Seder 54: Exodus 13:17---Why Wait?

 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:  

1. 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.
2. 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. 
3. God had promised Moses to bring the Israelites to Mount Sinai (Ex 3:12).
4. God wanted to instruct the Israelites and build a relationship with them. 

Seder 54: Isaiah 46---To Carry or Be Carried?

 When the Israelites begin their Exodus from Egypt, God has one more mighty work planned---the parting of the Red Sea and the drowning of Pharaoh's army.  This miracle would send a powerful message to the Egyptians, the Israelites, and other nations about the strength of the God of Israel.  

Hundreds of years later, Isaiah had a message about another Exodus for Jewish exiles in Babylon.  God would rescue his people again, this time using a pagan king to send them back to the land of Israel.  He announced the name of that king in advance in Isaiah 44-45:  Cyrus.  

As in the time of the first Exodus, God wanted all nations to know that he was the one true God, the only one who could predict the future accurately and the only source of salvation.  

In Isaiah 46, God states that everyone has a choice to make, and there are two options.  One possibility is to follow other gods who have no power to save.  Those who choose that option will have to carry their idols around in order to save them (verses 1-2).  

On the other hand, the God of Israel does not need to be carried around.  Instead, he carries his people, faithfully watching over them all their lives and delivering them from harm (verses 3-4).  

So there are two options, to carry or be carried.  We can still think of our choices today that way.  We do not carry images of wood or stone, but we have our own idols---our stuff, our sources of entertainment, the reputations we want to maintain.  We chooses whether to carry these idols around or to give them up, place our trust in God, and let him carry us.  The choice is ours. 

Seder 54: Exod 13-14---Israel Travels to the Red Sea

 As the Israelites left Egypt, God chose not to lead them on the most direct route to Canaan, along the Mediterranean coast.  The direct route was also the most dangerous (Exod 13:17).  The Egyptians had a line of forts along the coastal route.  Certainly God could have protected them no matter what route they took and removed any opposition, but his goal was not to place the Israelites in Canaan in minimum time.  Instead, his goal was to teach and train them to be his representatives in the world, and to take action while trusting in him.  

"And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle," we read in Exod 13:18.  This does not mean that the adult male Israelites were a trained fighting force, but that they were organized as an army.  

Moses must have had a lot on his mind as the people departed, but he still made sure to remember to take Joseph's coffin (v 19), as Joseph had requested before his death (Gen 50:25).  Jewish tradition (e.g., b. Sotah 13a) praises Moses for making sure to do a good deed while the people were gathering treasure.

That tradition also reflects on the fact that Israel, on its long wilderness journey, would be traveling with two boxes---Joseph's coffin and the ark of the covenant.  This was fitting, a midrash says, because Joseph had obeyed the things written on the tablets of stone contained in the ark.  

God had further lessons for Egypt and the world, as well as for Israel.  In one of them, he would, in effect, use the Israelites as "bait", leading them to a location where they appeared to be trapped in order to lure the Egyptians to come after them.  They camped somewhere near Migdol, which we now know was the name of one of the Egyptian forts (Exod 14:2).  

The Egyptians took the bait and came out with chariots.  (Archeological investigation at the Egyptian forts has found evidence of chariots, by the way.)  

It was a shock to the Israelites to see the Egyptians coming after them.  In their fear, they lashed out with sarcastic words to Moses.  Moses responded with words of encouragement (Exod 14:13-14).  He assured them that 

• God comforts the fearful.
• He delivers from distress.
• He invites and expects his people to trust in him.
• He removes danger.
• He is a warrior against the forces of evil.

Seder 54: Psalm 25---Praying for Forgiveness, Seeking Wisdom

 In Psalm 25, an acrostic psalm associated with David, the psalmist seeks God in a time of trial, knowing that God is his only sure source of help (vv 1-2).  

Times of adversity lead to self-examination, and to the realization of our own limitations.  The psalmist thinks of his own mistakes and sins that have contributed to his problems, and he humbly asks God to (1) teach and guide him (vv 4-5); and (2) forgive his sins (vv 6-7). He understands God's merciful nature as revealed, for example, in Exod 34:6-7:  

"Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old" (v 6).

He is confident that God will answer his prayer, because God does teach and forgive those who submit to him (vv 8-12).  This is consistent with the meaning of his name (v 11).  Those who fear God will be taught and blessed by God.  They'll be friends of God, as Abraham was (vv 12-14; see Isa 41:8). 

He confidently prays for his own deliverance, and for that of the whole people of Israel (vv 15-22).