Exodus 13:18
So God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the Israelites left the land of Egypt arrayed for battle.
So God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea
So God led the people
This phrase emphasizes the divine guidance that the Israelites experienced during their exodus from Egypt. The Hebrew word for "led" is "nachah," which implies a purposeful and caring guidance. This reflects God's sovereignty and His role as a shepherd to His people, ensuring their safety and direction. In a broader scriptural context, this leadership is a recurring theme, as God continually guides His people through prophets, judges, and ultimately through Christ.

around by the way of the wilderness
The term "wilderness" in Hebrew is "midbar," which often signifies a place of testing and transformation. The wilderness journey was not the most direct route to the Promised Land, but it was necessary for the spiritual formation of the Israelites. Historically, the wilderness was a harsh environment, symbolizing the trials and challenges that refine faith. This journey underscores the idea that God's paths, though sometimes difficult, are designed for growth and reliance on Him.

toward the Red Sea
The "Red Sea," or "Yam Suph" in Hebrew, is a significant geographical and theological landmark. It represents a boundary between slavery and freedom, a place where God would demonstrate His power through the miraculous parting of the waters. Archaeologically, the exact location is debated, but its significance in the narrative is clear: it is a place of deliverance and divine intervention. This event foreshadows the ultimate deliverance found in Christ, who leads believers from the bondage of sin to the freedom of salvation.

Persons / Places / Events
1. God
The divine leader and guide of the Israelites, orchestrating their journey from Egypt.

2. The Israelites
The descendants of Jacob, who were enslaved in Egypt and are now being led to freedom.

3. The Wilderness
The desert area through which God led the Israelites, symbolizing a place of testing and reliance on God.

4. The Red Sea
A significant body of water that the Israelites would miraculously cross, marking a pivotal moment in their exodus.

5. Egypt
The land of bondage from which the Israelites are being delivered.
Teaching Points
Divine Guidance
Trust in God's leading, even when the path seems indirect or challenging. God's ways are higher than ours, and He sees the bigger picture.

Preparation for Battle
The Israelites were "arrayed for battle," symbolizing readiness and trust in God's protection. We must be spiritually prepared for the battles we face.

Wilderness as a Place of Growth
The wilderness journey was not just a physical path but a spiritual one, teaching reliance on God. Embrace times of trial as opportunities for spiritual growth.

Faith in Action
The Israelites' journey required faith in God's promises. Our faith should be active, trusting God to lead us through life's challenges.

Remembering Deliverance
Just as the Israelites remembered their deliverance from Egypt, we should remember and celebrate God's deliverance in our lives.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the way God led the Israelites through the wilderness apply to the way He might lead us in our lives today?

2. In what ways can we prepare ourselves spiritually for the "battles" we face, as the Israelites were arrayed for battle?

3. Reflect on a "wilderness" experience in your life. How did it help you grow in your faith and reliance on God?

4. How can the account of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea inspire us to trust God in seemingly impossible situations?

5. What are some ways we can remember and celebrate God's deliverance in our own lives, similar to how the Israelites remembered their exodus from Egypt?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 14
The crossing of the Red Sea, which demonstrates God's power and faithfulness in delivering His people.

Deuteronomy 8:2
Reflects on the purpose of the wilderness journey as a time of testing and reliance on God.

Hebrews 11:29
Highlights the faith of the Israelites as they crossed the Red Sea, emphasizing the importance of faith in God's promises.

Psalm 77:19-20
Describes God's guidance through the sea, reinforcing His role as a shepherd leading His flock.

