Exodus 13 - 16

The Journey Begins
Today's reading tells the events surrounding the departure of the children of Israel from Egypt and the beginning of their journey to the Promised Land.  Several things are immediately apparent.  From the beginning, many of the Israelites had misgivings about leaving. In 14:10-12 they panicked at the site of the pursuing Egyptians and declared, "It's better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the  wilderness!"  This, after the Lord had displayed His glory with a cloud and a pillar of fire (13:21). Even after the tremendous deliverance through the Red Sea miracle, it was only three days before they complained again (15:24).  Then in 16:2 they complained about Moses and Aaron.  This set the tone for their 40 year journey.

The next thing that stands out is the long-suffering of Yahweh.  He abides the constant complaints of the Israelites and provides their needs with abundance and miracles every step of the way. One day they are rejoicing and in awe of God, then next day they are commiserating among themselves about how "good" their life was in Egypt. Yet the Lord, through Moses, always provides a way of escape.

There are many lessons we, as Christians, can learn from this.  Instead of complaining about our plight, we need to look to the promises God has before us.  We need to manifest faith in His Word.

I was particularly impressed with the "Song of Rescue" Moses sang after crossing the Red Sea and seeing the Army of Egypt destroyed.  There are three distinct stanzas to the song in chapter 15.  Verses 1-5 praise God for what He did; 6-12 praise God for Who He is; and 13-18 praise God for what He will do.  If only the Israelites would have kept that song on their lips, they could have avoided much heartache.  Lord, let us not make the same mistake.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.