When Following the Lord He Makes the Route (Ex. 13:17-18)

5/1/2008 8:31 AM

SPIRITUAL DIARY

My Worship Time           Focus:  When following the Lord He plans the route

Bible Reading & Meditation               Reference:  Exodus 13:17-18

            Message of the verses:  “17 ¶  Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, "The people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt."  18 Hence God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up in martial array from the land of Egypt.”

            This SD begins a new chapter in Dr. Wiersbe’s book he wrote as a commentary to Exodus.  He entitles this chapter, “Redeemed and Rejoicing,” and it covers the remaining verses in chapter thirteen and goes to verse twenty-one of chapter fifteen.  As I probably already mentioned in an earlier SD Dr. Wiersbe on most occasions writes at the beginning of his chapters the outline of how the chapter is going to be written and then uses the outline with subtitles to bring out the points he wants to bring out from the Scripture he is commentating about.  This chapter has a theme of freedom, freedom from slavery as Israel is now free from the bondage of being slaves in Egypt.  I wish to quote some of the things written in the beginning of this chapter because they seemed to speak to my heart.  “There are two kinds of freedom—the false, where a man is free to do what he likes; and the true, where a man is free to do what he ought.”

            “It’s a mark of maturity when we learn that freedom is a tool to build with, not a toy to play with, and that freedom involves accepting responsibility.  Israel’s exodus experience taught them that their future success lay in fulfilling three important responsibilities; following the Lord (13:17-22), trusting the Lord (14:1-31), and praising the Lord (15:1-21).”

            Forge Morrison wrote, “It took one night to take Israel out of Egypt, but forty years to take Egypt out of Israel.”

            “The same can be said of the redemption we have in Christ:  God brought us out of bondage that He might bring us into blessing.  A. W. Tozer used to remind us that ‘we are saved to as well as saved from.’  The person who trusts Jesus Christ is born again into the family of God, but that’s just the beginning of an exciting new adventure that should lead to growth and conquest.  God liberates us and then leads us through the varied experiences of life, a day at a time, so that we might get to know Him better and claim by faith all that He wants us to have.  At the same time, we come to know ourselves better; we discover our strengths and weaknesses, and we grow in understanding God’s will and trusting His promises.”

             This next quote has to do with the verses today.  “Nothing takes God by surprise, for in His providence He plans the best way for His people to take.  We may not always understand the way He chooses, or even agree with it, but His way is always the right way.  We may confidently say, ‘He leads me in the paths or righteous for His name’s sake.’  (Ps. 23:3, NKJV), and we should pray, ‘Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths.  Lead me in Your truth and teach me’ (Ps. 25:4-5). 

            “If you permit the Lord to direct your steps (Prov. 3:5-6), expect to be led occasionally on paths that may seem unnecessarily long and circuitous.  Remind yourself that God knows what He’s doing, He isn’t in a hurry, and as long as you follow Him, you’re safe and in the place of His blessing.  He may close some doors suddenly open others, and we must be alert (Acts 16:6-10; 2 Cor. 2:12-13).”

            Now comes my commentary on these verses:  I have been reading chapter thirteen for a number of day and these two verses kind of stuck out to me each day that I read the chapter.  Some of the things I was asking about them were why was it that Israel was not ready to do battle with an enemy when they did do battle latter on, on there journey to the Promised Land.  I have to believe the text for what it says, for what God said in the text that Israel was not ready for battle, and God knew this.  However God was not done with Egypt yet, and He was not done with testing Israel yet, and there were also Egyptian military outposts along the shorter way.  Scholars are not all in agreement with the route that Israel took when they left Egypt, nor what sea it was that God opened up for them to cross on dry land, and drown the Egyptian army in.  The point in all of this is that God has redeemed Israel from bondage, and is now leading them on the path that He wants them to follow, and test them with the tests that He wants to test them with in order to bring about maturity in them, and trust in Him, something that is not so different from what He is doing in the lives of believers today.

             

             Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Lately I have complained a bit about how unsettled my life has been and after reading the commentary from Dr. Wiersbe and learning from these verses that God is surely leading my life in the direction that He wants it to go, even though I surely would not have taken the same route or direction that it is going in, I want to say that I do trust the Lord even though I do not understand the way that He leads me all of the time.  He surely has a plan for my life, a plan to bring me to maturity in Christ my Lord.  “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.”

My Steps of Faith for Today:  I surely need to be yoked with the Lord as He leads me through some unsettled times.  “28  "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.  29  "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.  30  "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.’”

            Trust the Lord to teach me contentment through the trials and tests of life.