Isaiah 63:11-14
Remembers the Exodus as a demonstration of God's steadfast love and guidance.
God's GuidanceH. Starmer.Exodus 13:17-18
God's PathG. Hughes, B. D.Exodus 13:17-18
God's People in the WildernessT. B. Baker.Exodus 13:17-18
God's Wondrous ProvidenceJ. Parker, D. D.Exodus 13:17-18
The Nearest Way HomeJ. J. Wray.Exodus 13:17-18
The Roundabout WayJ. Macmillan, M. A.Exodus 13:17-18
The Tender Consideration Manifested by God Towards the IsraelitesR. P. Buddicom.Exodus 13:17-18
The Way of God in Conducting the Life of the GoodJ. S. Exell, M. A.Exodus 13:17-18
The Way of the WildernessD. Merson, M. A.Exodus 13:17-18
The Way of the WildernessJ. B. Brown, B. A.Exodus 13:17-18
Walking Through the WildernessMorgan Dix, D. D.Exodus 13:17-18
Why the Israelites Were Guided by the Way of the WildernessJ. B. Brown, B. A.Exodus 13:17-18
The Way of the Wilderness by the Red SeaJ. Orr Exodus 13:17-21
Fire and CloudH.T. Robjohns Exodus 13:17-22
Israel's Journey the Emblem of the Christian's PilgrimageJ. Urquhart Exodus 13:17-22
People
Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Hivite, Hivites, Israelites, Jebusites, Joseph, Moses, Pharaoh
Places
Etham, Red Sea, Succoth
Topics
Armed, Array, Arrayed, Battle, Desert, Egypt, Equipped, Fifties, Fighting, Harnassed, Harnessed, Hence, Israelites, Led, Martial, Order, Red, Road, Round, Sons, Turneth, Waste, Wilderness
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Exodus 13:18

     4230   desert
     8421   equipping, physical

Exodus 13:17-18

     5505   roads
     8129   guidance, examples

Exodus 13:17-22

     5828   danger

Library
Thought, Deed, Word
'It shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the Lord's law may be in thy mouth.'--EXODUS xiii. 9. The question may be asked, whether this command is to be taken metaphorically or literally. No doubt the remembrance of the great deliverance was intrusted to acts. Besides the annual Passover feasts, inscriptions on the door-posts and fringes on the dress were appointed for this purpose. And the Jews from a very early period, certainly before our Lord's
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Fifth Day. Holiness and Redemption.
Sanctify unto me all the first-born.'--Ex. xiii. 2. 'All the first-born are mine; for on the day I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt I sanctified unto me all the first-born in Israel: mine they shall be: I am the Lord.'--Num. iii. 13, viii. 17. 'For I am the Lord your God that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.'--Lev. xi. 45. 'I have redeemed thee; thou art mine.'--Isa. xliii. 1. At Horeb we saw how the
Andrew Murray—Holy in Christ

June the Tenth Pillars of Cloud and Fire
"The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud." --EXODUS xiii. 17--xiv. 4. I need His leadership in the daytime. Sometimes the daylight is my foe. It tempts me into carelessness. I become the victim of distraction. The "garish day" can entice me into ways of trespass, and I am robbed of my spiritual health. Many a man has been faithful in the twilight and night who has lost himself in the sunshine. He went astray in his prosperity: success was his ruin. And so in the daytime I need the
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

The Personality of Power.
A Personally Conducted Journey. Everyone enjoys the pleasure of travel; but nearly all shrink back from its tiresomeness and drudgery. The transportation companies are constantly scheming to overcome this disagreeable side for both pleasure and business travel. One of the popular ways of pleasure travel of late is by means of personally conducted tours. A party is formed, often by the railroad company, and is accompanied by a special agent to attend to all the business matters of the trip. A variation
S.D. Gordon—Quiet Talks on Power

"The Lord Hath Need of Him. " Mark xi, 3
What! of an Ass? Yes, "God hath chosen the foolish things of the world." He gets renown to Himself by "using things which are despised." Let us never despair of the most foolish of men, if he become the servant of Jesus. It is said of the great John Hunt, that when a young man, he gave no promise of the talents he shewed in the work of the Ministry. We have spoken with one who knew him before his conversion, who made us smile as he described his gait and style of life. Yet this ungainly ploughboy
Thomas Champness—Broken Bread

