7-25-99

A GUIDE FOR THE JOURNEY

EXODUS 13:7-22

Introduction:

Those He redeems. the Lord guides. This may have come as a surprise to the former slaves of Pharaoh as they left the land of Egypt. Evidently the first manifestation of this guidance was at Succoth just before they came to wilderness. Whether it first happened during the night, or early some morning, we are not told. Suddenly there appeared a cloud that hovered over them during the day, and went before them when it was time for the camp to move. When darkness came, the cloud became a pillar of fire that cast a warm glow over the camp at night. If they were to move at night, the pillar of fire would move before them, illuminating the path they were to travel.

As far as we can tell from the Scripture, they enjoyed this provision until they came to the Jordan on the edge of the land of promise. What a wonderful provision for this new nation as it found its own identity in the wilderness.

Is this just an interesting piece of history, or should we look for a lesson for our lives? Do the redeemed in the New Covenant have anything that compares with this? Paul shared a reflection on the wilderness experience of Israel with the Corinthian church, and made this pointed application: “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the age have come.” (I Corinthians 10:11) Since we are the people on whom “the ends of the age have come”, we should expect that we have an even greater system of guidance than the Lord provided for this struggling new nation in the wilderness.

Let us see what we can learn about our Guide and His guidance from this Old Testament example!

  1. GOD TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION OUR WEAKNESS AS HE GUIDES US.

What at first might appear simply as a historical detail really sets forth a profound truth about the ways of the Lord with His people. He did not take them on the most direct route to the Promised Land, nor by what might have appeared to be the easiest route. There was a reason.

  1. He knows our capacity.

Listen to God’s explanation about why He did not lead them by what would have seemed to be the logical route: “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” If they had gone on the route that led them through the Philistine country, they would have faced a strong foe. The Philistine cities had well-armed armies and were experienced in warfare. The people had no experience in warfare, and probably had no instruments of war. They had been slaves for the last four hundred years. God knows this. He is well aware of their strengths and their weakness. His guidance always reflects His knowledge of His people.

This will be true in your life. God will have in mind your weaknesses and your strengths as He directs your life. He will not lead you into a situation for which you are not prepared.

  1. When He leads into a situation beyond our capacity, it will be to demonstrate His sufficiency.

We need to put in one disclaimer. It will become apparent rather quickly as we trace the journeys of Israel under divine guidance that He does lead His people to face situations for which they are not adequate. Almost immediately we have an example of this. Under divine guidance they find themselves in a fearful situation. They have the uncrossable Red Sea in front of them. A mountain on one side and the army of Pharaoh behind them. It appears that God has maneuvered them into a situation in which they will experience devastating defeat. Nothing could be further from the truth. When this episode is complete, they are standing on the other side of the Red Sea safely singing a song of praise, Pharaoh and his army are dead in the depth of the Sea, and God has been glorified. They have just learned a lesson in divine guidance—God will direct you into situation in which only He can deliver and sustain you.

The Lord God may guide you in the same way. He often leads us into situations where we can experience in a fresh way just how able He is to meet our needs. So wherever He leads, you must follow. He can be trusted. He has been guiding His people in this way throughout the ages.

  1. GOD MAKES HIS GUIDANCE CLEAR.

The people of Israel knew that God was leading them. The Lord had taken responsibility for them when they went through the Passover. That act of faith on their part and God’s gracious protection of their firstborn was the beginning of this relationship. They were on the journey because of their obedience to His call. He was faithful to make His guidance so clear that only the blind could miss it.

  1. The Pillar and the Cloud were visible to all.

The pillar and the cloud were actually visible manifestations of the presence of God. The Lord God used this visible manifestation so that His people could be sure of His guidance.

“By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light.” This was not just any cloud or pillar—it was the cloud and pillar in which the Lord Himself was present. He could have been with them just as fully without any physical manifestation, but He gave the physical manifestation for their benefit. It made following easier.

It is likely that you have never seen such a cloud or pillar. I haven’t! How does the Lord make His guidance clear to us?

