The Israelites could not miss, ignore, or misinterpret God’s guidance as they journeyed from their homes in Egypt to the Red Sea.
He physically inhabited the pillar of cloud and fire that guided them day and night. He conveyed specific instructions to Moses audibly, and an angel accompanied them.
The Israelites’ shortest route to the Red Sea was a straight line east from their villages to the seashore, but that course would have required them to pass through hostile Philistine territory.
God knew the Israelites might return to their Egyptian homes if they faced war, so he led them to the Red Sea crossing point via an indirect route. The longer journey gave Pharaoh’s army time to overtake their caravan.
God Respects Our Free Will
God’s indirect route illustrates the importance of his salvation plan and the premium he places on our free will.
God wanted the Israelites to establish a new nation east of the Red Sea, a key part of his strategy to save the world through Jesus.
However, the Israelites were not automatons. They had the volitional freedom to make choices they perceived as being in their best interests, independent of God’s preferences.
For example, the Israelites could have stayed in Egypt after the tenth plague. They would have remained enslaved, but their daily lives would have been familiar and predictable.
Instead, they seized the opportunity to return to their ancestral homeland, despite the uncertainties ahead.
Alternatively, the Israelites could have taken a different route to the Red Sea crossing point, chosen a different destination altogether, or returned to Egypt.
Instead, they followed the pillar of cloud and fire, unaware of the dangers ahead.
God had predetermined that he would not intervene if the Israelites encountered the Philistines. He would not fight this enemy on their behalf, as he would later defeat Pharaoh’s army at the Red Sea. Instead, he would allow his people to retreat to Egypt if they so chose.
In light of these potential outcomes, God led the Israelites on a circuitous route through the desert, thereby avoiding a confrontation with the Philistines and reducing the likelihood that they would return to Egypt.
God’s lengthy itinerary kept his salvation plan intact while respecting the free will of his people.
God’s Wisdom Is Not Always Obvious
The wisdom inherent in God’s itinerary was lost on the Israelites as they reached the Red Sea.
They only knew that following his clear directions had left them trapped between the water and the Egyptian army. They were confused, angry, and doubtful about his character, compassion, and competence.
We sometimes find ourselves in the same predicament as the Israelites did.
We are sure we are where God wants us to be, doing what he wants us to do. However, the purpose and wisdom of his plans are not obvious.
We know only that carefully following God’s clear guidance led us to a place of severe stress and agonizing disappointment.
As a result, we became angry with him and filled with doubts about his existence, power, and benevolence.
God Has Multiple Purposes
God intended the Israelites to live free in their ancestral homeland east of the Red Sea, but he also had other goals.
God wanted the Israelites to recognize his greatness, trust his goodness, and understand the uniqueness of their relationship with him. He wanted them to realize that their future success would be due primarily to his efforts, not theirs. He wanted them to avoid self-sufficiency.
God also wanted to establish a legacy that would forever justify faith in him. He wanted future generations of Israelites to remember how he rescued their forefathers so they would trust him amid their afflictions.
God used the Israelites’ journey out of Egypt and their distress at the Red Sea for these purposes.
Likewise, God uses our suffering to fulfill multiple purposes.
He wants us to succeed— according to his definition of success—as we fulfill our divine destiny, but he does not want our ascendance to lessen our dependence on him.
God wants us to understand the eternal significance of our relationship with him, to revere him beyond the superficial level, and to love him unconditionally.
He wants us to recognize that he is ultimately responsible for our achievements, so we do not become self-sufficient.
God also wants to instill in us a message about his trustworthiness that we can share with those in our circle of influence.
He wants them to be aware of his faithfulness to us so they will trust him with their hardships.
God fulfills one or more of these purposes as we walk in harmony with him amid affliction.