Entangled in the Land
"For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in."--Exodus 14:3. ISRAEL WAS CLEAN escaped from Egypt. Not a hoof of their cattle was left behind; nor foot of child or aged man remained in the house of bondage. But though they were gone, they were not forgotten by the tyrant who had enslaved them. They had been a very useful body of workers; for they had built treasure cities and storehouses for Pharaoh. Compelled to work without wages,
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 37: 1891

Letter xxxvi. To Pope Damasus.
Jerome's reply to the foregoing. For the second and fourth questions he refers Damasus to the writings of Tertullian, Novatian, and Origen. The remaining three he deals with in detail. Gen. iv. 15, he understands to mean "the slayer of Cain shall complete the sevenfold vengeance which is to be wreaked upon him." Exodus xiii. 18, he proposes to reconcile with Gen. xv. 16, by supposing that in the one place the tribe of Levi is referred to, in the other the tribe of Judah. He suggests, however, that
St. Jerome—The Principal Works of St. Jerome

Letter xxxv. From Pope Damasus.
Damasus addresses five questions to Jerome with a request for information concerning them. They are: 1. What is the meaning of the words "Whosoever slayeth Cain vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold"? (Gen. iv. 5.) 2. If God has made all things good, how comes it that He gives charge to Noah concerning unclean animals, and says to Peter, "What God hath cleansed that call not thou common"? (Acts x. 15.) 3. How is Gen. xv. 16, "in the fourth generation they shall come hither again," to be reconciled
St. Jerome—The Principal Works of St. Jerome

Epistle xxviii. To Augustine, Bishop of the Angli .
To Augustine, Bishop of the Angli [136] . Gregory to Augustine, &c. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will (Luke ii. 14); because a grain of wheat, falling into the earth, has died, that it might not reign in heaven alone; even He by whose death we live, by whose weakness we are made strong, by whose suffering we are rescued from suffering, through whose love we seek in Britain for brethren whom we knew not, by whose gift we find those whom without knowing them we sought.
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Jesus Living at Nazareth and visiting Jerusalem in his Twelfth Year.
(Nazareth and Jerusalem, a.d. 7 or 8.) ^C Luke II. 40-52. ^c 40 And the child grew [This verse contains the history of thirty years. It describes the growth of our Lord as a natural, human growth (compare Luke i. 80); for, though Jesus was truly divine, he was also perfectly man. To try to distinguish between the divine and human in Jesus, is to waste time upon an impracticable mystery which is too subtle for our dull and finite minds], and waxed strong [His life expanded like other human lives.
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Healing of the Woman - Christ's Personal Appearance - the Raising of Jairus' Daughter
THERE seems remarkable correspondence between the two miracles which Jesus had wrought on leaving Capernaum and those which He did on His return. In one sense they are complementary to each other. The stilling of the storm and the healing of the demonised were manifestations of the absolute power inherent in Christ; the recovery of the woman and the raising of Jairus' daughter, evidence of the absolute efficacy of faith. The unlikeliness of dominion over the storm, and of command over a legion of
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Jesus' Last Public Discourse. Denunciation of Scribes and Pharisees.
(in the Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, a.d. 30.) ^A Matt. XXIII. 1-39; ^B Mark XII. 38-40; ^C Luke XX. 45-47. ^a 1 Then spake Jesus ^b 38 And in his teaching ^c in the hearing of all the people he said unto ^a the multitudes, and to his disciples [he spoke in the most public manner], 2 saying, ^c 46 Beware of the scribes, ^a The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat: 3 all things whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe: but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Old Testament Canon from Its Beginning to Its Close.
The first important part of the Old Testament put together as a whole was the Pentateuch, or rather, the five books of Moses and Joshua. This was preceded by smaller documents, which one or more redactors embodied in it. The earliest things committed to writing were probably the ten words proceeding from Moses himself, afterwards enlarged into the ten commandments which exist at present in two recensions (Exod. xx., Deut. v.) It is true that we have the oldest form of the decalogue from the Jehovist
Samuel Davidson—The Canon of the Bible

