Exodus 13 says, “God did not lead the Israelites along shortest route to the Promised Land…he led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness.” You see, the shortest distance between your reality and God’s promise is usually not from Point A to Point B. God doesn’t always lead you to a quick and easy victory; your journey will be fraught with unexpected twists and disconcerting turns in the road. But the Lord knows what he is doing; he sees the end from the beginning from the vantage point of his eternal perspective, and he knows that the roundabout way is the needful thing to ready you for the Promised Land ahead.
The Journey // Focus: Exodus 13:17-18
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.” So God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea.
The shortest distance between your reality and God’s promise is usually not from Point A to Point B. God doesn’t always lead us to a quick and easy victory; it is fraught with unexpected twists and disconcerting turns in the road. But God knows what he is doing; he sees the end from the beginning from the vantage point of his eternal perspective, and he knows that the roundabout way is the thing we need to ready us for the Promised Land ahead.
Why did God not lead Israel along the shortest route to their Promised Land? There is the obvious answer clearly stated within the text: they would have been discouraged by the immediate and continuous battle they would face. The Philistines possessed the land along this direct route, and they were not predisposed to allow Israel to march through their land. Israel needed practice to become a fighting force capable of defeating the Philistines and other warrior nations currently inhabiting their land.
If Israel faced the kind of battles too early that they would face later, they would have melted in fear. Case in point, in Exodus 14:10, “As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them.” Their faith was unprepared for what was ahead, so God led them on a roundabout way to remove their fears and give them opportunity to grow both in their military skills and in their militant trust in the Lord.
A less obvious answer is that God wanted to be true to his Word. God had made a faith promise to Moses as a sign of his calling. (Exodus 3:12) To prove his character—his truthfulness, his sovereignty, his mighty power—he had told Moses at the burning bush that he and the people would return to this very spot to worship their God. It probably seemed like a weak proof at the time, for it was a future proof that required great trust in the present, but now God indeed was sending them the long way to Canaan that included a side trip to Mount Horeb—the very place to which God said he would bring them back. This roundabout way led to a revelation of the covenant and a renewal of their faith.
The long route to Canaan also included a crossing of the Red Sea at what probably seemed like the worst spot possible. But the tribes of Israel desperately needed to place their trust in God for the assignment ahead of dispossessing the warrior nations within Canaan. In the natural, this would be an impossible task for them. Without God’s help, it couldn’t be done. They would need a God who would fight for them.
And that’s exactly what they got at this “dead end” destination on the banks of the Red Sea. In Exodus 14:13-14, Moses declares to the Israelites, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” Israel needed this miraculous deliverance now to be able to face challenges with calmness and trust later. “When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the Lord had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the Lord and in his servant Moses.” (Exodus 14:31) It was a roundabout way that produced a resolute trust.
Finally, the long route to the Promised Land served as forewarning to the Canaanite nations that Divine judgment was coming. As the Israelites seemingly meandered through the dessert, the Canaanites were getting a little emotional shock and awe in advance. They heard what God did to the greatest army in the world, the Egyptians. How could they expect to fare any better? After the Red Sea miracle, Moses wrote this song to the Lord, and included this truth in one of the verses:
The peoples hear and tremble; anguish grips those who live in Philistia. The leaders of Edom are terrified; the nobles of Moab tremble. All who live in Canaan melt away; terror and dread fall upon them. (Exodus 15:14-15)
While we “wander” God’s roundabout way, his faithfulness to us on the journey is proof to our enemies that with God on our side, they don’t stand a chance.
God doesn’t always take us on the shortest, easiest path, but he takes us on the path that is best for us. That’s the roundabout way of God. As he leads us, it becomes quite obvious that we needed the roundabout journey. We needed our fears exposed, our selfishness brought to the surface, our pride revealed and our rebellious heart cleansed.
Thank God for roundabout ways!
Going Deeper: Are you on a roundabout way in your faith journey? God is leading you! Step aside for a moment and discern what eternal lessons God may be teaching you. It’ll make your path a lot smoother.
The shortest distance between your reality and God’s promise is usually not from Point A to Point B. God doesn’t always lead us to a quick and easy victory; it is fraught with unexpected twists and disconcerting turns in the road. But God knows what he is doing; he sees the end from the beginning from the vantage point of his eternal perspective, and he knows that the roundabout way is the thing we need to ready us for the Promised Land ahead.
Why did God not lead Israel along the shortest route to their Promised Land? There is the obvious answer clearly stated within the text: they would have been discouraged by the immediate and continuous battle they would face. The Philistines possessed the land along this direct route, and they were not predisposed to allow Israel to march through their land. Israel needed practice to become a fighting force capable of defeating the Philistines and other warrior nations currently inhabiting their land.
If Israel faced the kind of battles too early that they would face later, they would have melted in fear. Case in point, in Exodus 14:10, “As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them.” Their faith was unprepared for what was ahead, so God led them on a roundabout way to remove their fears and give them opportunity to grow both in their military skills and in their militant trust in the Lord.
A less obvious answer is that God wanted to be true to his Word. God had made a faith promise to Moses as a sign of his calling. (Exodus 3:12) To prove his character—his truthfulness, his sovereignty, his mighty power—he had told Moses at the burning bush that he and the people would return to this very spot to worship their God. It probably seemed like a weak proof at the time, for it was a future proof that required great trust in the present, but now God indeed was sending them the long way to Canaan that included a side trip to Mount Horeb—the very place to which God said he would bring them back. This roundabout way led to a revelation of the covenant and a renewal of their faith.
The long route to Canaan also included a crossing of the Red Sea at what probably seemed like the worst spot possible. But the tribes of Israel desperately needed to place their trust in God for the assignment ahead of dispossessing the warrior nations within Canaan. In the natural, this would be an impossible task for them. Without God’s help, it couldn’t be done. They would need a God who would fight for them.
And that’s exactly what they got at this “dead end” destination on the banks of the Red Sea. In Exodus 14:13-14, Moses declares to the Israelites, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” Israel needed this miraculous deliverance now to be able to face challenges with calmness and trust later. “When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the Lord had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the Lord and in his servant Moses.” (Exodus 14:31) It was a roundabout way that produced a resolute trust.
Finally, the long route to the Promised Land served as forewarning to the Canaanite nations that Divine judgment was coming. As the Israelites seemingly meandered through the dessert, the Canaanites were getting a little emotional shock and awe in advance. They heard what God did to the greatest army in the world, the Egyptians. How could they expect to fare any better? After the Red Sea miracle, Moses wrote this song to the Lord, and included this truth in one of the verses:
The peoples hear and tremble; anguish grips those who live in Philistia. The leaders of Edom are terrified; the nobles of Moab tremble. All who live in Canaan melt away; terror and dread fall upon them. (Exodus 15:14-15)
While we “wander” God’s roundabout way, his faithfulness to us on the journey is proof to our enemies that with God on our side, they don’t stand a chance.
God doesn’t always take us on the shortest, easiest path, but he takes us on the path that is best for us. That’s the roundabout way of God. As he leads us, it becomes quite obvious that we needed the roundabout journey. We needed our fears exposed, our selfishness brought to the surface, our pride revealed and our rebellious heart cleansed.
Thank God for roundabout ways!
Going Deeper: Are you on a roundabout way in your faith journey? God is leading you! Step aside for a moment and discern what eternal lessons God may be teaching you. It’ll make your path a lot smoother.
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.