrews 11:22 speaks of this saying, “By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the Exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.” So Joseph knew God’s promise made to Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob, and to him…that one day all of Israel would come into Canaan, the Land of Promise. Joseph lived and died in Egypt, but before his death he spoke of his bones being taken to the Promise Land. Meaning, he trusted in God’s promise, even when he didn’t live to see it completed. Fast forward to now. That Moses is carrying the bones of Joseph here in v19, headed out of Egypt toward the Promise Land, is evidence that God is keeping His promises.
Do you need to remember this? That God keeps His promises? When we feel life has taken a detour, and we’re on the wrong road, it can be tempting to think God has forgotten us or abandoned us. Life as a sinner in a sinful world is hard, it’s full of burdens, and those burdens weigh down on us, tempting us to think God has left us alone. But He doesn’t forget, He doesn’t abandon, He doesn’t leave us. He always keeps His promises.
Church, this second point is really an invitation to trust the faithfulness of God. That He is faithful means He never deceives, is never failing, never wavering, reliable, ever true, and ever constant. Despite our wavering and weary hearts, we can always have hope, because God is always faithful. What He is, He will always be, perfectly, and eternally.
Church, in all of life remember, God always keeps His promises.
God Always Goes Before (v20-22)
“And they moved on from Succoth and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.”
What a moment this is. As Israel moves into the wilderness God is there, always there, how? In a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. I don’t think we should see this as two different things, but one unified reality. It’s one pillar, you just couldn’t see much of the fire during the day or much of the cloud during the night.[5]
This pillar would’ve been encouraging to the Israelites for many reasons. First, the pillar would’ve given them comfort. Surely a cloud was a welcome sight on hot wilderness days, just as fire was a welcome sight on cold wilderness nights. Second, the pillar would’ve given them safety. As encouraging as the pillar was to Israel, the sheer sight of it would’ve terrified all their enemies. Can you imagine what this would’ve looked like to armies coming against them? No one’s ever seen anything like it! On seeing it all their enemies would know God is on Israel’s side. Lastly, the pillar would’ve given them divine assurance. Be sure to notice what v21 says, this is no mere sign of God’s presence, it’s God Himself.[6] “…the Lord went before them…” Meaning, just as God with was Moses in the burning bush back in chapter 3, so too God is with His people in the pillar of cloud and fire in the wilderness. This marked Israel out from all other nations. Later on in Exodus 33 Moses tells God, “…Your going with us…makes us distinct…from every other people on the face of the earth.”
So not only is Isreal learning that God knows best and always keeps His promises, now they have a huge, visible, supernatural reminder that they’re not alone, that God was with them, and that they would always be on the right track because this pillar wasn’t just God with them in the wilderness, in it God led them through the wilderness.
Church this last point is really an invitation to trust the providence of God. That He is our providential God I mean how God wields all His might to govern, preserve, protect and provide for all His people. So in all our days, in all that we experience in all our days, God is there, governing, directing, ordaining, guiding our entire lives according to His sovereign plan. Israel need never fear getting lost in the wilderness because God was there in the pillar going before them. So too, we need never fear getting lost in life because God is here going before us to guide the way.
Church, in all of life remember, God always goes before us.
Conclusion:
Church, Israel's entrance into the wilderness here in this passage taught them profound lessons in dependence. They were called to fix their eyes on and follow the visible manifestation of God's presence, the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. God’s people would do this for 40 more years, and all the while God was always there with them.
So too, He is with us. Not in a pillar of cloud and fire, but in the Person of Christ, the God-Man, who came down to dwell among us. He is the ultimate manifestation of God’s presence that’s ever been revealed. And after living, dying, rising, and just before ascending, do you remember what He said? “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
So, in our own wilderness journeys, in our weeks of unexpected difficulty, in our moments of frailty and need, we are called to fix our eyes on Christ, and follow where He leads.
Today we heard how God always knows best, God always keeps promises, and how God always goes before His people. Church, Christ is the ultimate ‘God Always.’ He is the one who always knows best, guiding our detours and difficulties with perfect wisdom, orchestrating all things for our good and His glory. He is the one who always keeps His promises, fulfilling every ancient word, securing our hope, and never leaving us to wander alone. And He is the one who always goes before us, a constant, comforting, conquering presence, clearing our path, fighting our battles, and leading us safely home.
So, when you feel lost, when God seems distant, when the path ahead is unclear, remember the pillar. Remember Christ, our faithful guide. Look to Him. Trust His wisdom. Rest in His faithfulness. Follow His lead. For in Christ, our God always shows up, always provides, and always leads us to Himself, the true Land of Promise.
[1] Philip Graham Ryken, Exodus: Saved for God’s Glory – PTW (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015) 348.
[2] Douglas K. Stuart, Exodus – NAC (Brentwood, TN: B&H Publishing, 2006) 322-323.
[3] This phrasing in v18 is debated.
[4] Ryken, 348.
[5] Stuart, 327.
[6] Theophany is the technical term in view here.
