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The way God led was definitely the “road less traveled.” The people did not go directly toward Canaan. There were traditionally three main routes from Egypt to Asia. The most popular route was the “way of the land of the Philistines” which Scripture makes clear they could not travel on.
Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, “The people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.”
Exodus 13:17 NASB
Basically, God led His people to a dead end. Yes, you read that correctly. It was a dead end.
God often knows the route that we want to take but many times the route that looks comfortable, logical, and familiar will only lead us back to our bondage! When you listen to God and follow Him by faith, He may lead you to a dead end. We hate dead ends, but God loves them. Dead ends are where we lose control and He takes control. They create an urgency and desperate need for Jesus.
We would do well to ask ourselves, what God-fearing, faith-filled believer was ever abandoned by God in their dead-end situation?
Go to the Scriptures and show me a true believer who was betrayed by God. Show me a believer who was denied the strength to continue. Show me a place in the Bible where God failed to deliver His people. Who was separated from God’s love?
I’ll wait.
This is why these stories are all over the Bible. They aren’t just feel-good stories that offer us encouragement; they are real historical accounts of people just like you and I! Though we may view dead ends as the end of something, God views them as the beginning. We know this because He put Himself in a human body to die and then He raised again to change us forever.
On their detour, God’s people had to stop at Sinai before heading to Canaan, and the Lord was going to lead and protect them the entire journey. This is what I love most about this chapter. During a time when the route was unstable, the people were unstable and the future was unknown, God’s presence was magnified. He led them and filled in the gaps where they lacked faith and hope.
The LORD was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. 22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.
Exodus 13:21-22 NASB
The pillar of cloud and pillar of fire would remind them that they were with the Lord and that He was also with them. It’s a powerful reminder of how He leads us today. When He leads us into uncharted territory, we will experience His power and authority at deeper levels than ever before. He will give us reminders and keep us on point. He will not take His presence from our sight.