Circumcision, Temple Service, and Naming of Jesus.
(the Temple at Jerusalem, b.c. 4) ^C Luke II. 21-39. ^c 21 And when eight days [Gen. xvii. 12] were fulfilled for circumcising him [The rite was doubtless performed by Joseph. By this rite Jesus was "made like unto his brethren" (Heb. ii. 16, 17); that is, he became a member of the covenant nation, and became a debtor to the law--Gal. v. 3] , his name was called JESUS [see Luke i. 59], which was so called by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. [Luke i. 31.] 22 And when the days of their
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Cavils of the Pharisees Concerning Purification, and the Teaching of the Lord Concerning Purity - the Traditions Concerning Hand-Washing' and Vows. '
As we follow the narrative, confirmatory evidence of what had preceded springs up at almost every step. It is quite in accordance with the abrupt departure of Jesus from Capernaum, and its motives, that when, so far from finding rest and privacy at Bethsaida (east of the Jordan), a greater multitude than ever had there gathered around Him, which would fain have proclaimed Him King, He resolved on immediate return to the western shore, with the view of seeking a quieter retreat, even though it were
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Among the People, and with the Pharisees
It would have been difficult to proceed far either in Galilee or in Judaea without coming into contact with an altogether peculiar and striking individuality, differing from all around, and which would at once arrest attention. This was the Pharisee. Courted or feared, shunned or flattered, reverently looked up to or laughed at, he was equally a power everywhere, both ecclesiastically and politically, as belonging to the most influential, the most zealous, and the most closely-connected religions
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

Concerning the Communion, or Participation of the Body and Blood of Christ.
Concerning the Communion, or Participation of the Body and Blood of Christ. The communion of the body and blood of Christ is [1104] inward and spiritual, which is the participation of his flesh and blood, by which the inward man is daily nourished in the hearts of those in whom Christ dwells. Of which things the breaking of bread by Christ with his disciples was a figure, which even they who had received the substance used in the church for a time, for the sake of the weak; even as abstaining from
Robert Barclay—Theses Theologicae and An Apology for the True Christian Divinity

The Third Day in Passion-Week - the Last Controversies and Discourses - the Sadducees and the Resurrection - the Scribe and the Great Commandment - Question
THE last day in the Temple was not to pass without other temptations' than that of the Priests when they questioned His authority, or of the Pharisees when they cunningly sought to entangle Him in His speech. Indeed, Christ had on this occasion taken a different position; He had claimed supreme authority, and thus challenged the leaders of Israel. For this reason, and because at the last we expect assaults from all His enemies, we are prepared for the controversies of that day. We remember that,
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Third Withdrawal from Herod's Territory.
Subdivision D. The Transfiguration. Concerning Elijah. (a Spur of Hermon, Near Cæsarea Philippi.) ^A Matt. XVII. 1-13; ^B Mark IX. 2-13; ^C Luke IX. 28-36. ^c 28 And it came to pass about eight days { ^a six days} ^c after these sayings [Mark agrees with Matthew in saying six days. Luke qualifies his estimate by saying "about." But if we regard him as including the day of the "sayings" and also the day of the transfiguration, and the other two as excluding these days, then the three statements
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Exodus
The book of Exodus--so named in the Greek version from the march of Israel out of Egypt--opens upon a scene of oppression very different from the prosperity and triumph in which Genesis had closed. Israel is being cruelly crushed by the new dynasty which has arisen in Egypt (i.) and the story of the book is the story of her redemption. Ultimately it is Israel's God that is her redeemer, but He operates largely by human means; and the first step is the preparation of a deliverer, Moses, whose parentage,
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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