The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 1 — Section 313

HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AU'l'HORS. , ers. 17-21.-" The way of the wilderness by the Red Sea." The direct road t.o Canaan lay through the land of the Philistines. God, however, did not lead the peopla by this way, but round by the Red Sea. "For God said, Lest r.radventure the peopla repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt" (vers. 17. Another reason WBII that he designed to make his covenant with them, and give them laws, in the solituda of the "mountain of God" (eh. iii. 12). l. REDEE~IBD FROM EGYPT, THE PEOPLE ARE NOT PERMITTED TO LINGER ON ITS DORDERB. What snatches of repose are granted, are only meant as a preparation for resumption of the journey on the morrow. Their destination was Canaan. To this they must press forward. .A. rest of eleven months (at Sinai) will be granted afterwards, meanwhile, on the borders of Egypt, they must pause no longer than is absolutely necessary. At the beginning of the Christian life, delays, pauses, lookings back, are peculiarly dangerous, Egypt is too near. Return to it is too convenient. The pursuer will gain too easy an ad,antage. There must be no pausing till we are fairly out of the enemy's territory. Succoth to Etham, Etham to Pi-hahiroth (eh. xiv. 2). II. IT RESTS WITH Gon TO DETERMINE THE WAY BY WHICH ms PEOPLE SHALL BE LED. "When Pharaoh had let the people go, God led them not," etc. (vers. 17). 1. It was the privilege of the Israelites that they had God as their guide. His pillar of cloud and fire went before them (vers. 21, 22). What wiser or safer guide could any one desire? 2. God's gui,da,nce was authoritative. Not only were the Israelites not left to pick out the way for themselves, but whither God directed, thither they were bound to go. They were not permitted to take any route they pleased. They were God's people, and must walk by his law. 3. God's gui,da,nce was frequently mysterious. They would often be perplexed to understand the reasons of it. .A. reason seems to have been given here, but otherwise the route chosen must have seemed a very strange one. The believer is often thus led by a way he knows not (ls. xlii. 16). Ill. Gon CONSULTS FOR RIB PEOPLE'S GOOD IN THE WAYS BY WHICH HE LEADS THEM, "For God said, peradventure," etc. (ver. 17). Consider here, 1. God's procedure. (1) He turned the Israelites aside from the road which naturally they would have followed. The way of the la.nd of the Philistines was no doubt the road by which they expected to be led. It was the customary road. It lay straight before them. It was the shortest and most direct. How often does God thus turn us aside in Providence from what might seem to be the natural, as, without a thought to the contrary, it may have been the anticipated course of our lives? The road that, lies straight before us is not the one in which we are permitted to walk. Even in Christian work, by what zigzag ways are we sometimes conducted to our ends! (2) He led the Israelites by a long detour into the wilderness. If the end was to escape the Philistines, God did not allow the Israelites to suppose that he intended to pamper and indulge them. The wilderness was a worse place to travel in than "the way of the la.nd of the Philistines." They would have to encounter many trials. .A. heavy strain would be put upon their faith. Though exempted from war at the beginning, they had to fight enemies on the way, and ultimately were marched up to the borders of Canaa.n, to undertake, at another point, t.he work of invasion. In like manner, the Christian curriculum is not an easy one. ,vhoever enters upon the Christian journey, expecting to find it all sunshine and roses, is doomed to sorrowful disappointment. The road, under God's guidance, soon takes a turn, which leads into the wilderness of trial. 2. The reasons of God's procedure. (1) The direct way was at that time an impassable one. The Israelites, just escaped from Egypt, were not in a condition to force their way through the strongly defended territory of the Philistines. The difficulty, it is true, lay in them-in their want of faith, courage, an~ power of obedience, no~ in God, whose _help w,as all-1~1.dficie~t. But practically, the direc_t road was closed a.g~mst them. So, m ~od s merc~ful gwda;nce of his people, the path 1s sometimes bent aside, because no other 1s for the time practicable. Obstacles to their progress, insurmountable by them at that stage of their knowledge and experience, block up the road which seems more direct, and to be allowed to advance ir. it would be no kindness. (2) The direct road was fraught with danger for themselves. Their strength and faith were not equal to the opposition they would encounter, n en. xm. 17-21.J THE BOOK OF EXODUS.