Exodus 13:17-22

¹⁷ When Pharaoh sent the people away, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. Because God said, “The people might change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” ¹⁸ So God led the people around by the way of the desert toward the Red Sea. And the sons of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt grouped in fifties. ¹⁹ Moses took the mummified remains of Joseph with him, because Joseph had made the sons of Israel solemnly promise, saying, “God will surely visit you, then you are to carry up my mummified remains with you from here.” ²⁰ And they moved on from Succoth and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the desert. ²¹ And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day and by night. ²² The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not leave the presence of the people.

going up unprepared

Everything that happed in the Israelite camp was spiritually significant, just as everything that had happened in Egypt was. No doubt the people were confused at the direction they were taking, the fact that they carried Joseph’s mummified remains with them, their military-like formation, and that strange cloud/fire thing. Rumors spread. There were a thousand explanations. But no one really knew what was going on, except maybe Moses. The thrill of escape from Egypt and the promise of a special land to the north only took the people so far. They had to have faith that the LORD who rescued them from their bondage would bring them to his chosen destination.

• The people had the appearance of an army, but they were unarmed and unprepared. That is why the LORD steered them away from the land currently occupied by the Philistines.
• Joseph’s mummy was taken because of the Egyptian belief that a preserved king can be resurrected. Joseph wanted to be raised among his own people, in the promised land. That land represented God’s will for his people. The presence of his mummified remains would be a reassurance to the Israelites that the trip was God’s will.
• The military formation was also designed to emphasize the mission, and that God was commanding it. Although the people were unarmed, God was not.
• The pillar of cloud/fire was a comforting presence, but a confusing one. It would take faith to follow it, but there really was no viable alternative.

The launch of this new mission was filled with far more questions than answers. The prayers these people prayed were probably a mess, filled with all kinds of doubts and unwarranted expectations. But the important thing was that they were moving. They were going up unprepared, except for one basic foundational fact: God was with them.

LORD, may we trust you through the confusing times.