When the Israelites left Goshen at the start of their Exodus from Egypt, they were not too far from their final destination. It was a "straight shot" along the Mediterranean coast to Canaan. But God did not lead them along that route. One reason for this is given in Exodus 13:17: "Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt." The route along the coast was direct but dangerous. In particular, the Egyptians had a string of forts along that coast. Although the Israelites left "equipped for battle" (v. 18, ESV), they were not a trained fighting force.
In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on January 25, 2025, Kyle Kettering explained a number of additional reasons why God led the Israelites on a more roundabout route to the Promised Land:
- God had one more miracle in store for the Egyptians, the drowning of Egypt's chariots in the Sea of Reeds. This miracle sent a message to the Egyptians, the Israelites, and all the people in the region about the identity and power of the one true God. After this event, the Egyptians made no more attempts to attack the Israelites in the wilderness.
- This miracle was a further embarassment and defeat for the gods of the Egyptians. A midrash proposes that after the ten plagues there was one Egyptian god still standing, the Baal-Zephon ("lord of the north") mentioned in Exodus 14:2. The defeat of the Egyptian army demonstrated the impotence of this deity as well.
- God had promised Moses to bring the Israelites to Mount Sinai (Ex 3:12).
- God wanted to instruct the Israelites and build a relationship with them.
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