EXODUS 13 / JOHN 8:12–30
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” — John 8:12
Do you remember traveling on a road trip before using a map app on your phone?
If you can, there’s a high possibility you remember the days of printing turn-by-turn directions from MapQuest.com. Or before that, buying a printed road map or atlas! Oh, how far we’ve come!
Getting lost, missing exits, getting turned around... the confusion can leave us feeling so vulnerable.
It’s incredibly dysregulating and sometimes downright frightening to be lost. The Israelites most definitely felt this vulnerability and anxiety when they left Egypt. Yes, they were leaving the devastating hardships of Egypt, but every step took them deeper into the unknown. And the unknown can be a frightening place to willingly walk into.
God... where am I supposed to be going?
From the start of the Israelites’ exit from Egypt, God kept His promise not just to lead His people, but to be with them every step of the way.
01 Read Exodus 13:17–18a. Take note of the words in verse 18a, especially
But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea.
How does it make you feel, reading that God intentionally led the Israelites into the wilderness?
It’s hard to understand why God would intentionally take the Israelites through such a desolate place like the wilderness. Maybe today you find yourself questioning God in a place you find yourself in.
God... why am I here?
God... where are You?
God... what am I supposed to be doing?
God... where am I supposed to be going?
The wilderness wasn’t God’s punishment because He didn’t care. It was where God took them because He knew something they didn’t.
God knew going the shorter journey through the land of the Philistines was a greater danger to them in the long run. If the Israelites faced the Philistines, their fear might have prompted them to turn back to Egypt. Or, they might have been tempted by the idolatry of the Philistines and turn towards false gods.
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God was not unaware of the needs of the Israelites. And God is not unaware of your deepest needs.
The promise of God’s presence would carry the Israelites through what appeared to be their worst nightmare in the wilderness.
02 Read Exodus 13:21–22. What was the manifestation of God’s presence that went before them?
These manifestations served two important purposes:
... The pillars led the people in the direction that they should go.
... The pillars provided boundaries and protection for the people.
Let’s zoom in on the image here. The Israelites saw the tangible presence of God leading and guiding them day and night. Even though the Israelites cried out in complaints and weariness from the journey that felt purposeless to them, God’s presence continued to guide them.
Here is one of the challenges we face when experiencing unexpected pain and suffering: We can believe there is an underlying meaninglessness to what we’re facing. But through uncovering these details within the story of Israel in the wilderness, we see there is not a single moment of our hardship and hurt that is not used by God to bring forth a greater good and purpose.
