Daily Scripture Reading Exodus 13:17 - 14:14
Humans have a tendency to worry about the unknown. Any time we are in a situation where we don’t know what the future holds, or we don’t know where the money will come from, we become full of stress and anxiety. The sad part about this is we do this despite many examples of God supplying all our needs and protecting us as we navigate the unknown.
Today’s passage illustrates the foolishness of worrying about the unknown, particularly when we have proof that God is our protector and provider.
Pharaoh resisted Yahweh’s demands to release Israel, despite all the demonstrations of Yahweh’s power which resulted in the destruction of Egypt, so Yahweh killed all the firstborn of Egypt. That caused Pharaoh and the Egyptians to drive the Israelites out of their land.
Ex. 13:17 ¶ Now it happened that when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not guide them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.”
The Israelites were leaving Egypt, which was the Nile River. Their destination was Canaan. The most direct route was to travel along the Mediterranean coast, through Philistia, and into Canaan. That was also the flattest path to get from Egypt to Canaan. Since it was the shortest and flattest, there were also cities and armies along that path.
Ex. 13:18 Hence God turned the people to the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up in battle array from the land of Egypt.
Ex. 13:19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will surely take care of you, and you shall bring up my bones from here with you.”
Ex. 13:20 Then they set out from Succoth and camped in Etham on the edge of the wilderness.
At this point of the story they are near Succoth and Etham.
Ex. 13:21 And Yahweh was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to guide them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might go by day and by night.
Ex. 13:22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.
Ex. 14:1 ¶ Now Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
Ex. 14:2 “Speak to the sons of Israel so that they turn back and camp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea; you shall camp in front of Baal-zephon, opposite it, by the sea.
Notice the words “turn back”. Yahweh wanted Israel to backtrack.
It is not certain where these cities were located. However, since the Bible says Israel turned back, we know they were not going towards Canaan at this point of the story.
Ex. 14:3 And Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, ‘They are wandering in confusion in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’
Yahweh wanted Pharaoh to think Israel was confused.
Ex. 14:4 Thus I will harden Pharaoh’s heart with strength, and he will pursue them; and I will be glorified through Pharaoh and all his army, so that the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh.” And they did so.
Despite all the destruction Yahweh had delivered to Egypt, Yahweh was not done teaching the Egyptians a lesson.
Ex. 14:5 ¶ Then the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?”
When you stop and think about it, this is very foolish on the part of Pharaoh and Egypt. Egypt had been destroyed. All the firstborns had been killed. It should have been clear that the reason for the death and destruction was Egypt’s refusal to free Israel, and yet, shortly after allowing them to leave, mere days after all the firstborns were killed, Egypt wanted Israel back.
There’s a saying that goes, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” The point is humans should learn from their mistakes. Pharaoh was not learning from his mistakes, and it was about to cost him again.
Ex. 14:6 So he made his chariot ready and took his people with him;
Ex. 14:7 and he took six hundred choice chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them.
Notice the number 600. 600 was not the total number of chariots. That was the number of choice chariots. The total number of chariots was even more than 600.
Ex. 14:8 And Yahweh hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, with strength, and he pursued the sons of Israel as the sons of Israel were going out with an exalted hand.
Take note of the words “Yahweh hardened”. Yahweh was determined to teach Egypt another lesson.
Ex. 14:9 Then the Egyptians pursued them with all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and they overtook them camping by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.
Notice the word “all”. Pharaoh took all his horses. Also, he took his army as well as his chariots. This was a huge military force.
Ex. 14:10 ¶ Now Pharaoh drew near, and the sons of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very afraid; so the sons of Israel cried out to Yahweh.
Ex. 14:11 Then they said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What is this you have done against us in bringing us out of Egypt?
This was an un-excusable reaction. In recent days and weeks, Yahweh had brought 10 plagues upon Egypt to prove His power. Israel should not have doubted Yahweh. They should have been extremely confident that after everything Yahweh did to release them from Egypt, He would protect them now that they were out of Egypt. Israel lacked faith.
Unfortunately, lack of faith is normal for humans, and for Christians. No matter how many times God provides our needs, no matter how many times our worst fears do not come about, when we face new times of uncertainty, we worry and fret about all the bad things that may happen and whether or not God will protect and provide.
Ex. 14:12 Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than for us to die in the wilderness.”
Ex. 14:13 But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of Yahweh which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever.
Ex. 14:14 Yahweh will fight for you, and you will keep silent.”
Focus on the last part of this sentence, “you will keep silent”. Instead of telling others about all the bad things that might happen in life, perhaps we should be silent and let God fight our battles.
Humans have a tendency to worry about the unknown. Any time we are in a situation where we don’t know what the future holds, or we don’t know where the money will come from, we become full of stress and anxiety. The sad part about this is we do this despite many examples of God supplying all our needs and protecting us as we navigate the unknown.
Today’s passage illustrates the foolishness of worrying about the unknown, particularly when we have proof that God is our protector and provider.
What do you worry about?
In what ways do you assume the worst will happen to you?
How has god provided for you in the past and proven that you need not be anxious about life?
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”