  1. The Word and the Spirit are available to all.

God has been even more gracious to us. He has given unto us His Word and His Spirit. These slaves coming out of Egypt did not have even one written page of Scripture. The only thing they would have was the oral traditions that had kept the stories of the patriarchs alive in their memories. But we are different. We are among those upon whom the end of the ages has come. We have these special benefits.

We have the whole canon of the written Word of God. This blessed book is crammed full of practical guidance that has clear as the sun in the sky. There is no room for going astray if you will simply listen to what this Word has to say. The Psalmist recognized this and declared, “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” Who could ask for more?

But there is more. God has also given us the Holy Spirit. He indwells us so that He might write the law of God upon our hearts. Paul declares, “As many as led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” We are not left in the dark to stumble along the journey. Rather the Spirit takes the Word and illumines it to our hearts, and makes clear to us the path that we are to travel. You will never get lost following leadership that has come to you as the Spirit of God has illumined to your understanding the Word of God.

While the pillar and the cloud led them through the wilderness, but left them when they crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land, the Word and the Spirit are with us for the whole journey. We will never be without the direction and counsel that they can give.

  1. GOD EXPECTS OUR OBEDIENCE TO HIS GUIDANCE.

God gave the pillar and the cloud, but the people had to follow. The pillar and the cloud are worthless if they do not follow. Obedience is the word!

1. Obedience is an expression of trust in His goodness and wisdom.

Can you imagine how strenuous these days must have been upon the Hebrew families? When the cloud moved, they had to move. They keep traveling until the cloud stopped. If the cloud went twelve hours, then they marched for twelve hours.

There must have been some mornings in which Hebrew men opened their eyes and said, “I sure hope that cloud is not moving this morning. I sure could use a day of rest.” But when the cloud moved, they kept going because they were confident that the Lord who was manifest in the cloud was trustworthy. They knew that He knew everything that could be known about the wilderness through which they were traveling. They knew from what He had already done for them that He had their best interest in mind—so they just kept marching along.

Is this not what we should do? Why would we not follow the leadership of the Lord on the journey? Is He not wiser than we are? Does He not love and care for us? Everything we know about Him encourages us to follow the cloud or the pillar.

  1. Obedience is an honor to Him.

Does not the Redeemer of Israel deserve to be honored? Is there a better way to honor Him than to just follow the directions that He is giving? Surely not!

  1. GOD PROTECTS THOSE WHO MOVE IN RESPONSE TO HIS GUIDANCE.

This is what these Hebrew people experienced. As long as they were following the cloud, they were under divine protection. The One manifest in the pillar and cloud became their Defender and Helper on the journey. If they ceased following the cloud, then they were on their own. So it with us!

  1. God is greater than any enemy we may face.

When Pharaoh and his trained army began to move up on their rear, it must have been an awesome and fearful sight. But they were under the cloud. They were where they were because of God’s leadership.

Something happened that went beyond their highest expectations. In f act, they expected to be either killed by the Egyptians or forcefully returned to slavery. But the cloud that had been over them suddenly moved to take up a position between them and the Egyptians. “Then the angel of the Lord, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other; so neither went near the other all night long.” Then the next day God wiped out the army of Egypt, or allowed them to wipe themselves out as they foolishly attempted to do what they knew Israel had done. Israel went through the Red Sea under the cloud; the Egyptians tried it on their own. The whole army was lost in the Sea, including the Pharaoh.

This is the same Lord that guides us on the journey. As we travel under the leadership of God in obedience, we will never encounter an enemy that He cannot defeat. He is greater than whatever Foe may come against us.

  1. God is richer than any need we may have.

We will see this demonstrated fully as we follow this nation on its journey. The resourcefulness of their God was more than sufficient for whatever need they had.

Have you not found this to be so?

The little chorus we sing says, “My Lord knows the way through the wilderness; All I have to do is follow!” And He does. Is it not time for us to thank God for the faithful manner in which He has directed our steps? I know that such thanksgiving is appropriate for my heart. It is also appropriate that I renew my commitment to follow the cloud. Wherever He leads I will go!

Will you join me in such a commitment?

1